When was your first scare?

At about 300hrs, was flying back to MNM from OCQ, an exhausting flight of about 10 minutes, after an open house/flyin. Both of these airports are situated on the western shore of Green Bay, just north of The Green Bay Wisconsin. I had turned west, away from the bay to begin an approach to enter a left downwind for 32 at MNM. It was late afternoon, so this turn faced me right into the sun. I glanced down at my panel to do a quick instrument scan, and upon looking back outside I realized that I was in the middle of a formation of geese. They were diving and evading all around me. They were pretty ****ed, and my shorts almost were too!
 
58 hours, doing pattern work at KRTS. As I am turning right-crosswind, another plane calls in from "5 miles out" for the 45 to the downwind. I am looking for him but don't see him so I ask where he is with no response. As I turn downwind and make my call I still don't see him, so I climb about 300' above TPA. He then passes directly underneath me and flies the downwind very close to the runway. His only other call was on short final. If I would have stayed at TPA he would have been close to hitting me. Small yellow experimental plane. I did a downwind departure back to Reno.
 
I landed an SR-20 in Daggett, CA and Fullerton, CA without using the red handle. That was horrifying!

Note1: It was really me, not someone at Oshkosh
Note2: It was dual and the guy wouldn't let me pull the handle. I think he is an unsafe CFI.
 
Palos Verdes practice area. Out there boring holes in the sky since I don't have enough time to take my checkride yet. Going through stalls, engine out, etc. In slow flight, making a turn. Making my calls (I'm fanatical about about avoiding other traffic). Talking to two other planes. We all see each other. We're all talking to each other. Get turned around 180, check off my right wing for the Waco doing aerobatics, look back to make sure my altitude hasn't dropped and my airspeed is good. Look up and HOLY **** dive down and to the right. Another 172 cruising around not talking to anyone, coming head on at me. No idea how close it was, but I could see it was a male pilot. At the time I could have probably told you what he was wearing.

Decided that was enough for me for that day. Cleaned up the flaps and went home. Made an attempt to call the other plane on both frequencies in case he was on the 'wrong' one for the practice area, and nothing. When I landed I told my CFI that if my first or second flight had gone like that, I would have quit flying. And I meant it.

To this day it makes me mad. You are in an aircraft equipped with a friggin' radio. I know you have at least one. I see you wearing a headset. And nothing. And if you're squawking 7600, you shouldn't be tooling around the practice area. This one incident soured me on all NORDO planes.
 
I can't beat the fire inflight or top 5 by Mr. White. But, as a pilot, I got my first scare when landing at a 2,300' strip located about 500' below a flat mesa, about 2 miles away. Prevailing winds are usually out of the west, which is what smoke from the ridgeline was indicating. So, I set up for a left base entry to land to the west. There were low cables less than 1,000' beyond the end of the runway, a road, and then a fair ground with some equestrian event in progress at the time. Can you guess what happened?

With about a 10 kt tailwind, I couldn't get the wheels to stick, and darn near waited too long to waive it off. All I remember is looking at that cable (phone line?) coming at me and begging out loud for that airplane to climb. As I cleared the cable, I looked down and saw a horse and its rider standing there staring up at me with a look of pure terror in their eyes (or so I imagined).

Now, As an Enlisted helicopter crew chief, I have a few more impressive "there I was" stories. But, that's for another time....
 
Probably my first post PPL solo round robin. Flew into unforecast snow and marginal VFR conditions, then on leg 2, lost electricity and took the aldis lights to a landing at home field. Really not that scary in the grand scheme of things, but at 50 hours or so, it was scary. Plenty of better stories since then, but I'll adhere to the thread title :)
 
champ driver said:
Actually my first real scare was in 1984 in a Cessna 401 over Raton NM at 14,000'.
We had an inflight engine fire that spread to the right wing and melted the wing fuel bladder.
Made an emergency landing with a normal touchdown, the brakes lines were gone and we deliberately steered the plane into the snow bank along the runway to stop it as the smoke inside was getting thick.
The only damage to the plane was from the nose gear collapse, everything else was from the fire, three people on board and no one got a scratch.
Oh yeah, we had three, 8" artillery rounds on board.

http://www.ntsb.gov/about/employment/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001214X41764&key=1
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Ok I'll bite, what's the story on the 8" artillery rounds?
 
