hello

patrol guy wrote:1993- THE DAY I THOUGHT I WOULD DIE

At some point, I began to see some glimpses of blue sky, as holes began to go over me. I finally went up through one of those sucker holes and headed north.

I had been flying for over two and a half hours and still no holes. I'm starting to worry about fuel. With the extreme winds, I knew I was going slow, but didn't have any idea how slow, or any idea where I might be in that vast area of mountains.

never again!

Well.....

For the youngsters who have always had GPS, and moving maps, and ATC coverage most everywhere they've ever flown, I guess this story could sound like an excercise in dumb.

But...

For us old and gray guys, who can still remember the old radio range stations, and thought an airplane with working VOR or ADF receiver was well equipped for IFR, and who flew in the more remote parts of the globe, this story brings back memories of what we did on a daily basis, especially in the Arctic.

Launch in the general direction thru the fog, climb up on top, and when the time was right let down and make ground contact, and then figure out where you were and finish your trip.

Same thing the old air mail pilots did, and most made it, but, a bunch didn't too. I, for one, am really, really glad those days are over for the most part.

Only comment about the author's description of his planned "spin" let-down is this... The Spin-letdown is a holdover from the "old" days before gyro instruments. A spin was preferable to a graveyard spiral, the spiral being the usual outcome of inadvertent encounters with IMC. Pop out the bottom in a spin there was a chance of recovery, get in a spiral and pull the wings off... You're hosed.

If something bad happened where I now found myself on-top with a complete Nav/Com failure, out of gas, and had no choice but descend thru the clouds not knowing where I was... Think I'd slow down, power to just above idle, pull full flaps and roll the trim all the way back, then just ride her down wings level until I saw, or hit, the ground. Don't think I'd want to try a spin recovery at 100 ft AGL in the fog, but I know I can fly a stable airplane all day long at 50 ft AGL in low vis.

Gump

Gump wrote:Same thing the old air mail pilots did, and most made it, but, a bunch didn't too. I for one, am really, really glad those days are over for the most part.

Amen! Having done almost the exact same thing 30 years ago, I often wonder why I'm still alive. The Lord loves fools, I guess.

Y'all be careful out there!

Rocky

I have a question Patrol Guy. If you hadn't found the crack in the clouds to get down would you have use your com radio and ask for help? Great story! Glad it worked out ok. Regards...Rob

watkinsnv wrote:... have about 10 airplanes on the ground ask how you got there. Then they all take off looking for your hole you just spiraled down through. Now that’s Aviation. Lance

Oh boy!

This is another "pledgerism" of Robert Reser, but he reminded me of the old Cessna manual before POHs that recommended a rudder 180 degree turn out of inadvertent IMC. By putting your hands in your lap and use slight rudder pressure, you can manage a shallow rate of turn on the ball bank or turn coordinator.

On my first solo cross country in an old PA-22, I was overtaken in SE Oklahoma by a fast moving cold front. Using the school solution, I did the 180 and flew for an hour through the storm. I was 16, but I had flown IFR for the prior seven years with my Dad's pardner in the golf course construction business.

The school solution is not always right, but Cessna had a very good idea about staying in control.

Well this was a surprise to see this thread pop up after 6 years. I can assure you contactflyer it was not "pledgerism." I recently found and threw away the note book that I wrote my last farewell in. ha..
Glad to still be here.

GumpAir wrote:
If something bad happened where I now found myself on-top with a complete Nav/Com failure, out of gas, and had no choice but descend thru the clouds not knowing where I was... Think I'd slow down, power to just above idle, pull full flaps and roll the trim all the way back, then just ride her down wings level until I saw, or hit, the ground. Don't think I'd want to try a spin recovery at 100 ft AGL in the fog, but I know I can fly a stable airplane all day long at 50 ft AGL in low vis.

Gump

x2
GT

I saw the title, and thought this was a sex discussion.. Ha ha..

Pops - ha....... (That might not be far from the truth now days either??).

A hundred years ago....

....when I was in the Army....a pilot in Korea took off in a Beaver, climbed VFR on top for a 300 mile trip and planned to use the very technique described after an appropriate amount of time had passed. Let's just say that he didn't do much preflight planning.

Anyhow....he never found a hole to decend though. He kept going until eventually he ran out of gas and crashed. The young Warrent Officer survived. But much to his surprise he was only 90 miles from his departure point. Didn't know that he had a 60 mph headwind. Damned near flying backward!

Only in the Army. Only "back in the day."

Bob

Bob