Biggest bonehead move was...

benyflyguy

benyflyguy

En-Route
Joined
Jan 1, 2018
Messages
3,755
Location
NEPA
Display Name
Display name:
benyflyguy
As a new member of poa I have been spending a lot of time reading posts. I do enjoy reading about some mistakes people have made over the years. Reading about pilot error can can range from scary to humorous, but almost always is a learning experience.
My question is what is the biggest bonehead move you have ever made?
Was it something pretty silly?
Was something that is a real teachable moment?
In less then 150 hours I had a few fun things but fortunately nothing dangerous.

Probably the stupidest thing I ever did was the first time I sat in the left seat. I was at KDAB at a flight school for my ppl. My instructor, Finnish and not fond of Americans, was under the false assUmption that I read a book that was never sent to me from the program. He shows me around the preflight, we get into the C152.. Asks me about handling the radios (something I never did). Got upset that I didnt know about it. And told me how to start the plane and apply the brakes. Tells me that he will handle the radios and I will be in charge of taxiing. He get clearance from ground control and tells me to pull out and turn right to head for the taxiway..So I push in the throttle a bit, plane lurches foraward and I naturally turn the wheel to the right.. fortunately the CFI jammed on the brakes before we hit another plane.
Probably one of the silliest things I have every done.
 
First time taxiing an airplane and your CFI was upset that you didn't know how to do everything? I think he should have been finished!
 
Anymouse said:
First time taxiing an airplane and your CFI was upset that you didn't know how to do everything? I think he should have been finished!
Click to expand...
I got over it pretty quickly. Looking back. He was pretty young and I think a new CFI. It was pretty damn hot that afternoon. I never made that mistake again . I was as clueless as they came at that moment. Over the years I’ve taken plenty of lessons, have had plenty of CFI’s.. some yell and take the stick, some are just building hours for bigger things, some truly enjoy it.
Of all the hiccups I’ve had over the years. This one I thought to be one of the funniest looking back at it.
 
“My question is what is the biggest bonehead move you have ever made?“

TL;DW
(Too Long: Didn’t Write)
 
Fueled right tank. Fueled left tank. Got in plane, strapped in, got out checklist. Notice some dude waving arms and pointing to right wing. Put down checklist, unstrap, get out, put cap on right tank.
 
Phil Benyo said:
I got over it pretty quickly. Looking back. He was pretty young and I think a new CFI. It was pretty damn hot that afternoon. I never made that mistake again . I was as clueless as they came at that moment. Over the years I’ve taken plenty of lessons, have had plenty of CFI’s.. some yell and take the stick, some are just building hours for bigger things, some truly enjoy it.
Of all the hiccups I’ve had over the years. This one I thought to be one of the funniest looking back at it.
Click to expand...

He may have been more nervous than you were!
 
Sheesh. If
Phil Benyo said:
As a new member of poa I have been spending a lot of time reading posts. I do enjoy reading about some mistakes people have made over the years. Reading about pilot error can can range from scary to humorous, but almost always is a learning experience.
My question is what is the biggest bonehead move you have ever made?
Was it something pretty silly?
Was something that is a real teachable moment?
In less then 150 hours I had a few fun things but fortunately nothing dangerous.

Probably the stupidest thing I ever did was the first time I sat in the left seat. I was at KDAB at a flight school for my ppl. My instructor, Finnish and not fond of Americans, was under the false assUmption that I read a book that was never sent to me from the program. He shows me around the preflight, we get into the C152.. Asks me about handling the radios (something I never did). Got upset that I didnt know about it. And told me how to start the plane and apply the brakes. Tells me that he will handle the radios and I will be in charge of taxiing. He get clearance from ground control and tells me to pull out and turn right to head for the taxiway..So I push in the throttle a bit, plane lurches foraward and I naturally turn the wheel to the right.. fortunately the CFI jammed on the brakes before we hit another plane.
Probably one of the silliest things I have every done.
Click to expand...

