Cringeworthy Mistakes I've Made as a Pilot (and What They Taught Me)
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- čas přidán 15. 07. 2024
- We're ALL going to make mistakes as pilots. We're human. I think the best thing that we can do when we make mistakes is to tell others about them and learn from them. If we don't learn from them, then all they do is eat us up inside and make us scared to repeat them.
I want to share some of the moments that I look back and used to cringe just thinking about. But now these all serve as huge learning moments for me and I'm really thankful to learn from them.
A few links and resources mentioned in the video:
Scare flying in the mountains: • I scared myself with t...
Engines book: amzn.to/3tvVNqQ
Aircraft systems book: amzn.to/3tpoLIO
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Hey man, I know your favorite video might be the astronaut you interviewed. But I think this is the best one. The CZcams pilots have a habit of always editing out things that are not perfectly executed.
Thanks Jonathan! Really appreciate that and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Personally the astronaut video is my favorite, like you said :)
Thanks for posting this brutally honest video. Obviously, none of your "mistakes" were costly in terms of injury or aircraft damage. I've lived with the guilt of past mistakes and won't fill the this response space with a long list, but one glaring screw-up comes to mind.
Way back in the pre-9/11 days, I departed from the wrong runway at a controlled airport. Fortunately, the runway I used put me in the direction of my flight and pointed away from the traffic flow. I didn't realize my mistake until (about two minutes after my departure) ATC asked which runway I had used. While contemplating my response to this pop quiz, I realized my mistake and quickly apologized. In retrospect, I was still preoccupied with wrapping up my preflight checklist when I asked for takeoff clearance. I was on a taxiway near a runway entrance and assumed that ATC had cleared me to depart the runway that was right in front of me. Lesson learned - focus on each ATC transmission. Don't ask for takeoff (or any other) clearance until completely ready to listen.
Thanks so much for sharing, Bill. I can totally see how this would happen and I know you aren't alone. This is such good stuff to learn from and it's refreshing to hear other pilots speak up about some of their mistakes so we can all learn from them. I think that's so important.
Turning down the volume of my primary radio so I can clearly hear the ATIS without CTAF/TWR interrupting. Then forgetting to turn the volume back up and go ahead and make a call to tower to enter the airspace and waiting like an idiot for a reply that I can't hear. Then having to make another call and finally hear an irritated controller.
I did the exact same thing years ago taking my dad who was half deaf. Dad got confused with the ATC chatter and my speaking to him thinking everything on the radio was me trying to speak to him so I turned the radio down.....too much. Then after briefing dad on that and some sight seeing, I realized the radio seemed a bit quiet and turned the volume up to hear the Controller trying to get hold of me. Boy he was pissed!
I have a friend who was my flight instructor. He told me it took a while to get over the fear. He also said that he’s made every mistake in aviation. I thought I was the only one.
I still think about my mistakes after 25 years of flying all of them are cringe worthy.
My friend is now a Captain at an airlines. Appreciate his honesty.
As PIC I may integrate your thought into my pre-takeoff checklist,
OUT LOUD VERBALLY STATING:
“I am NEVER a passenger.”
Yes, your back! Thanks for sharing, we can all learn and avoid from others mistakes. We all have these stories but it is really hard to admit.
I was adjusting trim on final once and while putting my hand back up I wacked the throttle in which followed in a go around. The lesson learnt? Learn where your hands are 😅
Charlie, another great video! I see you are already up to 33k subscribers, and not surprised! I’ve got a 182 similar to you, and learned a few lessons in my short flying career. In particular I have learned not to take the takeoff for granted. I was at full gross with my family about a year ago, taking off on KDKX, an island with 3500 x 75 ft runway. Glanced down for just a split second on the roll close to takeoff speed, and looked up with the plane starting to veer. luckily I was fast enough to pull it off the runway and recovered fine in the air. I played it cool with my family, but that was a lesson I won’t soon forget. We all focus a lot on landings, but please do not forget to stay focused 110% the whole time on take offs!
Thanks for the compliment I really appreciate it. I completely agree with what you're saying here and I appreciate you sharing the experience! I've been so encouraged to hear other people voice some of their mistakes so we can all learn from them. I think we all have those moments we're looking to get off our chest.
Openly sharing our mistakes and errors are what makes us all better. You don't see golf digest sharing their errors with others, just us nuts flying planes. We should never stop. That sharing of stories makes us ALL better,. Your mistakes make me think of how I can leverage your experience not to do the same. I hope my sharing will also contribute.
