Wishing I had a car horn installed on my yoke...

Fearless Tower

Fearless Tower

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Fearless Tower
Also known as - don't taxi fast in a taildragger.

Taxiing back to the FBO after flying yesterday and had some absolute friggin' moron in a Porsche dart out in front of the 170 at Gibbs. Fortunately I wasn't going too fast and saw the situation develope: from where he entered the gate to him speeding between parking rows and then right in front of me across the taxiway. And the most unbelievable part is that the idiot never even looked to his left at me bearing down on him. WTF? First time ever wishing that I had a car horn that I could push on the yoke!

If I had been going much faster, I would have either hit him, or had to brake hard enough to nose over. Which brings up a good question....in such a situation, what would be better? Intentionally nose over and hope that my insurance company can get his to pay, or go ahead and hit the SOB and again let my insurance company go after his?
 
Money. Too much of it convinces some guys that they are smarter than the average bear and makes them think they have special abilities and privileges. If only they could see themselves as others see them...

Dan
 
You think that's bad- imagine sitting in a glider on the runway, watching the towplane ease forward to take the slack out of the rope, and some jackass on a motorcycle drives over the rope as he crosses the runway. :mad:
 
That's nothing. There was a guy at my airport who drove directly under a departing Medivac helo...
 
rottydaddy said:
You think that's bad- imagine sitting in a glider on the runway, watching the towplane ease forward to take the slack out of the rope, and some jackass on a motorcycle drives over the rope as he crosses the runway. :mad:
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That motorcycle would be found with two flat tires. And if he was a club member, banned from the club.
 
I had landed the Pawnee in a stiff crosswind at the local towered airport and was following the standard taxi route to parking in front of the facility that I was bringing the Pawnee to for the annual. I noticed a Cessna that landed behind me duck through a hanger row at a high rate of speed and predicted the outcome.

I was going a round the hangers, he was going through them. I slowed predicting he would dart out from between the hangers, he saw me and smoked his tires trying to stop. I tied down and watched him tie down about 6 spots away in front of a flight school. I knew one of the instructors, and while we watched him unload his two kids and other gear, I explained to the CFI what had just transpired.

The CFI walked over, looked at the tires and felt them. I heard him talk to the pilot, pointed toward the Pawnee and me and said, "we need to talk".
 
Never bend metal over some idiot. Sometimes those idiot drive slower if all their valve stems go missing or their cars get parked behind big trash bins. It's not nice, but things like that have been known to happen at airports.
 
After the daily airshow at Oshkosh, and after the airport had been reopened for "normal" operations, the clowns doing one of the "car vs. airplane" acts decided to start practicing.
Some jackass in a (Ford) Mustang shot out of aeroshell square at high speed and across taxiway P in front of a taxiing aircraft. I was 500 feet further down the taxiway so I couldn't tell really quite how close that was, but I suspect the pilot got quite a shock.
 
If it's a horn, make sure you use the Kenworth/Mack air horn variety, so he will hear it.
You might also consider installing a milliion candlepower spot light (which could be useful as a backup landing light) to point at him to blind him
 
Unless planned in advance, I don't think anyone could think quickly enough to intentionally hit another vehicle. But if you do, I have a couple of prospects for you.

Fearless Tower said:
Also known as - don't taxi fast in a taildragger.

Taxiing back to the FBO after flying yesterday and had some absolute friggin' moron in a Porsche dart out in front of the 170 at Gibbs. Fortunately I wasn't going too fast and saw the situation develope: from where he entered the gate to him speeding between parking rows and then right in front of me across the taxiway. And the most unbelievable part is that the idiot never even looked to his left at me bearing down on him. WTF? First time ever wishing that I had a car horn that I could push on the yoke!

If I had been going much faster, I would have either hit him, or had to brake hard enough to nose over. Which brings up a good question....in such a situation, what would be better? Intentionally nose over and hope that my insurance company can get his to pay, or go ahead and hit the SOB and again let my insurance company go after his?
Click to expand...
 
If he were remaining on the airport, I'd follow his ass and give him a piece of my mind.
 
Dan Thomas said:
Money. Too much of it convinces some guys that they are smarter than the average bear and makes them think they have special abilities and privileges. If only they could see themselves as others see them...

Dan
Click to expand...

