What was your most embarrasing situation?

Insane

Insane

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Insane
So we saw the thread about the closest call you may have had... How about not necessarily dangerous but an embarrassing or boneheaded action?

I've got two...

The first one was during training, my very first solo XC in fact... I somehow managed to turn down the volume of my radio and forgot about it, then made a complete fool of myself coming back to my home field (class D) and frantically calling, not getting a response then setting lost comms transponder, etc, until I FINALLY figured out what was going on and contacted them. The tower controller was pretty upset about it (it was busy). Very embarrassing and I have to say I have never turned down the volume of my radio since then (other than to adjust for comfort).

Second one was getting a flat nosewheel tire on a Cessna as I taxied into position on the runway on a busy Friday afternoon! :eek: Don't ask me how that happened except it did and I figured it out pretty quickly because I couldn't move at all (the front wheel pant was on the ground in full contact). Totally messed up the flow for 10 minutes while I was dragged off. Just watching all those people waiting on the taxiway and glaring at me while I got my hunk of junk hauled off was humiliating.

Any others?
 
Very late at night, coming back to aviation after having not flown for a few years and low time. Working at a towered airport doing stop and goes. Everything was going great, controller kept clearing me for the option like so:

Bored controller: "Cessna 123AB cleared for the option"
Me: "Cleared for the option, Cessna 3AB."

Then, after takeoff:
Me: "Cessna 3AB, remaining in pattern."
Controller: "Roger"

After a few laps the controller says "Cessna 3AB, you know you don't have to keep telling us you're remaining in the pattern. We figured that out."
:(

Between forgetting that and my abysmal performance on the biannual made me determined to study hard to get back in the left seat properly as I was clearly rusty.
 
It was a gusty day and I was preflighting so i left the tail tie down still tied but had to go back inside my flight school for something (I don't remember what). So i come back out, started the engine, get the ATIS, then it hit me that I forgot to take the tail tie down off. I start shaking my head and my instructors laughs
 
I did the same as the OP… taking off on 34L at KRNO (34R closed for maint.). As I crossed the hold-short line pulling onto the runway, the nose tire went flat. My CFI and I had to push the airplane back about 300 feet while the crew of a Southwest 737 and American MD-80 looked at us sweating in the July sun.

I imagined the pilots on the PA to their pax… "If you look out the left side of the plane you'll see two guys pushing their broken airplane. When they push it far enough, we'll be able to leave."
 
I approached a non towered airport and made all my position reports like I'm supposed to, wondering why the two ***holes in the pattern weren't doing the same.

On 122.9 instead of 122.8.
 
Other than the normal student brain vapor locks: I was all set for my checkride, pretending to be professional and know what I'm doing, so the DOE and I got all strapped into the Warrior, I started my prestart checklist and realized I had forgotten the chocks.
 
one of the first times I was going to take the plane out after my ticket, it was pretty darned cold out and I couldn't get the thing started. I primed, throttle pumped, everything, I just didn't want to over crank so I finally gave up. the guy who runs the place asked what was wrong, then he fired it right up. oh well.
 
I was flying into FWS from TKI and they have 2 runways, 17R 17L 35R 35L

I was told to Fly Right Pattern to Runway 35 Left. He was talking so damn fast I didnt have time to repeat anything. He then went to tell a departing traffic he was approved for Right Turnout. I was 8 miles out and was confused as hell, kept asking myself if I should call and confirm... 5 miles out and thought i'd look mighty foolish to ask what he meant. So I decided to play it cool and safe (so I thought) to fly over diagnally to the Left side of 35 but above pattern altitude so just incase I got it wrong I wouldnt affect traffic.

I passed over the runway (and instantly realized I had a massive brain fart) and the controller said

-58 Wiskey, what the heckare you doing?

