Big Mustache
Filing Flight Plan
I've done the same thing many times. For some reason I want to take my aileron cross correction out just before touch down. Dumb and I know better but its like a reflex.
Dumbest thing you have done and lived to tell about it
- Thread starter kimberlyanne546
- Start date
I've done the same thing many times. For some reason I want to take my aileron cross correction out just before touch down. Dumb and I know better but its like a reflex.
Big Mustache
Filing Flight Plan
Not making triple sure the door on my G35 Bonanza is locked on take-off. When it pops open in flight its a loud bang and huge rush of air. Keep flying the plane, land and close the door is all you can do.
kimberlyanne546
Final Approach
My doors come open a lot but heck that's what my passengers are for! My cell phone almost fell out once. Yikes.
Jaybird180
Final Approach
tmyers
En-Route
I was thinking the same thing!
denverpilot
Tied Down
Not pushing on the doors during that "Cabin doors and windows - Closed and Locked" checklist item, much? 
MAKG1
Touchdown! Greaser!
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MAKG
I did my first solo with the cargo door hanging wide open.
Nope, didn't test that door right before run-up. Or apparently during preflight, either....
And I did all three landings that way because the open door was facing the Bay during taxi, and no one saw it until I taxied back for parking. AFAIK, nothing fell out, but the preflight kit (GATS jar, fuel probe, oil funnel, paper towels, spare oil) and towbar was right next to it.
Is that like giving a public lecture with your fly open?
Nope, didn't test that door right before run-up. Or apparently during preflight, either....
And I did all three landings that way because the open door was facing the Bay during taxi, and no one saw it until I taxied back for parking. AFAIK, nothing fell out, but the preflight kit (GATS jar, fuel probe, oil funnel, paper towels, spare oil) and towbar was right next to it.
Is that like giving a public lecture with your fly open?
MassPilot
Cleared for Takeoff
Not pushing on the doors during that "Cabin doors and windows - Closed and Locked" checklist item, much?
Early on in my training I had just landed with my CFI in the right seat of the C172SP when his door popped open as we were taxiing. The lever was all the way down but it somehow wasn't secured. Now I'm very careful about that checklist item.
HA! Next time try standing on the right rudder to suck the door open further and then stomp left as you yank it shut. Worked on my Travelair.
bflynn
Final Approach
May we presume she is no longer your wife? Because if she is, you've just upped the ante on dumb things....
kimberlyanne546
Final Approach
Not pushing on the doors during that "Cabin doors and windows - Closed and Locked" checklist item, much?
Whatever. You know I do. I push hard too.
What can I say?
**** happens. And mostly at my old flight school. Though recently someone pointed out that I have to watch the latches in the 172. Sure enough, on my very next flight, I saw them rising. You see, most passengers keep their arms down on them like an arm rest. But when you let the passenger have the yoke the latch is then free to - um - unlatch.
Honestly doors coming open in a Cessna is not a big deal.
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Snorting his way across the USA
The door opening on a Cherokee in flight isn't a huge deal either, unless you intend on closing it. I've forgotton to close the upper latch a couple times, once in a 140 and another time in the Arrow. You take off, and you hear this terrible noise and feel a bad draft. It's pretty much impossible to close in flight once it's opened. The POH recommends you close the interior vents and put it in to a side slip, but that never works (didn't for me anyway.)
If you just take advantage of the aerodynamics, doors are not that difficult to close in flight.
denverpilot
Tied Down
Other than it shows they're too cheap to maintain it properly. It's a sign. Not always a good one. What else are they skimping on?
Stopped at an FBO for the night and went to the motel. Promised me there would be somebody to let me through the gate at the FBO at 6:00 AM if not there was a number to call on the door. Next morning of course nobody is there and nobody answers the phone. I had 1200 miles to fly that day, so up and over the gate which was topped with barbed wire. Slipped at the top, boot tangled in the wire hanging upside down as I slowly slid out of my boot preventing any further brain damage. My Frye's wear the scars to this day. Like they say getting to the airplane is more dangerous than flying.
Jeanie
Pattern Altitude
I had my door pop open a time or two in rosy while inverted, once when practicing an inverted spin... Oh Cr*p I said loudly and then just recovered and jacked with the door upright... I now have a better way to check the door before maneuvering
U
Unregistered
Guest
Back when I was a student pilot I would 'practice' a lot with MS Flight Simulator. Flying that little Cessna out of Miegs eventually got boring so I improvised to make it more interesting. One of the things I did was try to find the minimum RPM that would let me get airborne and once I found it, I kept doing it for some time after.
