"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
...
What's the narrowest runway you've ever used? At what runway width are
you comfortable? Among other things, I had an interesting experience
yesterday with a runway that was far narrower than any I'd used before...


SNIP!

Trona, California, L72. Runway 17/35 is 6000 feet long and 60 feet
wide.
One of my early problems was flying at IYK with the 150 wide runways,
I was somewhat casual about the center line. Hey, in a 150 Aerobat who cares
if you are a wing width off to one side or the other?
My first experience at L72 was on my second hour of night dual. My CFI,
Bob Mikesell, had me fly over to Trona. Cocky ole me, I had mastered the
night visual approach at IYK -- piece 'o cake, says I. So Bob has me fly
over L72 and check the wind-T, then do all the proper things about entering
downwind on a 45, GUMPS, base, and split the lights on final.
As a small aside here, flaps were not a routine part of landing back in
1973 unless soft- or short-field, or some other exigency required them.
I crossed the threshold on that pitch-black night somewhat to the right
of the center-line. The visual difference in surface texture didn't
register. The runway edge lights were way over there on the right and way
over there on the left. I flared at the perfect height and kept easing back
on the yoke, easing back, easing ba... and touchdown... THERE WAS THE GOD
AWFULEST RACKET I HAD EVER HEARD!
I didn't wait for Bob... In went the Carb Heat. Firewall went the
throttle. Wallow went the little airplane back into the air to escape the
horrendous noise. With the nose down, the airspeed built up until I was
flying again.
When I looked over at Mr. Mikesell, he actually had tears running down
his cheeks he was laughing so hard. I had almost pee'd my pants and I know I
sucked half the cushion off the seat. And he is laughing.
Finally, he says, "I don't ever want to tell you about the center-line
again."
You see, the runway at L72 was 150 feet wide..., well no, the lights
were 150' wide. The paved part was only 60. The rest of the space between
the asphalt and the lights was gravel.
Bob died of a heart attack several years ago, so you don't need to make
any critical remarks about him letting a student ding up the 150's paint
flying onto the gravel. Besides, it didn't do any noticable paint damage
anyway.
Thirty-two years later, I can still hear Bob laughing when I'm on final
and I get the center-line more than a wheel-span off to either side.