What was the last stupid thing you did?

Thanks,I have to admit.I have made harsh coments about other peoples
judgement in the past.Untill it is you its hard to see the other guy view.
wrote in message
oups.com...
Bob,

Don't you think that's a bit harsh? I mean, that's the thing about
aviation: 1) even smart (non-brain-dead) people sometimes do stupid
things. 2) a stupid thing can kill you.

Personally, I think this is what I worry about as a pilot more than
anything, that I will experience a moment of brain fade, or even,
exercise bad judgement, not habitually, but just once at the wrong
time, and then boom! crash/burn.

Would you say that you have *never* done something in an airplane that
you regretted doing because in hindsight it wasn't wise, and yet, got
away with it? Because, if so, the difference between you and the guy
who did not get away with it has at least something to do with luck.

(By the way, I'm not impugning your piloting judgement. You're Bob
Gardner! I am just drawing a connection to the human fallibility
aspect of being PIC.)

As an aside, as far as I understand, 91.151 is about beginning a
flight, ie, planning. If winds and/or other circumstances unfold
differently, you can legally end up landing with less than 30 minutes
in the tanks.

Of course, it's still stupid.

My $0.02,
-- dave j

See.It happens.Bet it will not twice.
wrote in message
...
Anyone else have a close call they
learned a valuable lesson from.You know; the one you don't tell you flying
buddies about.

Well...we're all buddies here...so I shouldn't tell you, right?
OK, but I will...

Last Saturday, I took my wife up from BKL, Cleveland (OH) Burke
Lakefront in a Diamond DA40-180. That was a comedy of errors.
Beech had set up an exhibition of their new toys, right around the
DA40, So: we had to push the DA40 back, then it wouldnt push straight,
so we had to find a towbar. Then we needed oil, which dripped all over
the engine compartment and exhaust, and I spent 15 minutes diligently
cleaning up.

Did I mention it was 90+ F? In June? In Cleveland on the lakeshore?

Realizing this, I took things a bit slower, trying to ensure I
wouldn't miss anything rushing thru the preflight.

Finally got the preflight done and got in...

Start/taxi/takeoff OK...500', throttle full, prop back to 2400 (that's
what it calls for!) So I start to bring the the prop back...and
back...and back...and the RPM finally starts down...and the engine
spits once... oops wrong control, let's try the other one that's
BLUE. I was even pushing on the friction lock on that red control
and not realizing. my thumb rests right on it.

Ya know... 500' over Lake Erie is not a good place to kill the
engine. Being a motorhead, and having adjust many carbs; at the first
spit, I realized what it was and recovered immediately. My wife never
even noticed the miss. rest of flight uneventful...

Won't do that again!
Feel AND verify

...shame I didnt have time to look at the new King Air and Beechjet on
display...not that I'll ever afford either one...

--Don
Don Byrer
Electronics Technician/Friendly but Sarcastic Pilot
FAA Airways Facilites/Tech Ops, RADAR/Data/Comm @ CLE
Amateur Radio KJ5KB
Instrument Pilot Commercial Student
PP-ASEL 30 Jan 2005 "-IA" 25 Mar 2005

30 minutes is not a suggested SOP - it's a minimum!
It's designed to help you put it down somewhere - anywhere!
I appreciate the honesty in your post - but I cannot support the concept
that it is OK to regularly plan landings with a 30 minute minimum -
particularly given the frequency with which airspace is closed or
modified on some politicians whim. A $350.00 per plate dinner can close
the airspace within 50 miles - now where is your 30 minute minimum? You
guys have to live it - I just watch it and shake my head.

Tony
C-GICE

In article ,
"Bob Gardner" wrote:

Just enough fuel for the trip? Did that include the 30 minute reserve
required by 91.151? That's not a close call...that's admitting that you are
brain-dead and a hazard to your passengers.

