FlyingFarmer
FlyingFarmer
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2015
- Messages
- 195
- Reaction score
- 38
Hi Guys,
Went for a flight today in my Skybolt, a beautiful day for Canada, +9c, 10kt light breeze across the 5k ft runway and light traffic, what could possibly go wrong?
It all start with a change in routine, for no particular reason I unhooked my tug, a lawn tractor before taking off the tow bar, which is attached to the front of the aircraft, this is the reverse of my normal routine. With the tractor in the hangar I decided to go outside and get my gloves out of the Jeep, as I walked back through the hangar and saw the Skybolt in the sunlight I thought what a lucky guy I was and climbed aboard for some local acros. I had left my Zulu headset in the Bonanza which is now in Florida for the winter so, for the first time in this aircraft, I was wearing my old DC headset, the aircraft sounded completely different, but no problem.
At 3k ft air traffic came on the radio to say that they think the tow bar is still attached to the aircraft (to the main gear legs). Oh Sh...t I thought. "OK", I said, "I'll do a low flyby and you can tell me how it is hanging", which I did and it was hanging slightly forward of vertical, about 30 degrees forward. The tow bar if fortunately made of aluminium so I wasn't too concerned at this point. "OK", I said "I'll do a slow and low flight down the runway and trail the tow bar to see what it feels like", it made one hell of a noise but apart from that the aircraft flew OK. So now for a landing, I figured the aluminium would twist on the forward facing lugs and trail behind, my only concern was that if it broke free, especially on one side only, it could cause a lot of trouble. I am very pleased to tell you that the landing was uneventful and indeed the tow bar bent backwards with absolutely no damage to the aircraft.
Now I can hear you all saying "what a clown, what was he thinking, this would never happen to me!). Well, I have been flying for 45 years without a break, have over 10,000 hrs all in small aircaft, 3,000 in tail draggers and presently fly almost daily at around 120 hrs a year. But I have to tell you, I do feel like a clown!!
As Ernest Gann says "Fate is the Hunter"
Fly safe,
Went for a flight today in my Skybolt, a beautiful day for Canada, +9c, 10kt light breeze across the 5k ft runway and light traffic, what could possibly go wrong?
It all start with a change in routine, for no particular reason I unhooked my tug, a lawn tractor before taking off the tow bar, which is attached to the front of the aircraft, this is the reverse of my normal routine. With the tractor in the hangar I decided to go outside and get my gloves out of the Jeep, as I walked back through the hangar and saw the Skybolt in the sunlight I thought what a lucky guy I was and climbed aboard for some local acros. I had left my Zulu headset in the Bonanza which is now in Florida for the winter so, for the first time in this aircraft, I was wearing my old DC headset, the aircraft sounded completely different, but no problem.
At 3k ft air traffic came on the radio to say that they think the tow bar is still attached to the aircraft (to the main gear legs). Oh Sh...t I thought. "OK", I said, "I'll do a low flyby and you can tell me how it is hanging", which I did and it was hanging slightly forward of vertical, about 30 degrees forward. The tow bar if fortunately made of aluminium so I wasn't too concerned at this point. "OK", I said "I'll do a slow and low flight down the runway and trail the tow bar to see what it feels like", it made one hell of a noise but apart from that the aircraft flew OK. So now for a landing, I figured the aluminium would twist on the forward facing lugs and trail behind, my only concern was that if it broke free, especially on one side only, it could cause a lot of trouble. I am very pleased to tell you that the landing was uneventful and indeed the tow bar bent backwards with absolutely no damage to the aircraft.
Now I can hear you all saying "what a clown, what was he thinking, this would never happen to me!). Well, I have been flying for 45 years without a break, have over 10,000 hrs all in small aircaft, 3,000 in tail draggers and presently fly almost daily at around 120 hrs a year. But I have to tell you, I do feel like a clown!!
As Ernest Gann says "Fate is the Hunter"
Fly safe,
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