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billstrawn
,
TX
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Displaying 1-3 of 3
Monday Morning Non Emergency
from billstrawn
wrote 2 years 23 weeks ago
I agree you did the right thing. I had a runaway prop when leveling off once. I pulled power and prop, declared an emergency and was directed toward the nearest runway. On the way down I checked and everything worked fine now, but I kept heading to the runway. I spent 3 hours while mechanics ran tests, checked the governor, and all sorts of things. They found nothing and sent me on my way. I flew the 6 hours home (including a fuel stop), with the last 2 hours in the dark (would have made it home in daylight if I had not gone back to have the issue checked). But to this day, I still think I made the right decision. People who think otherwise may be bold pilots. but I doubt they will be old pilots. Unlike the auto, it is not so easy to pull to the side of the road when things kablooey at 10,000.
Out of Mobile, Thunderstorms Looming
from billstrawn
wrote 44 weeks 3 days ago
Thanks for the photos and the memories they brought back. I spent 6 weeks flying for the USCG Auxiliary out of Fairhope during the Deepwater Horizon mess, guarding the MS, AL and FL beaches from oil. Great flying area, but the afternoon thunderstorms kept me awake and on my toes. Admittedly we were flying at 1000 feet and below the whole 6 weeks, so we missed the big iron, but saw a lot more of the Gulf and bays. Plus great weight loss program to fly an un airconditioned, single engine plane all day, every day, in summer, over the Gulf. Thanks again.
Space Shuttle from Both Sides of History
from billstrawn
wrote 34 weeks 3 days ago
I was stationed at the no longer existing Kelly AFB in San Antonio in the early 80's, and had the great fortune to meet the shuttle carrier pilots as they stopped in for fuel with various shuttles on the plane's back. Watching the carrier and its cargo fly by, land and take off were fascinating moments, and sharing a table while they did hanger flying at lunch was some of the best pilot stories I have ever heard. Watching various TV stories of the deliveries of the shuttles to their museum homes made me cry to think that those magnificent, yet scarily deadly, machines are gone from the skies forever. The shuttles were never cost effective, and never lived up to our dreams. But at least, we dreamed. Hope someday we can see spaceplanes flying again, and I might even have a chance to touch one.
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