Maydays this weekend

wrote:
The mention of fields and and furrows reminds me of the story from when
I was learning to fly at the University of Illinois, one of the Beech
Sports had an engine failure and they put it into a corn field in late
summer, and even though they walked away, the airframe was pretty much
beat to s__t by all the nice big ears of corn!
Note to self: don't put it into a corn field in late summer if I have a
choice!


Are you sure? It seems to me landing in a cornfield will guarantee you don't
hit a tree, don't drown, and will slow down rapidly but not too rapidly. Your
aircraft may get trashed but you can always get another. I don't care about the
airplane. I care about *me*.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote in message
...
Note to self: don't put it into a corn field in late summer if I have a
choice!

Are you sure? It seems to me landing in a cornfield will guarantee you
don't hit a tree, don't drown, and will slow down rapidly but not too
rapidly. Your aircraft may get trashed but you can always get another. I
don't care about the airplane. I care about *me*.

He *did* write "if I have a choice". You even quoted that part. I think
it's safe to assume by "choice" me means "if there's a better option".
Obviously, one wouldn't choose a dense forest over an open corn field.

that's why I said "if given a choice"

We have plenty of soybean, wheat, oats, pastures, and every other type
of field (and fallow fields) in this part of the world (that Jay and I
fly in). Plus the occasional golf course, and I'm suprised by the grass
strips that I continually find that I never knew were there, just found
one the other day not 10 miles from my home airport that I didn't know
existed, and most aren't on the charts. Good to keep in mind (and it's
come in handy for my work on a medical helicopter).

Otherwise, if a corn field is your best bet, then I won't argue. Take
it.

The English gliding magazine "Sailplane and Gliding" had a whole series
a few years ago on how to recognise various crops from the air at
different times of the year; and which were ok for landing out in and
those that weren't. Kind of interesting reading. Does have some
applicability to powered flying and emergencies.

Just stay off the roads!
And stay away from the really dark fields with lots of gulls or other
birds hanging out, you won't like the smell when you open your door!!!

Ryan

In article ,
"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote:

wrote:
The mention of fields and and furrows reminds me of the story from when
I was learning to fly at the University of Illinois, one of the Beech
Sports had an engine failure and they put it into a corn field in late
summer, and even though they walked away, the airframe was pretty much
beat to s__t by all the nice big ears of corn!
Note to self: don't put it into a corn field in late summer if I have a
choice!


Are you sure? It seems to me landing in a cornfield will guarantee you don't
hit a tree, don't drown, and will slow down rapidly but not too rapidly.
Your aircraft may get trashed but you can always get another. I don't care
about the airplane. I care about *me*.

Not to mention how quickly corn will bring your aircraft to a stop.

john smith wrote:
Are you sure? It seems to me landing in a cornfield will guarantee you
don't hit a tree, don't drown, and will slow down rapidly but not too
rapidly.
Your aircraft may get trashed but you can always get another. I don't
care about the airplane. I care about *me*.

Not to mention how quickly corn will bring your aircraft to a stop.

high crops are going to stop you real fast; and if you don't have
a shoulder harness you are going to get hurt. I haven't tried corn,
but did try with wheat, and it is a lot softer, and I wasn't going
too fast either (glider landing), yet I was really glad to have a
five point harness...

--Sylvain

"john smith" wrote

Not to mention how quickly corn will bring your aircraft to a stop.

Or how an ear of corn coming through a windshield and hitting you in the head at
50 MPH will feel !
--
Jim in NC