DanCubMan

Don't know why I bothered - totally missing the point.Lets start by admitting my mistakes before you all get uptight and on the offensive towards my experience / attitude / personality / eye colour. The mistake made was to not abort the take off. I had assessed the conditions for which I was not happy with, and I should have aborted. BUT the reality was I didn't and as a result I had to commit because it was too late to brake as I would have fallen off the end of the embankment so at this point I thought based on very quick risk assessment, I would get the speed required (which I just did) to take off and I chose this over braking late and falling end over end off the cliff.

 

I don't need to put my tail between my legs and say well, it just must be me, if I was a 5000 hour pilot I would have taken off much sooner with a better technique. This is missing the point again as if a 600m strip and a plane that is rated to be taking in 300m can not manage this (with all the multiples taken into account due to the temp, grass, weight, etc. etc.) how can it not be capable in 600m...??? Hmmmm, lets see... THE GRASS IS TOO LONG!

 

I should have aborted the take off when I heard the grass loudly whipping the spats and the feeling of drag from it holding the plane back - BUT this again is not the point. We are not talking here about me - this is the performance of the plane being affected by the unreasonably long grass. Why accept this obvious problem out of fear they won't let you use the strip again with my safety concern. You think I'm arrogant and ignorant, well this is arrogant and ignorant to put your desire to use the strip with your plane ahead of unsuspecting planes incoming (who may not make the right decision to not take off like I did). Remember this is not a perfect world and we all make mistakes and I feel this mistake will be made again and again until someone is killed as a result (an no we are not all perfect decision makers like some of you behind your computer screens like to think you are).

 

In reality this is a pressured decision also which (despite the training I know) due to the remoteness of the strip makes the decision biased due to the lack of other options to get out of there. If they make the correct decision not to take off when they see the shitstorm they have landed in, they will be stuck there until they convince the caretaker to bother to mow for them (not realistic). So this is why if they can simply mow the grass properly, this risk will be eliminated. Now what is wrong with eliminating some risk when it is simply a matter of cutting the grass lower (and no, it will not be a sandy bog if you cut it lower, the grass can easily be cut 50% lower and will have no issue (how do I know... I was there bending down looking at it in amazement at how long it was).

 

The reason for this post was to raise awareness that there is great caution needed at this airstrip. Instead I am being ragged on by every man and their dog for it with wise old words of advice on my decision making to take off in the first place. How the hell am I supposed to access grass length doing a fly by? You can't. If you think you can you are kidding yourself. Go fly by Orchid beach low (as I did before landing) and tell me you estimated right once you land and you feel it (it looks like short grass from the air). Calling ahead the caretaker told the pilot I flew in with that it was mowed 2 weeks before so this is safe to assume this will be okay as well. Not until we landed got out of the plane did it look long (again I admit I shouldn't have taken off, but this is not the point, the performance lost by the plane due to the grass is enough for something to be done - THIS IS THE POINT.

 

If you want to put your head in the sand despite the obvious difficulty which many will face (at this current grass length) you are an arrogant and selfish person. I don't really know why I am responding in such detail as really I am reaching out to people who are considering flying there, not the keyboard warriors hell bent on discrediting me. If you are okay with your particular plane in getting out of there. Good on you! Well done! Congratulations! But I don't care about you or your agenda. I care about the people who have no idea and would benefit from a heads up.

 

For potential Orchid Beach pilots who have never been: If you have spats and a single engine plane... Forget it unless you have assurance somehow that the grass is 'short' (hopefully by their standards at the shop there they wouldn't say the current condition would be considered short either, but who really knows). At least you know this story and as a result you might make a better decision to abort if you find yourself in the same runway condition I had to face there.

Don't quit trying to warn people if you think there's a problem.

By the same token when people give you some feedback put aside the stuff that's a bit harsh and have a good look at what their experience may be offering.

Don't blame others for your mistakes. The caretaker isn't to blame for you not having the take off performance, but yes it's right to warn others about your experience and that the grass is long at the moment. Licensed airfields are suffering the same problem here in nsw at the moment with a a wet Period and grass growing too quick while tractors can't get there to slash.

Unlicensed airfields are not really CASA's responsibility and either way it's always the pilots responsibility to assess conditions and performance.

While it may seem harsh (and some comments are harsh) to have this pointed out, there's no arrogance or agenda, it's the way it is. You're the captain of that aircraft. You've had a bad day. Warn others, but take responsibility.

Cheers

Ryan, you've done one right thing and that is to share the incident here.

Your interpretation of the incident appears poorly thought out and that's why you're getting some flack here.

Fill out an incident report and come to terms with what you missed out in your decision making:

- landing on what was unuseable for your aircraft and/or skill.

- taking off on what what unuseable for your aircraft and/or skill

- continuing takeoff when you were in doubt. If in doubt abort. This should be covered in your pre-takeoff brief.

That's not an extensive list, but hopefully you come to terms with what is your responsibility as a pilot.

Remember to take responsibility, not just on unlicensed strips like this, but anywhere.

I hope you push aside your defensiveness at peoples remarks here and accept your role in this near accident and have a safer time as you learn more about flying. I teach others now and the best bit is that everyday I learn more about flying and myself. A large amount will remain a mystery to the end. Be careful with the little bit of knowledge you have..

Cheers

What are the problems with SAAA, it CASA giving them grief too ?

Welcome Dan , nice machine you have

G'day all. I've been made aware of this site through the problems with SAAA at the moment. I hope people chatting here and elsewhere can come up with some sort of solution.

Besides that, it looks like a good place to find help and help others.♠