Some months later I was taking a flight with my instructor, and despite the time off from flying everything was going normally. We rotated for Vx but I noticed that the plane felt very sluggish. She was flying but just couldn't gain any altitude beyond 15-20'. We were quickly approaching the perimeter fence (took off from 9R at KTMB) and a line of tall shrubs when I glanced over at my instructor and asked, "what the $#€£!". Very cool-like he just glances down at the throttle and says in his Norwegian accent, "maybe we can give her a bit more gas." In absolute horror I look at my right hand and the nearly three inches of remaining throttle control sticking out of the panel! I slammed it forward and immediately started gaining altitude.
That taught me to never, ever let myself get complacent with my procedures. I had a really great instructor. He let me make mistakes but never let me get in harm's way. Thanks, Martin!
Some months later I was taking a flight with my instructor, and despite the time off from flying everything was going normally. We rotated for Vx but I noticed that the plane felt very sluggish. She was flying but just couldn't gain any altitude beyond 15-20'. We were quickly approaching the perimeter fence (took off from 9R at KTMB) and a line of tall shrubs when I glanced over at my instructor and asked, "what the $#€£!". Very cool-like he just glances down at the throttle and says in his Norwegian accent, "maybe we can give her a bit more gas." In absolute horror I look at my right hand and the nearly three inches of remaining throttle control sticking out of the panel! I slammed it forward and immediately started gaining altitude.
That taught me to never, ever let myself get complacent with my procedures. I had a really great instructor. He let me make mistakes but never let me get in harm's way. Thanks, Martin!
TangoWhiskey
Touchdown! Greaser!
Evidence for the Law of Primacy...
U
Unregistered
Guest
Dumb things - and lived to tell??
Aviation - you guys covered all of them already - I have done my share
Non Aviation - 1982 - married - Just kidding still married to the same wife and she tolerates my aviation adiction.
Aviation - you guys covered all of them already - I have done my share
Non Aviation - 1982 - married - Just kidding still married to the same wife and she tolerates my aviation adiction.
Gnomad
Filing Flight Plan
A couple weeks ago, I showed up for an early morning IFR lesson, showered and dressed, but still wearing my slippers.
Jaybird180
Final Approach
A couple weeks ago, I showed up for an early morning IFR lesson, showered and dressed, but still wearing my slippers.
But I'll bet you never showered with your underwear and socks on:wink2:
denverpilot
Tied Down
No but I peeled off some clothes on the front porch of a pig farm I was working at one summer and threw them directly in the dumpster.
Old Geek
Pattern Altitude
A couple weeks ago, I showed up for an early morning IFR lesson, showered and dressed, but still wearing my slippers.
Back when I worked in the semiconductor industry, a friend of mine went from work to a dinner appointment at a restaurant. He couldn't figure out why everyone was looking at him until he noticed he still had his clean room booties on.
silver-eagle
En-Route
Where to start? Climbing out of a small private field, on a relatively hot day, doing about 300' per minute, and just missing the tops of the trees, I continued the rather sluggish climb up and through the approach to a class C, about 4 miles in front of a 737. I was in the midst of asking approach for flight following when they not so politely informed me of where I was.
I avoided the same error returning that night by hanging up around 4,500 feet until I'd passed the airport then doing a spiral into the field (avoiding the class D as well).
Did I mention the arrival was just before civil twilight and I had to unload the passengers and get out of there since the field didn't have any lights?
I filed a NASA report but fortunately never heard any more about it.
I avoided the same error returning that night by hanging up around 4,500 feet until I'd passed the airport then doing a spiral into the field (avoiding the class D as well).
Did I mention the arrival was just before civil twilight and I had to unload the passengers and get out of there since the field didn't have any lights?
I filed a NASA report but fortunately never heard any more about it.
kimberlyanne546
Final Approach
Gave the yoke to a date and he had never been in a small plane before.
Though if you saw us screaming you would laugh looking back on it all now.
Of course he let go and I corrected and we had a gazillion feet of altitude and were above the ocean but man oh man was that scary for a second.
Now I know why they teach us MANUEVERING SPEED.
Though if you saw us screaming you would laugh looking back on it all now.
Of course he let go and I corrected and we had a gazillion feet of altitude and were above the ocean but man oh man was that scary for a second.
Now I know why they teach us MANUEVERING SPEED.
silver-eagle
En-Route
You have swept wings now?
kimberlyanne546
Final Approach
I was in the 150.