Bob Gardner

"STEVEN SIMPSON" wrote in message
news:8Wpre.10699$lb5.6085@trnddc04...
I flew up to Tri city airport from central virginia in a 172 rg whith a
full load and just enogh fuel for the trip.Guess what happend on short
final?Good thing I am up to speed on dead stick.Anyone else have a close
call they learned a valuable lesson from.You know; the one you don't tell
you flying buddies about.





--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 05:45:41 GMT, "STEVEN SIMPSON"
wrote:

See.It happens.Bet it will not twice.

I'd say that's a safe bet...

--Don


Don Byrer
Electronics Technician/Friendly but Sarcastic Pilot
FAA Airways Facilites/Tech Ops, RADAR/Data/Comm @ CLE
Amateur Radio KJ5KB
Instrument Pilot Commercial Student
PP-ASEL 30 Jan 2005 "-IA" 25 Mar 2005

STEVEN SIMPSON wrote:

I flew up to Tri city airport from central virginia in a 172 rg whith a
full load and just enogh fuel for the trip.Guess what happend on short
final?Good thing I am up to speed on dead stick.Anyone else have a close
call they learned a valuable lesson from.You know; the one you don't tell
you flying buddies about.

Yesterday I was flying the jump plane (parachute operation) and managed to
get the cuff of my sleeve tangled up on the pitch control of a C206 when
attempting to adjust the mixture (WTF?!?). Pitch went to full fine
(2850RPM) at which point I over-corrected an sent it back to 2000RPM :-/
Hmmm. Bit embarrassing considering I have over 1500hrs in C210's!!

Further back in my flying career, I overloaded a C172 and nearly wen splat
when it wouldn't climb after take-off.

A few years after that I spun a C210 from FL120 to A020....at night....in
IMC after falling asleep...without an autopilot. During the incipient spin
all the freight shifted aft and sent the CoG out the back....I ran out of
forward trim on descent at my next landing point and could only get one
stage of flap out before I ran out of trim in the approach. Once I shut
down and climbed out, the poor thing sat on its tail. I do NOT want to be
a test pilot again.

I stopped flying single-engine night freight (in piston-powered aircraft
anyway) after that, and started flying Grand Caravans and B55/58's instead.

Stupid enough? There's more, but I don't want to detail the "stupid coz
it's illegal" things I've done to avoid getting the sack from employers who
expect their pilots to break the rules...we've all been there.

Cheers,

James
--
There is no sin but ignorance.
-- Christopher Marlowe

I meant, do you mean the last stuipid thing I did today? Anyway,
I've done plenty. I did what you did, but landed off airport. 3
minutes makes a big difference. That was 14 years ago, and my attitude
about fuel was changed drastically. I hope your experience made as big
an impression on you.
A close call can make you safer, or it can make you bolder - and
everyone knows there are no old, bold pilots.
http://pad39a.com/gene/breathe.html
--
Gene Seibel
Confessions of a Pilot - http://pad39a.com/publishing/
Because I fly, I envy no one.

STEVEN SIMPSON wrote:
Yes actualy I did figure my reserve,I just did not realize that to avoid the
ADIZ I would endup vectored all over the place .I made a mistake yes,I let

There's an ADIZ at Tri-Cities airport?
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KTRI

snip


"STEVEN SIMPSON" wrote in message
news:8Wpre.10699$lb5.6085@trnddc04...

I flew up to Tri city airport from central virginia

snip

We just had a thread here called "confessions" about 2 months ago, I
think. It's got several such stories, including one from me.

The last stupid thing I did was sign up at a local flight school at FRG.
Waste of money to determine that weekend piloting is only for fools, and
that any idiot can get a private pilot certificate. The flight schools
will take anyone's money, and claim that flying is safe.

Glad to see this string has confirmed my decision to leave flying to the
pros: that is the commercial airline pilots.

I forgot, the next stupid thing i did was fly out of ISP with a friend of
mine who introduced me to this wonderful sport. He got disoriented over
the Long Island sound, and then couldn't work the GPS. I had to do it for
him. He considers himself a safe, and experienced, pilot.