Entering Left downwind for runway 35R? (it sounded more like a question on my part)

-You are cleared RIGHT pattern for Runway 35L

Sorry, Unfamiliar, Request Left Pattern for Runway 35L

-Left Pattern Approved, 58W cleared for landing runway 35L (in the most unimpressed voice you can imagine)


I proceeded to land one of my worst landings ever, I was so embarressed. Hindsight, I should of expressed I was a student and was unsure of instructions.
 
jordane93 said:
It was a gusty day and I was preflighting so i left the tail tie down still tied but had to go back inside my flight school for something (I don't remember what). So i come back out, started the engine, get the ATIS, then it hit me that I forgot to take the tail tie down off. I start shaking my head and my instructors laughs
Click to expand...

Less embarrassing than practicing Turns Around a Tie-down.
 
was working on all kinds of different stuff with CFI in the pattern...

While on downwind leg midfield:
Tower: "Cessna XYZ, Cleared for landing Runway 24"
Me: "Cleared for option, Runway 24, Cessna XYZ"
Tower: "OK...cleared for OPTION then I guess"

It was a sleepy day at the field I meant to say "request option"!
 
On my checkride, we take off for XC.
I have my nav log out and he says whats your first waypoint?
I say Sanger Texas. He says: "great where is that?
I point out the window.
He says: "Good, about how far away is it?"
I say: About 9 minutes"
He says: "Great, where are we now?"
I am so confused I say "About 9 minutes north of Sanger"

Examiner finally: "Son, Do you plan on using a map for any portion of this flight?"
I felt so stupid.
I had put the sectional in the pocket (think God I had it in the plane)
I was so nervous all I was thinking about was the timing on my nav log and never got the sectional out.

Me (frantic): "uh yessir, here it is sorry about that"
Somehow managed to pass.
 
I have also turned the radio down in flight and forgotten. More than once.
The best was when my CFI and I were talking and turned the radio down for a second and forgot.

We were on flight following. Controller was clearly ****ed when we realized the um radio malfunction ;)
 
First time flying with a real student, just hired, had only flown out of the airport once previously. Got a little lost and was inbound to the wrong airport talking to tower(couple of miles out) when I realized it was the wrong airport. "Tower 03A is going to return to the practice area for a bit.":lol:
 
1) hit the open button on the hanger-- the kind with the electric winch that pulls the bi-fold doors up to the ceiling. I left the small human sized door open. As I walk back to my plane, I hear the crunch of metal as the small door punched a hole in the top of the bi-fold hangar door. (So that's why that sign saying to "Close this door completely before opening hangar door" is there.) Oops.

2) CFII: Did you forget something? What's the most forgotten instrument in the plane?

Me: I forgot.

CFII: (Belly laughing.)
 
"Exec Tower, Arrow 123SA ready to go on 18L, Northeast departure."

"Um, Arrow 123SA, did you mean to say Napa Tower?"

"Oops, you know where I'm going!"
 
While returning to flying after many years, I rejoined the USAF Aero Club. The AFB Procedures required you to contact the tower for permission to start the engine. After several calls to the tower with no response, the CFI mentioned they might hear me better if the master switch was on. I added that step to my personal checklist prior to the next flight. :)

Cheers
 
I was flying into Concord, NC, and CLT approach had told me to expect visual approach to runway 20 and had vectored me towards downwind for 20.

I get handed to JQF tower, and tower says

"Proceed downwind for runway 2, report left base runway 2"

Me: "Uh, what? Um, what do you want me to do?"

Tower: "proceed downwind for runway 2, report left base runway 2"

Me: "Uh, I'm confused."

Tower (with disdain in voice): "What can I help you with?"

Me (starting to catch on): "Uh, approach told me to expect downwind for 20"

Tower (now annoyed): "OK, proceed left base 20, cleared to land runway 20"

It was race day, and there was all sorts of fixed and rotor wing traffic at that airport, I'll bet they were all wondering who the dunce in the Mooney was.

Oh well. :redface:
 
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Oh yeah, back when KTVL (South Lake Tahoe) still had a tower...

