Airplane Lands Itself
Edward Rice
A friend of mine who's an aviation writer sent me this -- it looks like a
popular recounting from a government publication which is itself a pilot's
non-technical journal of flight safety and procedures. Some interesting
points to note as you look through it, though: the pilot was fully
unconscious. The plane was GPS-equipped, so it probably had a high-quality
electrical system, possibly a stronger than usual battery, and a 3-axis
autopilot system -- not designed for auto-landing, but definitely a large
cut above the "keep it pointed at a given radio antenna" system most
general aviation pilots use. The plane, as the article notes, hit
everything just about right, including reaching a wire fence (an awfully
good shock absorber!) at just the right point in its flight.
"He Could Land It in His Sleep"
IN FACT, HE DID, IN A CARBON-MONOXIDE-INDUCED SLUMBER... Remember the Piper
Comanche 400 pilot who woke up to find his airplane had landed itself in a
Missouri farm field? The bizarre incident took place in December 1997 and
made the headlines for its sheer unlikeliness.
The presenter at an aviation medical examiner seminar last year was
recounting the extraordinary tale when a voice proclaimed from the back of
the room, "I was that pilot."
Dr. Robert Frayser, of Hoisington, Kans., was attending his first AME
seminar, and he was indeed the pilot who slept through his airplane's
landing.
Dr. Frayser had left Great Bend (Kans.) Airport bright and early at 7 a.m.,
headed for Topeka, Kans., recounts the May-June issue of FAA Aviation News.
"I was flying alone in my Comanche 400, cruising at 5,500 ft on autopilot,
with the sun coming up on a clear, beautiful day." All was routine as
Frayser switched tanks and set up the GPS for Topeka. "Then I lost about an
hour-and-a-half of my life," Frayser recalled. The airplane, trimmed by the
autopilot for cruise flight, flew a perfectly straight course over Kansas
until it ran out of fuel and glided to a landing in a farm field near
Cairo, Mo.
When he awoke, confused, disoriented and groggy from a deep sleep, Frayser
thought he was still airborne and went through his landing preparations.
Slowly it dawned on him that he was already on the ground with the engine
stopped. Frayser had picked up a few cuts and bruises, and the Comanche’s
right wing was damaged by impact with a tree, but all in all pilot and
airplane had survived the landing in remarkably good shape. The powerless,
unpiloted airplane had touched down wings-level and slid 525 ft before
coming to rest in a wire fence and line of small trees.
Extricating himself from the aircraft, Frayser, nursing a severe headache
and a ringing in his ears, struggled a quarter of a mile through
snow-covered fields to a farmhouse, where help was summoned and oxygen
administered. The most lasting damage was a broken wrist.
The splitting headache betrayed the source of Frayser's airborne slumber. A
cracked exhaust manifold had allowed carbon monoxide to enter the cockpit
through the heater. Concealed by the heater muff, the crack could have been
there quite a while, just waiting for the pilot to turn on the heater,
investigators determined. In its final report on the accident, NTSB
apportioned some blame to Frayser, noting that the Comanche had recently
been taken to a service center for an annual inspection but that he had
chosen to fly the airplane before the annual inspection had been fully
signed off.
Probably Frayser's biggest mistake was not having a carbon-monoxide
detector in the cockpit. He said that he received no warning signs that the
colorless, odorless, non-irritating gas was infiltrating the cabin... "I
just went to sleep."
Luck, guardian angel (call it what you will) played an overwhelming role in
the outcome. A few feet shorter or longer and Frayser's approach would have
taken him into power lines or a plowed field. A gusty wind could have
changed the outcome, too. And with more fuel on board, the engine would
have run long enough for the carbon monoxide to kill Frayser before the
subsequent return to earth.
