Sunday, July 15, 2012

*Update* Original video was removed from public viewing, here's another youtube of it. This fellow handles an off-airport landing pretty well. I really wasn't sure how this was going to end up. Watch til the end for the extra-clenched bum. Here's what the pilot said about it: "Complacency has no place in soaring. I was trained better than to have lingered on the lee-side of a ridge over rough terrain. The dramatic outlanding was due to my actions exclusively. While tight turns over roofs, brushing treetops and dodging street signs are not desired flight maneuvers, they do make for interesting viewing. An almost perfect (for a power pilot and plane but not a sailplane) landing until an unnoticed mailbox catches the right wing of the sailplane about 8 inches from the tip. The original is 16 minutes of Full High Definition Video and shows every second of the events leading to this out-landing/ crash. It has been closely reviewed and much learning has taken place. My instructor, safety officer, FAA and NTSB were all outstanding professionals in helping grow skills from this experience. More videos on this are coming. See if you can spot how the differences between a power pilot's training and a glider pilot's training could have contributed to this outcome."

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a glider, right? It's a little different when you are that slow and your descent rate is something like 50fpm. But I would have been nervous on the road with wings that wide.

amulbunny's random thoughts said...

Pretty neat.

How's fatherhood treating you? Has the kid gotten more hair than you? LOL.

Frank Ch. Eigler said...

That's a pretty darned fast glider.

Gregulator said...

Break stole the video from YouTube. Here's the original, uploaded by the pilot. The video description has some insight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqf0HqpnySA

capnaux said...

Welcome back, Sulako!

AWESOME vid!!! LOL, the things we do for our craft (filmmaking, that is, j/k!!)

I wish I'd seen this a few weeks ago when I was cutting the upcoming vlog, "Zen and the Art of Landing," lol!

Gonna share this one, thanks!!

Sarah said...

Yeah, it's a glider. A Schweizer 1-26.

It is relatively low performance as gliders go, min sink is 174 ft/min and the span is 40'.

The latter helped a little, clearing almost all the fences.. ( my span is 15m or 50 feet ) but the poor glide performance didn't help.

He tried to clear the ridge with nowhere near enough altitude, and ended up making the best of a very bad situation. He did manage to fly it all the way to the stop, and didn't stall/spin. Good job.

Ward said...

Darn, "This video is private"

Dr Bob said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dr Bob said...

If you get the 'private video' message, you can try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKVmLg5cEPk

getjets said...

HOLD ON......ONE MINUTE......

Isn't there supposed to be some sort of 'Cheap Ass piece of yarn' taped or glued to... to the front windshild.....to let ya know if leaning too much to the left or right.......??....Just asking???

Good thing the...'toddler pampers' in the trash can cushioned the blow....on landing.........:)

Please don't missunderstand....Thank God he was safe....!!!

and no one lost 'cable'...

MissTWA......♠

Sarah said...

Getjets, there is a "yawstring", It's tied to his pitot tube, which a bent tube on the top of the nose.

More typically, yes, glider pilots use taped on pieces of yarn. This cheap ass instrument was invented ( or stolen from similar use on sailboats ) by the Wright brothers.

getjets said...

'Phew'.........
Thanks Sarah..!!!

I only knew about the 'cheap ass' piece of yarn....from
Bas's Wonderful blog......(Aviation Talk and Sky Science)...he lives in the Netherlands........He had several classes....and flew in a 'Glider'....and when watching the video of it..I thought...is that flapping thing......a piece of yarn.........???!!!

So I asked Bas....WTF..is that......
He informed me.........that its "A cheap Ass piece of yarn".......so the
'cheap ass'......kinda stuck ....(yes pun)
His Blog is a Fabulous place to visit....!!!

......I hate to think my mouth overloaded my a__!!!!
AGAIN....eshhh
Again...Thanx Sarah.....☺

MissTWA

Anonymous said...

I guess the video was removed. I flew F-4s for over 1200 hours and I was never so scared as losing lift in a glider and trying to make it back to the field. Ha! Glider pilots have ice-water in the veins.