Turlock Fly-In
From ultralight-flight-errors@inslab.uky.edu Wed Feb 21 17:24:20 1996
Return-Path: (ultralight-flight-errors@inslab.uky.edu)
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 16:50:36 EST
From: MR JOHN M TALBERT (talbert@stonemedia.com)
X-Mailer: PRODIGY Services Company Internet mailer [PIM 3.2-334.50]
Message-Id: (013.01746708.talbert@stonemedia.com)
To: ultralight-flight@ms.uky.edu
Subject: Flying Stories (long)
Status: R
Since a lot of folks out there have been stuck on the ground with the
bad weather, I thought I would pass along a story I wrote last summer
after one of my flights. It should go right along with Broomsticks
stories of crash and destruction. Hope you enjoy it.
I arrived at the Lodi airport early in the morning on a beautiful
Summer day, excited about flying my Challenger ultralight to the
annual Turlock Fly-in. Jim, another Challenger owner and Ben, a Kolb
flyer planned to make the trip with me. This was my first cross-
country and first opportunity to fly with other ultralighters since
moving to California. Imagine my surprise when GT Jim, GT for short,
taxied up unexpectedly in his GT-400, and a Beaver from Sacramento on
its way to the fly-in landed to refuel. After introductions and
refueling, we departed the airport with the lone GPS equipped aircraft
in the lead.
With only a 5 gallon fuel tank I didn't think I could make it all the
way to Turlock, so we made a fuel stop in Oakdale about 40 miles south
of Lodi. After refueling we departed safely and continued on to the
fly-in. Im sure we made an impression on the spectators below, as
all 5 of us passed over the runway, turned downwind, set up for the
approach and landed safely. We spent the rest of the day admiring all
the other aircraft, talking to fellow pilots and watching the aerial
competitions.
After a full day of activities it was time to leave, so we said our
good-byes and prepared for the trip home. Because we hadnt refueled
in Turlock, GT and I would again require a fuel stop in Oakdale before
heading on to Lodi. We had followed the pilot with the GPS on the way
down, but he had departed earlier that day, so we would have to
navigate home the old fashioned way. Ben, an excellent pilot and
navigator was chosen to lead the way. About halfway to Oakdale I
noticed that Jim and GT were veering off to the East. I thought we
were following Ben, so I couldnt figure where they were going.
Suddenly, I realized how valuable a radio could be when our group
started to separate and I couldnt talk to the other pilots. As the
separation increased, I found myself in a dilemma. Should I follow
Ben, whos navigation skills were excellent, or Jim, whom I thought
was more familiar with the route? I opted to follow Jim. If I had
brought my sectional with me, I could have cross checked our
navigation, but I had unfortunately left it back in Lodi. I made the
mistake of depending upon the naviagation skills of other pilots to
get me home safely. Before long Ben disappeared off to the West, and
I chided myself for not bringing my sectional.
The Oakdale airport is located on the Southeast edge of Oakdale, and I
thought I could see the city up ahead. As we got closer I strained my
eyes looking for the airport, "It should be right in front of us," I
told myself. I was scanning frantically for a runway, because I knew
that I would run out of gas if I didnt land soon. As we passed over
what I thought was Oakdale, Jim made a 90 degree turn to the West and
I realized we were lost. I had no idea where the "real" Oakdale was
and for a brief moment, panic swept over me. After regaining my
composure, I started thinking about my options. My first thought was
to gain altitude, figuring the additional altitude would help me find
a suitable landing site if I ran out of fuel. Next, I debated whether
to land immediately, or wait until I ran out of gas. I decided to
land while I still had fuel, since the idea of a dead stick landing
didnt appeal to me. I also worried about GT, who I knew was in the
same predicament as I was. I didnt want to walk for help any
farther than I had to, so I picked a pasture next to a home, circled
down and landed safely.
I looked up after landing, hoping that the others had seen me, but
they were no where in sight. I did catch the eye of a surprised
homeowner who was out watering her yard. She was very hospitable and
offered me a map, directions, and some gas. She showed me that I was
only about 10 miles south of Oakdale, and with renewed confidence, I
took off and headed straight for the airport. When I arrived, Ben was
there, patiently waiting and wondering where the rest of us had gone.
I explained to him what had happened to me, and we both expressed
worries about GT.
After refueling, we took off and had an uneventful trip back to Lodi.
We were surprised after landing when Jim drove up and told us that he
flown direct to Lodi after realizing he was lost. He didnt know that
GT and I had been following him and hadnt seen me go down. He also
expressed concern that GT hadnt arrived yet and we all pondered what
had become of him. Later that week we learned that GT had not seen my
emergency landing and had attempted to follow Jim direct to Lodi
without the fuel stop. GT can see his fuel tank in flight, so he kept
a close eye on the fuel level and figured that he would land if the
fuel got too low. GT assumed that if there was still gas in the tank,
the engine would run until the tank was dry. Wrong! The fuel pick-up
went nowhere near the bottom of the tank, so he unexpectedly ran out
of gas 17 miles from the airport. He made a hard landing in a field
and broke off one of his main gears. Luckily, a friendly farmer was
nearby and was able to weld the axle back together. With some gas and
a temporary repair to his axle, GT was able to take off and make it
back to Lodi.
I thought about the events of that day and realized that our group had
made some serious mistakes, and we were lucky that no one had been
seriously hurt. I would like to discuss some of those mistakes and
suggest some things we could have done to make the day a lot safer.
Our first mistake was not discussing group flight procedures prior to
taking off. If we had properly planned that days flight, we could
have avoided all the trouble we got into. Items such as route of
travel, aircraft separation, forced landing procedures, and
communication techniques would have been appropriate. When flying in
a group, and especially when the group hasnt flown together before,
ensure all flyers have a complete understanding of the route ahead and
who will be doing the navigating. In addition, never leave your
sectional at home unless you are thoroughly familiar with the route and
have no doubt about your ability to get home without it. You never
know when you might have to navigate by yourself.
How about communicating? If some aircraft lack radios such as in our
situation, place the planes with radios in the lead and trail
positions. This will enable the trailing aircraft to notify the lead
aircraft if someone in the middle has run into problems. If no one
has radios, work out some hand signals and fly in a formation that
allows everyone to see each other. This is especially important in
case your group will be flying over hostile terrain and someone went
down. If needed, you will be able to accurately direct rescue
authorities to your downed partners.
Fuel planning was another problem. When GT and I decided not to
refuel in Turlock, it proved to be our most serious mistake, and
resulted in forced landings. If small tanks limit your range, take
every opportunity to top off your fuel supply. Also, be thoroughly
familiar with the range and endurance aspects of your aircraft. Keep
a close eye on your watch during long flights and be suspicious if it
seems like you have more fuel than you should. Its possible for your
fuel gauge to malfunction and give you false readings.
I have discovered that flying with friends can provide some of our
most exciting and memorable events, but before taking off, ensure that
you and your group are properly prepared. A little time spent
planning before you leave will increase the odds that your trip will
be safe and problem free.
John Talbert
Vacaville, CA
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