My 3rd year of being a pilot, I was an early IFR pilot flying my mom back from seeing her parents (my grandparents) I lost all electrics in the plane - at night. It was a slow loss over the 2 hour flight, but by the time we were going into the DFW Class B, I could not transmit. I realized it late, and thought "oh crap". I shed loads, etc. etc., but nothing is scarier than being in IFR with dwindling power - soft IFR, but still. I was in a Beech Sierra at the time and I knew that I had 3,000ft ceilings and knew pretty much where I was, but nothing can prepare you to no communications, no transponder, no lights, but you still need to get home. I descended to 2500 and turned to AFW (my original destination was Northwest Regional - that was NOT going to happen) and they were giving me green lights before I got there. I dropped my gear manually to save power and hit the master just to see the three green lights (my gut clinched to think if I didn't know if they were locked). I will not be shy to admit I cried when I landed. I called to cancel my clearance and they were so relived and said the tower already called them. Next morning we got the mechanic out. Sure enough, the alternator exciter wire came off. I should have caught the problem hours back. I didn't. My scan is better now.
One thing I did well is when things happened and I shed load and I gave my mom a job. She was flashlight on the panel super-women. She did it very well. It focused her and took away anxiety, which also made my job easier. I verbalized what I was doing the entire way and it helped her.
... funny how when we are challenged, we do are best landings.... It took me 45 minutes to tie the plane down.
Fly often. Fly safe.
Thanks SO much for sharing this. I read it wide-eyed. I've been so encouraged by people's willingness to share some of their hard moments here in the comments. It makes us all better! I've had an alternator failure (due to one of the terminal wires failing) in my airplane and luckily the particular scan on my panel makes it easier to catch because the Aspen switches to internal battery power and it's very noticeable. But I caught it because my radio started getting scratchy and the aspen was coming on and off of internal battery power, then I realized my alternator was intermittent. I was already in the pattern for my destination and had to stay there a few more hours to get it fixed. But without those queues it would have been very easy to miss. I'm glad everything turned out okay for you. Again, thank you for sharing!!
Bro how did you get it down?
Great video. I’m half way through reading Mike Busch’s book, Engines. It’s definitely worth taking notes while reading it.
Love your channel! I learn something on each episode. Thank you for being humble and sharing your experiences. Your making a difference. Blessings - Adam
Thanks so much, Adam. I really appreciate it and am glad you are enjoying the channel.
Great advice, thanks. Counter intuitively, a measured blast of power can regain rudder authority when landing a tail dragger.
Great video Charlie!! This channel is awesome and has helped me a lot as a pilot. My checkride is this upcoming Monday and I’m super pumped!
Thanks and I'm glad you've found it helpful! Awesome about your check ride!! Go get em.
Your videos are great, thanks. Getting close to my PPL check ride and really appreciate learning from your mistakes.
Thanks and i'm glad it was helpful! Good luck on that check ride! You got this.
Excellent and honest video. It fits with the adage that a good pilot is always learning. As a relatively new pilot I have several cringeworthy mistakes that have taught me some valuable lessons. Thank you for the video
Thanks Randy. I'm right there with you!
9 times out of 10 when I grease a landing I’m still asking myself, “What did I just do?”
😂
HA! I've had one of those and I still dont know what I did. I wish I was recording the landing so that I could go bac and review.
Had one the other day. Flare too high with too much energy. Ballooning... sink rate coming in hard, a little power and then greased it on the 1000 footers. Instructor says "That's a weird way to make a perfect landing"
me2
Great video, man. Thanks for sharing!
Sure thing! Glad you enjoyed.
I was waiting to take my PPL test so I flew to a practice field and did a few t&g's. Decided that I was too nervous so flew to the airport to pick up my examiner. When landed I saw BIG oil spill emanating from engine, on cowl. Inside, oil everywhere. I had not seated the cap when doing my first pre-flight. Had I remained doing the t&g's , I probably would have had an engine seizure. Oil cleaned up, instructor waiting----I did one hell of a preflight!
Yes, passed the exam.
PS Fifty years ago!
Wow, awesome story! Don't worry, you certainly aren't alone.
That happened to me as well.
Thanks for sharing as a student pilot it helps me to hear these things
Thanks Jason! So glad it was helpful.
Thank You for sharing.
