Staying sharp on the simple things and optical illusions

My wife and I were out for some lobster lunch on the third. We were
flying into an area where a friend had an accident a year or two back, but
it wasn't something we considered at all.

I'd been to CQX before. But I'd never noticed a hump in the runway (or
don't recall noticing it).

Over the runway (leveling, and perhaps even starting to flare), I
noticed that I'd very little runway left. Although I hadn't been aware of
it, I'd let too much slide beneath me. As I considered my next action, I
remembered my friend: his accident had perhaps started with a go-around
gone wrong.

I could probably stop in the remaining runway. But "probably" isn't a
terrific word in this context. So, despite my "flashback" to that
accident in which I was not at all involved, going around was the obvious
choice. In the power, up the flaps (partially!), and positive climb. I
then called the go-around on CTAF: "Chatham traffic, Skyhawk going around
Oh".

The "Oh" was my realization where the missing runway had gone. Instead of
sliding beneath, it had been hiding behind the hump in the runway. I'd
plenty left!

Next time around, I paid more attention to surrounding landscape, and had
no problem.

Afterward, I explained to my wife how my friend's accident had gone
though my head at that moment. I don't know exactly what happened (and
neither does he; he doesn't recall the final few minutes of his flight),
but I'm reminded that keeping up on even simple skills is useful.

And watch for those runway illusions laugh.

- Andrew

P.S. We split an 8 pound steamed lobster with some friends. Not
so good for the lobster, but the rest of us enjoyed it.

I had a good optical illusion once. I was flying along the south edge of
Long Island on the east end. This was about a month after TWA800, and
the missile theory had come out. As I look ahead I see what looks like a
long straight streak of smoke going up a few miles in front of me.

Where did it come from?/Where is it going? were my first questions.
After a few seconds, and not getting shot out of the sky, I saw that it
was the shadow on a contrail on the water. It didn't have a solid
surface to be on, so it depth through the water and the distance made it
look to me like it was going through the air.