Dumbest thing you have done and lived to tell about it

TMetzinger said:
Complete preflight.
Get in airplane.
Assure myself that everyone is belted in and all doors are closed and locked.
Attempt to start airplane.
Realize key is in bottom of pants pocket.
<curse>
Open door, unbuckle, reach for key, rebuckle, close and latch door, start airplane.
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I can't count the number of times I have done this one!
 
After taking my first non-pilot passenger. We sat outside in the freezing cold for 25 minutes while i tried to remember how to knot the wing tie downs.
 
Henning said:
Real planes don't use keys...:popcorn:
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I discovered, quite by accident, that my mailbox key works perfectly in my late model C206. Thus, I only consider it moderately keyed.

My Bearhawk will have a pushbutton start. There will be some sort of "double probation super secret" kill switch somewhere for safety and security, though.
 
TMetzinger said:
Complete preflight.
Get in airplane.
Assure myself that everyone is belted in and all doors are closed and locked.
Attempt to start airplane.
Realize key is in bottom of pants pocket.
<curse>
Open door, unbuckle, reach for key, rebuckle, close and latch door, start airplane.
Click to expand...
I did one up on you on Thursday. Buckled in and realized that the key was in the folder, folder was in the bag, bag in the baggage compartment. But wait, there's more! On the aircraft in question, to access the baggage compartment one must get outside and remove the pilot's seat, put it on the ground, remove the cover... Good grief. Fortunately, my instructor had a key on him.

Usually this kind of thing does not happen because I have to unlock the airplane, but this time someone else returned it just ahead of the flight, so I didn't need to unlock it.
 
david0tey said:
After taking my first non-pilot passenger. We sat outside in the freezing cold for 25 minutes while i tried to remember how to knot the wing tie downs.
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During my first overnight trip in the 172 with my wife and son, I landed at a small airport with tie downs in the parking spots. I then realized that at no point during my training was I taught how to tie down an airplane (rampies looked after the planes at my school).

So I did the thing that people in 2011 do, I looked it up on my iPhone, tied down the plane, and went about my business. There were a couple of guys across the ramp in a hangar that watched me but they didn't say anything to me as I walked past...
 
zaitcev said:
I did one up on you on Thursday. Buckled in and realized that the key was in the folder, folder was in the bag, bag in the baggage compartment. But wait, there's more! On the aircraft in question, to access the baggage compartment one must get outside and remove the pilot's seat, put it on the ground, remove the cover... Good grief. Fortunately, my instructor had a key on him.

Usually this kind of thing does not happen because I have to unlock the airplane, but this time someone else returned it just ahead of the flight, so I didn't need to unlock it.
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Getting some Remos time in?
 
Just spent the first overnight with the family using the plane to travel. After Easter celebrations, we packed up to head to the airport to depart. I was getting anxious as there was a large storm about 5-10 miles north of the ap, luckily our route was due south. In the haste to get family loaded up, forgot the flight bag at the house (about 15 mile drive to the ap). Arrive at the ap, no key to get into the plane, no way to leave, wife steaming on the tarmac looking at rain just to the north. My brother was gracious enough to run the bag to us so we didn't have to make a round trip. Did preflight while waiting and got fuel truck to put some blue gold in the tanks. Bag and key arrive, load up and head out. Half way home---realize I didn't sump the tanks (sump in flight bag, backup one in the baggage compartment locked during preflight). Doh!!! Will NOT ever do things out of order EVER again. Lesson learned, family safe, as they say, NEVER AGAIN.
 
zaitcev said:
A bit of mountain flying time with Marc Coan.
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Not a bad mountain airplane thanks to the decent power to weight ratio. Marc's probably one of the more experienced mountain instructors in the area, so I imagine you got good instruction.
 
I don't know how dumb this is but it was a memorable.

We were flying from ABQ to Pheonix Skyharbor in the late morning. The wife and I were making one of our twice yearly cross country trips, this time the destination was San Diego. The weather was severe clear with unlimited visability. The day before the winds were blowing at 40 knots, so the trip into ABQ was pretty rough and to wake to such a nice day was great, no wind, temperature in the 70's. The climbout from ABQ was smooth and relaxing in the skyhawk. I put the plane in a slow climb up to a few thousand feet above the high desert floor. About an hour into the flight a small developing thunderhead is forming ahead of us. In ten mins it had grown 5 fold and the base was spreading across the floor of the desert. I started to deviate to the north, only to find it spreading faster then I could fly. The cloud had not formed an anvil top, so I decided to head under the base of the cloud. By Nebraska standards (home state) this was a small cumulus cloud, it had no virga, and no lightening.