Thanks for sharing Charlie. Love your honestly and vulnerability. I got my 1st lesson this Thursday :)
I am not looking forward to the mistakes I am going to make, but I am looking forward to the lessons I am going to learn.
Thanks Jason! That's so awesome about your first lesson! Very very excited for you. Don't worry, mistakes are inevitable. I'm learning the very best thing you can do is learn from them and not bottle them up. Find a CFI that is approachable enough to discuss your mistakes without making you feel stupid.
@@AirplaneAcademy thank you 😊
My 1st lesson was amazing, already booked in for my next lesson on Monday 😁
I totally agree with sharing for the benefit of others. Transport Canada used to have a good statement on their Aviation Safety Letter publication. It was "Learn from the mistakes of others; you'll not live long enough to make them all yourself...". Words to live by.
Thank you for the candor.
Learning and experience are borne from ...
* ACKNOWLEDGING not getting the expected result, then
* ANALYZING the WHY, and then
* DISTILLING it into a takeaway
DO... X or DO NOT do... X.
People generally don’t ever bring up their failed attempts (even to themselves[!] unless they work at a startup in the Bay Area).
Thank you for checking pride at the door. We are all better off.
Thanks for your insightful comment. I love that methodology... acknowledge, analyze, distill. Will need to borrow that.
AWESOME video!!! Opposite of mistakes...you obviously picked a good Dad and good CFIs to mentor you :>).
I’m an 800 hour pilot, 350 helicopter and 500 fixed wing. I had a weird malfunction on a g1000 recently, MFD displayed “LOADING…” in the map window for a short while, CLR and MENU keys were non-responsive. FMS, approach and autopilot were still functional, I was already established on an approach, so I didn’t declare an emergency or notify ATC as I was about to be switched to tower. Fortunately, it cleared itself at some point of the approach, and I departed the airfield for home 30 miles away VMC. I didn’t readily recognize it as a “malfunction or failure”, instead I thought it was just loading something and that I wasn’t familiar with it. Anyways, I am remiss that I didn’t readily recognize it as a malfunction until I was back on the ground landed. Big lesson here for myself.
Great video Charlie, helped me with my confidence as a student pilot. I've really been challenged to remember everything I'm suppose to do. Naturally my instructor hammers me when I goof up
Charlie, I wanted to follow up from this morning comment. I’ve struggled with landings for about two months. Thanks to this video, I found my mojo today and nailed my landings, even with some gusty winds and serious updrafts.
Next step is to knock out my 10 hours of solo time and my cross country.
Thanks for your inspiration and encouragement
Fantastic, Rick! I'm glad that it helped and am really happy to hear about your progress. That's such a rewarding feeling as a pilot to progress in your skills. Keep at it!
Great video! Wheelies vs. three-point: the eternal debate! Transitioning the tail is a time of uncertain control. (I'm a three-point guy, but my tail wheel instructor made me get proficient doing wheelies, too.) I think that an unexpected gust is just something you need to deal with. I also think, as a CFIA, that most people add too much extra speed in gusty situations and end up with too much energy so the plane still wants to fly. As you've pointed out before, controlling your approach speed is important to good landings that don't go long.
Thanks Michael! I appreciate you chiming in on this. That situation happened when I was pretty early into cub flying and it hasn't happened since, so I'm not sure if I just haven't encountered the same unfortunate gust or if I've just gotten more proficient and been able to adequately correct for it. I appreciate your coaching.
Its very true, and not often mentioned as one of the advantages of owning an airplane. You REALLY get to know your airplane intimately.
I read the Mike Busch Engines book because you mentioned it. Just finished it earlier this month. Now you’ve mentioned another book... See what you’ve done!? Now I have to order another book! I really appreciate the videos.
Awesome! Hope you enjoyed the books. I've found them really valuable.
Thanks again for sharing Charlie! My cringe worthy story was me cutting off a plane on final because I didn't follow instructions. I was so embarrassed but thanks to Charlie's help I know how to do better next time. :)
Thanks for sharing it, Shane! Good lessons for sure.
Hey Charlie, You should have put a link to the NASA form and instructions on how to fill it out prior to telling everyone to post their mistake videos :) Great video as always.
Haha for sure! Thanks!
With only 120 hours I gave at least 2 experiences where I was more lucky thsn smart. Will share. Thanks for the inspiration.