Soooo true...:yesnod:

When Cap't Jack and his wife were here for the flight over Yellowstone I used the local rental 172, N62463.... I didn't want to mention to them that plane was almost totaled a few years back and was rebuilt by Beegles... They did a great job considering the wing was chewed almost all the way off by the prop of a Christen Eagle... Unfortunatly the NTSB report did not give all the details of the entire damage as the incident was not investigated by a FAA rep, they just took the written word of the bi plane pilot who caused the collision.......... That pilot was.................. John Denver.:yesnod::redface:..

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001206X01403&key=2

And we all know what happened next.:yesnod::sad:
 
Earlier this afternoon I was with a student at a local airport doing some touch and go's. We had been operating in the pattern for about the last half hour and making radio calls at every segment. After taking off for another time around we announced turning left crosswind for runway 16 on the radio. Suddenly an old fellow in a Cherokee comes on the radio saying he's to the east and is going to overfly the airport to enter a left downwind for runway 34 any traffic in the pattern please advise. My student pipes up saying he is left downwind for runway 16 expecting that the other pilot will switch to runway 16. I spot the Cherokee overflying midfield and he passes over us.

The cherokee turns in for a downwind and announces he is left downwind runway 34. I pop up and state that we're left base for runway 16. He still says nothing. We turn left base and I keep an eye on the other pilot thinking perhaps his radio volume is too low. We turn final and continue in, I watch the Cherokee make a left base for runway 34. At this point I'm just waiting to see how long my student will play chicken before he does what needs to be done to avoid creating a debris field. He finally realizes that I am waiting for him to do something so he does his go around and announces going around and giving way to the Cherokee that is landing opposite direction. (We were about 1/8 mile final and he was about a mile final) The other fellow in the airplane finally pipes up and says something about being able to use whatever runway he wants. He decides to stay in the pattern and I made it pretty firm on the radio that he should give way to aircraft lower than him and it'd work better if he flew the same pattern as us. Old fellow finally got the hint and fell in behind us.
 
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jesse said:
The other fellow in the airplane finally pipes up and says something about being able to use whatever runway he wants. He decides to stay in the pattern
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The reason why this scares me (not that anyone asked) for when I am alone in the plane is because my situational awareness is not really good (yet). And my ability to see other planes isn't super sharp (yet) either. When I'm with my instructor and other planes make a call, he seems to know exactly where to look to spot them whereas I have to take the time to think before I know where to look for them (and if I'm in the pattern, I don't have a lot of extra time).

I guess if I were to hear that someone else was in the pattern and doing things that seem to be not "following the rules" (from a student's perspective), leaving the pattern and waiting until the other plane is gone would be a good idea.
 
Tracey said:
The reason why this scares me (not that anyone asked) for when I am alone in the plane is because my situational awareness is not really good (yet). And my ability to see other planes isn't super sharp (yet) either. When I'm with my instructor and other planes make a call, he seems to know exactly where to look to spot them whereas I have to take the time to think before I know where to look for them (and if I'm in the pattern, I don't have a lot of extra time).

I guess if I were to hear that someone else was in the pattern and doing things that seem to be not "following the rules" (from a student's perspective), leaving the pattern and waiting until the other plane is gone would be a good idea.
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IMHO ,that is the safest option..:yesnod::yesnod:
 
Tracey said:
The reason why this scares me (not that anyone asked) for when I am alone in the plane is because my situational awareness is not really good (yet). And my ability to see other planes isn't super sharp (yet) either. When I'm with my instructor and other planes make a call, he seems to know exactly where to look to spot them whereas I have to take the time to think before I know where to look for them (and if I'm in the pattern, I don't have a lot of extra time).

I guess if I were to hear that someone else was in the pattern and doing things that seem to be not "following the rules" (from a student's perspective), leaving the pattern and waiting until the other plane is gone would be a good idea.
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Leaving may be a good idea, but with time it'll become pretty easy to keep track of another airplane in the pattern and keep adequate separation. You never know when someone will do something stupid.
 
N801BH said:
Soooo true...:yesnod:

When Cap't Jack and his wife were here for the flight over Yellowstone I used the local rental 172, N62463.... I didn't want to mention to them that plane was almost totaled a few years back and was rebuilt by Beegles... They did a great job considering the wing was chewed almost all the way off by the prop of a Christen Eagle... Unfortunatly the NTSB report did not give all the details of the entire damage as the incident was not investigated by a FAA rep, they just took the written word of the bi plane pilot who caused the collision.......... That pilot was.................. John Denver.:yesnod::redface:..

