View Single Post
  #31  
Old April 16th 20, 02:31 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Nick Kennedy[_3_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 269
Default How About Story Time

MIS COMUNICATION

Jeff Campbell in his LS4 CO and I in my ASW 20 XS arrive back in Telluride after a Western Colorado cross country tour. When coming back in from somewhere else we always come in high as there is no safe place to land from any direction for say 20-30 miles.
Campbell is circling down directly over the field at about 11.5 and I'm above him at 12.5 when a transmission comes over the unicom freq:
"Telluride unicom and area traffic Piper Aerostar is 9 miles east inbound for landing, decending though 15k". Now the Piper Aerostar is one speedy piston twin, one of the fastest if not the fastest, so I key up my mic and transmit: "Inbound Piper twin to Telluride, Two gliders circling over the airport for landing please say ground speed". He reply's" Telluride gilder, Piper Aerostar 468AA shows a ground speed of 260 knots. I decide for Jeff and I to let him go on in first since we were in no hurry and it will take us a few minutes to land and push our ships off. I transmit" Piper Aerostar 468AA why don't you go on in first, it will be easier all around" Piper Aerostar: " Thank you Glider we will keep the speed up and head in" I spot him about 4 miles to my east and keep a eye on him as I'm hanging in some zero sink. About a minute later: "Telluride Glider have you in sight" Now hes on a trajectory to pass by me pretty close, slightly above and I'm guessing about 6-800 feet to my north. And hes hauling.
When he gets about half a mile away he slightly turns towards me and lowers his nose a little, I think he's setting me up for a high speed haircut.
Now I'm a card carrying member of the buzz the sh*t out of any and everything club, so I think he is too and I watch as he rip's by me at my height about 150' away.
Nice buzz I think to myself. But a little odd as I could clearly see his face and he never looked at me or waved.
He pulls the power off and circles into land and sticks a short landing, good job.
Campbell lands and pulls off. I land and pull off and the Aerostar is close by on the ramp and I see he's got his wife and two little kids like 4 and 6 unloading bags.
I walk over and greet him and say " That was a nice buzz job there!"
He takes a step back and looks a little offended. He says " What are you talking about I was AT LEAST 1000' above you!
He never saw me- it turned out, He saw only Jeff and thought there was only one glider in the area.