Stories from FL280...

[eagl]

Good insight from your IP.  That's a pretty dangerous combination right there.  Just for comparison, the chief test pilot for the Mig-25 was killed by an electronic instrument malfunction (fuel sensor) and getting too slow in the pattern.

Interesting you'd say he got killed by a fuel sensor... I'd say he got killed by an over-reliance on gauges and complacency, or a lack of systems knowledge.  Contrast that guy with Bob Hoover who took a fighter (F-100 if I recall correctly) on a national tour.  On the very first flight he noticed that what he saw on the fuel gauge didn't seem to match with the number of gallons they were putting into the plane and it didn't match his expected fuel burn either.  So he immediately padded all his fuel calculations with the amount of the discrepancy and continued on the national tour.  After returning the plane to the factory, he griped about the fuel situation so they tore the plane down to figure it out.  It turns out that a fuel tank was completely blocked off and unusable.  So if he'd relied on the book numbers for fuel and relied on the fuel gauge, he probably would have run out of fuel and crashed the plane.

So... getting killed by a fuel sensor?  Not in my world.  I've used old pilots like Hoover and Yeager and Olds as my examples and not one of them would have failed to notice that the fuel gauge readings didn't match their flight planning or expected fuel burn and they would have re-planned their flight to ensure they landed with enough fuel. It's a basic responsibility of every pilot to do exactly that.  Even the FAA states the pilot is responsible for flight planning and execution, and nowhere does it say in the FAR/AIM that the pilot's responsibility is absolved by the presence of a faulty gauge.

My 2 cents...

[Maverick]

Here ya go Serenity, your new call sign and nose art.

[MiloMorai]

Interesting you'd say he got killed by a fuel sensor... I'd say he got killed by an over-reliance on gauges and complacency, or a lack of systems knowledge.  Contrast that guy with Bob Hoover who took a fighter (F-100 if I recall correctly) on a national tour.  On the very first flight he noticed that what he saw on the fuel gauge didn't seem to match with the number of gallons they were putting into the plane and it didn't match his expected fuel burn either.  So he immediately padded all his fuel calculations with the amount of the discrepancy and continued on the national tour.  After returning the plane to the factory, he griped about the fuel situation so they tore the plane down to figure it out.  It turns out that a fuel tank was completely blocked off and unusable.  So if he'd relied on the book numbers for fuel and relied on the fuel gauge, he probably would have run out of fuel and crashed the plane.

So... getting killed by a fuel sensor?  Not in my world.  I've used old pilots like Hoover and Yeager and Olds as my examples and not one of them would have failed to notice that the fuel gauge readings didn't match their flight planning or expected fuel burn and they would have re-planned their flight to ensure they landed with enough fuel. It's a basic responsibility of every pilot to do exactly that.  Even the FAA states the pilot is responsible for flight planning and execution, and nowhere does it say in the FAR/AIM that the pilot's responsibility is absolved by the presence of a faulty gauge.

My 2 cents...

Sounds like the a/c crashed because it got to slow will attempting to land.

[Serenity]

Whiskey Flight is primary complete!

[Serenity]

Well, so as not to start a new topic, here's a bump.

After weeks of ground school classes and sims, I'm scheduled for my first actual flight in the T-45 tomorrow, so expect more interesting stories to come!

[NatCigg]

 

regular stories are fine too! 

 

[GScholz]

 

[DaveBB]

Don't worry, you'll do fine Serenity....

[GScholz]

Well, it is the NAVY... 

[Serenity]

Don't worry, you'll do fine Serenity....


(Image removed from quote.)

lol yeah, that picture has made it's rounds. The cause is a pretty interesting piece of engineering that we can thank the Brits with the Hawk for.

We have an anti-skid system which works like ABS in a car. With Anti-Skid on, you get almost no chance of blowing a tire even slamming on the brakes. With the anti-skid switch off, you have no protection against blown tires. Where's the retarded engineering?

If the anti-skid system fails a BIT, and your switch is in the ON position, you get ZERO braking ability at all.

So, this student was a solo, back from FCLPs at El Centro, (So long day, tired, with carrier pressurized tires). He got an emergency at El Centro (Don't remember what exactly it was) and for some reason the LSO at El Centro sent him back to North Island, rather than trapping at El Centro. Then, also inexplicably, the LSO at NASNI decided not to have him trap there either, even though the runway was wet... so, wet runway, anti-skid fail in the on position so no brakes at all, and carrier pressurized tires... screaming off the end of the runway!

Even funnier than putting it in the drink, the kid was FLAILING on the way out, pressing everything he could press, as evidenced by the fact that when they got to the jet, the GTS was running (The Gas Turbine Starter, which he had to have switched on for god only knows why...)

But it's worth mentioning, that's not a TW-2 bird, that's one of the jokers over in Mississippi

[pipz]

Don't worry, you'll do fine Serenity....


(Image removed from quote.)

Awesome! I thought they gave up on that idea!



Huzzah Serenity!   

[Serenity]

So, it was entirely uneventful, save for the fact that the loss of tolerance from six months out of the cockpit and aerobatics under the hood combine to make my stomach squirrelly as hell! Completed the flight but had to beg the IP to stop showing off so I didn't lose my lunch!

[Arlo]

Can't believe I missed this thread. Got it tagged now. (Read worthy stuff. Great diary. It'll go well in your book, later.) 

[Mister Fork]

Wow.  Impressive run there Serenity.  Reminds me when my brother-in-law went through his fighter training in the RCAF back late 80's, early 90's. 

Question for you - how has your flying in Aces High helped with your real-life flying?

[Serenity]

Wow.  Impressive run there Serenity.  Reminds me when my brother-in-law went through his fighter training in the RCAF back late 80's, early 90's. 

Question for you - how has your flying in Aces High helped with your real-life flying?

There have been subtle way so far. The Bf-109 is my favorite plane in AH, and due it's affinity for hanging on the prop, when we do our stall recoveries, I'm used to hanging on the nose and feeling things shake.

That's about it so far, but I imagine I'll start seeing more benefits as I get into the BFM stage of training.