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Video: Climbing Out Deadstick


winsor68

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A T-Cart (craft?) is a Taylor Craft... basically a US Auster. I would guess the winding handle is the trim?

 

A legend from my childhood involves a Legendary Pilot from out West called Don Hunt. He owned a Cessna Wren and apparently used to regularly have people on the ground fretting because he was past his fuel expiry time when flying... apparently used to regularly take her soaring very successfully.

 

His introduction to the Leichhardt Soaring Club involved this young bloke in his early 20's arriving at the field and pestering the members with "Bullsxxt" stories and asking what sort of aircraft they required as a Tow Plane because he would like to buy one... of course people thought he was joking until one day a member did a search and discovered he was a self made millionaire and owned half a dozen aircraft!

 

No one ever saw his license and it is still widely believed he didn't have one. Some years later my Uncle provided a Super Cub for glider towing and told the pilots "If Don Hunt turns up and wants to fly the Cub ask him to show you his license"... Of course Don duly rocked up at Cloncurry and convinced one of the pilots to give him a go in the Cub (without seeing the license)

 

So... there is the pilot in the back seat with Don sitting up the front (of course everyone knew he was a very natural and skillful pilot regardless of license status) at 1000 feet entering the circuit when Don calls "Thermal!" shuts down the motor and turns in to it!!! Apparently a heart stopping moment for the back seat passenger as the aircraft starter motor was a bit hit and miss but it all worked out OK in the end.

 

 

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Really enjoyed that. He can fly OK. (understatement).. Tapping the altimeter is necessary to reduce the hysteresis in the mechanism as he needs the movement to gauge the effect of the thermal. When the engine is running the vibration does it for you. Some instruments have a vibrator in them for this purpose.. ( Older type in jets like the B707, 727 etc)... Nev.

 

 

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Guest Maj Millard

Just a great display of basic flying skills IMOP. Love the click of the mags as he shuts it off. Absolutly no reason why you shouldn't be able to soar (climb) a taylorcraft in that country with the right thermal pumping, as they often do when it's real hot. The taylorcraft has a big wing for it's type of aircraft, and it's light. The Auster by the way is actually a license built copy of the original Taylorcraft.

 

Nice deadstick landing with good controlled sideslipping, to put him on the long strip. Bob Hoover would be impressed with his energy management.

 

These are the skills we all should possess as pilots !...................................................................Maj...024_cool.gif.7a88a3168ebd868f5549631161e2b369.gif :thumb_up::thumb_up:

 

 

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You should check out the dude's Youtube Channel... He is obviously a very, very skilled bush pilot... and has other talents... This guy is COOL COOL COOL!!

 

Many of you would have seen this before....

 

 

 

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  • 1 year later...

Funny, some time ago I mentioned something like this with my UL450 Jabbie which has a claimed 17:1 glide and relatively low sink rate. I was pretty much pounced on and firmly chastised! Luckily I have a couple of CFI mates who are also into gliding ;)

 

Laurie

 

 

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Guest Maj Millard

Love the way he keeps tapping the altimeter, knows he needs it to be accurate towards the end. Great piece of flying in my book....he's an avaitor for sure !!..................................................Maj...012_thumb_up.gif.cb3bc51429685855e5e23c55d661406e.gif

 

 

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Guest Maj Millard

Hot tub ballard....What a man will do to get his joystick played with !!....great plane, great song, nice girl...what a man !!...........................................Maj...012_thumb_up.gif.cb3bc51429685855e5e23c55d661406e.gif 012_thumb_up.gif.cb3bc51429685855e5e23c55d661406e.gif 011_clap.gif.c796ec930025ef6b94efb6b089d30b16.gif 012_thumb_up.gif.cb3bc51429685855e5e23c55d661406e.gif 014_spot_on.gif.1f3bdf64e5eb969e67a583c9d350cd1f.gif

 

 

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Love the way he keeps tapping the altimeter, knows he needs it to be accurate towards the end. Great piece of flying in my book....he's an avaitor for sure !!..................................................Maj...012_thumb_up.gif.cb3bc51429685855e5e23c55d661406e.gif

Either that or he didn't have a vario or vsi and the best he had to see whether he was climbing or not, ie in the thermal, was to often give the altimeter a tap to see which way it was going. I suspect he would have no need for an altimeter to work out whether or not he was going to make it to his landing area.

 

 

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Guest Maj Millard

Point taken keenaviator, However whenever I'm descending deadstick (I used to switch the Drifter off quite often) the altimeter gets a fair bit of attention for that final set up to landing. Don't want to find yourself too low or too far out to make the selected landing point..on the opposite side of the coin, if your a little high a good sideslip will get rid of it, just like our friend did.................................................Maj...012_thumb_up.gif.cb3bc51429685855e5e23c55d661406e.gif

 

 

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