Race of Champions

On 9/9/2013 5:06 PM, Dan Marotta wrote:
Giggle, Snort...

When I was an Air Force student pilot back in '73 they told us that landing
between two trees would absorb a lot of energy during a forced landing. So
the story goes, a pilot experiencing a forced landing saw a large field with
two trees in it...


"Ralph Jones" wrote in message
...
Interesting memory of the opposite behavior: I was in a Region 9 at
Las Vegas NM years ago, and the USAFA cadets were there with their
1-34, Sierra Hotel.

They had a rigid rule: At 500 AGL, land. Period.

A cadet reported the IP on a straight-in final. She was on a perfect
glide slope to the runway -- and at 500 feet, she peeled off and
landed in the boonies.

rj


More recently (late '80s or early '90s), a "more money than experience" type
of glider pilot from the Boulder area bought a DG-400 and began flying XC
(gold distance+) hammer and tongs. I paid attention because I suspected he'd
never learned the basics of OFLs, and mighta been using the engine as his
"OFL-avoidance out." Dunno the full story, but he destroyed the ship by
hitting the (only) tree in a huge (according to the FBO who'd trained him and
saw the scene), good-to-land pasture, and - get this - within a few miles of
two (three if you count the one he almost certainly overflew on the way to his
crash) paved airports. The FBO was convinced he'd been messing with the engine
(trying to avoid the OFL) "for way too long." The FBO had no idea how or why
the guy hit the tree.

Big surprise, the erring pilot quit the sport after that...

Bob W.