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Oh am I embarrassed.
Not only did I screw up in the pattern at a big local fly-in, but I cut off a friend on final doing so. Duh.
So - to get it off my mind, here we go.
I had a pilot friend right seat - I am instrument rated and have over 900 hours, about 400 in my current airplane. Flown into Oshkosh enough I know how this is supposed to go when things get busy.
We entered left downwind at a peak arrival time to a busy fly-in, the radio was a constant chatter - made all my calls. Thought I heard the traffic on final call "short final" as I was approaching the 45 degree point to turn base and thought "I can turn now - there's a break in the traffic."
Neither my co-pilot nor I saw anyone on final.
We turn base and as we are half way to final, a Cessna 150 goes by in front, on short final - safe distance but we never saw him. I turn final behind the Cessna and in the left turn I glanced right - there were 4 more aircraft on final, and I cut in. Oh crap.
We were by no means dangerously close to anyone, but we both knew better - heard what we thought we heard ("short final") and saw what we though we saw (no airplanes).
No metal was bent in this tale, but I felt like an idiot, as I did a fine impression of one.
Apologized profusely to my friend after we got parked, but all day I have felt like the proverbial fool.
* sigh *
Hardest part is forgiving myself.
Not only did I screw up in the pattern at a big local fly-in, but I cut off a friend on final doing so. Duh.
So - to get it off my mind, here we go.
I had a pilot friend right seat - I am instrument rated and have over 900 hours, about 400 in my current airplane. Flown into Oshkosh enough I know how this is supposed to go when things get busy.
We entered left downwind at a peak arrival time to a busy fly-in, the radio was a constant chatter - made all my calls. Thought I heard the traffic on final call "short final" as I was approaching the 45 degree point to turn base and thought "I can turn now - there's a break in the traffic."
Neither my co-pilot nor I saw anyone on final.
We turn base and as we are half way to final, a Cessna 150 goes by in front, on short final - safe distance but we never saw him. I turn final behind the Cessna and in the left turn I glanced right - there were 4 more aircraft on final, and I cut in. Oh crap.
We were by no means dangerously close to anyone, but we both knew better - heard what we thought we heard ("short final") and saw what we though we saw (no airplanes).
No metal was bent in this tale, but I felt like an idiot, as I did a fine impression of one.
Apologized profusely to my friend after we got parked, but all day I have felt like the proverbial fool.
* sigh *
Hardest part is forgiving myself.