I had been in the field for about seven months, the longest on our crew, and we were all tired. The captain was burned out, and made no bones about it. Angry all day, drinking at night, and getting pretty vocal. We got a sortie and did it on time, but he was really bent out of shape. Going into GJT he decided not to flare; he planted it hard after a steep short approach. The wings flexed several feet down. Everything in the cockpit that wasn't bolted on came off and wound up on the floor; same though out the airplane. The map case on the wall got pulled completely free of the breaker panel and wound up on the floor with charts flying everywhere. Everything on the airport stopped when they heard it. I think I broke a tooth.
He went to full reverse on all four and we stopped right now.
A career Navy captain who had spent a good share of his time in hercs was waiting for us when we taxied in. He commented that it was the shortest he'd ever seen a C-130 land. No great pride, there.
In the Cessna 207 I liked a particular downhill runway. Hold it off, hold it off, and it would float a few inches off. Passengers would clap and cheer for the good landing, and then I'd let go of the yoke. Thud. Bounce. Silence. When they got out, everyone always handed me a tip (a big source of revenue in those days); they were grateful to get back alive. Any port in a storm.
Flying with a significant figure in the company, old airplane, expander tube brakes. Using a runway that has eaten several large airplanes. Landing loaded, one engine out, 50' wide runway, 4,500' long. Tailwind. #2 engine OTS, and it's the upwind engine...figures.
We got down okay, smoking along and heavy, and he asks me to look out at the brake. Is it smoking? By jove, yes, it is. Lots. Burning, too, by the looks of it. Of curiosity, why do you ask? Brakes just faded...here comes the end. We stopped with the nosewheel off the end, which was good, because 30' past that, it dropped off about 100' into a ravine.
Landed an airplane which requires hydraulics for everything following hydraulic loss. No controllability on the ground without hydraulics. Won't taxi straight five feet to save it's aging life without brakes. Rescue trucks waiting, airport evacuated on our behalf, guys in funny martian silver suits waiting. Big anticlimax; we walked away, not smiling.
Nose baggage latch failed on a Seneca II landing at PHX once, as I was flaring. Hatch flew open; very enlightening. Could have sworn I locked it. I did...latch didn't have a will to live. Tower didn't say a word.
Finally, my most stupid decision when landing yet, and it shows...a Cessna 188 (AgTruck) into Wichita. Ferried it down there to get it rebuilt after a quadruple wire strike. Quiet flight, fat, dumb, and happier than usual. Season's over, time to go home. Just this last flight. Decided to enter the pattern and land using the normal 200' tight downwind to final turn. Bad idea after sitting in the airplane for three hours and not working or thinking.
Touched down three point, and bounced, then touched down two point, one of which was the tailwheel, which became enraged at the main gear and attempted to pass it. Powered up, also a bad decision, made excursions to both sides of the runway (hadn't landed on a hard surface all season), and did a remarkable job of missing multiple runway lights. Tested the grass on each side for firmness, hammered the tailwheel up and down several times to ensure stinger integrity, tried out brakes and discovered unfortunately that they still worked. Got stopped 11 inches behind bosses airplane, which was parked alongside runway, waiting. Boss standing behind airplane, filling 11 inch gap between my prop and his rudder.
Very unhappy. That day started out so well, too.
The worst landing was under a parachute, and I paid for that with skin, muscle, bone, and cash for time spent in ICU (and a year for recovery. Hitting the cliff wasn't so bad, but the cactus really made it special.
He went to full reverse on all four and we stopped right now.
A career Navy captain who had spent a good share of his time in hercs was waiting for us when we taxied in. He commented that it was the shortest he'd ever seen a C-130 land. No great pride, there.
In the Cessna 207 I liked a particular downhill runway. Hold it off, hold it off, and it would float a few inches off. Passengers would clap and cheer for the good landing, and then I'd let go of the yoke. Thud. Bounce. Silence. When they got out, everyone always handed me a tip (a big source of revenue in those days); they were grateful to get back alive. Any port in a storm.
Flying with a significant figure in the company, old airplane, expander tube brakes. Using a runway that has eaten several large airplanes. Landing loaded, one engine out, 50' wide runway, 4,500' long. Tailwind. #2 engine OTS, and it's the upwind engine...figures.
We got down okay, smoking along and heavy, and he asks me to look out at the brake. Is it smoking? By jove, yes, it is. Lots. Burning, too, by the looks of it. Of curiosity, why do you ask? Brakes just faded...here comes the end. We stopped with the nosewheel off the end, which was good, because 30' past that, it dropped off about 100' into a ravine.
Landed an airplane which requires hydraulics for everything following hydraulic loss. No controllability on the ground without hydraulics. Won't taxi straight five feet to save it's aging life without brakes. Rescue trucks waiting, airport evacuated on our behalf, guys in funny martian silver suits waiting. Big anticlimax; we walked away, not smiling.
Nose baggage latch failed on a Seneca II landing at PHX once, as I was flaring. Hatch flew open; very enlightening. Could have sworn I locked it. I did...latch didn't have a will to live. Tower didn't say a word.
Finally, my most stupid decision when landing yet, and it shows...a Cessna 188 (AgTruck) into Wichita. Ferried it down there to get it rebuilt after a quadruple wire strike. Quiet flight, fat, dumb, and happier than usual. Season's over, time to go home. Just this last flight. Decided to enter the pattern and land using the normal 200' tight downwind to final turn. Bad idea after sitting in the airplane for three hours and not working or thinking.
Touched down three point, and bounced, then touched down two point, one of which was the tailwheel, which became enraged at the main gear and attempted to pass it. Powered up, also a bad decision, made excursions to both sides of the runway (hadn't landed on a hard surface all season), and did a remarkable job of missing multiple runway lights. Tested the grass on each side for firmness, hammered the tailwheel up and down several times to ensure stinger integrity, tried out brakes and discovered unfortunately that they still worked. Got stopped 11 inches behind bosses airplane, which was parked alongside runway, waiting. Boss standing behind airplane, filling 11 inch gap between my prop and his rudder.
Very unhappy. That day started out so well, too.
The worst landing was under a parachute, and I paid for that with skin, muscle, bone, and cash for time spent in ICU (and a year for recovery. Hitting the cliff wasn't so bad, but the cactus really made it special.