Another factor probably saved Frayser's life, according to FAA medical
officials. He had quit smoking six months earlier, giving him a likely
life-saving gain of 8 percent on his "oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation
curve." His carboxyhemoglobin (CoHg) level is estimated to have been 44
percent when he exited the airplane, and it was still at almost 27 percent
when he arrived at the hospital. Loss of consciousness has occurred in
other aviation cases at 40 percent CoHg levels, and higher levels are often
fatal, according to Douglas Burnett, Civil Aeromedical Institute AME
program team manager, writing in FAA Aviation News and The Federal Air
Surgeon's Medical Bulletin.
Frayser still flies a replacement Comanche 400, blue instead of red... and
equipped with a good carbon monoxide detector in the cockpit.
Dave Wilton
wrote:
>When he awoke, confused, disoriented and groggy from a deep sleep, Frayser
>thought he was still airborne and went through his landing preparations.
>Slowly it dawned on him that he was already on the ground with the engine
>stopped. Frayser had picked up a few cuts and bruises, and the Comanche’s
>right wing was damaged by impact with a tree, but all in all pilot and
>airplane had survived the landing in remarkably good shape. The powerless,
>unpiloted airplane had touched down wings-level and slid 525 ft before
>coming to rest in a wire fence and line of small trees.
Face it, the plane crashed. It did not "land" unless landing in a
field, not the intended airport, and colliding with a tree and a fence
can be called a landing. It was a crash where no one was seriously
injured, but a crash nonetheless.
--Dave Wilton
da...@wilton.net
http://www.wilton.net
Paul Tomblin
>Face it, the plane crashed. It did not "land" unless landing in a
>field, not the intended airport, and colliding with a tree and a fence
>can be called a landing. It was a crash where no one was seriously
Any landing you can walk away from is a *good* landing. In an excellent
landing, you can use the airplane again. I've made hundreds of excellent
landings, and one good one.
--
Paul Tomblin <ptom...@xcski.com>, not speaking for anybody
"low ping bastard: n. anybody getting more frags than the person running their
client on the server." - Steve Caskey
Bob Ward
>On Tue, 11 Jul 2000 02:16:08 -0400, ehr...@his.com (Edward Rice)
>wrote:
>
>>When he awoke, confused, disoriented and groggy from a deep sleep, Frayser
>>thought he was still airborne and went through his landing preparations.
>>Slowly it dawned on him that he was already on the ground with the engine
>>stopped. Frayser had picked up a few cuts and bruises, and the Comanche’s
>>right wing was damaged by impact with a tree, but all in all pilot and
>>airplane had survived the landing in remarkably good shape. The powerless,
>>unpiloted airplane had touched down wings-level and slid 525 ft before
>>coming to rest in a wire fence and line of small trees.
>
>Face it, the plane crashed. It did not "land" unless landing in a
>field, not the intended airport, and colliding with a tree and a fence
>can be called a landing. It was a crash where no one was seriously
>injured, but a crash nonetheless.
Nope - if you can walk away from it, it was a GOOD landing.
David Lesher
>On Tue, 11 Jul 2000 02:16:08 -0400, ehr...@his.com (Edward Rice)
>wrote:
>Face it, the plane crashed. It did not "land" unless landing in a
>field, not the intended airport, and colliding with a tree and a fence
>can be called a landing. It was a crash where no one was seriously
>injured, but a crash nonetheless.
Nope. "walk away" is still the metric...
There is also the opposite case... DD Smith and Pete Angelina got
into a flat spin {Paul can elaborate..} in a F-14 at Patuxent Naval
Air Station. [North of Norfolk VA..]
So they ejected the canopy and "punched out" with the ejection seats.
Their departure changed the flight dynamics enough the aircraft
straightened up and flew straight & level as it descended into the water.
Film of this is shown in test pilot's school.
There is another story about a F106 based in Minot ND where it got
uncontrollable and the pilot left. The aircraft put down smoothly
in the snow in a farmer's field; the farmer phoned & griped loudly
as it was still running...... It was recovered and put it back
in service.
The aircraft is now in the museum at Wright-Pat.