Regarding airplane power plant and systems there are associations out the like cessna pilots who offer specific courses online or onsite for specific models - I went to the 182 legacy course and learned way more than I ever thought I needed to know
Just some observations. You only need the prop in first gear on base or finals in the event of a go around. So only advance the pitch to fine when the airspeed is low, so that the prop is always driven by the engine and not the airflow. Keep the mixture lean on descent to keep the EGT higher, as with reduced power burning valves won’t happen at low power settings and the engine don’t need to be flooded with fuel. At big airports with long taxi times or on gravel strips, i’ll do my run ups on the run, while taxiing.
Thanks. Nice video!
Sure thing! Glad you enjoyed.
Had a tower controller clear me #3 to land. In reality he did not count the aircraft just crossing the threshold which I could see from my downwind so in reality I was #4 not #3. Almost turned base in front of the real #3 due to his mistake. I was not flying with my Ipad with Foreflight & ADSB that day since I figured I was just doing pattern work. Lesson learned: If you have it always watch your ADSB (and bring your iPad where applicable) even when in the pattern.
Visiting a new airfield in a C172 my approach was too high. As a glider pilot my immediate reaction was to say to myself. "OK we'll make this fit." It was only when I had slithered to a stop a few yards short of the railway line at the far end of the runway that I realised how lucky I had been. Nowadays I am always ready to go around - and keep reminding myself that unlike when landing out in a glider I do have the option of a go around.
Thank you for sharing, Ian. This is really great advice and it's so easy to forget we can always go around. I've had experiences (some that I've shared in my videos) where I forgot this and it got me into a bad situation. It's a lesson we can't ever forget to remember!
It is just like learning to drive. You get taught to pass a test, not really how to drive.
Same is true, with most CFI teachers not all, in flying. You are taught to pass a test.
You work so hard to learn all the book stuff, you really don't know all about flying the aircraft.
On my solo cross country, first leg 4 hr in a 152, on very short final left leg locked in full extension on the rudder.
I got it down after kicking my foot off the pedal and then walked around the FBO for a long time.
Thanks for sharing.
Just recently I did a winter flight into a local Class D. It’s been a long time since I have flown in there and with the complete lack of landmarks due to the snow I got completely behind the airplane and the controller informed me I had missed the 2 mile left base and was overflying the airport. He nicely informed me that if I made a left 360 I would be back on a left downwind. DUH! When I flew back home about 15 minutes away I was so flustered I never managed my altitude and ended up really high and long. I finally came to my senses and did a go around. Never occurred to me to do a slip to regain my vertical position. 900 hours, really dumb mistakes.
Yeah....winter flying is a different game. Frozen lakes, far less visible landmarks. There are areas I have flown time and time over and when there is snow cover, I get a bit concerned not being able to positively confirm my location. Same thing also happened to me to a local Class D airport (I'm in Quebec Canada).
Hi Charlie,
I once rushed through the before take-off checklist to 'not annoy' the ATC and my CFI at a big airport on a new aircraft type, you know everybody was ready to expedite that immediate take off except me..
Hence I took off with the trim not correctly set, I don't remember which way it was: nose up or down...I immediatly noticed that something was not right with my 172 behaviour, I checked the trim position and reset it airborne.
This was how I learnt my 'do not allow anyone rush you - speak up' lesson !
Thanks for sharing, Manu. I have done stuff like this more times than I can count. You aren't alone!
I live on the east coast. As a student pilot, I've been flying the majority of my cross countries in very quiet areas. Places where I really don't have to talk on the radio as much.
Yesterday I flew my first cross country heading west. I picked up advisories on the way only to realize that I was talking to New York. the radio comms were a lot faster and I got handed off quite a few times. It definitely rattled me a bit. My approach to talking on the radios is still a bit weak when it comes to flying into busy airspace. I've said some pretty dumb things over the radio in situations like that lol.
Hi Shaun - totally normal! Don't worry, I've said my fair share of dumb stuff on the radio. Gets easier over time! I always just like to remember an American Airlines pilot I heard once on the radio... he told approach controller "I'm confused. I want to be un-confused." Great to the point reminder that no one is perfect and we just gotta try our best to communicate well on the radio.
