Off Airport Landings

Matt
As a matter of fact, I ofen demonstrate slow flight with ZERO
indicated airspeed and make turns while doing so. And, I show it to
students to let them see what is possible.
Having a problem in picking out the quoted areas so bear with me? "The
idea is to fly slowly so as to not tear off the wings and fall to the
ground"? Where else are you gonna fall, and how can you prevent damage
to the airplane like tearing off the wings? I fear you have the image
of the common picture of that airplane sitting in the top of a tree
like it was intended to land there? The reality of it is, you will
crash to the ground or very near it!
As for touching the tops of the trees, I have done it and am more than
roughly correct. I've also had the experiences, many many times of
having my wheels contact crops as I was spraying, and felt the instant
drag forces that suck you down. Certainly we want to be going as slowly
as possible prior to impact but it is much better to do it under
control rather than on the edge and lose control at the first
disruption of our flight attitude and/or.airspeed.
Did you see the clips of the clown in Louisiana doing his abortive
takeoff attempt and wrecking his airplane in the process? I have no
sympathy or empathy for his ineptitude and careless operations. It
happened so fast he had no time to make any corrections and his speed
wasn't high enough for pieces to be torn off. The end result was the
same though. A wrecked aircraft that crashed into trees with extensive
damage to the plane and the vehicle/s he hit enroute to the accident
scene.

wrote:

Matt
As a matter of fact, I ofen demonstrate slow flight with ZERO
indicated airspeed and make turns while doing so. And, I show it to
students to let them see what is possible.
Having a problem in picking out the quoted areas so bear with me? "The
idea is to fly slowly so as to not tear off the wings and fall to the
ground"? Where else are you gonna fall, and how can you prevent damage
to the airplane like tearing off the wings? I fear you have the image
of the common picture of that airplane sitting in the top of a tree
like it was intended to land there? The reality of it is, you will
crash to the ground or very near it!

That depends on the type of trees you land into. I've never had to make
a real emergency landing so I can't speak from first-hand experience,
however, I've seen a number of aftermaths of airplanes that have gone
down in trees. A fair number end up in the canopy, especially if they
land in evergreens. I've seen several get hung up in hardwoods. And,
yes, many, maybe even most, make it clear to the ground.


As for touching the tops of the trees, I have done it and am more than
roughly correct. I've also had the experiences, many many times of
having my wheels contact crops as I was spraying, and felt the instant
drag forces that suck you down. Certainly we want to be going as slowly
as possible prior to impact but it is much better to do it under
control rather than on the edge and lose control at the first
disruption of our flight attitude and/or.airspeed.

I never suggested flying at a speed where you weren't in control. I
said I'd fly as near to a stall as possible and try to have the stall
closely correlate to the impact. Keep in mind, that if anything the
contact of the tires will impact an "anti-stalling" action to the
airplane as it will rapidly reduce the angle of attack. So being on the
verge of a stall as you make impact will almost certainly mean that you
won't ever stall the airplane completely as the AOA will lessen pretty
much instantly as you say.


Did you see the clips of the clown in Louisiana doing his abortive
takeoff attempt and wrecking his airplane in the process? I have no
sympathy or empathy for his ineptitude and careless operations. It
happened so fast he had no time to make any corrections and his speed
wasn't high enough for pieces to be torn off. The end result was the
same though. A wrecked aircraft that crashed into trees with extensive
damage to the plane and the vehicle/s he hit enroute to the accident
scene.

The clown that hit the truck mirror and ambulance? I did see that one
and I likewise have no sympathy for the pilot, and I hesitate to even
use the term pilot.


Matt

wrote in message
WEll...since I got some interest in the road landings, lets take
another shot at the off airport stuff? It has been addressed before but
there are new readers and pilots who haven't been participants.
When is the last time you, YOU did the "what if..." game and bothered
to look off the road with the evaluation of a landing area?

Found out a tire went soft in flight as I landed on a beach. Fashioned an
airhose out of a flexible socket extension and used the CO2 cartridges from
the life jackets to inflate the tire. Just another day in the tropics...

D.

On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 11:25:37 GMT, Matt Whiting
wrote:

I live in PA, so our trees are generally shorter. The goal is to land
slowly enough that you don't tear off the wings and fall to the ground.

I read somewhe "Picture an airport underneath you, and make the
best landing on it that you can." Sounded good to me, and easier to
remember than all that other stuff.

I'd picture it as a grass strip, too, not asphalt



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
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Cub Driver wrote:

On Thu, 03 Nov 2005 11:25:37 GMT, Matt Whiting
wrote:


I live in PA, so our trees are generally shorter. The goal is to land
slowly enough that you don't tear off the wings and fall to the ground.


I read somewhe "Picture an airport underneath you, and make the
best landing on it that you can." Sounded good to me, and easier to
remember than all that other stuff.

I'd picture it as a grass strip, too, not asphalt

Yes, but the hard part is figuring out the "field" elevation. :-)


Matt

How Cool!!! I'll stick THAT one in my pilot bag of tricks!!! Had a tire
go flat on me during a landing (I think it was then) landing on a dirt
strip in the Sudan after having struggled through a sand storm. Low on
fuel and about to stick it into the sand dunes when I popped dout of
the storm and spotted what I thought was a road and headed for it.
Turned out to be a strip and I made an OK landing. My fuel was down to
one hour or less after a 10 hour ferry flight from Cairo and Khartoum
was still nearly two hours away.
Cheers
Rocky

On Fri, 04 Nov 2005 03:36:40 GMT, "Capt.Doug"
wrote in ::


Found out a tire went soft in flight as I landed on a beach. Fashioned an
airhose out of a flexible socket extension and used the CO2 cartridges from
the life jackets to inflate the tire. Just another day in the tropics...

What did you do with regard to the Schrader Valve in the valve stem?

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 04 Nov 2005 03:36:40 GMT, "Capt.Doug"
wrote in ::


Found out a tire went soft in flight as I landed on a beach. Fashioned an
airhose out of a flexible socket extension and used the CO2 cartridges
from
the life jackets to inflate the tire. Just another day in the tropics...

What did you do with regard to the Schrader Valve in the valve stem?

The pressure of the CO2 will overpower the spring on the valve and force it
open. When the CO2 is removed the spring pushes the valve closed. (You do
not have to manually push down the valve core to open it.)

Allen

I live in PA, so our trees are generally shorter.

I live in State College PA, exact center of the state; and north of
here, ain't nothing but trees to the NY state line. Some are fairly
tall.

Here and there, what appears to be a clear patch is really covered by
stumps a foot or two high, that can't be seen till it's too late to go
elsewhere, and will tear and airplane and occupants to pieces.

Landing in the treetops in northern PA is the best option.

vince norris

"vincent p. norris" wrote

Here and there, what appears to be a clear patch is really covered by
stumps a foot or two high, that can't be seen till it's too late to go
elsewhere, and will tear and airplane and occupants to pieces.

Landing in the treetops in northern PA is the best option.

I had never considered that. Clearcut logging is a big thing around here,
too. Humm.
--
Jim in NC