I already posted about it before, but it was an unanticipated encounter with ice in IMC somewhere over the Grapevine on the way to LA. I ended up putting unusual attitude recovery in IMC skills to the test.
 
About 70 hours. C172 out of SAN going to the practice area up north around CRQ. Weather starts deteriorating so I turn around to go back and SAN is below VFR already. Got a SVFR clearance and am along the beach about 1500 feet when an S3 of of NKX flies right over me, I could count the rivets. To this day I'm still not sure if I heard it or saw it first, but hear it I did.
 
Flying into an unfamiliar grass strip in OK on an airpark. Overflew the runway to check it out. Came around to land and was high so did a go-around. Second attempt was still high but not as high. Landed and came unusually close to the end of the runway before I got her stopped. Realized later that the runway sloped and most people there land and takeoff upslope not down, as I did. I played it cool for my wife, but I was worried there for a second.
 
ircphoenix said:
Palos Verdes practice area. Out there boring holes in the sky since I don't have enough time to take my checkride yet. Going through stalls, engine out, etc. In slow flight, making a turn. Making my calls (I'm fanatical about about avoiding other traffic). Talking to two other planes. We all see each other. We're all talking to each other. Get turned around 180, check off my right wing for the Waco doing aerobatics, look back to make sure my altitude hasn't dropped and my airspeed is good. Look up and HOLY **** dive down and to the right. Another 172 cruising around not talking to anyone, coming head on at me. No idea how close it was, but I could see it was a male pilot. At the time I could have probably told you what he was wearing.

Decided that was enough for me for that day. Cleaned up the flaps and went home. Made an attempt to call the other plane on both frequencies in case he was on the 'wrong' one for the practice area, and nothing. When I landed I told my CFI that if my first or second flight had gone like that, I would have quit flying. And I meant it.

To this day it makes me mad. You are in an aircraft equipped with a friggin' radio. I know you have at least one. I see you wearing a headset. And nothing. And if you're squawking 7600, you shouldn't be tooling around the practice area. This one incident soured me on all NORDO planes.
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Did you try him on the local SoCal frequency?

I find oblivious noncommunicative pilots to be irritating, too, but honestly, what you are supposed to do is clear the area visually. And flight following is useful in busy airspace, even when you aren't going anywhere in particular. Heck, I just used it for CAP cadet orientation rides yesterday. The topic was level turns, climbs and descents, so we went out to a practice area with flight following and did much of the same stuff you did. And visibility was (relative) crap due to multiple wildfires in the region.
 
MAKG1 said:
Did you try him on the local SoCal frequency?

I find oblivious noncommunicative pilots to be irritating, too, but honestly, what you are supposed to do is clear the area visually.
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I tried the two frequencies for the practice area. I guess I could have tried UNICOM too. Didn't think about that at the time. Didn't think anyone would be that HUA in one of the busiest practice areas in SoCal.

And I was trying to visually clear the area. I had made contact with the other two aircraft and was in the process of reacquiring them after I completed my 180 when home dude appeared. Did not care for the rather abrupt surprise.

I use FF when I'm going somewhere. I try not to do it in the practice area since there's at least one or two other planes all maneuvering. The one time we picked it up, there was more communication with SoCal than there was intercom talking about what I was supposed to be doing. You pick your poison I suppose.
 
ircphoenix said:
I tried the two frequencies for the practice area. I guess I could have tried UNICOM too. Didn't think about that at the time. Didn't think anyone would be that HUA in one of the busiest practice areas in SoCal.

And I was trying to visually clear the area. I had made contact with the other two aircraft and was in the process of reacquiring them after I completed my 180 when home dude appeared. Did not care for the rather abrupt surprise.

