On Jun 12, 9:29 am, Scott wrote:
5Z wrote:
On Jun 12, 7:28 am, Jim Beckman wrote:

At 04:22 12 June 2008, wrote:

Center reported a Mayday from a "powered
glider with a failed engine"

Sounds like the pilot involved has a really odd sort of
mindset - mired in the world of powered flight. I mean,
what's the use of those long wings if you're not going
to use them?

OK, I'm sure some of you are jesting, but here's what *might* have
happened:

Pilot is soaring over remote Utah with some reasonably safe looking
dry lakes, pastures, whatever below. Runs out of lift and decides
it's time to start the engine while within easy range of one of these
landing options. The engine fails to start, the location is extremely
remote, so pilot makes a MAYDAY call while still in the landing
pattern to ensure someone will come get him if problems arise.

If he had a transponder or SPOT, he might activate these before
landing, again in case something bad happens.

When I fly my ASH-26E, I'm always planning to land it somewhere
safely, but it's a welcome relief when the engine starts. It's just
plain stupid to not be preparing to land as one is starting the engine
- just in case.

-Tom

Way back, as a powered pilot student, I was always taught to constantly
be scanning for suitable landing sites if the fan stopped and I became a
glider. Since I've never been to Utah, I don't know the terrain but
always assumed a lot of those dry lake beds, etc with some mountains
thrown in here and there

Scott

Southern Utah, lots of mountains, scrub, river beds and very few dry
lake beds, epically this year. There are alfalfa fields in some
valleys.

Google Earth Duck Creek Village Utah, the runway is not usable by
gliders. Fence posts on each side that will let a Cezzna land but not
gliders. You will notice the elevation is 8400 feet, don't want to
think about the density altitude the day I was forced to land there
(way over 10,000 feet). Went from fat dumb and happy to Oh sh#* in
about two minutes by a thunderstorm miles away. The only lucky thing
was I was flying a Ventus B that day and could get it into one of the
meadows and stopped in about 300 feet.

I can understand the precautionary Mayday if you are not sure you are
going to make a good landing and no one knows where you are. Often I
can be anywhere in 90,000 square miles out here. Without an ELT
signal or spot they will find my bones ten years from now when a
hunter stumbles on the glider. I think a Mayday with coordinates
would be a good idea. Yes I fly with an ELT, but it has to work.

Where is Steve Fossett?