--
A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433
Paul Tomblin
>There is also the opposite case... DD Smith and Pete Angelina got
>into a flat spin {Paul can elaborate..} in a F-14 at Patuxent Naval
>Air Station. [North of Norfolk VA..]
No need to elaborate, other than to say that the failure mode shown in the
movie Top Gun, where one engine stalls out and the plane spins and the
canopy doesn't eject right had actually happened at least once. Which,
being Hollywood, was the most suprising thing in the whole movie.
>So they ejected the canopy and "punched out" with the ejection seats.
>Their departure changed the flight dynamics enough the aircraft
>straightened up and flew straight & level as it descended into the water.
There have been several instances where the change in flight dynamics
caused by the pilot punching out have allowed the aircraft to recover and
fly on. David's examples, for instance. And the Mig-23 that flew
straight and level out across the iron curtain to crash land in Belgium.
I think the usual explanation is that the extra drag of the now wide-open
cockpit causes the plane to settle down and be more stable.
I'm loath to mention the Gripen that crashed at an airshow, because that
was a special circumstance - the aircraft is designed to be dynamically
unstable in order to make it more maneuverable. However, when the flight
computer stops working (as happens when the pilot punches out), the canard
goes into "free floating mode", which makes the aircraft dynamically
stable. Makes you wonder why they don't have a "panic mode" where they
can push a button and get the canard free floating?
--
Paul Tomblin <ptom...@xcski.com>, not speaking for anybody
Confidence is the feeling you have before you understand the situation.
Lee Rudolph
>the canard
>goes into "free floating mode"
Hey! There's a BOMP around here, guy!
Lee "and it's enforced evenhandedly" Rudolph
Tom Cikoski
>ptom...@xcski.com (Paul Tomblin) writes:
--
( )_( )
\. ./
_=.=_
" -- What have you got against sky-diving ducks?
Drew Lawson
"With god as my witness, I thought ducks could fly."
Drew "no BOWKRP, right?" Lawson
--
|Drew Lawson | Of all the things I've lost |
|dr...@furrfu.com | I miss my mind the most |
|http://www.furrfu.com/ | |
Joseph M. Shair
says...
<hack/>
~There is another story about a F106 based in Minot ND where it got
~uncontrollable and the pilot left. The aircraft put down smoothly
~in the snow in a farmer's field; the farmer phoned & griped loudly
~as it was still running...... It was recovered and put it back
~in service.
~
~The aircraft is now in the museum at Wright-Pat.
If an unoccupied aircraft lands and
remains on your property are you
entitled to salvage rights? Does it
count as an "unordered delivery"
for which you are neither required
to paid nor return?
Are you willing to argue the point
against a large number of armed people?
Joe "Unoccupied UFOs?" Shair
McCaffertA
writes:
>On Tue, 11 Jul 2000 02:16:08 -0400, ehr...@his.com (Edward Rice)
>wrote:
>
>>When he awoke, confused, disoriented and groggy from a deep sleep, Frayser
>>thought he was still airborne and went through his landing preparations.
>>Slowly it dawned on him that he was already on the ground with the engine
>>stopped. Frayser had picked up a few cuts and bruises, and the
Comanche’s
>>right wing was damaged by impact with a tree, but all in all pilot and
>>airplane had survived the landing in remarkably good shape. The powerless,
>>unpiloted airplane had touched down wings-level and slid 525 ft before
>>coming to rest in a wire fence and line of small trees.
>
>Face it, the plane crashed. It did not "land" unless landing in a
>field, not the intended airport, and colliding with a tree and a fence
>can be called a landing. It was a crash where no one was seriously
>injured, but a crash nonetheless.
Also, from the description here, it seems possible that Frayser woke up
enough to land the plane himself, but not enough to remember it. CO messes
with memory, and people can, even without poisoning, do a remarkable number of
things in a half-waking state; I once drove through most of New Jersey like
that.