Bill Watson
En-Route
My first sanctioned glider race, Fairfield PA, pre-GPS days
Day 2: Got impossibly lost on cross country task, Got low and circled for an hour looking for a saving thermal. Returned to airport when I figured out I had flown 180 degrees in wrong direction. No one needed to know.
Day 3: During pilots briefing, Navy officer lectured us on the restricted airspace over Camp David and told us that a glider had spent an hour loitering overhead the previous day. The Contest Director explained that was impossible since the task had been in the opposite direction that day.
I wondered where the pee bag landed... hopefully Pres Reagan stayed in DC that day. No one needed to know.
Day 2: Got impossibly lost on cross country task, Got low and circled for an hour looking for a saving thermal. Returned to airport when I figured out I had flown 180 degrees in wrong direction. No one needed to know.
Day 3: During pilots briefing, Navy officer lectured us on the restricted airspace over Camp David and told us that a glider had spent an hour loitering overhead the previous day. The Contest Director explained that was impossible since the task had been in the opposite direction that day.
I wondered where the pee bag landed... hopefully Pres Reagan stayed in DC that day. No one needed to know.
Non-aviation related:
Almost let my (now) wife get away.
Aviation related (for the record I've only got about 45 hours logged):
Dumped all the flaps at about 200' AGL on a go around (CFI was not impressed)
Most of the rest of these seem to have taken place at S12 (albany oregon) 3000' runway with high obstructions near the south end of the runway. Doing a touch-and-go there in the first place really isn't that good of an idea, and on top of that, the shortness of it seems to make me do dumb stuff. First of all, I've left the carb heat on at least twice. One of the times my butt was scraping over the power lines while I was only a shade above a stall. The attitude required for Vx in the skycatcher is disturbingly nose-high, so I guess it's a good thing that I couldn't see what I was going to hit. On another flight, I was entering the pattern intending to land on Rwy 16. The winds favored it, and I didn't have to descend over the power lines. While I was maneuvering for the 45* entry, a Cherokee called intending to enter downwind direct for Rwy 34. I was still a student at this point, so I didn't have the confidence to go kill time somewhere while the idiot landed with a tail wind on a short runway. I flew around the field to the south and followed him. On the first landing, I floated, then bounced, then screeched the tires. I pulled off the runway and taxied all the way back to the threshold of 34 and took off for another try. During the second landing attempt I noticed that my airspeed was in the low end of acceptable but my ground speed was really high. At this point, I finally snapped into clarity and realized that I was being an idiot, aborted the landing and left.
Later, after I got my PPL, I was trying to fly to Bend, OR to visit my dad. The weather has been really bad but we finally had scattered clouds. I figured I could get off the ground and climb on top to get over the cascades where bend was reporting clear skies. There were many holes, and my pep talk was always "never let myself loose my out." I found a good hole, got flight following, and started climbing. And climbing. And climbing. At this point I'm at 9,500' and I'm starting to climb to 11,500 and I realize that the clouds are just too high. I doubt I could have gotten over them at 13,500', not that I had O2, or that the skycatcher and its little O-200 would get me there. Luckily, I left myself an out. I always made sure that I could still see ground through the hole I was climbing through. I turned around and started descending. At about that time, Seattle Center asked what my intended route to bend was. I had to sheepishly admit that it was not possible to fly to bend VFR, and that I was going home. I still feel a little dumb for that. The final resolution is, however, that I don't think too much about trying to get on top anymore, and that I'm working on my instrument rating. ;p
Almost let my (now) wife get away.
Aviation related (for the record I've only got about 45 hours logged):
Dumped all the flaps at about 200' AGL on a go around (CFI was not impressed)
Most of the rest of these seem to have taken place at S12 (albany oregon) 3000' runway with high obstructions near the south end of the runway. Doing a touch-and-go there in the first place really isn't that good of an idea, and on top of that, the shortness of it seems to make me do dumb stuff. First of all, I've left the carb heat on at least twice. One of the times my butt was scraping over the power lines while I was only a shade above a stall. The attitude required for Vx in the skycatcher is disturbingly nose-high, so I guess it's a good thing that I couldn't see what I was going to hit. On another flight, I was entering the pattern intending to land on Rwy 16. The winds favored it, and I didn't have to descend over the power lines. While I was maneuvering for the 45* entry, a Cherokee called intending to enter downwind direct for Rwy 34. I was still a student at this point, so I didn't have the confidence to go kill time somewhere while the idiot landed with a tail wind on a short runway. I flew around the field to the south and followed him. On the first landing, I floated, then bounced, then screeched the tires. I pulled off the runway and taxied all the way back to the threshold of 34 and took off for another try. During the second landing attempt I noticed that my airspeed was in the low end of acceptable but my ground speed was really high. At this point, I finally snapped into clarity and realized that I was being an idiot, aborted the landing and left.
