Sorry I've been off here for a bit...been flying the last couple of days.
I went out on Monday for a little refresher hop, and there was a nifty crosswind at the airport that was really making things interesting and challenging...which is usually how I prefer things. The winds were almost 90 degrees to the runway at 11mph "with gusts". Well that was all well and fine for a bit as I got to work on crabbing and landing with one wing lowered into the wind. But on my last landing of the day, one of those gusts came up and hit me when I was low and slow, just over the numbers and setting up for me flare, and it shoved the aircraft right off the side of the runway. But I'm good, and because I'm good, I slammed the throttle into the firewall, killed the carb heat, dropped the nose, and reefed the plane away from the field lights that I almost collided with. The road of the engine drowned out the curse words that I yelled, so no one on the ground heard them, but as I inadvertently hit the push-to-talk radio button on the yoke, the tower got an earful.
I managed to get the bird down properly a bit down the runway, just as the tower let me know that the gust had been measured at 21 mph. Needless to say, I wrapped it up for the day. I'm good, not stupid.
So I went back up yesterday, and yesterday was perfect. No wind, no ceiling, unlimited visibility...couldn't have asked for more. I shot a few more touch-and-go landings, then flew around just playing for a bit.
Coincidentally, some folks in my neighborhood seem to have observed a low-flying aircraft overhead at roughly the same time that I was up. For some reason, my name reportedly came up in the discussion. Now since I would never violate the FAA minimums, it could not have been me. But I'm shocked--shocked--to find out that someone was flying low over this area.
Lagniappe did not make this flight with me, but as you can tell from past posts, he does hold a Bird Dog rating.
Sorry for the lack of flying pics on this one. Didn't bring the camera aloft this time. But if you click on "flying" below, you'll see plenty more.
Whoa, that was a close one...don't do crazy stuff like that anymore...after all, who will take care of Lagniappe if something should happen to you? Sheesh...think of the poor dog will you. :-)
ReplyDeleteLagniappe's all set. He is the beneficiary of my insurance policy and the sole heir in my will, unless my death comes at the hands of another, either deliberately or accidentally. In that case, one half of my entire estate passes to whoever avenges my death. But even then, Lagniappe still gets the other half.
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