Well Done, Young Lady!

[Montelores]

Teen pilot confident under pressure

Young pilot safely lands plane after losing a wheel on takeoff

By John Castelluccio Staff Writer Sep 10, 2018

http://www.gloucestertimes.com/news/local_news/confident-under-pressure/article_b25a4e95-a977-56a3-a44f-a89db41287fd.html

Monty

 

[Fox Mike]

All I see is this:
Private mode detected!
In order to read our site, please exit private/incognito mode
or login to continue.
Don't know what they are speaking of but I am not 'logging in' to something I have no idea what it is.

 

[Montelores]

Search: Maggie Taraska.

Sorry for any confusion.

gloucestertimes.com

Monty

 

[gramps]

A student pilot with 60 hours? You can take your flight test at 40! This was her first solo cross country? Sounds like the instructor was racking up money! Good Job Maggie!
gramps

 

[Montelores]

You're right, gramps.

It really wasn't much of an accomplishment.

Thanks for making it real.

Monty

 

[bogus bill]

Few people get their license at the minimum 40 hours. Without checking my old log books I would guess I got mine at fifty or so. I also lost a wheel on my citabria but I wasn't a new pilot. I had just got it through it`s first annual and the FBO had okayed everything. I had already owned it close to a year and had time in maybe six other planes. I had a blind date a friend had fixed me up with that was his boss. I picked her up at a airport near her place and we went for one of those famous fifty dollar burgers that ended up costing me a fortune. We flew to the California City airport. I had a normal landing that turned to chise. The citabria is a taildragger and I lost my left main. We skidded to a stop and spun around.
I couldn't at first figure out what went wrong and hated myself. I wasn't exactly brand new at it as I had just got through flying it to Oshkosh Wisconsin and back from California.
We found the axle had a old crack. It had rusted completely through and finally snapped off on landing. That axle was welded to a plate that was bolted to the gear leg. The defect wasn`t found in its annual. Later I got a call from some lawyer for another pilot that also had a citabria that also lost a wheel and wanted my info. Seemed there was a number of us that had the same event. Finally the FAA made the company and all owners go to a one piece axle that was molded to the mounting plate instead of welded. That was the end of my flying for many years. I had just went through a divorce, the prop had hit and engine had to be tore down, I decided to have the engine overhauled and the plane needed recovering anyway. I have a friend that restores and rebuilds airplanes. Probably like Wyandot Jim, he also owned his own strip and hanger. It was a veeery long term project as he also had problems, a invalid wife etc etc. Finally I got the plane back about three years ago (like new), redid my physical and testing. Then after a year I get some heart stents and other physical flying no no`s! Sold the plane early last year. Wife wouldn't fly with me anyway. And so it go`s.
There aint much you can do when you lose a wheel. Your still going to land one way or another. The field I landed on didnt have a tower so there was no discussing tactics. I recall just lifting it off again for a few seconds and cutting the engine and holding the wing up as long as I could. That's all anyone could do. I did once read about someone radio in and getting a flatbed truck to race along side and setting his wing or gear leg down on it as they raced down the runway! That was about fifty years ago. Someone filmed it. If you can do that it would save about forty thousand dollars worth of grief! I don't know how my friends boss treated him after that. I was too ashamed to call for another date.

 

[Bull Barrel]

You can get your ticket at 35 hours.

 

[bogus bill]

Things have changed since my time. That's odd. There are far more rules and regulations and the system etc is more complex now. The actual flying was simple for me but all the other phases and things to know were harder for me. I have never done well with abbreviations, and all things to do with flying is abbreviation talk.
I loved flying however unless you are rich or plan on doing it as a career most people cant justify the cost. There is a huge helicopter school through the college here. I have talked to some of the students, director etc. My understanding is it can cost $250,000!!!! Most that go through it have the GI bill. A normal non vet cant afford that. AND then their first job is usually as a instructor so they can build time for insurance purpose, and to qualify for a good job. From what I hear, instructors don't make that much a hour. Hell of a deal for a quarter million education! So lets say you do get through it, then get a physical condition where you cant pass your physical. There go`s your 1/4 million education and you still have to make a living and learn something else!
Of course if you want to gamble when you own a plane there is some shortcuts but if someone rats you and FAA inspectors get in the act you can be in a world of hurt.

 

[caryc]

Don't mean to go off subject here but this does have to do with the cost of flying and ownership. On "Mountain Men" on TV one of those couples has been taking lessons from a friend on flying a bush plane in Alaska.

This couple lives in a shack and has basically nothing. Now, all they need is a plane. Where are they going to get the money to buy an airplane ????????

 

[bogus bill]

They aint cheap. Most anything flyable and aint facing soon overhaul will probably start around $35,000 bottom and up. All but the very simplest maintenance has to be done and/or blessed by a A&P and they have the license to charge. Engine overhauls start above 20K, and recommended TBO overhauls are about 2,000 hours on the popular 150 HP engines.
My first plane, a Piper Tri Pacer was $5,000 in 1976. Today on that airplane in the same shape it was would be close to 10X that. Last year I sold my Citabria for 45 K, I paid $5,800 for it back in 1977 but when I sold it, it was restored like new. It is a small two seater. The same airplane is still made and a new one is over 200K!! Av gas is running about $5.50 a gallon and the smaller planes burn like 8 gallons a hour. I don't know what 2 seat trainer planes rent for now, but I suspect they start around $120 a hour and the instructors probably get $30?? Ground school usually costs too however I have went for free + books here at our local college but that's unusual. I don't think they offer it for free anymore. Then there is the cost of the mandatory annual, and they aint cheap even if the plane hasn`t been flown that year
Now as far as those reality shows go, I don't think you can believe much. I always get a charge watching the guys playing primitive. Where do you think that camera crew is staying nights and eating? Awhile back one slow afternoon my wife and I were eating at the local Chilli`s. A guy met his girl friend there. He had come to watch himself on one of those reality shows I think was put on by National Geographic. The four of us watched it together. It was about these three guys riding horses and living off the land with blackpowder rifles traveling the northwest towards the Grand Tetons. I worked a season for the park service in the Tetons back in 1961 so it was interesting. I asked him how he got on the show and he said "They found me." I surmise he was a local guide or whatever.
I was watching one where this guy lives in a shack in the middle of nowhere but owns a Piper Cub that must cost a 100G. It showed him flying way back in to shoot a Elk and he must do this to survive the winter! The cost of flying that plane to do it would cost him more as as a sure thing of buying a freezer full of prime beef! Course that wouldn't be as much fun.

 

[Jeepnik]

I’ve seen pilots with many combat hours get the shakes after blowing a tire and leaving the runway. They usually exited the aircraft in record time and set speed records moving away.

The only one that caused concern was the one that didn’t shut it down. A couple of squirts into the intakes took care of that.

 

[bogus bill]

Got to tell this one. I worked for the National Park Service in 1960. They sent us to a huge fire in Sequoia or Kings canyon. I was working the heliport. I looked over and couldn't believe what I was seeing. A pilot was gassing his Bell G2 with the engine running with a jerry can. Fire was popping out of the exhaust and while pouring the gas in using both arms he was attempting to light his cigar on the fire popping! I and another guy both grabbed extinguishers and ran over just as the can exploded. He threw the can down and flames were under and all around the chopper! We got it out almost immediately and it all was so quick I dont think it damaged the chopper.