Idiot taildragger at Watsonville today

Palmpilot said:
...When he said he had to leave the pattern to avoid the tail dragger because of traffic behind him, I'm inclined to take his word for it, because he was there, and we weren't.
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No I wasn't there and I'm attempting to get a better picture of what happened but I hear no mention of near misses or evasive maneuvers. If you need to extend your downwind because of some traffic over the runway or final approach (even if he's an idiot who cut in front of you) so be it. What does traffic behind have to do with anything? They're following YOU.

Obviously it was his choice and his decision but I would have stayed in the pattern and continued my approach keeping him in sight. I mean for cripes sakes you've got a fully operational aircraft under your complete control. What is the issue here? If you're on final and this guy is still fouling the runway just do an upwind go-around. :dunno:
 
I'm just skeptical of our ability to choose the best course of action without actually witnessing the events from the vantage point of his cockpit.
 
lr60plt said:
How does anyone operate anymore when some little instance like this happens and its enough to run back to an internet forum and make a whole thread about it?

Just call him an idiot in your head and move along with the rest of your day...what do you expect us to say...."wow, glad you survived that"...?

God forbid a real problem happened.
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+1. Made my post unnecessary.
 
Dav8or said:
MAKG- You're going to have to let this one go. You're the awkward easterner that just stepped into a cowboy saloon to complain about a cowboy. The prevailing "wisdom" on this board is that at an uncontrolled field, you can do anything you want anyway you want and it's all good. The cowboy creed seems to be no rules, no government, everyman for himself and just get 'er done. If two guys do end up bumping into each other, it's always because one, or both were busy watching TV instead of looking out the window.

That's not to say that there aren't a lot of us that agree with your position, just that it's pointless to debate it here. This is cowboy country.
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Exactly what I was thinking, but you stated it in a more verbose manner than I would have.
 
Don't know what happened but many guys in tricycle gear planes fly patterns that are way too big and drag it in - that nordo guy could probably be starting a thread about some cap pilot flyIng a 2 mile base leg and he had to get down and pee - didn't feel like responding on the radio.

When in Watsonville, fly like a cowboy.
 
soyAnarchisto said:
Don't know what happened but many guys in tricycle gear planes fly patterns that are way too big and drag it in - that nordo guy could probably be starting a thread about some cap pilot flyIng a 2 mile base leg and he had to get down and pee - didn't feel like responding on the radio.

When in Watsonville, fly like a cowboy.
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Let's be reasonable here. I'll admit that I am no fan of CAP or any organization that attempts to control, regiment or militarize private aviation in any manner but at the same time "cowboys" have to be reigned in as well. We all have to coexist in some manner. I fly out of an airport that has skydivers and gliders and there are always conflicts to resolve but we get along.

I don't know exactly what happened here but "idiot taildragger" was certainly not a good opening for the discussion.

Perhaps the OP should go around and re-enter the pattern (again)
 
Sounds like tailwheel envy.


Jim R
Collierville, TN

N7155H--1946 Piper J-3 Cub
N3368K--1946 Globe GC-1B Swift
 
Years ago I was with a student about to do a dual cross country. The airport is a single runway without taxiways. After we did the runup in the designated runup area, he made his call to back taxi. He did a 360 to check for traffic in the pattern, announced taking the runway for back taxi. As we were taxiing, he pointed forward and asked "What is that"?

A Stearman was over the numbers landing right into us. I stomped the right rudder and firewalled the throttle. The mighty engine of the C152 roared to life and I turned right off the runway and into the grass. The Stearman landed and taxied up to the gas pump. Needless to say a conversation followed. I know it is hard to see forward in a Stearman. I told the other pilot what had just almost happened. He was quite shaken when he realized how close he had come to having a collision while landing. He actually had a radio but decided not to turn it on as he said he likes the silence. He didn't over fly the field but decided to do a straight in.

My student, a state senator at the time, was also a little shaken. He was going on about how he wanted to start legislation about making radios mandatory, and not necessarily have a tower, but at least have someone on the ground to talk to the planes landing and taking off. I think he suggested mandatory mental state testing. On and on and on. Typical lawyer politician I guess.

Lesson learned, always be observant, always look for the other guy. The Stearman pilot wasn't lacking of any skill, he just made a small mistake that could have had large consequences.
 
MAKG1 said:
He went directly from the 45/downwind "turn" to base/final. To land, he would have had to teardrop. Yet, he was at ~500 feet there.

I don't know if he landed. He could have been buzzing a buddy's house or the lake below long final.
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Did you see any smoke or craters? :dunno:


meat missiles. :rofl: :lol:
 
Give him a break. Maybe he just ate some crappy Mexican food and had to expedite his arrival???

That, and I'm not perfect either.
 
Dav8or said:
MAKG- You're going to have to let this one go. You're the awkward easterner that just stepped into a cowboy saloon to complain about a cowboy. The prevailing "wisdom" on this board is that at an uncontrolled field, you can do anything you want anyway you want and it's all good. The cowboy creed seems to be no rules, no government, everyman for himself and just get 'er done. If two guys do end up bumping into each other, it's always because one, or both were busy watching TV instead of looking out the window.

That's not to say that there aren't a lot of us that agree with your position, just that it's pointless to debate it here. This is cowboy country.
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All that may be good 'till the accident. Then the FAA and the coroner will sort out the details.
 
CTLSi said:
All that may be good 'till the accident. Then the FAA and the coroner will sort out the details.
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Oh My Gosh, never thought of it that way. We must quit, no ban private aviation lest we all be killed. Won't someone think of the orphaned children?
 
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