Share Your Real Pilot Stories

[Kamak86]

Every Pilot has stories from there flight training. I was taught that sharing pilot stoires "hanger talk" not only provides entertainment but also makes you a better pilot by listening to what others have gone though and survivied and what they did so you dont get into that situation....Ive had a few close calls with a few airplanes, how to bust airspace with your flight instructor and then watching him get reamed over the radio for it(then him explaining and apologizing to me and ATC), what not to do while iniating a go around and a few more.

-My first solo flight i was suppose to do 3 take offs and landings to a full stop, well i got so excited and so nervious flying the first time by myself I did 1 take off and 3 touch and gos.

-Had a Cessna 404 racing down the taxi way and on to the runway without stopping or making a call or looking down final for that matter while i was was 1/8 from threshold.

-Had a bad habit of raising the flaps before adding power on a "go around" (that was hammered out right quick)

- Last and the most fun of all was, I was entering the traffic pattern at 90Kts on the down wind while slowing down, I make the call "XXXX airport, NXXXX on downwind for Runway 20, XXXXX airport" Almost to Base leg i hear "XXXXX Airport, NXXXXX is downwind runway 20, N(myplane) we are a little bit faster then you we will be passing you on your left side, we have you insight, XXXX airport" I look over to my far left and its the P-51C just starting to lower the landing gear and makes a right turn showing the distintive profile of a mustang. My flight insructor took a snap shot while in the air as it passed us and when i find it i will post it. The airport was having a Wings of Freedom weekend and they had a few bombers and a P-51C and a corsair. My sig is the actual plane that passed us.

[redtiger02]

Let's see...
One time we were over Ft. Worth in a V tail bonanza at 8000 and the engine decided to quit, I was a student then near the end of my training, so I got my first lesson in emergency landings.
Then I was flying to JWY just south of Ft. Worth on another flight when we got a warning about waterfowl in the area. As the FSS was finishing the sentence, we saw two large black balls of death and heard a loud boom as we destroyed two ducks, which broke the prop, went through the intake and blew out the cowl flaps. I was flying with a CFI friend in a 210 and it took both of us to get it on the ground at JWY. I was not PIC, no heat on me, and my friend was classed as "no fault" after the investigation by Dallas FSDO.
One time, around midnight, I was coming in early in my flying career onto a runway that's only 40' x 3000' in a 182, winds 180 at 17 gusting to 28, which was not predicted in the briefing, freak storm cell out of nowhere. I made two go-arounds, the second one I was at 20 flaps and we came over 30' trees at 40' AGL, I was scared sh*tless. Finally, nailed it on the third try after some prayer and careful consideration as to whether or not I was diverting or jumping out so I could fall to my death instead of crashing, it was one of my softest landings ever.
Then there was today. Flying with a passenger on her first ever flight in a GA aircraft, my 182 Skylane, winds were 50 at 7 gusting to 19, which wasn't the case when we took off for some sightseeing. We were landing on the runway mentioned above at 7F7, taking off and landing on 32. The incident above was on 14. We enter the pattern, catching some turbulence after a pretty decent flight, she got a lot of pictures, and the Cracker Barrel food she ate earlier became Cessna Barrel's new menu item. Puke on the right seat yoke, puke on the MP and RPM, then she said "I'm ok," as she turned to me and decorated my yoke and AS indicator. So, I had to use my shirt to clean the MP, RPM and AS, during a shifting wind that got ugly in ground effect. The landing was smooth as glass with a solid crosswind correction, and she is now set on getting her VFR license.
Then there was a passenger friend that was flying with me at KOZA, Ozona, TX. It was July 2 of this year, can't forget. First, we flew out to SJT without incident, a little bumpy. On the way back from the short trip we caught some of the famous West Texas unseen downdraft and lost 200', it happens and it's not lethal. He drank a lot of tea at SJT and proceeded to pee on the right seat during the panic of the downdraft. We were at 8500, roughly 6200 AGL, so 200' is nothing to write home about. Then, we get into the pattern for 34 at KOZA, which takes us over the town of 4000, where I am originally from. Some jackass kids on the ground decided that it would be hilarious to shoot off large bottle rockets at a low-flying plane. My passenger was a county commissioner, no less. Fortunately we were just about to enter the downwind so I had some speed behind me, and a 182 is very stable in a tight spot, so I yanked it into a steep turn, called for traffic on the unicom, then called unicom on the ground to make sure we were all on the same page, and entered a right pattern on a standard-pattern runway and got it down. We then got in his truck and met the Sherriff at the intersection where the kids were, and I am happy to report that they are clearing trash and mowing the grass around a 75' x 6000' runway every Saturday until March 1, 2010. The Justice of the Peace who sentenced them is also a pilot, his wife is the airport manager, and he was a good friend of my grandfather, who was also a pilot. That's all I can remember offhand, gonna check my logs to see any other interesting notes.

[redtiger02]

Uncontrolled airports FTW!

[Kamak86]

i do love those airports, nice stories too. I have an FAR/AIM question, im going to look but in case i cannot find it. I have an opporunity to fly with a company that does aeiral photographs and he said that i could log multiengine time in the 2nd seat on the dead legs back. Im under the understanding that you cannot log multi unless its with a flight instructor. Im going to go digging in the FAR/AIM to see if i can find anything.