We were just about back in the sun on the back side of the cloud when an up draft caught us and we headed up at 500 feet a min. A few seconds later we were inside of the cloud and climbing even faster, The altimeter is showing us climbing throught 14,000 feet and eccelerating up, now the VSI is showing 2000 feet per min up. As we past 15,000 feet, I expected to come out of the up draft, but we were still climbing. At 16, ooo feet my wife decided to take a nap. I made the decision to pull the power to idle and put the aircraft into a 30 degree nose dive and then I set the auto pilot to heading to maintain wings level just in case I went to sleep, At 17,000 feet, the VSI was topped out at over 2,000 feet per min. At 17,400 feet we came out of the up draft like we had been pushed off the side of a skyscraper. As I was desending my wife woke up and asked how much longer to Pheonix. Maybe both of us had been flying in small planes to long, but it didn't get either of us that excited.

I sorry that this isn't as good as all stories about misplaced keys, but I tried.
 
Garthur said:
I don't know how dumb this is but it was a memorable.

We were flying from ABQ to Pheonix Skyharbor in the late morning. The wife and I were making one of our twice yearly cross country trips, this time the destination was San Diego. The weather was severe clear with unlimited visability. The day before the winds were blowing at 40 knots, so the trip into ABQ was pretty rough and to wake to such a nice day was great, no wind, temperature in the 70's. The climbout from ABQ was smooth and relaxing in the skyhawk. I put the plane in a slow climb up to a few thousand feet above the high desert floor. About an hour into the flight a small developing thunderhead is forming ahead of us. In ten mins it had grown 5 fold and the base was spreading across the floor of the desert. I started to deviate to the north, only to find it spreading faster then I could fly. The cloud had not formed an anvil top, so I decided to head under the base of the cloud. By Nebraska standards (home state) this was a small cumulus cloud, it had no virga, and no lightening.

We were just about back in the sun on the back side of the cloud when an up draft caught us and we headed up at 500 feet a min. A few seconds later we were inside of the cloud and climbing even faster, The altimeter is showing us climbing throught 14,000 feet and eccelerating up, now the VSI is showing 2000 feet per min up. As we past 15,000 feet, I expected to come out of the up draft, but we were still climbing. At 16, ooo feet my wife decided to take a nap. I made the decision to pull the power to idle and put the aircraft into a 30 degree nose dive and then I set the auto pilot to heading to maintain wings level just in case I went to sleep, At 17,000 feet, the VSI was topped out at over 2,000 feet per min. At 17,400 feet we came out of the up draft like we had been pushed off the side of a skyscraper. As I was desending my wife woke up and asked how much longer to Pheonix. Maybe both of us had been flying in small planes to long, but it didn't get either of us that excited.

I sorry that this isn't as good as all stories about misplaced keys, but I tried.
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Classic:)
 
Last night on a flight from Shenandoah back to Manassas in a 172 I got first-hand knowledge of rotors that form in the lee of a ridgeline. I hit my head on the ceiling at least three times. And while I'd slowed way down (85) at the first tickles , I still saw airspeeds vary +/-20 ish knots instantly. When you see the Airspeed needle looking like a windshield wiper it's a little unnerving, especially at night.
That said, I was confident in the airframe and after five uncomfortable minutes it smoothed back out.

When I'm flying in turbulence, I'm always reminded of playing in the surf in the motor life boats in my Coast Guard days. The air is just like the ocean when it comes to waves and such. And turbulent water's no fun either.
 
Garthur said:
I don't know how dumb this is but it was a memorable.

We were flying from ABQ to Pheonix Skyharbor in the late morning. The wife and I were making one of our twice yearly cross country trips, this time the destination was San Diego. The weather was severe clear with unlimited visability. The day before the winds were blowing at 40 knots, so the trip into ABQ was pretty rough and to wake to such a nice day was great, no wind, temperature in the 70's. The climbout from ABQ was smooth and relaxing in the skyhawk. I put the plane in a slow climb up to a few thousand feet above the high desert floor. About an hour into the flight a small developing thunderhead is forming ahead of us. In ten mins it had grown 5 fold and the base was spreading across the floor of the desert. I started to deviate to the north, only to find it spreading faster then I could fly. The cloud had not formed an anvil top, so I decided to head under the base of the cloud. By Nebraska standards (home state) this was a small cumulus cloud, it had no virga, and no lightening.