Anthony "not that I missed much" McCafferty
David Scheidt
: Also, from the description here, it seems possible that Frayser woke up
: enough to land the plane himself, but not enough to remember it. CO messes
: with memory, and people can, even without poisoning, do a remarkable number of
: things in a half-waking state; I once drove through most of New Jersey like
: that.
From the car or the air?
David "don't drink the water" Scheidt
--
Late at night sometimes I still suspect that Linux users are so grumpy
because they are jealous that Tux still can't find any tennis shoes
that fit. So he just sits there on his fat rump looking at his feet
wishing. -- David Kelly N4HHE
Charles Wm. Dimmick
> >>Lee "and it's enforced evenhandedly" Rudolph
> > " -- What have you got against sky-diving ducks?
>
> Why a duck? Why-a-no-chicken?
You try sky-diving with a chicken, and you'll find out
why-a-no-chicken.
Charles Wm. "wire-fence" Dimmick
McCaffertA
<sant...@adams.net> writes:
>If an unoccupied aircraft lands and
>remains on your property are you
>entitled to salvage rights?
Dunno about aircraft, but naval vessels are the major exception to marine
salvage law.
Anthony "I expect Other Things With Guns would be, too" McCafferty
Bob Church
spli...@panix.com (Tom Cikoski) wrote:
>In <8khuu2$l46$1...@panix5.panix.com> lrud...@panix.com (Lee Rudolph) writes:
>
>>ptom...@xcski.com (Paul Tomblin) writes:
>
>>>the canard
>>>goes into "free floating mode"
>
>>Hey! There's a BOMP around here, guy!
>
>>Lee "and it's enforced evenhandedly" Rudolph
>
>--
>( )_( )
> \. ./
> _=.=_
> " -- What have you got against sky-diving ducks?
>
They never buy their beer.
Bob Church
Bob Church
>
>The aircraft is now in the museum at Wright-Pat.
>
There was a great story in Parachutist about the making of 'Octopussy.' In
the final scene a Beech D-18 crashes and explodes. They wanted it to look
real, so they filled an old D-18 with explosives and pushed it off the edge
of a cliff. They expected it to just plummet straight down and blow up, but
as the plane righted itself and glided off into the distance they were
desperately hoping there were no small towns in that direction. They ended
up having to do the actual scene with a model.
Bob Church
John Francis
Tom Cikoski <spli...@panix.com> wrote:
>In <8khuu2$l46$1...@panix5.panix.com> lrud...@panix.com (Lee Rudolph) writes:
>
>>ptom...@xcski.com (Paul Tomblin) writes:
>
>>>the canard
>>>goes into "free floating mode"
>
>>Hey! There's a BOMP around here, guy!
>
>>Lee "and it's enforced evenhandedly" Rudolph
>
>--
>( )_( )
> \. ./
> _=.=_
> " -- What have you got against sky-diving ducks?
Not all that much, dearie.
Dr H
On 12 Jul 2000, Paul Tomblin wrote:
}In a previous article, da...@wilton.net said:
}>Face it, the plane crashed. It did not "land" unless landing in a
}>field, not the intended airport, and colliding with a tree and a fence
}>can be called a landing. It was a crash where no one was seriously
}
}Any landing you can walk away from is a *good* landing. In an excellent
}landing, you can use the airplane again. I've made hundreds of excellent
}landings, and one good one.
I most often try to step out before the plane lands.
Dr H
Charles Lingard
uttered thusly...
> >field, not the intended airport, and colliding with a tree and a fence
> >can be called a landing. It was a crash where no one was seriously
>
>
>
>
>
If you can walk away from it, and the airplane can be flown again, it was
a GREAT landing!