Later, after I got my PPL, I was trying to fly to Bend, OR to visit my dad. The weather has been really bad but we finally had scattered clouds. I figured I could get off the ground and climb on top to get over the cascades where bend was reporting clear skies. There were many holes, and my pep talk was always "never let myself loose my out." I found a good hole, got flight following, and started climbing. And climbing. And climbing. At this point I'm at 9,500' and I'm starting to climb to 11,500 and I realize that the clouds are just too high. I doubt I could have gotten over them at 13,500', not that I had O2, or that the skycatcher and its little O-200 would get me there. Luckily, I left myself an out. I always made sure that I could still see ground through the hole I was climbing through. I turned around and started descending. At about that time, Seattle Center asked what my intended route to bend was. I had to sheepishly admit that it was not possible to fly to bend VFR, and that I was going home. I still feel a little dumb for that. The final resolution is, however, that I don't think too much about trying to get on top anymore, and that I'm working on my instrument rating. ;p
Jaybird180
Final Approach
Yes, flying on top at 45 hours is pretty dumb
If you search you'll find my story of not making it through an Airmet Sierra
If you search you'll find my story of not making it through an Airmet Sierra
Tried to make the first taxiway because a Boeing was waiting on me and for some reason I felt like I owed the controller. It was the biggest runway I'd ever used which was a good thing when I locked up the left main in the turn.
"aircraft in the intersection, do you need assistance?"
"aircraft in the intersection, do you need assistance?"
Luckypants
Filing Flight Plan
I once squawked the altimiter setting I was given for flight following.
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MAKG1
Touchdown! Greaser!
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MAKG
So, when you cross FL180, do you squawk 2992? Oh, wait.
I discovered as a student that it's not a good idea to try a go around 50 feet over an obstructed runway in a 172N with full flaps (yes, I figured it out in time and pulled them back to 20 -- it works a whole lot better when you follow the POH).
Also as a student, I discovered the hard way that you need extra right rudder on rotation. And PAO has a parallel taxiway on the LEFT of 31. There was a Citabria there and I think he needed a change of underwear.
colojo
Line Up and Wait
Shortly after getting my instrument ticket I attempted to fly an ILS to minimums into Santa Barbara, CA at dusk. It was the first time I had attempted an instrument approach in this particular airplane. As I descended into the coastal stratus the cabin became dark, and even though the panel and instrument lights were at maximum intensity, I could still barely read the instruments. It only got worse as I descended further, so I went missed and figured I'd sort things out while holding above the clouds.
Second attempt, same problem. So I went missed again and decided to divert to Paso Robles airport, which was inland and CAVU.
By the time I got to Paso Robles, night had fallen. I keyed the mike to bring up the runway lights. They were dim, but I could see them and landed normally. I parked the plane and when I went to remove my headset, I discovered that I still had my very dark sunglasses on.
What's funnier is that my passenger was a newly-minted private pilot who thought it was strange that I was wearing my sunglasses at night but didn't say anything because he "didn't want to be a backseat pilot."
Second attempt, same problem. So I went missed again and decided to divert to Paso Robles airport, which was inland and CAVU.
By the time I got to Paso Robles, night had fallen. I keyed the mike to bring up the runway lights. They were dim, but I could see them and landed normally. I parked the plane and when I went to remove my headset, I discovered that I still had my very dark sunglasses on.
What's funnier is that my passenger was a newly-minted private pilot who thought it was strange that I was wearing my sunglasses at night but didn't say anything because he "didn't want to be a backseat pilot."
Skyscraper
Cleared for Takeoff
Not really life threatening but I made the mistake of letting someone tell me which controls were which and not double checking for myself. Did about 5 landings activating not "carb heat" but "cabin heat". That's about the dumbest thing I've done, yet...
U
Unregistered
Guest
I wanted to see the inside of a cloud. Hadn't finished my ir yet. Didn't get disoriented but looking back it was dumb
supernovae
Line Up and Wait
Dumbest thing I did and lived to learn about was buying a house in 2006 I hope I don't build a dumb thing list for flying!
I hope I don't build a dumb thing list for flying!