Pilot with 1000s of hrs experience flying for BA encounters an intermittent engine problem below 500ft, thought this was really interesting.
Aircraft designed to land on grass. Why try for the airfield when there is so much grass around. Many pilots have died trying to make it back to the airfield. Everyone does practice engine failures into fields all the time as part of flying, but we never actually land.
I would think so looked to be, I don’t fly but on rough ground I would have thought carriage down would be worse unless you know the field is even enough. However my Father was in the RAF so by extension I’m an expert on this subject. On our group cycle ride the group hauled a pilot out of his crashed aircraft, took a while to find the plane in a field of crop. Ducking joypilots
Yes, belly, he explains further in the footage, he put gear down for the airfield and then had to retract for the crash landing
Not me dad he dead To narrow the field. Just thinking about his options as I watched it unfold I think he tried for the airfield but lost height too much. Like I said if he knew the field was hard ground and not too uneven maybe undercarriage down. But then again wheels down would reduce his airspeed quicker. So for me belly down was his only choice given that it’s more equal as such whatever the ground condition is. See my pilot license is now in the post after that answer, Chocks away and Tally ho be back before breakfast and no mistake.
I spent my life as an engineer in the RAF and am now a PPL holder with around 900 hours, one thing that I do know is never try to get back to the airfield. Every time you bank left or right you will lose more height than you think. Once the engine has done something strange then forget it, switch it off, you cannot know if it will get you back.
Very funny. Be a pilot, it can be much easier than you think. Find your local microlight airfield and have a trial flight in a flexwing microlight. I say flexwing because most pilots are bikers or ex-bikers. It is the cheapest way into flying without spending the £5,000+ on a group A PPL. It's the way I started. Here is an old video of me at my little airstrip.
I have a airstrip a mile from where I live Otherton Penkridge, I wanted my Son to learn but he doesn’t seem interested. We cycle past on occasion watch the micro lights and light aircraft take off. We’ll often go to the Cosford museum too. Thanks
