Dave’s story got me thinking about the time I landed in low crops in Butte Valley, Ca. The farmer was there immediately and quite irate! My choice was between his field or the sagebrush, so I took his field. I used all my best excuses, adverse weather forced me down.........your field saved a broken Glider and maybe a broken pilot, etc. He finally calmed down and we even shook hands............then I saw another Sailplane turning final into the same field! If memory serves me, it cost us both $200 bucks, each to get out of his crops!
I have always chosen the best field available, then deal with the consequences on the ground. That philosophy lead me to landing on the ramp at Edwards AFB, one Sunday afternoon! I was flying a contest out of El Mirage, Ca. The final leg found me trying to fly behind a thunderstorm.............deadest air I have ever seen! It became obvious that I wasn’t going to make home. My first thought was to put it on the Dry Lake (Rogers Lake), but I figured that would lead to me talking to a kid with a Carbene! Next, I thought I’d land on the runway, but figured that I’d be blocking the runway for a while and probably end up talking to the same guy with a Carbene. Next, I checked out the ramp.............which looked almost deserted! So, I called the tower, but got no reply (later realized Edwards Tower had changed frequencies, and I didn’t have an up to date sectional). By then I was below 1000 feet and must choose the best place to put her down, right away. I chose the ramp, turned final at 300 feet over a KC-135 and rolled to a stop right in front of the tower, well short of the B-52 sitting on the far end of the ramp!
Note, this was in 1975........well before the terrorist environment we now enjoy. The Air Police met me before I opened the canopy and there were some Carbene’s pointed my way............. I showed them my Retired AF, ID and told them adverse weather forced be down. They bought it and everything was cool after that!
JJ