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001206X01403&key=2

And we all know what happened next.:yesnod::sad:
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If you had told me, I wouldn't have cared. I know you know if a plane is safe or not. :yesnod:

Interesting bit of history though.
 
Tell me what you think of this one.

Yesterday, I took the Luscombe up to KHWO to get some pointers from a Luscombe expert that is in FL for SnF and in my area for the weekend. We were walking from the parked airplane back to the FBO to stow extra gear. Right next to the FBO is a large hangar that houses a banner tow operation using mostly Pawnees. As we are crossing the front of the hangar, a Pawnee taxis in fast, crossing in front of us toward the hangar, hits right brake and does a fast pivot, ending up facing away from the hangar behind us. Maybe 10 - 15 feet from us at all times, no more than that. Smiled and waved at us after stopping.

The fellow with me comments that he would fire the pilot the first time he came roaring toward the open hangar. I said I was more uncomfortable with him pivoting around two pedestrians. Obviously, he knew how to handle his airplane but..
 
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Fearless Tower said:
what would be better? Intentionally nose over and hope that my insurance company can get his to pay
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That won't work.

For street traffic anyway, if the first vehicle is damaged without touching the second, it's considered to be a one-vehicle crash. No legal fault for the second driver, even if you think he did something stupid to cause the crash.

This problem can arise with motorcycles: A bozo in a car pulls in front of a motorcycle. The motorcycle swerves to avoid the collision, loses control, and crashes. Tough luck for the motorcycle's owner, unfortunately -- if the car didn't touch it, the car isn't at fault, and there's no insurance payoff from the car's owner. I think it would be the same thing if you harmed your plane trying to avoid a collision with a car on the ramp.
 
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N801BH said:
Soooo true...:yesnod:

When Cap't Jack and his wife were here for the flight over Yellowstone I used the local rental 172, N62463.... I didn't want to mention to them that plane was almost totaled a few years back and was rebuilt by Beegles... They did a great job considering the wing was chewed almost all the way off by the prop of a Christen Eagle... Unfortunatly the NTSB report did not give all the details of the entire damage as the incident was not investigated by a FAA rep, they just took the written word of the bi plane pilot who caused the collision.......... That pilot was.................. John Denver.:yesnod::redface:..

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001206X01403&key=2

And we all know what happened next.:yesnod::sad:
Click to expand...

I flew N62463 back in 2003. Nothing was mentioned about the damage history and I didn't ask. It flew fine. Now, if that CFI had just kept his feet off the rudders on approach. Today I'd be all over the guy in the right seat if he was touching any of the flight controls. It wasn't unsafe, just annoying as all get out.
 
jesse said:
Leaving may be a good idea, but with time it'll become pretty easy to keep track of another airplane in the pattern and keep adequate separation. You never know when someone will do something stupid.
Click to expand...

Yesterday at KAPA... Meridian on final on a Visual for 35R. Cherokee on the right downwind is ahead of me, I'm midfield right downwind.

Tower tells Cherokee to "follow the Meridian, number two 35 Right". Cherokee turns base in front of the Meridian. I see this and realize I'm now the least of the tower controller's problems and I'll break out and get out of there if this gets any more hairy.

Tower issues a warning and an immediate left turn back to the downwind, Cherokee says something about already being on base. He does not turn back, he continues.

Cherokee stays high and ends up flying on over to the other side of the Meridian's final approach path. I'm on high alert watching all of this unfold in front of me.

Meridian calls the Cherokee in sight above him as he dives underneath.

Cherokee is now infringing on the final for 35L. Luckily no one is over there. He's lost situational awareness and is plowing around like a blind man. Confused radio calls. Total overload.

Tower decides to fix it with, "Cherokee X, Meridian traffic now no longer a factor, make an immediate left 270 to final, cleared to land runway 35R."

The Cherokee proceeds to make the worlds widest 270 and is now head to head with me on the right downwind. I can tell the tower is just watching to see if he fixes it.

Silence. I think about offering to break out to the left.

"Skylane 79M, your number two to follow the Cherokee maneuvering 12 o'clock. Cleared to land 35R."

First time in a while I've said something remotely snarky on the radio in a while...

"Cherokee in sight, number two behind him if he doesn't turn into me. Cleared to land 35R, number two, 79M."

