Has anyone here bellied in an aircraft with no landing gear, had a prop strike, ran off the runway, been a test pilot, had to glide into a field without power, had a bird strike (turkey’s or deer count also) incidents, etc. & how did you recover from such - I think this can be a great learning tool for all of us - so please share your story(ies). I’m sure some of it may be funny & some of it very serious (some serious & looking back now you can smile).
I know an ol FAA Flight Examiner that always told me it was not that I will flub a maneuver but how well I will recover from it.
Or things like not reading the NOTAMS & finding out the airport you are flying into has closed their runway - that sort of thing - what did you do in these circumstances/experiences.
Let’s learn from one another & share good/bad/ugly memories & are/be thankful we are alive to tell it!!!
All experiences will disintegrate in 5 minutes after typing them… 8)
While I read the NOTAMS for runway painting, the paint wasn’t behaving by drying as scheduled which kept the runway closed at KMBO. My answer, landed on the taxiway since no planes were taking off anyway.
Thank you so much Allen for your contribution to this post - I learned lots from your link & your reply about NOTAMS. I was so impressed by the fact the A&P was a “she/woman” - that gives me great confidence in that profession & how men react to a woman working on their aircraft. Women have come a long way in aviation & I’m so thankful they have…
See - when we read or listen (reading & listening is doubling up on the learning process & hands on finishes up the plan) - we are downloading info that will talk to us (in our heads & hearts) when we are in certain situations - as Allen did thinking about what his CFI told him over & over while instructing him to fly.
I know - I know - I’m preaching to the choir here & I love it. Just love learning & hearing about flying (if it doesn’t get so technical & flies over my head).
Talking about belly-landing. I just remembered a comment from my CFI back in training.
He said there were two kinds of pilots. Those who have belly-landed, and those who will.
I’m not sure what you mean by that statement but I knew/know a test pilot that “had” to do it a few times - not his error - but aircraft wouldn’t work properly after repair - I certainly wouldn’t want to be a test pilot - you have no idea what’s going to happen up there or if/how you are going to get down - isn’t there also a saying about your a good pilot if you can walk away to tell about it.
If it were me - I would be so thankful if I could walk away from a belly-landing in one piece. I assume CFIj - you have never had the opportunity to belly-land & hopefully you never will - but please don’t put down those who have had too & come out alive & able to tell about it.
BTW: I have been in an aircraft that the gear was not coming down & had to be cranked down manually & then you don’t know if it is locked in or not - just hold your breath & I’ve seen someone upon landing the gear collapse - not a pretty site either - plane was pretty tore up but the man was in one piece & pretty shook up. Yes, I felt way better about each circumstance of walking away to tell it.
CFIj - thank you so much for your contribution & pics - I knew you had some in you to tell about. I also would say you have some guardian angels looking out for you (working on your behalf).
What a beautiful bird to meet such a fate - wish I had those feathers!!! I know with the bird strike it’s kinda like when a dog or cat runs out in front of your car or straight into your tire - you don’t even have time to react & it is gruesome to look in your rearview mirror. I have wanted to stop before but I’m sure I would only have been biten if the animal were still alive - you just feel so bad about it. In the case of a bird strike there is nothing to see unless they come at your windshield and/or when you land & this one was bloodless.
Only in your case you are at a different altitude & it really gets scary for sure. In both those instances did you automatically pray or cuss or both?!?!?! I might have done both myself!!!
God is more merciful & protective than we ever give Him credit for… SO - I would like to give Him thanks right now for saving us all more than once in our lives - thank you Lord for Your unfailing love for those of us who test You daily - I give You all the glory due to You & You alone.
(whisper - especially CFIj’s 1 minute engine failure - thank You that You were there for him)
Yes, it was very strange, i always tought that bird strikes were darned bloody, but they aren’t all… seems to be one of this bird quality is ‘hanging’ in the wind still looking for preys on the ground… he was like comming up from the lower right, very weird tough but i really saw him comming…i notified the tower directly they asked me if i had damage, i said i did not knew that, and they sended directly an inspection onto the runway, he found the head on the runway… kinda also intact…