We were just about back in the sun on the back side of the cloud when an up draft caught us and we headed up at 500 feet a min. A few seconds later we were inside of the cloud and climbing even faster, The altimeter is showing us climbing throught 14,000 feet and eccelerating up, now the VSI is showing 2000 feet per min up. As we past 15,000 feet, I expected to come out of the up draft, but we were still climbing. At 16, ooo feet my wife decided to take a nap. I made the decision to pull the power to idle and put the aircraft into a 30 degree nose dive and then I set the auto pilot to heading to maintain wings level just in case I went to sleep, At 17,000 feet, the VSI was topped out at over 2,000 feet per min. At 17,400 feet we came out of the up draft like we had been pushed off the side of a skyscraper. As I was desending my wife woke up and asked how much longer to Pheonix. Maybe both of us had been flying in small planes to long, but it didn't get either of us that excited.

I sorry that this isn't as good as all stories about misplaced keys, but I tried.
Click to expand...

:yikes::hairraise:
 
:wink2:
Garthur said:
I don't know how dumb this is but it was a memorable.

We were flying from ABQ to Pheonix Skyharbor in the late morning. The wife and I were making one of our twice yearly cross country trips, this time the destination was San Diego. The weather was severe clear with unlimited visability. The day before the winds were blowing at 40 knots, so the trip into ABQ was pretty rough and to wake to such a nice day was great, no wind, temperature in the 70's. The climbout from ABQ was smooth and relaxing in the skyhawk. I put the plane in a slow climb up to a few thousand feet above the high desert floor. About an hour into the flight a small developing thunderhead is forming ahead of us. In ten mins it had grown 5 fold and the base was spreading across the floor of the desert. I started to deviate to the north, only to find it spreading faster then I could fly. The cloud had not formed an anvil top, so I decided to head under the base of the cloud. By Nebraska standards (home state) this was a small cumulus cloud, it had no virga, and no lightening.

We were just about back in the sun on the back side of the cloud when an up draft caught us and we headed up at 500 feet a min. A few seconds later we were inside of the cloud and climbing even faster, The altimeter is showing us climbing throught 14,000 feet and eccelerating up, now the VSI is showing 2000 feet per min up. As we past 15,000 feet, I expected to come out of the up draft, but we were still climbing. At 16, ooo feet my wife decided to take a nap. I made the decision to pull the power to idle and put the aircraft into a 30 degree nose dive and then I set the auto pilot to heading to maintain wings level just in case I went to sleep, At 17,000 feet, the VSI was topped out at over 2,000 feet per min. At 17,400 feet we came out of the up draft like we had been pushed off the side of a skyscraper. As I was desending my wife woke up and asked how much longer to Pheonix. Maybe both of us had been flying in small planes to long, but it didn't get either of us that excited.

I sorry that this isn't as good as all stories about misplaced keys, but I tried.
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Good thing the updraft stopped before you hit 18 :wink2:
 
My wife was getting ready to head to town and I was puttering around in the garage when I recalled there's a shingle on the back side of our 2-story house that needed replaced. My roof has a steep pitch, so I got the ladder out but quickly realized I would need more support while working. So I got a rope, tied it to the back of my wife's car and tossed it over the roofline, walked to the back of the house, climbed the ladder, tied the rope around my waist and started replacing the shingle. I wasn't really paying attention to anything, kind of in a mindless daze enjoying myself. I was almost done when in the back of my mind I recalled hearing a car engine start....

I've had a couple of frightening moments while flying, but nothing that scared me nearly as much as that.
 
Gerhardt said:
My wife was getting ready to head to town and I was puttering around in the garage when I recalled there's a shingle on the back side of our 2-story house that needed replaced. My roof has a steep pitch, so I got the ladder out but quickly realized I would need more support while working. So I got a rope, tied it to the back of my wife's car and tossed it over the roofline, walked to the back of the house, climbed the ladder, tied the rope around my waist and started replacing the shingle. I wasn't really paying attention to anything, kind of in a mindless daze enjoying myself. I was almost done when in the back of my mind I recalled hearing a car engine start....

I've had a couple of frightening moments while flying, but nothing that scared me nearly as much as that.
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:yikes::D
 
Gerhardt said:
My wife was getting ready to head to town... So I got a rope, tied it to the back of my wife's car and tossed it over the roofline...I was almost done when in the back of my mind I recalled hearing a car engine start....