Sheesh. If turning the wheel to turn the plane is silly I can out silly yours. I was a 300 hour pilot with Commercial Certificate, Instrument and Multiengine ratings and did that. I had returned to flying after a 25 year break is my excuse.
 
I checked the oil on a C-172N and forgot to close the oil door until we were strapped in, engine started and ready to taxi. On my check ride.
 
Hmm. Can’t think of anything too boneheaded right off hand. Probably the times that I have rushed a preflight or rushed various things to hurry and get in the air or the time when I got in and fired up and left a wheel chock still pushed up against the wheel.

Things like that. Mostly these little things that you do early on.
 
I've had a few bonehead moments...I got my pilot's license in my mid-twenties, and I was not the most mature twenty-something. Nothing intentional, but a few idiot moves none the less:

I was taking a friend flying out in the country once, and he asked what would happen if the engine quit, so I pulled the engine to idle, and started gliding for the nearest farm field to show him. Only thing was, it was winter/below freezing, we were at 5000 feet AGL, and I never once gave the engine any gas to keep it warm on the glide down. When we got about 200 feet above the farmer's field, I vigorously pushed in the throttle, and the engine just coughed and backfired, but didn't "catch". I managed not to panic, pulled the throttle back to idle, and S L O W L Y pushed in the throttle again...this time it "caught" and we climbed out, very close to the trees at one end.

Stuff like that.
 
I enjoy these too.

I took my wife and son (toddler) down to New Orleans one summer in a -172. Before flight, I confirmed tanks were topped off, then I repositioned the plane from where the club kept it to a field closer to home to pick up the family (about 15 minutes or so away). Enroute, had to spend some time dodging small thunderstorms (just individual pop up CBs), and finally, on final into Lakefront (landing south), was asked by tower to keep my speed up on final for other traffic. I failed to get things under control by the flair so I floated, and pushed the yoke forward to help it land. Of course this resulted in a wheel barrow roll it. I quickly eased back on the yoke to plant the mains, regained control, and didn’t think much more about. Once parked/shutdown, I finally realized the impact it had on my wife as I discovered she was crying...having been scared that we were going to flip over on the runway during the wheel barrow. That was about 6 1/2 years ago and she has since flown with me dozens of times, but to this day, she videos most of my landings because it helps to ease her tension, lol.

Also, that day in the -172 at the FBO, when I got out and dipped the tanks post-flight (for my records), I discovered I only had about 6 gallons of fuel remaining, expecting twice that. Due to the reposition and deviating for weather, I stayed low to maintain VFR and avoid showers, so I never leaned the engine, thus burning a lot more fuel than planned.

Lots of learning occurred on/after that flight and thankfully no metal or flesh was bent in the process. Others were not so fortunate.
 
Biggest bonehead move? Posting on PoA.


And I've pulled that bonehead move 4,774 times since.
 
I did the chock thing once, too, when we were rushing to get off the ground to beat some bad weather to Tallahassee. Rushing - a bad thing.

----

Right after I got my ticket, I took my wife on a "romantic" dinner flight - about an hour in a 172, and once off, it was apparent that, while the weather was "VFR," the smoke and haze in the air made it very difficult to see the horizon. It was (in hindsight) pretty much instrument flight. Not a good thing at all. I should have turned back and landed as soon as I saw how poor the flight visibility was.
 
Chock thing must be common. I did that a few weeks ago. Had someone else pull-up plane out of hangar for me and just plain missed them! Had my brother and our two younger kids with us. Bush league move for sure!!!
 
Well. I did the leave the tow bar on thing once in a Cherokee. The rudder pedal moved but that was about it. got lucky.

As for the chock thing, yup. But luckily Sid saw it before engine start.
 
Ravioli said:
Well. I did the leave the tow bar on thing once in a Cherokee. The rudder pedal moved but that was about it. got lucky.

As for the chock thing, yup. But luckily Sid saw it before engine start.
Click to expand...

Damn, you should've bought a lottery ticket that tow bar day.
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 365 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.
Back
Top