Hi Charlie, Love your videos. I'm IFR pilot with 600 hrs. I have made 3 very serious mistakes. I fly in Australia. Mistake 1 flying a Cessna 182, heading home into deteriorating weather. I decided to land at the next airport which was Temora. I started to do a circuit Bang in heavy cloud visibility zero. I managed to turn around and got out of the cloud and landed LEASON if you are IFR and can't see the horizon turn around. Mistake 2 landing at Cessnock about 10 foot off the ground my left-wing stalled luckily I was so close to the ground I just flopped onto the runway. lucky escape. Mistake 3 I lined up for take-off in a Cessna 310 with a pilot mate on my right. I checked the fuel gauge (mostly it doesn't work) it said empty "hay Ben did you put fuel in this plane" Ben "no I thought you did" we taxied back to the fuel fill-up -
tail between our legs. Leason If I'm on the left I personally dip the fuel tanks.
Thanks for sharing, Bruce. I've been encouraged to hear the mistakes people have shared here... it's good to realize we ALL make mistakes and the worst thing we can do is hide from them. So helpful to learn from others here. Thanks for sharing! You aren't alone.
I forgot carb heat once... while descending towards Hilton Head Island in a 172 - at night!
It's kind scary when the engine gets real rough and more so when it's dark out. Fortunately, it didn't take long for me to recognize my mistake. Carb heat and some throttle fixed things quickly.
I'll share one. Flying late in the day I was wearing my prescription glasses. The sun had set before I landed. I went to change classes to clear lenses and they were out of reach no matter how much stretched I could not reach them. Darkness and sun glasses combined equals bad depth perception. Yes I flared too soon and kinda dropped the plane on the runway.
Just wait till you hear my embarrassing moments. After watching aviation videos for eleven months straight (I'm retired), I began to realize that some of the comments that I had made early on were really stupid, and showed my total lack of knowledge on the subject. I am positive that some who may have read what I said were just shaking their heads and laughing. I wish I could go back and erase them, but at least I have learned to not comment unless I actually know what I am talking about... 🙄
Haha well I think that's good introspection. Don't worry, I get a lot of weird comments and sometimes have to look the other way. I'm sure you didn't say anything too embarrassing :)
This is why I always learn everything I can from Boomers, but I don't ever believe ANYTHING they say. Seems many have a lifetime habit of just believing and repeating whatever they were taught in an age where questioning their instruction was liable to be fruitless due to the limited availability of information. I appreciate their ability to inspire great questions by being wrong so often, and I'm grateful to have them, if only as a warning of how to not process knowledge.
Bless their low-sodium, diabetic hearts.
Shortly after I got my PPL, I was flying a Diamond DA20 into South Lake Tahoe (KTVL) airport, at 11,500' approaching from the west. The DA20 is fuel injected, and since most of my flying was in the Sacramento valley, I got out of the habit of leaning the mixture. However, this one time I actually had to aggressively lean as the fuel injection was now operating outside its range of effectiveness. As I descended into the downwind at TVL at about 7000', I watched in amazement as the propeller slowed to a stop just as I was abeam the numbers downwind. I tried everything I could think of to restart the engine to no avail, and then realized that normal procedures called for completely closing the throttle at this point anyway, so I just completed a typical approach resulting in a great landing with just enough inertia to completely clear the runway. Safely on the ground, I was still baffled but at least had the presence of mind to attempt an engine restart using the checklist when all of a sudden it became crystal clear...MIXTURE!!! The engine started with embarrassing ease after I enriched the mixture, the crash trucks pulled back from the apron (someone on UNICON must have called them out) and I parked and walked to the terminal for a much needed hamburger. Ever since then, I have considered checklists, and checklist usage, to be essential. What doesn't kill you really does make you stronger, or in this case smarter..
My biggest mistake as a student pilot back in 2008 was taking off before setting my altimeter and unknowingly venturing into class B airspace as a result 😬.
Thanks Charlie, when I was a student pilot flying out of Palomar, Carlsbad CA my instructor called to cancel the lesson scheduled for early afternoon , about 3 hours away. I decided to go to my favorite German restaurant in La Jolla for lunch, had 2 beers. Afterwards my instructor calls and says he can actually go ahead with the lesson, now about an hour away. I flew fine until I was heading to the pattern to land and totally zoned out, too high, too fast, Sandy my instructor said, when are you going to start landing procedure, I rushed the landing and learned the insidious effect alcohol has on piloting.
Thanks for sharing. yeah, I can't imagine not having 100% of your focus in the cockpit. That would be scary!