I use FF when I'm going somewhere. I try not to do it in the practice area since there's at least one or two other planes all maneuvering. The one time we picked it up, there was more communication with SoCal than there was intercom talking about what I was supposed to be doing. You pick your poison I suppose.
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If it's THAT busy, it's not a good practice area. What about flying 5 miles offshore to the south at 7000 feet? The Class B floor is at 8000. Stay above 5000 at all times and you can easily glide to shore in an emergency.

Occasionally, you can find a practice area inside Class C, as long as it's far away from instrument approaches. There is a decent spot southwest of San Jose like that. It's empty. Always. As long as no one needs to use the ILS at Moffett (which almost never happens). Looks like there may be a similar spot near you over Newport Beach, or maybe east of the Queen Mary (Class D).
 
ircphoenix said:
Palos Verdes practice area. Out there boring holes in the sky since I don't have enough time to take my checkride yet. Going through stalls, engine out, etc. In slow flight, making a turn. Making my calls (I'm fanatical about about avoiding other traffic). Talking to two other planes. We all see each other. We're all talking to each other. Get turned around 180, check off my right wing for the Waco doing aerobatics, look back to make sure my altitude hasn't dropped and my airspeed is good. Look up and HOLY **** dive down and to the right. Another 172 cruising around not talking to anyone, coming head on at me. No idea how close it was, but I could see it was a male pilot. At the time I could have probably told you what he was wearing.

Decided that was enough for me for that day. Cleaned up the flaps and went home. Made an attempt to call the other plane on both frequencies in case he was on the 'wrong' one for the practice area, and nothing. When I landed I told my CFI that if my first or second flight had gone like that, I would have quit flying. And I meant it.

To this day it makes me mad. You are in an aircraft equipped with a friggin' radio. I know you have at least one. I see you wearing a headset. And nothing. And if you're squawking 7600, you shouldn't be tooling around the practice area. This one incident soured me on all NORDO planes.
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Are these practice areas noted on the sectional charts with defined borders so non-local pilots would know they are in a practice area? Almost every flight school around here has a "practice area" and none of them appear on the charts. Even the ones that are "shown", don't say much in the way of what the boundaries of these areas are.
 
EdFred said:
Are these practice areas noted on the sectional charts with defined borders so non-local pilots would know they are in a practice area? Almost every flight school around here has a "practice area" and none of them appear on the charts. Even the ones that are "shown", don't say much in the way of what the boundaries of these areas are.
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LA practice areas are marked on the TAC along with the recommended air-to-air frequency, but the borders are fuzzy. It's also rather scenic, so out of towners (like me!) do like to sightsee through there sometimes.

https://skyvector.com/?ll=33.73237282790958,-118.4062713709255&chart=114&zoom=2

If I were training there, my solution would be to stay above 5000. Heavy traffic sucks when you're trying to practice.

The sectional is not useful in LA airspace. There is much too much going on, though the practice area is marked there, too.
 
I looked at the TAC, a box saying flight training here/in the vicinity doesn't do much. Is "in the vicinity" 5nm, 10nm, 20nm?

Also, skyvector has been blacklisted on our internet server since the owner is an *******.
 
Over my measly 250 hours, I hit only two minor problems. I expect more in the future.

First scare was a partial power loss in VMC, 1500' AGL. After a second or two of disbelief (yes, they warn you about it, and rightfully so), I picked out a pasture and started troubleshooting. It was a dead mag and I made it fine to the nearest field (a few minutes away).
My lesson learned was that when sh*t happens, it is good to have had good training that you can fall back on.

Second scare was a failure in IMC ... ah, nm, you asked about first scare only. I will shush now.
 
Yeah, no real defined borders for practice areas, just a frequency box on the TAC defining the general area. I know that the Long Beach area is even worse for traffic; so sad about the mid-air there recently. Maybe head southeast and fly east of John Wayne? It'd be good practice transitioning KSNA's Class C. I trained out there...not a heavy training density and excellent radio protocol. Good landmarks too....I liked to stay near/over Lake Mission Viejo. Less smog the further south you go, too.