[Whiskey Red]

Originally Posted by Kamak86

i do love those airports, nice stories too. I have an FAR/AIM question, im going to look but in case i cannot find it. I have an opporunity to fly with a company that does aeiral photographs and he said that i could log multiengine time in the 2nd seat on the dead legs back. Im under the understanding that you cannot log multi unless its with a flight instructor. Im going to go digging in the FAR/AIM to see if i can find anything.

You are correct. You cannot log multi time unless you are with a certificated flight instructor (or for any aircraft for which you do not hold the appropriate category, class, and type [if required] certificate). In addition, if the flight is under a part 135 or 121 operation (meaning it's a commercial flight for hire) you technically can't log time unless you fit the minimum hour and commercial certificate requirements for that operation (and that operator).

Not saying it doesn't happen, though.

[Kamak86]

What about second in command? or do you have to have the ratings reguardless

[Whiskey Red]

Originally Posted by Kamak86

What about second in command? or do you have to have the ratings reguardless

You do have to have the appropriate ratings. In addition, the aircraft must require two crew members in order for second in command time to be logged. In other words, if two pilots are flying a twin Cessna (say a 310) neither could log SIC because the aircraft does not require the second crewmember.

[redtiger02]

Originally Posted by Whiskey Red

You do have to have the appropriate ratings. In addition, the aircraft must require two crew members in order for second in command time to be logged. In other words, if two pilots are flying a twin Cessna (say a 310) neither could log SIC because the aircraft does not require the second crewmember.

OK, that's not entirely correct based on the latest FARs. If the 310 is operating for hire, as in photo work, the SIC can be logged because it requires a 2 man operating crew, you can log SIC but not PIC. SIC on a normal flight is at discrection. If you hold a multi rating and share the flying duties then it's between you and the PIC who logs what time in what role.

[Whiskey Red]

Originally Posted by redtiger02

OK, that's not entirely correct based on the latest FARs. If the 310 is operating for hire, as in photo work, the SIC can be logged because it requires a 2 man operating crew, you can log SIC but not PIC. SIC on a normal flight is at discrection. If you hold a multi rating and share the flying duties then it's between you and the PIC who logs what time in what role.

I agree with you partially. Technically part 61.55 does state that "a person may serve as a second in command of an aircraft type certificated for more than one required pilot flight crewmember or in operations requiring a second in command pilot flight crewmember."

Keep in mind that the operations requirement states PILOT flight crewmember. Your photographer would not count as a required pilot flight crewmember because a non-pilot can perform those duties. The guy flying the airplane would log PIC time, not SIC time. The plane still only requires one pilot to fly. Keep in mind that if at any time the pilot allows you to be the "sole manipulator of the controls," then you are logging PIC time if you are qualified in that aircraft (61.51(e)(1)(i).

Also, it is not at the discretion of the two pilots if the plane does not require the second crewmember or the operation does not specifically call for a second in command pilot. If that were so, I could log second in command any time I flew in a Cessna 182 with my buddies. The plane must require the second crewmember, or, if the operations require the second pilot, they must be approved by the FAA.

I agree, the reg is long and poorly worded (like most of the FARs) but always stay on the conservative side. You might have a hard time convincing the feds that you needed to be logging SIC time in a C-310.

In addition, the definition of SIC pilot qualifications changes based on what part of the 14 CFRs you are operating under (part 121, 61, or part 135).

I really do not want to get into a debate over the FARs, however. My point is still the same in either case. He still must have at least a private pilot certificate (or commercial based on which part he is operating under), and be current and certified in the appropriate category and class (and type if a type rating is required).

Also, only one person at a time can log pic time unless one them is a current and qualified flight instructor actively giving instruction.

Also, Kamak86, I appologize for digressing too much from your original topic. Just yell at me if I start to go off .

[Kamak86]

Originally Posted by Whiskey Red

I agree with you partially. Technically part 61.55 does state that "a person may serve as a second in command of an aircraft type certificated for more than one required pilot flight crewmember or in operations requiring a second in command pilot flight crewmember."

Keep in mind that the operations requirement states PILOT flight crewmember. Your photographer would not count as a required pilot flight crewmember because a non-pilot can perform those duties. The guy flying the airplane would log PIC time, not SIC time. The plane still only requires one pilot to fly.

Also, it is not at the discretion of the two pilots if the plane does not require the second crewmember or the operation does not specifically call for a second in command pilot. If that were so, I could log second in command any time I flew in a Cessna 182 with my buddies. The plane must require the second crewmember, or, if the operations require the second pilot, they must be approved by the FAA.

I agree, the reg is long and poorly worded (like most of the FARs) but always stay on the conservative side. You might have a hard time convincing the feds that you needed to be logging SIC time in a C-310.

In addition, the definition of SIC pilot qualifications changes based on what part of the 14 CFRs you are operating under (part 121, 61, or part 135).

I really do not want to get into a debate over the FARs, however. My point is still the same in either case. He still must have at least a private pilot certificate (or commercial based on which part he is operating under), and be current and certified in the appropriate category and class (and type if a type rating is required).

Ok, im just trying to get an idea of what i have to do, I have a private's. The plane is a C-404, with 1 pilot and 1 camera man. I would be hired on as a camera man for their company. Once the photos are taken they would land and refuel. Then the pilot and i would take off and fly the plane to the homebase as a dead leg. I might try and call my local FSDO and try and see what they say.

If the PIC was a CFI would that change anything on the dead legs?