"Arrow 123SA, exit at Foxtrot, and taxi to parking this frequency. Oh and by the way, welcome back!"

Translation:

"Arrow 123SA, yeah, we remember you. You were the bonehead that crossed the hold short line without clearance and we gave you a pass on it. This is a kind reminder not to do that again. We're keeping an eye on you."

(In my defense, the hold short line WAS covered with snow. I had to guess where it was, but I guessed incorrectly.)
 
Ok, you have me wondering if I'm the dunce on the internet.

The bottom line of the story is CLT approach thought one runway was in use but JQF was using the opposite?

Bill Jennings said:
I was flying into Concord, NC, and CLT approach had told me to expect visual approach to runway 20 and had vectored me towards downwind for 20.

I get handed to JQF tower, and tower says

"Proceed downwind for runway 2, report left base runway 2"

Me: "Uh, what? Um, what do you want me to do?"

Tower: "proceed downwind for runway 2, report left base runway 2"

Me: "Uh, I'm confused."

Tower (with disdain in voice): "What can I help you with?"

Me (starting to catch on): "Uh, approach told me to expect downwind for 20"

Tower (now annoyed): "OK, proceed left base 20, cleared to land runway 20"

It was race day, and there was all sorts of fixed and rotor wing traffic at that airport, I'll bet they were all wondering who the dunce in the Mooney was.

Oh well. :redface:
Click to expand...
 
Insane said:
How about not necessarily dangerous but an embarrassing or boneheaded action?
Click to expand...

Oh, oh. I've got one. Rolling through the airport security gate for my checkride, with my DPE in the passenger seat of my car , and realizing that I left the keys to the plane at the flight school. Worst feeling ever.
 
jordane93 said:
It was a gusty day and I was preflighting so i left the tail tie down still tied but had to go back inside my flight school for something (I don't remember what). So i come back out, started the engine, get the ATIS, then it hit me that I forgot to take the tail tie down off. I start shaking my head and my instructors laughs
Click to expand...

I've done that as well. Lineman saved me from having to shut down, gave him a $15 tip. Now I have a line in my checklist prior to engine start "chocks and tiedowns: verify removed."
 
It all started on a gorgeous sunny afternoon. I was taking my wife for her first plane ride where I was to be PIC. The flight school I used double parked their airplanes due to a lack of ramp space. So I go out and preflight the 172 that the previous renter left all crooked in its spot. I straightened the plane out a bit while I noticed the plane in front of me is getting ready to leave it's spot. Great, I think I'll just taxi out behind it. The instructor and student were taking forever to get going in front of me. It was hot and I was getting impatient. He finally rolled out and I start rolling forward only to be stopped with a thump after traveling about twenty feet. NICE... The tip of my left wingtip just hit the trailing edge of the plane's wingtip that was parked on the left side next to the aircraft that just pulled out. And that plane had a student and instructor in it as well.
Thankfully no damage was done, other than to my pride. It was a good lesson for me to not be distracted and pay attention to your situational awareness even during mundane tasks.
 
Embarrassing may be difficult, because I'm old and shameless, according to my daughter anyway (she says "I wish I were old and shameless like you").

Once upon a time I was trying to land an Arrow and was getting too high all the tiime, then going around. After the 2nd attempt the tower controller said "Good thing you're not in a glider".

Another time I forgot keys to an airpane in a bag, said bag being in baggage compartment, and to reach there one had to remove seats (it was Remos GX). Fortunately, the CFI had a spare set of keys on him.

Aside from embarrassing, I made a ridiculously bonehead mistake once. After landing at KAEG, I was cleared to taxi Bravo to parking. At certain point I came across a freshly built connector (A3 or such) between Bravo and Alpha. Alpha went to the flight line and my intended parking, while Bravo connected to the far away ramp in some nether regions about which I had only a vague idea. Instead of wandering the ramp or even requesting new clearance, I decided to navigate the familiar taxiway and hope for the best. Tower noticed the deviation from clearance immediately. Fortunately, they let me off easily. But I had visions of a 709 ride for a few moments, when I realized what I've done.
 