--
--
Charles Lingard
ca...@wave.net
cal...@yahoo.com
Bob Ward
>
>On 12 Jul 2000, Paul Tomblin wrote:
>
>}In a previous article, da...@wilton.net said:
>}>Face it, the plane crashed. It did not "land" unless landing in a
>}>field, not the intended airport, and colliding with a tree and a fence
>}>can be called a landing. It was a crash where no one was seriously
>}
>}Any landing you can walk away from is a *good* landing. In an excellent
>}landing, you can use the airplane again. I've made hundreds of excellent
>}landings, and one good one.
>
> I most often try to step out before the plane lands.
>
>Dr H
I'd be glad to hold your backpack while you do so.
Paul Tomblin
>Any landing you can walk away from is a *good* landing. In an excellent
>landing, you can use the airplane again. I've made hundreds of excellent
>landings, and one good one.
Make that *two* good ones. Sheared off *another* shimmy damper yesterday,
dammit!
--
Paul Tomblin <ptom...@xcski.com>, not speaking for anybody
Q: How did you get into artificial intelligence?
A: Seemed logical -- I didn't have any real intelligence.
Richard Casady
wrote:
>In a previous article, ptom...@xcski.com (Paul Tomblin) said:
>>Any landing you can walk away from is a *good* landing. In an
excellent
>>landing, you can use the airplane again. I've made hundreds of
excellent
>>landings, and one good one.
>
>Make that *two* good ones. Sheared off *another* shimmy damper
yesterday,
>dammit!
On what type aircraft? Theoretically I have most all the flying
magazines, I could
look it up. If you want to mail me the gory details, I will read
them and send a few appropriate words: "our condolences on the
occasion of your bereavement" the card I got on my thirtieth
birthday from a lawyer who died a couple of years ago from
brain cancer comes to mind.
Andrea Jones
McCaffertA wrote in message
<20000712224103...@nso-mf.aol.com>...
There's not all that much interesting stuff left on a sunken US Navy
vessel, anyway. We get a sledgehammer and a fire axe in each space with
sensitive equipment, posted on the wall in the same space is an Emergency
Destruction Bill. Before I'm allowed to flee the sinking ship, I've got
several millions of US dollars of equipment to smash.
Andrea "Provided I wasn't previously killed" Jones
--
"You hear that? Listen... hear it? That, my friends,
is the baying of the liberty hound. Now if you'll excuse
me, I have to go catch my dog."
--an anonymous Tomahawk instructor on leaving early
John Francis
Andrea Jones <aegi...@msn.com> wrote:
>
>There's not all that much interesting stuff left on a sunken US Navy
>vessel, anyway. We get a sledgehammer and a fire axe in each space with
>sensitive equipment, posted on the wall in the same space is an Emergency
>Destruction Bill. Before I'm allowed to flee the sinking ship, I've got
>several millions of US dollars of equipment to smash.
>
>Andrea "Provided I wasn't previously killed" Jones
You think that's a valid excuse, sailor?
rob...@bonomi.invalid
Bo Bradham <bra...@panix.com> wrote:
>Tom Cikoski <spli...@panix.com> wrote:
>>In <8khuu2$l46$1...@panix5.panix.com> lrud...@panix.com (Lee Rudolph) writes:
>>>ptom...@xcski.com (Paul Tomblin) writes:
>>>>the canard
>>>>goes into "free floating mode"
>>
>>>Hey! There's a BOMP around here, guy!
>>
>>>Lee "and it's enforced evenhandedly" Rudolph
>
Aww, come on. *EVERYBODY* knows what the standard instrumnets are for
non-VFR flight in a light plane. To wit: a cat and a duck.
Use of a chicken hasn't been "certificated" yet.
Andrew Reid
>
> There's not all that much interesting stuff left on a sunken US Navy
> vessel, anyway. We get a sledgehammer and a fire axe in each space with
> sensitive equipment, posted on the wall in the same space is an Emergency
> Destruction Bill. Before I'm allowed to flee the sinking ship, I've got
> several millions of US dollars of equipment to smash.
