Back in 1990 when I was learning to fly, I had a mishap. I was going to make my first cross country with my instructor. I was told to be at the field at 5:00 as she had another student. I was flying from a satellite field about 20 miles away. Well, when I got to the airport, the airplane was out of gas. The tank was dry and I was already late. I should have listened to the signs, however… I went to town for the car gas that it used, got the gas and fueled up the plane and took off for the airport that the lesson was going to be from. While in the pattern I read the sock all wrong and landed on a short strip with the wind on my tail. I dragged the wheels all the way till I came to the end. At the end there was a hump that went onto the highway. The wheels hit the hump and the nose came down. I hit the prop that drove the tail back to the ground. I was not hurt, but my pride and the airplane was in bad shape. After a new prop, crank and tail feathers AND $8,000.00, the plane was flying again. A month later a pilot took that same plane from the satellite field on a hot and humid day, over weight, full tanks and the wind on his tail and could not keep it up. He landed in a corn field up side down next to the airport and this time the plane was totaled, he and his passenger also walked away ok. The moral of the story, if you are in a hurry, take the Bus, the Train, a bike or walk, However, DON’T FLY!!! If anyone today tries to hurry me to fly today, we don’t fly period! That was too close!
Learning the Hard Way by William Gleason