I discovered the hard way that it is indeed possible to lock the keys in a Cessna 172. At least the master was off....
 
Starting an ancient Cherokee; and of course I had an audience. Prime, crank, sputter; repeat as necessary. Give up, start walking back to the shop and it dawned on I hadn't pushed the mixture in. Waited till audience dispersed before returning. :mad2:
 
Realizing on the taxi out you have a intermittent mike button and being instructed by the DPE after take off that you must call approach and get traffic advisories from approach during your ride. :mad2:
 
Alright, I'll give mine, it went something like this:

"Napa tower, skyscraper 1234 over downtown Sonoma, level at 2,300, inbound with Delta."

"Skyscraper 1234, Napa tower, say again position."

"Napa tower, skyscraper 1234, over downtown Sonoma, level at 2,300, inbound with Delta."

(pause...)

"Skyscraper 1234, are you equipped with an altitude reporting transponder?"

"Yes, I am, squawking 1200:confused:"

Then I think for a second and then :mad2::mad2::mad2:.

"Napa tower, skyscraper 1234, my apologies :redface:, I gave incorrect information, currently over St. Helena, level at 2,300, inbound with Delta."

I didn't just mince words, and I even live in the area. For those unfamiliar, St Helena is in a totally different direction than Sonoma in relation to the airport. :eek:. Probably the dumbest thing I've ever done in the plane and hopefully it remains that way, ended up being harmless but man did I really feel (appropriately) like a rookie.
 
That's pretty benign.

I hear position reports south of KHAF all the time. Take a look at the TAC and see just what's a bearing of 180 from KHAF. Bay Area pilots screw up cardinal directions all the time.

It gets even better with landmarks around San Carlos as they seem to all be going away. They still use Bay Meadows, even though it's now a condo complex. But I once heard someone report over Marine World! Marine World moved to Vallejo in the 80s, and Oracle has been there for years and years and years. I've only been flying since 2011.
 
MAKG1 said:
That's pretty benign.

I hear position reports south of KHAF all the time. Take a look at the TAC and see just what's a bearing of 180 from KHAF. Bay Area pilots screw up cardinal directions all the time.

It gets even better with landmarks around San Carlos as they seem to all be going away. They still use Bay Meadows, even though it's now a condo complex. But I once heard someone report over Marine World! Marine World moved to Vallejo in the 80s, and Oracle has been there for years and years and years. I've only been flying since 2011.
Click to expand...

Yeah, not dangerous or anything, but essentially I thought I was somewhere else for a good part of the flight and didn't realize it. It was embarrassing having that broadcast over the radio, luckily that's the best one I can come up with.
 
Skyscraper said:
Alright, I'll give mine, it went something like this:

"Napa tower, skyscraper 1234 over downtown Sonoma, level at 2,300, inbound with Delta."

"Skyscraper 1234, Napa tower, say again position."

"Napa tower, skyscraper 1234, over downtown Sonoma, level at 2,300, inbound with Delta."

(pause...)

"Skyscraper 1234, are you equipped with an altitude reporting transponder?"

"Yes, I am, squawking 1200:confused:"

Then I think for a second and then :mad2::mad2::mad2:.

"Napa tower, skyscraper 1234, my apologies :redface:, I gave incorrect information, currently over St. Helena, level at 2,300, inbound with Delta."

I didn't just mince words, and I even live in the area. For those unfamiliar, St Helena is in a totally different direction than Sonoma in relation to the airport. :eek:. Probably the dumbest thing I've ever done in the plane and hopefully it remains that way, ended up being harmless but man did I really feel (appropriately) like a rookie.
Click to expand...

Dude that's like 20NM away! I usually use "the quarry" as a reporting point when I come from the north. If I come from the East, I usually report "Budweiser."
 
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