Met my first mute, blind, deaf pilot today at Gaston's...

timwinters

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So, I'm heading back from Gulfport to Springfield, MO today and decided to land at Gaston's since I didn't get to fly to the "fly-in" and Lisa has never landed there.

The plan was to maybe grab some brunch or maybe just land and takeoff again. We'll see... (i.e. there was no real plan)

So, I give her the full dam approach. Announce at the dam on crosswind for 24, announce turning left downwind 24...

About that time an experimental announces that they're holding short 06 for incoming traffic.

I tell him to go ahead, he's got plenty of time and, if not, I can do a 360 south of the field.

So, he gags his lolly and takes his sweet time getting out on the runway and rolling so I do indeed do a 360 south of the field. No big deal, I'm flying and enjoying the scenery.

I announce re-entering the left downwind at a 45 for 24... He's well out of the way now.

I announce turning left base 24.

I announce turning final 24.

And I announce short final 24 (about 1/4 mile out).

Shortly thereafter a 172/182 pulls out of the parking area into position at the end of 06.

Hmmm...position and hold is okay but he's not talking. So I keep an eye on him while I continue my approach...making sure I'm ready to react if he's an idiot.

About the time I touch down, he pours the coals to it and starts his take-off run.

"F***ing really? Are you blind?"

So, I too pour the coals to it, lift back off, and execute a go around.

At about the same time I key up the mic and utter something like "are you f***ing stupid?" or "you're a f***ing idiot." Likely the latter.

I passed over the top of him about 50' to 75' agl. He never slowed down, never hesitated, just kept going and took off.

Maybe he was on the wrong frequency, it happens, I've done I t a couple of times. But how do you not see a plane landing opposite direction on a short little 3200' runway? And how are you stooooopid enough to continue a take-off run once you do finally see the other plane and see that he's going around. I really can't believe that he NEVER saw me.

I can understand not having ears, but not having eyes?
 
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You should have buzzed him a little closer to teach him a lesson.
 
Nice - I have yet to make it down to Gastons.
I flew over a few weeks ago when coming into KBPK.

I almost decided to load up and head down there today but a cold convinced me to stay grounded.
 
Dang, Tim! That's a heck of a deal, but sounds like you did a damn fine job on the quick go-around. Nice work.

It was probably that moron that makes "Gaston's is the most dangerous take-off in the world" videos on youtube. Was it a Cardinal?

Haha, beat me to it-was going to suggest it might be that tool-shed as well...
 
See and avoid works! Especially if theyre coming straight at you down the runway!! Nice job Tim. I mighta had air-rage and followed him to his destination and kicked his a$$. Ok, or I mighta just landed back at Gaston's and had lunch
 
I am absolutely appalled that the new medical reform still does not allow blind people to fly....:rolleyes:
 
Well I don't think I would proceed to land on any runway (turf included) if I see another plane clearly getting ready to take off... He didn't see you but you saw him and elected to land anyway? I'm not so sure the blame is all with him.
 
Well I don't think I would proceed to land on any runway (turf included) if I see another plane clearly getting ready to take off...

True dat and I figured someone would bring that up. I thought about that later and I probably should have just gone around immediately. Hindsight is always 20/20. But my thinking at the time was:

a) if he stays there we're all good.
b) if he rolls immediately (which he pretty much did) I execute a go around.
c) if he hesitates for a while, I simply pull off to the side after landing since I'll only use 1/3 of the runway anyway and it's plenty wide enough to get off to the side for the full length.

He didn't see you but you saw him and elected to land anyway? I'm not so sure the blame is all with him.

Not sure what "blame" was on me since I evaluated the situation and successfully executed a go around. Even if I'd gone around immediately my story would've been the same: "I met a mute, blind, deaf pilot today at Gaston's!"

I'm curious, have you ever been there..and thus able to visualize what actually happened and what the proper possible courses of action were?

I'm not saying a better decision couldn't have been made. Just saying the entire scenario lasted about 10 to 15 seconds...at the most, and it's far easier to analyze at a leisurely pace from the comfort of a desk chair sitting at the computer.
 
