The closest airport was Burbank and the runway configuration would have me making some right turns...or asking BUR tower for all left turns potentially causing more traffic conflicts with large commercial jets. My home airport is literally 2 minutes flying farther than Burbank and I would not have to change heading or configuration to get there- I was already on a perfect course to reach it so I thought it would be easier in the long run and I would have an easier time with an all left turn plan at the smaller airport in less busy airspace. Looking back I should have notified ATC sooner about the situation and I am examining why I didn't.
I'm sorry you feel the title and description are click bait. I went on a flight- there was a loud bang, the baggage door popped open, it was not a good situation. Not sure how the title, description, or post is misleading in any way. I could have used "Hollywood Sightseeing Flight Goes TERRIBLY wrong" or a lot of other exaggerated phrases...or maybe just used a thumbnail of a girl in a bikini...LOL I have found that no matter what I do there will be some people like you that won't be happy. And that's ok - it's your prerogative. I'll still enjoy making videos and connecting with others in the aviation community to have interesting and productive discussions around the situations presented on these flights.
As presented, this was an emergency. And it can only help if the guy on the ground knows that the pilot is having an emergency. If the pilot can't turn left, don't you think the controller would like to know that before he gives him a left turn for traffic rather than after? And if he needs to only make right turns, the controller can accommodate while getting him down at the nearest airport. Another two minutes flying is how many thousand more people below who might take a tow bar to the cranium?
I totally agree that it would have been better to let them know sooner so they could anticipate. Definitely a big takeaway for me. Continuing on with the airplane in a stable configuration with no heading , power, altitude, or otherwise changes to an airport I have landed at hundreds of times to me was preferable over making possibly more turns and heading to Burbank, a busier airport that I have a handful of landings at only on one of the runways...
I suppose a coordinated right turn would keep things glued down but I didn't want to take the chance.
Haha- that one never crossed my mind....I didn't think so. Would I have done differently? Maybe landed earlier, but the OP knows his area better than I do. I would be concerned about losing that door ... am guessing it's a piano hinge and a little stronger than just a couple of hinges.
Now if the OP had performed a NASTY positive rate LEFT aileron roll and slammed that effing door closed, I'd give it the internet win for the day
If you're saying that you would declare an emergency to get left turns only to the busier airport nearer to the pilot, then I agree with you. On the other hand, the pilot felt safer continuing straight so as to not changing anything. Now that I have read your response and seen this video, an additional variable would be the area surrounding each airport. For example, if the second (further airport) was in the middle of no-where as opposed to an urban area, I'd elect to just go straight towards that. All things being equal in that regard, now that I've seen this video, I'd go for the nearer busier airport. Who knows what any of us would do when faced with the same circumstance for the first time?
It's neither. More of a realization on my part. I've flown sightseeing trips plenty, and I fly solo plenty (many times just burning holes--but usually with proficiency flying included), but I don't think I've ever gone up solo with the intent of purely sightseeing.
A coordinated right turn would be fine, just as a skidding left turn would be bad in this situation. Equal risk either direction.
You're not making YouTube videos.
Haha- I actually did not intend on making a Youtube video out of this flight. I normally have 3 more angles than what I used in this video. You can see the empty camera frame and mount next to my head...I just decided to roll the ones I happened to have in my backpack with the limited battery each had. I have been flying this are for 5 years and only flown near the Hollywood sign a couple times since I really don't like flying over that area as yo must stay low with very few emergency landing options. I generally avoid it, unless I am showing friends around but thought it would be fun to fly that route at sunset.
There's no need to declare anything. If it occurred as stated in the video, it was an emergency. What is the possible benefit of keeping that information from the controller who the pilot is already in communication with? Just say, my baggage door came open, I'd like to land [where] with no right turns.
Ask any banner pilot or jump pilot . Anything that didn't get sucked out as soon as the door opened will likely stay right where its at. Keeping it coordinated will definitely help in that respect, but going negative is what you really want to avoid. Don't ask how I know this.
