I have this urge to try to protect my plane so it can fly again ..I would
probably choose a gear up landing also if I had to ditch in the desert, that
way the tires dont catch the rocks and hopefully not flip the plane. Bu tthis
also assumes I am not over a mountain which are plentiful.
But I think most of the desert would be safer then tree's or tree stumps.

Craig Prouse wrote:



I refer to the classic definition of a "good landing." The airplane
might not fly again, but as for my own skin I'd rather take my chances
with some rocks and scrub compared to the tree-covered mountains in
Oregon and N. California.

Up there, the best option might be to find a clearcut and try to land
amongst the stumps and scrag. That would be about the same hazard as
landing in the desert provided that you can find a clearcut on
relatively level ground and not a hillside.