I've had a couple of frightening moments while flying, but nothing that scared me nearly as much as that.
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"So Mrs. Gerhardt, how exactly did your husband die?"
 
zaitcev said:
I did one up on you on Thursday. Buckled in and realized that the key was in the folder, folder was in the bag, bag in the baggage compartment. But wait, there's more! On the aircraft in question, to access the baggage compartment one must get outside and remove the pilot's seat, put it on the ground, remove the cover... Good grief. Fortunately, my instructor had a key on him.

Usually this kind of thing does not happen because I have to unlock the airplane, but this time someone else returned it just ahead of the flight, so I didn't need to unlock it.
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More than once when I owned a (part interest in) a Starduster Too, I managed to get seated with attached parachute, belted in, and ready to start only to discover that the key was either in a pant's pocket or left in the car. Either location required removing the chute strap and getting out of the plane after undoing the 5 point seat belt harness since it was not possible to get into one's pockets while seated in the plane.
 
gismo said:
More than once when I owned a (part interest in) a Starduster Too, I managed to get seated with attached parachute, belted in, and ready to start only to discover that the key was either in a pant's pocket or left in the car. Either location required removing the chute strap and getting out of the plane after undoing the 5 point seat belt harness since it was not possible to get into one's pockets while seated in the plane.
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Wait - you did that more than once?
 
Gerhardt said:
My wife was getting ready to head to town and I was puttering around in the garage when I recalled there's a shingle on the back side of our 2-story house that needed replaced. My roof has a steep pitch, so I got the ladder out but quickly realized I would need more support while working. So I got a rope, tied it to the back of my wife's car and tossed it over the roofline, walked to the back of the house, climbed the ladder, tied the rope around my waist and started replacing the shingle. I wasn't really paying attention to anything, kind of in a mindless daze enjoying myself. I was almost done when in the back of my mind I recalled hearing a car engine start....

I've had a couple of frightening moments while flying, but nothing that scared me nearly as much as that.
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That's an old story I heard years ago... Kind of an Urban Legend...

How long ago was this that you did it? :rolleyes2:
 
bought a 50 year old airplane that had been sitting for 4-5 years, flew for a few hours, lost rt engine, new rt engine, lt engine out due to fuel line stopped up, fixed that, rt engine mixture stuck lean rt engine failure again. Practicing instrument approach and gps and both ILS went out, had to use cell phone to get back home because I was too dependent on GPS. Pilot side vent fell out and hit the lt horizontal stabilizer minimal damage. Many lessons learned.
 
Have since had new glass all around, new glass panel avionics, new control systems, new hinges on control surfaces, replaced all connectors and bushing, top of the line audio panel, all landing gear rebuilt, new brakes, calipers, discs, and lines, full corrosion protection, new heater, and new paint. Lesson learned, some airplanes are priced too high even if someone gives them to you. But then again the thrill of flying is priceless.
 
Multistrada08 said:
Have since had new glass all around, new glass panel avionics, new control systems, new hinges on control surfaces, replaced all connectors and bushing, top of the line audio panel, all landing gear rebuilt, new brakes, calipers, discs, and lines, full corrosion protection, new heater, and new paint. Lesson learned, some airplanes are priced too high even if someone gives them to you. But then again the thrill of flying is priceless.
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I know what you mean. Back in the early 2000s my father gave me a 4 room DirecTV system for FREE. Then it cost me $600 to self-install, but that's another story. $600 was a LOT of money to me then (and still is today) for something that was free.
 
Jaybird180 said:
Ooops:yikes:
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No oops there. I thought the first person to mention an urban legend was being a prick, but I was wrong. If you saw my roof you'd know there's no way to work on it w/o support. The snopes was a funny surprise.

And fortunately, I got the rope off before she took off.
 
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Gerhardt said:
No oops there. I thought the first person to mention an urban legend was being a prick, but I was wrong. If you saw my roof you'd know there's no way to work on it w/o support. The snopes was a funny surprise.

And fortunately, I got the rope off before she took off.
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Wasn't trying to be a "PRICK...."

I really heard this story over 35 years ago while I was helping my dad re-roof his house in New York. One of the guys told us about it during a lunch break. even at the time I thought it was a fairy tale. Back in those days there was no Google to confirm or deny it.
 
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This one was pretty stupid. I'm a noob pilot at the moment - 13 or 14 hours. While I've done plenty of PC flying in my younger years with MS 2004, I've spent 13 or 14 hours in a plane. I've got a great handle on how and why the plane flies as well as what controls will do what. My instructor is impressed with my ability to learn quickly and my confidence in flight, so we are really moving along. In fact, if it weren't for bad weather and my slowness in getting a stage check done, I would have soloed. In fact, I was supposed to solo just this past Saturday, but we didn't.