Obliquely related, I was astounded to learn yesterday
(from the June/July 2000 issue of "Air&Space") that
Mercury capsule recently retrieved from the murky depths,
had a bomb on board -- "11 ounces of HTX" -- set to go off
at 4000 feet of depth if the capsule sank. It was meant
as an aid to locating the capsule, but the article said
it would have done a pretty convincing demolition job,
too, "blow[ing] the back off" if it had detonated.
It didn't detonate, either at the time of the sinking
or during the retrieval, which is of course good news for
the Kansas Cosmophere and the Discovery Channel.
Andrew "Rocket science, whee!" Reid
John Francis
Surely you mean an owl, not a duck?
--
John "and paint the craft pea-green" Francis
danny burstein
>>vessel, anyway. We get a sledgehammer and a fire axe in each space with
>>sensitive equipment, posted on the wall in the same space is an Emergency
>>Destruction Bill. Before I'm allowed to flee the sinking ship, I've got
>>several millions of US dollars of equipment to smash.
Didn't do Commander Bucher and his crew much good, alas.
Danny 'one would think _someone_ would look at history' burstein
--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dan...@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
Andrea Jones
>>vessel, anyway. We get a sledgehammer and a fire axe in each space with
>>sensitive equipment, posted on the wall in the same space is an Emergency
>>Destruction Bill. Before I'm allowed to flee the sinking ship, I've got
>>several millions of US dollars of equipment to smash.
>>
>
>You think that's a valid excuse, sailor?
Well, yes. It's precisely because I'm a sailor and not a member of the
United States Marine Corps, you see. Marines are required to use their
dead bodies to the best tactical advantage. Sailors may peacefully die
wherever they were when the urge to shuffle off this mortal coil took them.
Andrea "but exploding on the skipper is considered a bonus" Jones
Robert Alston
>Date: 7/13/00 11:29 PM US Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <O4ffYuU7$GA.279@cpmsnbbsa09>
>
>
>McCaffertA wrote in message
><20000712224103...@nso-mf.aol.com>...
>>In article <MPG.13d686df6...@news.supernews.com>, Joseph M.
>Shair
>><sant...@adams.net> writes:
>>
>>>If an unoccupied aircraft lands and
>>>remains on your property are you
>>>entitled to salvage rights?
>>
>> Dunno about aircraft, but naval vessels are the major exception to
>marine
>>salvage law.
>>
>>Anthony "I expect Other Things With Guns would be, too" McCafferty
>
>vessel, anyway. We get a sledgehammer and a fire axe in each space with
>sensitive equipment, posted on the wall in the same space is an Emergency
>Destruction Bill. Before I'm allowed to flee the sinking ship, I've got
>several millions of US dollars of equipment to smash.
>
Just make sure that either the Senior Surviving Officer has given an abandon
ship order or your space is flooding with salt water. Failure to comply with
these conditions puts you in a situation where you could be charged with
destruction of Government property, Desertion under fire, and hazarding a Naval
vessel. Even if everyone on board knows the ship is sinking and she
subsequently sinks the charges could (would is a different story) be brought.
Always remember that the US Navy considers a surface ship combat capable until
the waterline is ABOVE the main deck (except for carriers where the waterline
has a couple of extra decks to go up).
>Andrea "Provided I wasn't previously killed" Jones
That is usually an acceptable excuse for failure to destroy sensitive equipment
and would be discussed at the inquiry. Not that a fault finding against you
would cause you any distress of course.
Robert "The Navy seldom convenes a courts-martial for a dead sailor" Alston
Clive D.W. Feather
<ca...@wave.net> writes
>If you can walk away from it, it was a GOOD landing;
>If you can walk away from it, and the airplane can be flown again, it was
>a GREAT landing!
A GOOD pilot is one with the same number of takeoffs and landings.
Clive "not sure if 'under instruction' counts" Feather
--
Clive D.W. Feather | Internet Expert | Work: <cl...@demon.net>
Tel: +44 20 8371 1138 | Demon Internet | Home: <cl...@davros.org>
Fax: +44 20 8371 1037 | Thus plc | Web: <http://www.davros.org>
Written on my laptop; please observe the Reply-To address
David Lesher
>>>Hey! There's a BOMP around here, guy!