You're going to love it when you get your ticket....climb to 5500' or whatever en route to wherever and overfly most traffic.
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
Maybe head southeast and fly east of John Wayne? It'd be good practice transitioning KSNA's Class C.

You're going to love it when you get your ticket....climb to 5500' or whatever en route to wherever and overfly most traffic.
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Welp... I avoid the practice area like the plague ever since I got my PPL last year. Had to go out there for my insurance checkout last week. Didn't like being back out there. Between the planes practicing in the LB area and the planes inbound for LB it made me extra on edge.
 
EdFred said:
I looked at the TAC, a box saying flight training here/in the vicinity doesn't do much. Is "in the vicinity" 5nm, 10nm, 20nm?

Also, skyvector has been blacklisted on our internet server since the owner is an *******.
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The box is also not at the center.

Since a practice area is not airspace, you're never going to see boundaries on the VFR charts. Just like there are no boundaries for the KSJC extended centerline, but if you try to fly southbound on V485 in contact with anyone, you're gonna get diverted. Where depends on your altitude and how many purple 737s happen to be arriving at that particular time.

https://skyvector.com/?ll=37.0798322501596,-121.70777892708203&chart=301&zoom=1

6000, my ***. I get vectored around at 3000.

It might be interesting to make the RPV practice area an Alert area (that IS the point of that type of SUA), but that would scare away all the student pilots.
 
First attempt at takeoff on my first lesson. I was learning in a J-3 Cub and my dad had really broad shoulders and I couldn't see anything straight ahead. It wouldn't have mattered through...even had I been able to, I wouldn't have kept it straight. It was not big deal for him. He had been a USAF T-6G IP and had professional pilots try killing him. :D
 
Smoke in a plane terrifies me.

I have a burn scar on my right forearm from a car fire. I was able to get away from it in just a few seconds. But a fire in the air will take more than a few minutes to get away from.
 
X3 Skier said:
At under 150 hours, engine ate a valve over the Ohio River in Cherokee 180 with daughter and pregnant wife aboard. Panel vibrated so bad I couldn't read anything until setting idle power. Made it to CVG, landed and limped to the FBO where I parked, gave them the keys, called my brother to come get us and bring a case of beer.

Cheers
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I had quite a similar experience in a 172P in 2008. Terrible panel vibration, idle power only, glided to Vicksburg (VKS), limped to the FBO, and walked to a gas station to buy a 6-pack of Budweiser tall boys.

Was late for dinner that night. Engine got a top-end overhaul.
 
FlySince9 said:
Blindrages post made me wonder...

How many hours had you flown before your first? In 5 sentences or less, What was it, and most importantly, what did you learn from it... Kind of a ILAFFT...
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I know this is an old thread but...

I soloed in 1972 at age 19 with 5.1 hours when my 200 pound CFI jumped out of the C150 and said "take it around once and park it" so I taxied out, lined up, gunned it, rotated and.... my seat slid all the way back in its track!

As I could not reach the pedals and could barely reach the yoke with my finger tips, I pushed the nose down to level and quickly pulled my seat back into position then continued my climb out, flew the pattern, landed and parked the plane.

I went back the next day and immediately soloed three touch and goes, then flew with my instructor for an hour. (Get back on that horse.)
You can bet that, on all future flights, I have checked to make sure my seat was locked into place becausse I realized that had I not been fairly tall, with long arms, I would have most likely died that day.
 
First solo, second landing. I bounced it pretty good and went around. Luckily nothing was broken.
 
Ken Thompson said:
You can bet that, on all future flights, I have checked to make sure my seat was locked into place becausse I realized that had I not been fairly tall, with long arms, I would have most likely died that day.
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When people ask why I'm moving back and forth in the seat before start up, I tell them the "Cessna Butt Wiggle" is mandatory on my checklist. ;)

First scare... hmmm... not sure what would be first.