Point is... Jesse's right. You get attuned to know where to look after a little practice.

I watched this goofy aerial display in front of me and if the Cherokee had come back into me and stayed head to head, I'd have broke off to the left and let him do whatever the heck he wanted to do back there behind me somewhere.

If I hadn't seen either aircraft I'd have been making that offer sooner to see if the tower thought it was going to work out or if I'd be helping by getting out of the way.

I was on high alert watching it. If I were only hearing it, I'd have happily left the pattern and come back in a few minutes.
 
Vehicles on the runway can be exciting. I was executing the ILS 32 into Arcata CA after an offshore SAREX with the local HH65s that lived there and we were dropping in for a debrief in our HC130H. I was talking to approach while my co-pilot was announcing on UNICOM, (non-towered field) We broke out at about 450ft to see a little blinking yellow light on top of a county pickup tooling along the edge of the runway about halfway from the end to the TDZ!!! We always flew with one pilot planning to land and the other planning to fly the missed. I called missed and handed off to my co-pilot and told approach what was up. We went over the pickup with all four screaming and back up into the soup. When we finally landed the Airport Manager's excuse was "I thought you were another helicopter" Grrrrrrrrrrr. :mad2:
 
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Near the end of my training I had gotten permission to fly solo to a nearby airport. I overflew the airport, noticed a snowblower cleaning up the edge of the runway at the very far end (he's almost off), and then I came back and entered the downwind on 45. The whole time I see this guy finishing up and getting clear (he's not on CTAF) so I turn final a get ready to land.

Suddenly, when I was on short final, a guy in a county pickup truck turned onto the runway midfield and tooled along like he's on Interstate 35, and not a care in the world. So, I got to practice a forced go-around.

I went back to the school and re-checked NOTAMs in case something had popped up after I had taken off, but there wasn't anything for that airport...
 
Ghery said:
I flew N62463 back in 2003. Nothing was mentioned about the damage history and I didn't ask. It flew fine. Now, if that CFI had just kept his feet off the rudders on approach. Today I'd be all over the guy in the right seat if he was touching any of the flight controls. It wasn't unsafe, just annoying as all get out.
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I was at an airport event a few years back, when I saw a plane that was familiar. I had taken these pictures of it several years earlier:

wire1.jpg


wire2.jpg


wire3.jpg


It had struck wires on final, and landed fairly normally. Didn't meet anyone who could tell me how if flew after the repairs....

Ron Wanttaja
 
Didn't encounter vehicles, but there was a group of people loitering on the runway. I am guessing local glider club. I was on a short final, and used blinking landing light. They moved away, and I landed. Instinctively, I almost pushed center of the yoke, CFI was laughing at me for the rest of the day.
 
Ed Nelson at KSNY was busy plowing the runway when I arrived overhead in winter for a Cabella's run once.

My passengers were fascinated with the low approach to let him know we were there (he forgot the handheld inside) and the call on the radio from someone in the FBO that he'd be done in just a couple of minutes. ;)

We loitered around and watched him finish up so we had a nicely plowed runway for landing.

Then we rode the shuttle van to Cabella's, one of the pax bought some fishing gear out of season on sale, we had a bison burger, and headed back to Denver.

Long ago since there wasn't any Cabella's stores in Denver yet back then...
 
In my limited time in the air, I've had a few of these things pop up. The most recent was last Thursday. A buddy took me up for a few laps in his Cessna 140. We did a couple t&g's before leaving the pattern for the practice area.

As we were downwind for the 2nd t&g, we heard a 172 announce they were 7 NW and inbound for landing. The tower told them to report a 3 mile right base for 23. We did our t&g and proceeded to fly a heading of about 240 to the practice area. A couple miles out, we see this 172 (could read the numbers) cross in front of us a couple hundred feet above us. He makes his call as 3 mile right base for 23...The tower says they can't see him. Before we could help out, the 172 calls again and sheepishly admits he's on a left base for 5. He had drifted a little over 2 miles further south than he wanted to. Fortunately, the wind was calm and the airport wasn't busy. They let him land on 5. We did hear the tower give him the taxi instructions at least 3 times. Sounded like he got a bit frazzled.

My instructor always stressed that just because you're at a towered airport, that doesn't mean everyone is doing what they're supposed to. You still need to be looking around and aware of your surroundings. This was a perfect example.
 
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