Impossible to ditch in a field (almost)

I live out West, where there are hundreds of miles of empty space in every
direction. When flight planning, I often say, "I can ditch in that dry lake
bed, or that field, or if I have to, on that road."

In a couple of weeks, I'm travelling to North Carolina to visit my brother
for the holidays. I'm planning on renting a plane at his local airport and
taking him for a flight. To prepare, I got the Charlotte sectional.

When I opened it up, I couldn't believe it! The thing is literally dotted
with airports. They're everywhere!

Seems to me, I'd much rather be on the east coast when I have an engine
failure, instead of out here where you're lucky to find that dry lake bed
(instead of a mountain).

Anyone ever notice this before?

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III

There are quite a few here in eastern PA and NJ. Some are almost next
to each other like Sky Manor and Alexandria. An engine out halfway
between would still require some altitude to make it to one or the other.

A tip I picked up from AOPA magazine is to flight plan my cross
countries to fly over or very close to airports along my route if
they're only a few minutes out of my way. Hopefully if there's a
problem I'll be able to make it to an airport.

Dave
68 7ECA

mindenpilot wrote:
I live out West, where there are hundreds of miles of empty space in every
direction. When flight planning, I often say, "I can ditch in that dry lake
bed, or that field, or if I have to, on that road."

In a couple of weeks, I'm travelling to North Carolina to visit my brother
for the holidays. I'm planning on renting a plane at his local airport and
taking him for a flight. To prepare, I got the Charlotte sectional.

When I opened it up, I couldn't believe it! The thing is literally dotted
with airports. They're everywhere!

Seems to me, I'd much rather be on the east coast when I have an engine
failure, instead of out here where you're lucky to find that dry lake bed
(instead of a mountain).

Anyone ever notice this before?

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III

everything is different on the right side.. (east), but I can show you
places where there is still a long way between landable airports... north
woods of Maine, NH and VT, but then in NH and VT the airports are closer
together.. and their idea of mountains is down around 4000-5000ft, the
highest point on the east is Mt Washington at 6288MSL. But you still don't
want to mess with it if you are not familiar with mountain effects winds and
weather.

Learned in NH, lived and have flown all over the country, central plains
mostly, and now Western mountains, Nevada/Arizona/Utah/California

BT

"mindenpilot" wrote in message
...
I live out West, where there are hundreds of miles of empty space in every
direction. When flight planning, I often say, "I can ditch in that dry
lake bed, or that field, or if I have to, on that road."

In a couple of weeks, I'm travelling to North Carolina to visit my brother
for the holidays. I'm planning on renting a plane at his local airport
and taking him for a flight. To prepare, I got the Charlotte sectional.

When I opened it up, I couldn't believe it! The thing is literally dotted
with airports. They're everywhere!

Seems to me, I'd much rather be on the east coast when I have an engine
failure, instead of out here where you're lucky to find that dry lake bed
(instead of a mountain).

Anyone ever notice this before?

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III

On Sun, 5 Dec 2004 10:31:07 -0800, mindenpilot wrote:

Seems to me, I'd much rather be on the east coast when I have an engine
failure, instead of out here where you're lucky to find that dry lake bed
(instead of a mountain).

Adam,

Sounds reasonable enough, HOWEVER, where you have 100's of miles of empty
space where a dry lake bed is available, and the east coast has lots of
airports, one has to be intimately familiar with the area you are flying in
congested areas.

Airports out my way in the deep south are not so easy to spot, and if one
has an engine failure, sometimes the airport may not be the best place to
land with considerations of wind, obstructions and so forth.

It also could get you in trouble to stretch out your best glide to a runway
when you have a suitable landing spot within a better range.

There was an incident out my way where someone was flying from Atlanta to
Monroe LA, and he was trying to make it to an airport but ran out of
altitude. He landed on a major state route with no injuries to himself,
passengers or drivers on the road. The road was between two airports (JAN
and MBO) and he made a correct decision to put it on the highway rather
then stretch out his glide over populated areas enroute to an airport.