Accidentally hitting “Aux” button on G430 audio panel on approach during my CPL check-ride thus completely turning off right headset (still not sure if it is designed this way). It took my DPE few minutes to troubleshoot, he was a bit confused as well. Passed;-)
Interesting! thank you for sharing!!
Carb ice kills. EFI is really the way to go.
This summer I was about to take off in a 172, full power and then we started turning to the side all weird and I just slammed my feet on the brakes and tried to power down but my panic lead me to twisting the knob instead of just pulling the power out.
I was way too tired and unprepared looking back. I thought that I was overcorrecting for the yaw, but I am also pretty sure it was compounded by the fact we had to make a narrow turn to line up and I hadnt lined the nose wheel straight.
Learned a lot about taking my time and preparing for a real emergency. After all it could've been a blown tired, or anything really.
My instructor helped me regain directional control and stop the plane. I wish we had talked about it more but he was mostly telling me not to worry about it too much and relax.
I guess he is right though, nothing happened and he flew us home., and I learned some valuable lessons.
Thanks for sharing, Noah! Good lesson learned for sure, and I think you have good introspection about it.
@@AirplaneAcademy Thank you! You're the one who got me feeling inspired to open up about it (:
Recently, I flew my first commercial solo training and It has been 2 year since I last solo and file a flight plan. So when I file them and landed at a uncontrol airport. Then I taxi up to the run up area and then I realized, oh shoot. How do I cancel ifr flight plan. I almost panic and call any number I remember. Then when I reach to the flight service station. I explain to them and they were very understandable and help me out with the canceling.
What I take from this mistake is knowing how to file, open and closed a flight plan and ask for help even if it is embarrassing. Lol
One of my cross country solos during training I didn't properly exam the weather at my destination airports and in between. It was clear and calm at my departure airport so off I went! I got to 3000 MSL and there was a thick smoke layer (fires out west at the time) and it was extremely bumpy. I was bouncing all over the place and the smoke layer was so thick that I couldn't see the horizon. I got flight following and learned that my destination airport had big wind gusts. I nearly had 2 bird strikes with some large hawks or eagles. I immediately turned around and went back. It was a strange hostile sky that day... I learned my lesson! Got my PPL this past November and now working on my tailwheel endorsement in a Citabria that I am part owner of!
Thank you for sharing! Great experience. Also, congrats on owning the citabria!! That will be AWESOME experience and make you a really good pilot. I've only flown in one once but have hours in a super cub. You'll be so glad to be tailwheel proficient!
@@AirplaneAcademy This was the dream at the get go! I can already tell it's making me a better pilot!
A smart man learns from his mistakes, A wise man learns from the mistakes of others.
Good stuff. Thank you for the share. I'm a new pilot and plane owner based kfws. Would enjoy a meet up with ya. ENJOY the channel
Thanks David! I'm hoping to organize a DFW get-together of some sort once covid calms down some. Stay tuned!
I just found your channel and I love your videos but I have to ask, where did you get your “gaston’s” hat?
Hi - thanks! Got it at Gaston's, of course! 3M0 (zero)... worth the visit and the stay. Great place.
ppl french sudent here. what would have been the correct reaction to an engine stop at 200ft alt on final ? I suggest go to flap 1 and land like that ? (I ll ask my instructor tomorrow anyway.)
Messed up my mic sensitivity knob. Me and my instructor ( an active f16 pilot) could not figure it out and we ended up screaming at each other to communicate throughout the whole flight( one ear hanging out the headset and the lot) a conversation with the chief instructor and an irritated walk to the airplane later solved the mystery..felt like a fucking idiot..
I left my master on over the Christmas holiday last month.
Dear lord...
Situational Awareness and 3 degree's of separation at all times....of course I'm a rotary guy....
What you are saying with the tailwheel aircraft is that the airplane is basically designed to be a weathervane. When it is flying, it faces the wind (direction of flight). But on the ground, if the wind is blowing faster in another direction than the aircraft is traveling, it wants to turn to face the wind.
You have more guts than I do. I don't fly tailwheels. Why make your life harder?
I busted Class C on my PPL check ride. I made right closed traffic when I was instructed to make left closed traffic. I couldn't land on a 40 foot wide runway after 3 go arounds, so I scrubbed the landing and flew home to try another day. Basically, I'm a crappy pilot.
Hey David. Thanks for sharing your story here. Just want to encourage you that these mistakes are so common and you aren't alone. Try to not beat yourself up too much. If you read through the other comments here you'll see others voicing their own mistakes and I think you'll find that you really aren't alone.
