Passed my IFR checkride today, phew!
Now I can really do some damage.

-Brad

Congratulations on the new ticket!

In Salem, OR (SLE) you can land on the grass parallel with 34. SLE has an ILS.

tom

George McEntire did in a Connie. Congrats on the ticket.

nkh
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http://www.aerofiles.com/oldgeorge.html

Lost In a Mental Fog

During his time as a check-pilot for production Constellations at Lockheed's factory in Burbank, McEntire had more experiences than you can shake a control-stick at. Once he overheard where an Air Force Connie was having panel problems while trying to get into Burbank on a foggy night—its ILS and other instruments for a blind landing were not working. They circled above the fog, awaiting instructions.

Ol' George suggested to the Operations chief that he take a Connie up and lead them down on his instruments, which seemed like a sensible idea, since the local fog was light enough to permit that. He got a co-pilot and galloped off to the rescue, pulling up alongside the circling C-69.

"Tuck in as close to my starboard side as you can without chewin' off my tail," he radioed the other Connie, "Turn on your headlights and stay right with me. Keep me in sight, and I'll get you down, OK?"

The C-69 driver agreed that was a good plan, and closed the gap between them. With Ol' George's co-pilot acting as a lookout, they formed up for an approach and slipped into the fog layer.

"How they doin'?" Ol' George asked his co-pilot.

Looking over his shoulder at the lights of the shadowy C-69, he answered, "Right with us."

Although Burbank's runway was wide, Ol' George stayed off to the left to land on the dirt shoulder, letting the C-69 have the full runway. They came in low over the fence and touched down.

"How about now?" he asked.

The co-pilot said, "They're down."

Ol' George, uncertain of what might lie ahead in the fog, hit the throttles for a go-around back to the runway. As they climbed, the co-pilot said, "Guess what?"

"What?"

"They're still with us..."

After some patient radioed instructions, Ol' George got them on the runway the second time and convinced them to stay down.