Friday, January 05, 2007

How NOT to do it!!

A Happy New Year to everyone!! I hope everyone is well rested and ready to take on what the New Year has in store for them?

One pilot however seems to have taken on a little too much. I don't remember if I told some of you about the story of a banner tow pilot who ran out of fuel and had to land on the highway running next to our airfield in San Diego. She landed safely that time, and was given the all clear to keep flying (i.e. the FAA didn't take her licence away from her).

Well, it seems that her luck just ran out. My friend John sent me an email and some pics of her banner towing plane which was truly plowed into the ground. Apparantly she went for the banner, climbed, stalled, recovered and stalled AGAIN!. Only this time she wasn't able top recover from the second stall.


It's clear from the photo's that she sadly did not make it, and I believe she died on impact. A very sobering thought to us pilots for the New Year. I only hope that the "stall pixies" will leave Matt and myself alone when we go Stateside for our aerobatics course.....although having said that, the course is indeed designed to make us better, safer pilots.

I myself don't know when I'll next be up in the air. I have a pretty hectic travel schedule ahead of me which includes Moscow, Kiev and Riga, but I hope to get up possibly next week for a quick spin. We'll wait and see what the weather does.

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