Month: March 2012

Any idiot can fly a plane, I’m living proof of that fact, it’s really learning to make the right decisions that will keep a pilot from bending the expensive metal he rides in.  Weather or not, pun intended, to even make a trip is the most important skill, and it is a skill, a pilot needs to learn if he wants to have a long flying career.  But even the most Conservative pilot can get caught by surprise when the weather changes quickly.

Just a few days ago a very experienced balloon pilot in Georgia got caught by a fast building storm while he was flying a load of skydivers.  Apparently the storm came up so quickly that he was unable to land before the storm hit.  The pilot told the jumpers to leave just before he was sucked up to eighteen thousand feet by powerful updrafts.  He was in radio contact with his ground crew and described the whole event, including counting down his altitude as he made his final descent.  I can’t imagine how terrifying it must have been when the balloon collapsed and began the eighty second fall back to earth.  One of the skydivers said that if he’d known how bad the situation was he would’ve strapped the pilot to him when he jumped.  That would have been difficult but not impossible, he could have used some of the rope balloons always have on board and figured something out.  The landing would have been rough with all that weight but survivable.  According to the surviving skydivers the weather at the time of takeoff showed no signs of the approaching storm.

We had the same thing happen to us at Skydive Twin Cities last year.  A thunderstorm came barreling down on us out of nowhere while a load of skydivers was in the air.  The first half of the load landed safely but the last two tandems got caught by a gust front that pushed them far off the drop zone and slightly injured one of the passengers on landing.  The sky like the sea can be an unforgiving and harsh mistress.

 

As many of you know the i pad has and is still in the process of revolutionizing aviation.  The ability to electronically store all of the maps and approach plates in the world has definitely made my life as a ferry pilot WAY easier.  In the olden days I would have to bring a stack of paper maps and approach plates that weighed literally POUNDS!  Now all I bring is my i Pad.  The latest gizmo I’ve found is the i HUD.  The i HUD is a virtual heads up display that in the event of the loss of your vacuum pump, followed shortly by your artificial horizon, can give you attitude information for up to eight hours.  You do need to buy the sending unit that costs about $800 but in my opinion if this thing works would be worth it.  The app also claims to give you synthetic vision that, again if works as advertised, would be a great tool when shooting low IFR approaches.  The future is here people and technology is making flying so easy even I can do it.

http://aviation.levil.com/AHRS_mini.htm 

      

Sunset from a Cirrus coming into Chang Mi Thailand.  Gotta remember to clean the windows more often.

 

                    I should have read this more carefully before trying to board the plane with my catapult.   #8 

 

When a ferry pilot delivers an aircraft to it’s new owner more often than not he’s treated pretty damn good, sometimes like a king.  When Cory and I delivered a Bonanza to Brazil last year the owner had us fly it to his ranch where we were treated to a Brazilian style Barbeque and then a horseback tour of the countryside.

Sky Cowboy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flying stories and fresh lamb