I get the impression from your videos that you're a super high-paid engineer to be able to have the time and money for... a hobby really.
Have any resources for people intending to make this into a career?
Hi Ernie - I put together a starting guide that has the most frequently asked questions I get about aviation and I tried to answer them all in one place... you can get it on the homepage at airplaneacademy.com - hope it helps! You can also respond to any of those emails that you get from me and I'm happy to discuss more.
So my stupid runup story: I was in Mexico, getting ready to depart. In Mexican airports, they don't really do much separation of light and heavy aircraft. You will often be operating on the same runways as the commercial heavy traffic. I got clearance to the runway, and didn't see an obvious place to runup the aircraft. So I asked ground for a runup. They asked me if I was ready to depart. I asked them again about the runup, but it rapidly dawned on me that they had no idea what a runup was. So I requested "taxi back to parking", went back, found a place to runup there, and then requested back to the runway.
I learned rapidly how to deal with controllers in Mexico. I never did see a runup area. Sometimes I did get a controller who was knowledgeable and just advised me to 'runup in place" on the taxiway.
Interesting! I didn't know that about Mexico. Good to know.
Surviving mistakes is how you learn, pilots listening to other pilots about the mistakes they've made is how they can learn from the same mistakes. Tnx.
Doh, no carb heat !
(Well, if it makes you feel better...
I remember being at end of the downwind abeam the runway and pulling the power back...then the engine dies. I accidentally pulled the mixture. Let’s just say the instructor wasn’t impressed.)
I did that, but caught myself before it died. Instructor also not impressed.
One cable is the microphone, the other is the headset.
Microphone = “transmitting”, headset = “receiving”?
If you don't lean on the gound, you're trying to take off with less than max hp.
Is that true even at ~1000 MSL? I'm still a student pilot, airport at just under that, flying Diamond DA-20's, and it's not been discussed (yet).
Should follow prescribed operating procedures for the particular a/c.
I wouldn't lean on takeoff a Cessna for example at near sea level altitudes.
@@somaesch2769 Thanks. I have since chatted with my CFI about it, and he says they don't lean DA20's on the ground (at our airport), but they do so lean DA40's.
Is flying your career?
Hi Dusty - nope, just a big passion and hobby of mine.
Still a few weeks (flying hours of solo XC's plus checkride preps) away from PPL, I've "learned a lot" from things like taking off with LDG instead of TO flaps ("gosh this DA-20 is particularly sluggish today!"), failing to properly determine the orientation of my planned landing runway in order to approach the downwind leg on the 45 and then not recovering in a sufficiently safe manner ("good thing nobody's taking off from the runway right now, I'M RIGHT HERE!!"), and a coupla times accidentally switching off avionics instead of the fuel pump ("hey where'd everybody go??"), among other things.
But the toughest was the tail strike on my 1st takeoff for the day, trying to do a (CFI-directed) soft-field takeoff that I hadn't practiced in awhile and not in those cooler conditions than we'd had all summer when I started out, then feeling horrible about it and being very "behind the plane" as a result, so we didn't do my 1st controlled-field solo that day. Really made me wonder if I should give up flying, I was in such a funk about it! Got over it mainly by being more disciplined about chair flying AND being honest about asking for help, including asking the CFI to do a maneuver like that for me first, while I shadowed the controls, to remind me what it looked and felt like.
Some of these "mistakes" are actually great opportunities to learn what certain failure modes feel like, the takeoff-with-LDG-flaps being a good example. 1st time it happened, I was struggling for awhile to reach the desired takeoff speed and probably at 300' AGL before figuring it out; the 2nd, though months later, I immediately realized (just off the ground) why the bird felt sluggish and what I'd done, and fixed it.
The more you know what a mistake or equipment failure feels, sounds, or looks like, and how best to respond, the calmer you'll be if/when it happens again. As you say (re the pulled-out mic cable), just work the problem, while still flying the plane of course! And a good dose of "what is this telling me about my plane, my position, etc" might avoid disaster in the future; so don't just disregard something weird because you don't think it's needed at that moment.
This is all really well said and I appreciate you sharing all of it! In my last annual I realized that I had scraped the tie down hook on the tail of my airplane from over-rotating at some point... I was embarrassed by that but it happens. You aren't alone! All of the things you mentioned I can definitely relate to. Hang in there!