Wing re-build, washout question

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Wing re-build, washout question

Your comments didn't rub the fir, sometimes the management at NASA sure does though. Your comment was pretty typical of the general public on flight safety issues. It is a complex topic and there are lots of statisticians who play free and loose with the statistics and cause a lot of the problems. The real issue is that we should go into risky endeavors with our eyes wide open. If we are going to explore space we WILL lose vehicles and crews. The solution is to KNOW the real risks and make informed choices knowing the chances of loosing the throw of the dice. If we lie to the people, twist the statistics, then lynch someone with blame when things go wrong we do a huge disservice to those who take the risks (INFORMED risks) to advance the science. I did training for astronaut classes, and they KNEW the risks, and took them. Every one of them knew the chances they would be blown to cinders or killed by radiation or suffocated in an accident. We had brave people lined up to do it anyway.

It is the same with us and our flying old airplanes. EVERY time we go up we KNOW we are taking a risk (not nearly the risk an astronaut does, but much higher than taking up bridge). We do it anyway because it is worth it. We love it and our lives wouldn't be complete without it. The old statistic about the most dangerous part of a GA plane flight being hte drive to the airport is BUNK. I know, I ran the numbers. Our risk is about the same as riding a motorcycle. Yea, I know, shocked me too! We do what we can to reduce the risk. The total risk is based on ALL GA flights and normal driving. That means the risk taken by the idiots out there who "flat-hat", don't get weather forecasts, skip parts of the pre-flight, don't use check lists and all the other things we see all the time and say, "Well, NOT ME! I wouldn't do that!", are included in the data. Fly safe and DON'T fly when you shouldn't and your odds get better, just like staying off the worst roads at rush hour makes driving safer.

What WE do helps us the most and we need to not tempt fate. I have lost too many friends already (astronauts AND GA pilots). Stay safe folks! Have fun, but DON'T take those chances.

Now "Hold my beer and WATCH THIS!!!!" ;-)

Hank

[astjp2]

Re: Wing re-build, washout question

And don't forget to have your survivors sue the mechanic immediately before the NTSB report comes out because they had to be wrong somehow..

[waltermrich]

Re: Wing re-build, washout question

On April 7th I lost a dear friend to an accident . He was flying with a 53 year old male student in a Cherokee 180 over a practice area south of I-80 a few miles west of Iowa City . I think the student was getting a high performance checkout . That is the area where they do stalls steep turns even spins. Something happened because witness's say they heard the engine backfire and spin to the ground the aircraft was completely destroyed on impact and the following fire, They were not even able to identify the type of aircraft at first. What myself and his friends are not sure about is whether he was at a higher altitude or closer to the ground when the aircraft went into a spin . The wreckage would indicate that he was at a higher altitude. We know that he would often demonstrate an insipient spin and teach recovery, he demonstrated that to me during my bi annuals . He was an excellent instructor with over 6 thousand hours so we know he could have recovered with adequate altitude , I have not heard directly from the witness so I have yet to know exactly what was said all has been only what I have heard from my friends, Its a sad event because He ran our local flying club for the last several years and was a friend to many coming by our place buzzing our field with his Wag areo Super Cub sometimes stopping by. He was a man of faith as well an elder in his church and was always asking to give rides to anyone who asked, or being there to help a fellow aviator in any way. We will surely miss him.

[waltermrich]

Re: Wing re-build, washout question

I forgot to mention his name, It was Terry Koehn age 70 a retired police officer from Coralville Ia, and an active flight instructor. He left a widow Darcy with a son and grandson they were married in the 70's. The student was Jim Spicer 53 a communication engineer from ITC in Cedar Rapids leaving his wife and two grown children. We are all waiting for the NTSB report but that takes months and is often inconclusive , was he at a low altitude practicing emergency landings with the gear down and low altitude not able to recover from a sudden stall,? or was he at a high altitude went into a practice spin and something broke on the aircraft. He was an excellent instructor , that's why its so puzzling. Im waiting to hear what exactly the witness's say. I do know that he died doing what he loved. And he is at rest for eternity with his Lord.

[TimHicks]

Re: Wing re-build, washout question

I'm so sorry.

[waltermrich]

Re: Wing re-build, washout question

Thank you