Did nobody in the aviation ironmongery dept comment on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24361196. Or have I either missed it, or is it too commonplace in them thar parts to be worthy of a comment?
Resmoroh
By: ericmunk - 3rd October 2013 at 09:04
Did an aerotow once from a rural road in Australia to retrieve a glider that had landed there (off-field, cross-country). Local farmer stopped the traffic for us. Great fun!
By: Stepwilk - 2nd October 2013 at 21:51
I once landed a Twin Comanche on a rural road on an island off Puerto Rico because a fabulous beach looked to be just a stone’s throw away. Unfortunately, between the road and the beach was about 100 yards of jungle, I discovered when I got on the ground, thoroughly laced with huge spiderwebs holding, yes, huge spiders. Didn’t realize it until I was well on my way into it, so I just kept going. Cured my arachnophobia.
Also once landed a Cessna 310 on a drag strip in Florida when I was the editor of Car and Driver magazine. We were testing a Triumph TR7 there–very exotic at the time…–and it seemed a perfectly reasonable thing to do. God only knows how many laws and regulations I broke, but YOLO, right?
By: snafu - 2nd October 2013 at 21:39
I landed on a road once. Came off me bike…
By: Mr Merry - 2nd October 2013 at 21:16
I thought the pilot did the right thing, he wasn’t sure if he could made the airport. A clear road or stuffing it into the trees on appoach is a no brainer with a lack of power.
A pity it was a flight for a guy who wanted to buy the plane:love-struck:
Did the sale go ahead?
By: Mike J - 2nd October 2013 at 20:33
It happens more often than you might think. Chuck Gardner safely landed the Cavanaugh P-51 Mustang ‘The Brat III’ on a dirt roadway after suffering engine problems a couple of weeks back.
By: Cajun21 - 2nd October 2013 at 19:44
Resmoroh,
While not commonplace it is not a uncommon occourence either. It happens more here than people realize but is usually not that news worthy. Most are civie types, 172’s etc., and the ocasional warbird like this one. A police patrol car dash cam in Wisconson caught a T-6 landing on the roadway in front of it on it’s way to Oshkosh after suffering a engine seize in flight several years ago.
Oddly enough the design critera for the US Interstate system requires that 1 mile in every 20 be straight with no obstructions for the purpose of landing aircraft. It was written into the design specs back in the 50’s when the Interstate system started under the Eisenhower administration (early cold war era) and remains in effect today. Some of the original overpasses in the system still have the underground bunkers in them although this spec was removed in the late 50’s as it was deemed as not useful.
Cheers then,
Itch
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October 2, 2013 at 4:45 pm