During final training for my Private, my instructor and I were microbursted to the ground and a runway just happened to be underneath us. We would have hit the ground whether the runway was there or not. We just happened to be on final when we found the thing.

And then not just once, but we were dumb enough to wait ten minutes and go back up, and it happened twice.

Skyhawk, full power, nearly 1000 ft/min just before touchdown with the gentlest of pulls on the elevator in ground effect to get a tiny less hard smash into the mains.

Learned what "spring steel" gear was that day. Twice. Also learned that singles will tend to keep flying right at or slightly below indicated stall speed from propwash over the wing in a ridiculous mush downward and was probably my first time seeing the "hang it on the prop" technique many use for ultra short field work.

But it wasn't the desired speed and full power going down doesn't feel right in your butt at all... not at all...

Especially when you're one flight (turned into two since we quit after the second one) away from your Private ride and think you're prepared for anything. Which of course, you aren't. ;)

Also got to see a windsock and two flags standing straight out, all of them disagreeing with each other. (Which is how we eventually figured out there was a microburst happening right at the approach end of the runway.)

And learned not to go right back up into something stupid or inconsistent weather-wise and repeat the mistake of ten minutes ago -- just because the wind seemed to calm down on the ground and nothing looked wrong anymore.

A more recent scare was an approach in the Seminole last year where I pulled off WAY too much power and learned about the brick like glide characteristics and the braking effect of two props going flat simultaneously like giant trash can lids, as the approach light towers got a lot closer a lot too quickly.

And I got to see how a seriously old pro of a CFI let me get right down into the weeds like that and ALMOST had to take the controls but resisted long enough for me to fix it.

Freaking antenna on one of the light towers, I swear was only a couple feet below the airplane. I'm sure in reality it was further away than that but that antenna going by under the left wing is now permanently implanted in my brain. I won't ever yank power on an approach in an airplane that has the glide characteristics of a brick and two flat props on each wing EVER again. Which, is... of course, why the old CFI made me fix it... airspeed was fine, it was just that sink rate... holy hell. No more of that, thanks.

Oh. I also learned how fast and accurate you can shove the throttles back up in a Seminole and not hit the Overboost point. Hahaha.

Scares sometimes are the best teachers but man... grey hair...
 
My long cross country as a student. Had a near miss while landing at a distant airport. Not my fault. Had an uneventful flight back but was a little late. Tower was looking for me since my flight plan was overdue. They called the school when they heard me call entering their airspace because I was trailing smoke. The school mechanics met me when I landed. I had a separated cylinder. I thought it was normal to add a couple of quarts at every stop!
 
Shortly after solo in the summer of '74. The practise area was over a west coast beach. Instead of following the Cessna curriculum I used to book a C-150 and spend the time doing spins, trying to see how many full turns I could hold it in before chickening out and starting the recovery. Then struggle for altitude so I could do it again.

Adding more turns necessitated repeatedly increasing the altitude from which I started the maneuver. After one long, laborious climb I levelled off facing south and lo there was a 747 in profile crossing not many miles straight ahead and at my altitude (I found out later on approach to the international).

This was in the day there were no transponders in training airplanes - hell there weren't even headsets; we used a mic and cabin speaker to communicate with ATC. So that "saved me". I scurried back to talk to my instructor who introduced me to the concept of a ceiling altitude marked on the chart for the practice area. One that was a lot lower than I had been climbing to. :dunno:
 
My only real scare, my return flight from my first Gastons. Was up high, 9kmsl, and got boxed in on all sides by TCU and TS. I was spiraling down thru a hole while doing too many things, alternately talking to center and radio, looking at strikefinder, etc. I had let the bank get to 45* or so, and airspeed was near redline and increasing by the time I caught it. I told center I needed to fly the plane, then riveted my eyes on the sixpack, got the wings more level, power to idle, and got the airspeed under control. After getting under the deck, radio gave me a heading to get away from the TS, and I flew the rest of the way home at 2500agl with my tail exactly 500ft below the deck. Exactly 500, and it was a rough ride.

After getting home I called my CFII the very next day and started my instrument.
 
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