Birdy2
13-08-2006, 01:25 PM
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Had a very 'different' day yesterday.
It started the same as usual, happily chasen cows about for bout 6 hours, with all the regular things happening. Sum critters not wanting to play the game, tempers getn heated, time run'n out.............. just another 'day at the office'.
But things turned bad suddenly wen your's truely went to sleep.
The pressure was on but we were win'n. I just needed a quick fuel top up. This last tank full woulda seen the day out easily, if i hadn't stuffed it up .
Was approching the fuel drum the same way i have a thousand times before. Down wind, at bout 6' off the ground, 60K AS. The drum was on an open plain big enough to land a 747 on, only the odd tree here n there, a fuel drum and another machine. There was, however, one bigger tree only bout 40' from the drum. IOW, absolutly no hazards anywhere, except in the pilot's seat of my gyro.
I'v been getn spooked by COMPLACENCY for the last few hundred hours, and it finaly bit yesterday. As i said, the approche was as normal, but the setting wasn't. I'd broken my own number one golden ruel. I'd closed all the gates.
I'd cornered myself with no second options IF sumthn went wrong.
And, as Murphy would have it, sumthn did happen. Half way round the 180* turn onto the drum, with low AS and NO alt to spare, i hit a small pocket of dead air. I knew instantly wot i'd just done. I had no real options coz i didn't give meself any.
I had 3 ways to go. 1; turn back down wind and try again.
Not a good one at ground level with low AS and not being able to hit power coz the one and only tree was in the way. Any adition of power would have shot me streight into it.
2; hit full power and hope the dead spot in the air was only very small, continue round and land with no roll, no AS and full noise.
Not a good option either, coz murphy was there, and as in option one, any adition of power would have had me shot into the tree.
3; steepen the bank, THEN add power and pull it off like nuthn happened.
Well, i had bout a milli second to decide, so i decided on 3.
Trouble is, to steepen the bank WITHOUT power would mean the blades would be getn very close to the ground.
Yes, you gessed it.
Two loud 'smacks' in quick succession, the stick nearly getn riped out me hand, and i knew i had stuffed it up.
F&%&*% idiot was the first thing to come to mind.
Second was that i was still off the ground and i sort of had control. DON"T STOP FLYN THE BASTERED.
See'n as i had missed THAT tree, and now had plenty o room, i ripped the, now violently shakeing stick back to right the machine and sortof land, sideways, just manageing to keep it up right with wot rotor lift i had left.
I don't know wether ol mates got alota faith in me or if he's some sorta fool, but the first thing he said to me wen i took the headset off was "spose you'll have t take mine now ay"
After a quick talk, just to make sure i heard him right, i was off in his machine for the next 3 hours and we finished up with just enough day light to fly home, and bout 1500 critters in the yard.
Damage;
One rotor totaled
one control rod compressed
mast slightly bent
And one badly damaged pride.
Is it a coincidence?
Only bout 2 months back i started a thread bout 'the 3 phases of flyn', and warning of the worst stage, the complacency stage.
And whos the first moron to get bit?.
F&^%$ idiot.
Coulda been alot worse, but that don't excuse it from happening in the first place.
Only one mistake, i'd gotn meself into a position were i had NO OPTIONS if sumthn changed, caused by complacency.
[I'v been do'n this alot lately, i was getn complacent.............it was only a matter of time]
Only one idiot to blame.
__________________
Had a very 'different' day yesterday.
It started the same as usual, happily chasen cows about for bout 6 hours, with all the regular things happening. Sum critters not wanting to play the game, tempers getn heated, time run'n out.............. just another 'day at the office'.
But things turned bad suddenly wen your's truely went to sleep.
The pressure was on but we were win'n. I just needed a quick fuel top up. This last tank full woulda seen the day out easily, if i hadn't stuffed it up .
Was approching the fuel drum the same way i have a thousand times before. Down wind, at bout 6' off the ground, 60K AS. The drum was on an open plain big enough to land a 747 on, only the odd tree here n there, a fuel drum and another machine. There was, however, one bigger tree only bout 40' from the drum. IOW, absolutly no hazards anywhere, except in the pilot's seat of my gyro.
I'v been getn spooked by COMPLACENCY for the last few hundred hours, and it finaly bit yesterday. As i said, the approche was as normal, but the setting wasn't. I'd broken my own number one golden ruel. I'd closed all the gates.
I'd cornered myself with no second options IF sumthn went wrong.
And, as Murphy would have it, sumthn did happen. Half way round the 180* turn onto the drum, with low AS and NO alt to spare, i hit a small pocket of dead air. I knew instantly wot i'd just done. I had no real options coz i didn't give meself any.
I had 3 ways to go. 1; turn back down wind and try again.
Not a good one at ground level with low AS and not being able to hit power coz the one and only tree was in the way. Any adition of power would have shot me streight into it.
2; hit full power and hope the dead spot in the air was only very small, continue round and land with no roll, no AS and full noise.
Not a good option either, coz murphy was there, and as in option one, any adition of power would have had me shot into the tree.
3; steepen the bank, THEN add power and pull it off like nuthn happened.
Well, i had bout a milli second to decide, so i decided on 3.
Trouble is, to steepen the bank WITHOUT power would mean the blades would be getn very close to the ground.
Yes, you gessed it.
Two loud 'smacks' in quick succession, the stick nearly getn riped out me hand, and i knew i had stuffed it up.
F&%&*% idiot was the first thing to come to mind.
Second was that i was still off the ground and i sort of had control. DON"T STOP FLYN THE BASTERED.
See'n as i had missed THAT tree, and now had plenty o room, i ripped the, now violently shakeing stick back to right the machine and sortof land, sideways, just manageing to keep it up right with wot rotor lift i had left.
I don't know wether ol mates got alota faith in me or if he's some sorta fool, but the first thing he said to me wen i took the headset off was "spose you'll have t take mine now ay"
After a quick talk, just to make sure i heard him right, i was off in his machine for the next 3 hours and we finished up with just enough day light to fly home, and bout 1500 critters in the yard.
Damage;
One rotor totaled
one control rod compressed
mast slightly bent
And one badly damaged pride.
Is it a coincidence?
Only bout 2 months back i started a thread bout 'the 3 phases of flyn', and warning of the worst stage, the complacency stage.
And whos the first moron to get bit?.
F&^%$ idiot.
Coulda been alot worse, but that don't excuse it from happening in the first place.
Only one mistake, i'd gotn meself into a position were i had NO OPTIONS if sumthn changed, caused by complacency.
[I'v been do'n this alot lately, i was getn complacent.............it was only a matter of time]
Only one idiot to blame.
__________________