The weather Saturday looked to be getting worse and worse. The sky was blue, but storms were on the way. There was what felt like not a lot of wind (especially on paper just looking at the numbers), but upon arrival at the field, it was noticeable that I was going to be fighting some winds. We decided we'd give it a shot and go up. Maybe the winds would die down and I could solo. I was good at keeping the crosswind correction on the ground in check, though I'm still a bit rusty. We took off and it was not that bad, actually. First landing required some crabbing and I set it down okay. Second lap the landing was nice - again, with some good crabbing until I'm before or just over the numbers when I straighten out. Third time around was good, but my instructor and I agreed that we should do a few more T&Gs before letting me loose. All the while, the crosswind component was getting stronger and stronger. I would lift off and immediately need aileron and rudder to compensate. I was starting to get sweaty working the controls. It's good practice, though!

Well, after our fourth time, we both agreed that I would not be soloing that day. I was uncomfortable in the wind by myself and enjoyed the comfort of a CFI in the seat next to me. She said that we can go in whenever I want since she doesn't want to waste my time and stuff. I would have stayed up the whole rest of the few hours we had the plane, as I looooove to fly and always enjoy any practice. However, my girlfriend was down at the field waiting for me to come in, since she was there to watch me solo. Well, I felt bad for just letting her sit there with nobody to tell her what's up, so I told my instructor let's make this last one a full stop.

The landing prior was a sim engine out, and I had to go around because it was just getting messier and messier on approach with the winds. Well, our full-stop was actually a very nice approach with decent crosswind correction to a nice soft landing on the centerline. I was impressed. On all the T&Gs before, the plane would get kinda squirrely on the ground as we rolled out to lift back off. This last one really put me in check. My instructor told me to ensure that the wheels are on the ground before removing flaps, hitting brakes, whatever I need to do. So, as I let the plane settle before hitting the brakes to stop, a direct crosswind caught us from the left. The plane started to list to the right until it was just riding on the front and right wheel. My instructor caught it at the last minute (she was opening a window) before the prop or wing was about to strike. Full left aileron was added and the plane sat back down. We were both okay and went right back to the parking spot. I was a bit shaken up.

I learned not to be too cocky, and I think she learned not to instill her full confidence in me quite yet. I felt really bad that it happened afterward and was super quiet for several hours. I didn't quite know how to react and it made me question my abilities as a future pilot. I finally told my girlfriend what happened (I had to tell somebody!!). After that, I calmed down and my confidence is back. I'm ready to take to the skies again!

However, I've learned now to keep adding in more crosswind correction as you slow down!
 
"All the while, the crosswind component was getting stronger and stronger. I would lift off and immediately need aileron and rudder to compensate. I was starting to get sweaty working the controls. It's good practice, though!"

I was taught to use full aileron deflection in the direction of the crosswind *before* starting the takeoff roll and then easing it out as I got more and more control authority.
 
Unregistered said:
I would lift off and immediately need aileron and rudder to compensate.

The plane started to list to the right until it was just riding on the front and right wheel. My instructor caught it at the last minute (she was opening a window) before the prop or wing was about to strike. Full left aileron was added and the plane sat back down.
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Proper runway technique in a crosswind is to roll the aileron into the wind, this keeps the aileron on the upwind side deflected UP, which reduces the amount of lift that wing can generate and will keep a gust from lifting it. The downwind wing is in the wind-shadow of the fuselage and will naturally develop less lift, so it is not the concern, it's always the upwind wing that will be developing more lift.

Left crosswind - roll down the runway (and taxi) with left aileron. Right for right. At low speeds use all the aileron you've got and as you pick up speed going down the runway you can back off and back off until you get to rotation speed, when you should have just a little bit still rolled in to counter the crosswind. Keep your feet dancing on the rudder too, you'll need it as soon as you break ground. Ask your instructor to demonstrate proper crosswind ground handling. When taxiing with a tailwind you should reverse the left/right aileron because the airflow over the wing is now reversed - so a qaurtering left tailwind would require taxi with right aileron.

With enough hours in the seat you'll develop a mental picture of what the wind is doing to you all the time on the ground and the control inputs will become natural. Remember that the airplane doesn't know it's in close proximity to Mother Earth - it still wants to act like an airplane when the wind hits. You've got to keep flying it all the time, whether the wheels are on the deck or not.
 
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