Allen

"mindenpilot" wrote in message
...

Anyone ever notice this before?


I fly out of BED, out in the Boston suburbs. While your odds of limping in
to an airport are definitely better (especially in IMC) there is still
plenty of inhospitable terrain called Densely Populated Areas. There are
plenty of places where your choice of impromptu landing strips will be a
swamp, a par-3 9-hole golf course, an interstate full of traffic and power
lines, and a busy mall parking lot. I don't know the difference between
landing on wheat or soybeans, but I can tell you that on a weekend you're a
lot better off looking for an office park than a mall.

On busy days at BED it's not unusual to find yourself on a 5-mile final at
1200-1800' to stay under Boston's class B. If your engine quits out there
and there's any kind of headwind all you've got is a couple of minutes to
decide whose backyard furniture looks the softest because there's nothing
but people underneath you.

-cwk.

Actually, the highest point in the east is Mount Mitchell in western North
Carolina at an elevation of 6684 msl

"BTIZ" wrote in message
news:yLIsd.176813$bk1.100951@fed1read05...
everything is different on the right side.. (east), but I can show you
places where there is still a long way between landable airports... north
woods of Maine, NH and VT, but then in NH and VT the airports are closer
together.. and their idea of mountains is down around 4000-5000ft, the
highest point on the east is Mt Washington at 6288MSL. But you still don't
want to mess with it if you are not familiar with mountain effects winds
and weather.

Learned in NH, lived and have flown all over the country, central plains
mostly, and now Western mountains, Nevada/Arizona/Utah/California

BT

"mindenpilot" wrote in message
...
I live out West, where there are hundreds of miles of empty space in every
direction. When flight planning, I often say, "I can ditch in that dry
lake bed, or that field, or if I have to, on that road."

In a couple of weeks, I'm travelling to North Carolina to visit my
brother for the holidays. I'm planning on renting a plane at his local
airport and taking him for a flight. To prepare, I got the Charlotte
sectional.

When I opened it up, I couldn't believe it! The thing is literally
dotted with airports. They're everywhere!

Seems to me, I'd much rather be on the east coast when I have an engine
failure, instead of out here where you're lucky to find that dry lake bed
(instead of a mountain).

Anyone ever notice this before?

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III

Isn't ditching, by definition, in the water?

"mindenpilot" wrote in message
...
I live out West, where there are hundreds of miles of empty space in every
direction. When flight planning, I often say, "I can ditch in that dry
lake
bed, or that field, or if I have to, on that road."

In a couple of weeks, I'm travelling to North Carolina to visit my brother
for the holidays. I'm planning on renting a plane at his local airport
and
taking him for a flight. To prepare, I got the Charlotte sectional.

When I opened it up, I couldn't believe it! The thing is literally dotted
with airports. They're everywhere!

Seems to me, I'd much rather be on the east coast when I have an engine
failure, instead of out here where you're lucky to find that dry lake bed
(instead of a mountain).

Anyone ever notice this before?

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III

really... that's going to be news to everyone in New England.. LOL

BT

"WRE" (remove nospam) wrote in message
...
Actually, the highest point in the east is Mount Mitchell in western North
Carolina at an elevation of 6684 msl

"BTIZ" wrote in message
news:yLIsd.176813$bk1.100951@fed1read05...
together.. and their idea of mountains is down around 4000-5000ft, the
highest point on the east is Mt Washington at 6288MSL. But you still
don't want to mess with it if you are not familiar with mountain effects
winds and weather.

"mindenpilot" wrote in message
...

I live out West, where there are hundreds of miles of empty space in every
direction. When flight planning, I often say, "I can ditch in that dry
lake bed, or that field, or if I have to, on that road."


Why do you say that? Ditching requires water. You can ditch in a lake, but
not in a dry lake bed.

What airport will you be using?

Rod
KCLT