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It was probably that moron that makes "Gaston's is the most dangerous take-off in the world" videos on youtube. Was it a Cardinal?

Wasn't me, I swear :)

I have to tell you I've had some issues at Flippin (KFLP) and Mountain Home (KBPK) in the last three months and it was different planes, but all locals. As an example, at Flippin a few weeks ago, I started calling at 3 miles with intentions of landing on 22, called downwind, base, and final, talking to a Mooney just ahead of me the whole time. I was on final and the Mooney turned off, and all was perfect. Greased it in, and started to turn off at midpoint and I then noticed a dark colored SLA coming right at me head on. I barely made the turnoff, and he turned in right behind me and also exited the runway. Later I told him that if he insists on flying a dark colored airplane, he needs to make position reports and he then stated that his radio doesn't transmit when his electrical system is below 11 volts, which it was on that day. He said he heard me fine but thought my airplane was much faster than his and he thought I would be well clear before he landed. See and Avoid will not work if you See and intentionally Not Avoid.

Gaston's also had some incidents in the last month (Grumman a month ago, PP crash a couple weeks ago, an SR22 crash last week), but I haven't been to Gaston's in six months or so. Last weekend there was a fly-in in Gassville and every year it attracts a lot of chutes and ultralights. Problem is many of them either don't know the rules or choose to ignore them. You might have had a run in with one of them.
 
@JohnAJohnson

A bunch of us where there when the powered parachute punched in.

What's the story on the cirrus last week? Maybe the same guy that we saw a couple of weeks ago float about 2/3rds of the way down the runway as he was landing on 06 with a 10kt tailwaind? Yeah, he got it stopped that time...barely...
 
Takeoff run, hit a bump, lost it into the trees on the right (toward the cabins) about halfway down.

@JohnAJohnson

A bunch of us where there when the powered parachute punched in.

What's the story on the cirrus last week? Maybe the same guy that we saw a couple of weeks ago float about 2/3rds of the way down the runway as he was landing on 06 with a 10kt tailwaind? Yeah, he got it stopped that time...barely...
 
Takeoff run, hit a bump, lost it into the trees on the right (toward the cabins) about halfway down.

You mean the speed hump mid field? First time I hit it I was landing. It gets your attention if you still have enough flow to get a moment if lift.

Take off same way.... Bucks you up a bit. Not surprised it was a Cirrus systems manager......err......pilot.
 
Well, the field does seem to be getting rougher every year especially now that Jim has passed. Gotta wonder how much longer it'll be open.
 
@JohnAJohnson

A bunch of us where there when the powered parachute punched in.

What's the story on the cirrus last week? Maybe the same guy that we saw a couple of weeks ago float about 2/3rds of the way down the runway as he was landing on 06 with a 10kt tailwaind? Yeah, he got it stopped that time...barely...

Yeah, that powered parachute crash was scary. I hope he didn't do any lasting damage to his back.

I was thinking the same thing about the Cirrus. That dude landed loooooooong.
 
... So, I too pour the coals to it, lift back off, and execute a go around.

At about the same time I key up the mic and utter something like "are you f***ing stupid?" or "you're a f***ing idiot." Likely the latter.

I passed over the top of him about 50' to 75' agl. He never slowed down, never hesitated, just kept going and took off.

I can understand not having ears, but not having eyes?

This DEFINITELY is completely your fault ... not the event itself, but failing to have a pax pre-briefed to jettison the urinal Gatorade bottles as counter measures:p:confused:

EDIT: Also, you should have performed a canyon turn, re-engaged him and gave him "the bird" preferably while inverted like Maverick;)
 
Reckon you can do this in a Cessna?

maxresdefault.jpg
 
Well, the field does seem to be getting rougher every year especially now that Jim has passed. Gotta wonder how much longer it'll be open.

It's already been on the local FSDOs radar. Especially with muliple Cirrus takeoff accidents.

I haven't seen a mole/armadillo problem as bad as this year. There were a lot of holes...
 
I haven't seen a mole/armadillo problem as bad as this year. There were a lot of holes...

They usually don't bother me but they're bad this year and have torn up the lawn all around the house. I've shot an average of one a week for the last two months.
 
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