I agree that a go-around would have been a better outcome if I had
recognized the problem in time. By the time I realized I might not have
enough runway, the go-around option was closed due to the obstructions at
the end of the runway. A few months ago at the same airport, there was an
accident in which a student pilot and flight instructor were practicing
landings in a C152. They made a late decision to go around and ran into a
moving car off the end of the runway. That was one of the very few examples
I am aware of in which a non-participant was seriously injured in an
airplane accident.

I had a mindset that once I was on the runway near the intended point, I
stopped thinking about a go-around. That is overly simplistic when doing
wheel landings, since there may be plenty of speed for flying for awhile
after touchdown. There shouldn't be a lot of extra speed when a wheel
landing is done well, but there may be.

On the topic of wheelies vs three point, I normally practice both. (I had
done little recent practice of either, however.) I feel more comfortable
handling gusty winds from any direction with a wheel landing, so that is
what I chose that time.

"Maule Driver" wrote in message
om...
Thanks for the story. I've never flown in a Clipper but I think it has
the nicest lines of all the short wing Pipers. Just real nice.

It occurs to me how forgiving grass is and unforgiving hard surfaces can
be for us butt draggers.

The lesson for me is to learn to go around on occassion if things aren't
lining up right. I just can't the glider thing out of me. I don't think
I've aborted a landing once in 1000+ hrs in the Maule. That's wrong.

Thanks.

Reid & Julie Baldwin wrote:
I have heard it said that there are two types of tailwheel pilots: those
that have ground looped and those that will. A week ago, I graduated from
the latter category into the former category. There was no shirt ripping
ceremony for this milestone. Fortunately, there was also no torn flesh or
bent metal. I post the story here so others can share my lessons learned.