Most Frightening Experience?

Not too long after I got my certificate, the wife asked if I wanted to fly her and two friends to Borrego Springs for the weekend. Sure!

This would be the first time that I flew with more than one passenger. So I got everyone’s weights and told them to pack lightly which they did. Though I’m a bit heavy, all of them are light weight Asians so weight and balance easily worked out well.

The wife and I flew from Torrance over to Hawthorne to pick up her friends and then headed to Borrego Springs. It was a beautiful day and we had a great flight over ...

until final. A crosswind seemed to come out of nowhere and it got real bumpy. But I made the necessary corrections and was keeping the mighty Skyhawk centered on the centerline as I crossed the fence. Then it seemed like the wind shifted 90 degrees and I was headed for the grass ... actually dirt... and rocks. And headed there fast. Go around!! I heard my CFI’s voice scream in my head. Go around!!

And go around I did.

Did you know that a go around with 4 people and some baggage is different than with just two people?

Well it is. And I knew it. Theoretically. Just hadn’t experienced it yet. Regardless, go around successfully accomplished albeit with more than a little bit of sloppiness and sluggishness.

Went around the pattern, looked at the windsock which indeed was about 90 degrees from where it was earlier. Second landing attempt was successful with a decent amount of wind correction. This time the wind stayed fairly steady and didn’t move around much at all. A decent landing with just a little float from the extra airspeed I had added to compensate for any unexpected gust. Squeak squeak. Taxi to ramp.

Me: Sorry for the scare. Wind shifted.

Them: Huh? What? Great landing. That was fun!

:cool:
 
SkyDog58 said:
Not too long after I got my certificate, the wife asked if I wanted to fly her and two friends to Borrego Springs for the weekend. Sure!

This would be the first time that I flew with more than one passenger. So I got everyone’s weights and told them to pack lightly which they did. Though I’m a bit heavy, all of them are light weight Asians so weight and balance easily worked out well.
:cool:
Click to expand...
Sac must be eating his heart out!

Hope you four had fun.
 
SkyDog58 said:
Not too long after I got my certificate, the wife asked if I wanted to fly her and two friends to Borrego Springs for the weekend. Sure!

This would be the first time that I flew with more than one passenger. So I got everyone’s weights and told them to pack lightly which they did. Though I’m a bit heavy, all of them are light weight Asians so weight and balance easily worked out well.

The wife and I flew from Torrance over to Hawthorne to pick up her friends and then headed to Borrego Springs. It was a beautiful day and we had a great flight over ...

until final. A crosswind seemed to come out of nowhere and it got real bumpy. But I made the necessary corrections and was keeping the mighty Skyhawk centered on the centerline as I crossed the fence. Then it seemed like the wind shifted 90 degrees and I was headed for the grass ... actually dirt... and rocks. And headed there fast. Go around!! I heard my CFI’s voice scream in my head. Go around!!

And go around I did.

Did you know that a go around with 4 people and some baggage is different than with just two people?

Well it is. And I knew it. Theoretically. Just hadn’t experienced it yet. Regardless, go around successfully accomplished albeit with more than a little bit of sloppiness and sluggishness.

Went around the pattern, looked at the windsock which indeed was about 90 degrees from where it was earlier. Second landing attempt was successful with a decent amount of wind correction. This time the wind stayed fairly steady and didn’t move around much at all. A decent landing with just a little float from the extra airspeed I had added to compensate for any unexpected gust. Squeak squeak. Taxi to ramp.

Me: Sorry for the scare. Wind shifted.

Them: Huh? What? Great landing. That was fun!

:cool:
Click to expand...
'Dog with three women at once? I'm impressed! WTG!
 
The topic for me has 2 halves: when I felt frightened in the air and when I did something dangerous in retrospect. I did a number of stupid things, but never frightened myself. I just thought "well, that wasn't the best ADM today." The worst of them was probably when I navigated a mountain pass in poor weather, while on my solo XC. Sparky Emerson would not approve. But I didn't know any better back then. As far as being afraid, it happened when I hit some light turbulence in a glider and thought that all that stands between me and the spar folding is a dubious bayonet connector. Rationally speaking, the glider was under an excellent maintenance regime, and was designed and certified for aerobatics, so there was nothing to be concerned about. But I was really frightened.
 
denverpilot said:
TMI.

Wasn’t there a while thread about you peeing on someone’s hangar recently? Hahaha. Kiddin.
Click to expand...

Hey, I'd rather have a plan if nature calls. It's not like it gets used, but the nearest toilet is a couple miles away, so there ya go. The 178 seconds video was partially factual. ;)
 
Probably a tie between my first attempt at a power on stall that put me in a spin and the near midair at DTO while in the pattern to land.
 
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