Piper Colt flipped

[Thruster88]

This nice Colt got up ended while waiting on the apron at cowra today. Wind did not seem very strong. The team from lachlan valley aviation righted it without further damage. I hope someone has the love it will need.

 

[Kenlsa]

I don’t need any parts at the moment

Ken

[Mike Gearon]

Bloody forums.. I wonder about them and this one today in light of mod activity then see this. It’s awful to see the aircraft in an undignified pose and think about the owner and what’s required. It’s also knowledge brought in. I knew LSA aircraft need more dive away from the wind etc while taxiing attention. Saw a forum in USA where one flipped taxiing.

 

I had no idea an aircraft could be upended like this not moving and obviously not in strong winds. Freakish. 

[Thruster88]

34 minutes ago, Mike Gearon said:

Bloody forums.. I wonder about them and this one today in light of mod activity then see this. It’s awful to see the aircraft in an undignified pose and think about the owner and what’s required. It’s also knowledge brought in. I knew LSA aircraft need more dive away from the wind etc while taxiing attention. Saw a forum in USA where one flipped taxiing.

 

I had no idea an aircraft could be upended like this not moving and obviously not in strong winds. Freakish. 

I have left the thruster sitting out in similar wind conditions,  it certainly made me think. Probably just a little  willy willy.

[kgwilson]

Prop & tail look like they escaped injury but probably some serious stuff to the wing and spars.

[onetrack]

I'll wager it was a savage little gust of wind that sprung up out of nowhere - a willy-willy, cock-eyed bob, dust devil, or whatever name you know it by. The BOM would refer to it as mini-tornado.

They are sudden, vicious, and can be very damaging. More than one caravanner has lost a complete awning to one, in a burst of sudden destruction.

They start with heating on a bright sunny day, on a big open bare area of concrete, bitumen, or just bare clayey ground, where thermals build up rapidly.

Just as rogue waves catch out rock fisherman unprepared, so do these mini-thermals catch out those who don't secure their aircraft to tiedowns when unattended.

[facthunter]

They can affect aircraft much larger than a Colt also.  Nev

[Old Koreelah]

Gyros are starting to look more attractive.

[Mike Gearon]

Cock-eyed Bob. 🙂 never heard of that. All mine will be labelled as such in future. Cock-eyed Bob made an appearance as we were landing the Foxbat out on French island some weeks back. Probably 1 wing high and he came in from the right. He was a viscous little bugger. Not much wind otherwise. I’ll use him as an excuse if I ever have to post up upside down aircraft I’ve managed out on the island. Hoping to not do so. Haven’t in fact ever seen many and maybe the Birdseye view made Bob obvious on that day.

Edited March 10, 2021 by Mike Gearon

[Thruster88]

Here is a picture from last week, a small stubble burn. That is a 6 metre power pole near the base of the willy willy. They are fairly common inland but usually go unseen unless there is ash or dust on ground.

 

[facthunter]

without leaves or dust they are invisible. A sea breeze overcoming a hot from the Land wind, can be exciting also. Nev

[Student Pilot]

Colts a lovely little aircraft

[facthunter]

Not biased of course.   Nev

[Student Pilot]

 

49 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Not biased of course.   Nev

 😁 Any Pipers are great little machines

[facthunter]

I like the Cubs,  Nev

[FlyBoy1960]

I thought they would be more dignified ways to drain out the oil ?

[Garfly]

1 hour ago, Student Pilot said:

Colts a lovely little aircraft

Too true!

 

 

31 minutes ago, Student Pilot said:

 

 😁 Any Pipers are great little machines

Yep, remember ye olde SWP conventions

 

 

[RFguy]

wind at YCWR was gusting 25 kts all afternoon. 

[facthunter]

Probably too much for most Lighties to be out of the hangar. Nev

[Bruce Tuncks]

I too never heard of a cock-eyed bob before. Whirywinds, thermals, willy-willies, mini-tornados ( for really strong ones). Strange we haven't got a proper word huh.

[kgwilson]

I think than tornado is the correct description with mini describing its size. When I was hang gliding we called them dust devils as they always occured when it was hot & dry presumably due to small thermals popping off and tiny areas of low pressure occurred & they tore along the ground picking up dust, dry grass, leaves etc and hang gliders if they were parked in the way. One happed at the launch site at Coronet Peak when about 40 gliders were set up. Created absolute havoc

[Jabiru7252]

On 11/03/2021 at 1:10 PM, Bruce Tuncks said:

I too never heard of a cock-eyed bob before. Whirywinds, thermals, willy-willies, mini-tornados ( for really strong ones). Strange we haven't got a proper word huh.

The official term used by the ATIS is "Dust Devil". Yep, believe it or not. I flew through one in a Piper Tomahawk at about 300 feet AGL. I thought a bus had hit me.

Edited March 12, 2021 by Jabiru7252

[bull]

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/paraglider-landed-180km-away-after-being-thrown-off-cliff-by-dust-devil-20190103-p50pi9.html     pretty scary....

[facthunter]

That's a good illustration of the force they are capable of.  Sometimes there is no associated dust like at a grass airport and are not visible. Nev

[F10]

On 10/03/2021 at 9:36 AM, onetrack said:

I'll wager it was a savage little gust of wind that sprung up out of nowhere - a willy-willy, cock-eyed bob, dust devil, or whatever name you know it by. The BOM would refer to it as mini-tornado.

They are sudden, vicious, and can be very damaging. More than one caravanner has lost a complete awning to one, in a burst of sudden destruction.

They start with heating on a bright sunny day, on a big open bare area of concrete, bitumen, or just bare clayey ground, where thermals build up rapidly.

Just as rogue waves catch out rock fisherman unprepared, so do these mini-thermals catch out those who don't secure their aircraft to tiedowns when unattended.

At Oakey, I was briefing a student to go solo, I was standing holding the RHS door open, plugged in chatting to him. Unseen by me, a willy-willy dust devil came up behind me across the apron. The only warning was a brief rapid fluttering of my pants (that pants fluttering occurred again a few seconds later....but for other reasons!!), and the next moment the Kiowa door was ripped out my hand, torn off the aircraft and flung about 10M away. Luckily not up into the idling rotor. Inertia and the upset short duration fortunately kept the rotor blades relatively stable. They are vicious.....if you see one on the ground due dust while flying at or close to 500Ft, I suggest avoid it, it can be a violent jolt...