>>
>>>Lee "and it's enforced evenhandedly" Rudolph
>> " -- What have you got against sky-diving ducks?
>Why a duck? Why-a-no-chicken?
Thawed or frozen?
--
A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433
McCaffertA
(John Francis) writes:
>In article <8kncn...@enews3.newsguy.com>, <rob...@bonomi.invalid> wrote:
>>In article <8ki3ep$ktc$1...@panix6.panix.com>,
>>Bo Bradham <bra...@panix.com> wrote:
>>>Tom Cikoski <spli...@panix.com> wrote:
>>>>In <8khuu2$l46$1...@panix5.panix.com> lrud...@panix.com (Lee Rudolph)
>writes:
>>>>>ptom...@xcski.com (Paul Tomblin) writes:
>>>>>>the canard
>>>>>>goes into "free floating mode"
>>>>
>>>>>Hey! There's a BOMP around here, guy!
>>>>
>>>>>Lee "and it's enforced evenhandedly" Rudolph
>>>> " -- What have you got against sky-diving ducks?
>>>
>>>Why a duck? Why-a-no-chicken?
>>
>>Aww, come on. *EVERYBODY* knows what the standard instrumnets are for
>>non-VFR flight in a light plane. To wit: a cat and a duck.
>
>Surely you mean an owl, not a duck?
>
>--
>John "and paint the craft pea-green" Francis
Quit being such a dong.
Anthony "and turn your nose down, too. We're trying to sleep" McCafferty
R H Draney
>
> In article <MPG.13d7ef69e...@news.wave.net>, Charles Lingard
> <ca...@wave.net> writes
> >If you can walk away from it, it was a GOOD landing;
> >If you can walk away from it, and the airplane can be flown again, it was
> >a GREAT landing!
So, if the pilot cracks silk, and the unoccupied craft makes adverse
contact with a mountainside, it's a good (but not great) landing?...
>
> A GOOD pilot is one with the same number of takeoffs and landings.
>
> Clive "not sure if 'under instruction' counts" Feather
To a first approximation, this means that GOOD pilots are all on the
ground....r
--
"Tell Katie Couric she can take her TV camera and stick it up....
she did?...when?...hmmm, must have been sweeps."
David Lesher
>>If an unoccupied aircraft lands and
>>remains on your property are you
>>entitled to salvage rights?
> Dunno about aircraft, but naval vessels are the major exception to marine
>salvage law.
As are naval aircraft. The USA'ian Navy insists all wrecks, no matter
where, are always theirs. There have been arrests/lawsuits and the
ilk over this. The USAF is more reasonable, I gather; salvage folks
can negotiate with them.
Dr H
On Fri, 14 Jul 2000, Bob Ward wrote:
}On Thu, 13 Jul 2000 14:22:55 -0700, Dr H <hiaw...@efn.org> wrote:
}
}>On 12 Jul 2000, Paul Tomblin wrote:
}>
}>}In a previous article, da...@wilton.net said:
}>}>Face it, the plane crashed. It did not "land" unless landing in a
}>}>field, not the intended airport, and colliding with a tree and a fence
}>}>can be called a landing. It was a crash where no one was seriously
}>}
}>}Any landing you can walk away from is a *good* landing. In an excellent
}>}landing, you can use the airplane again. I've made hundreds of excellent
}>}landings, and one good one.
}>
}> I most often try to step out before the plane lands.
}>
}>Dr H
}
}
}I'd be glad to hold your backpack while you do so.
I always take two.
Dr H
Bob Ward
One for you, one for your ego?
Dr H
Ego? Moi?
I effaced my ego long ago through a regimen of meditation and brown
rice. It now lives an independent existence. Sometimes it posts
to Usenet. :-)
Dr H