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"Out of fuel, out of hope: 'Help, I'm in the water'"



 
 
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  #121  
Old April 30th 05, 11:59 AM
Gary Drescher
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"Jon Kraus" wrote in message
...
Amen brother... I don't believe in coincidences any more nor am I a
religious zealot... I just KNOW that I am being cared for... :-)


But encountering turbulence sometime during a long flight isn't even a
"coincidence". It would be unusual for that *not* to occur.

--Gary


  #122  
Old April 30th 05, 12:12 PM
Darrel Toepfer
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Peter R. wrote:

So, who was caring for that 20 year-old who ditched in the lake?


The ones that got him down: the pilot who was relaying his calls to ATC,
the 911 operator who took his phone call after he ditched and lost
aviation radio contact...

He was calm and collected the entire time, I'd say he knew where he was
going and they were already there with him...
  #123  
Old April 30th 05, 01:06 PM
Dylan Smith
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In article , Dave Stadt wrote:

In this case it would not have helped. Unfortunately, under the
circumstances, he was dead when the engine quit.


Even if the lake hadn't been so cold, he would be pretty much stuffed. 3
foot waves don't sound a lot, but when you're swimming only your head is
out. At night he could have had absolutely no idea which direction he
should swim unless he could astronavigate (which I suspect he couldn't).
There would be more chances of swimming in the wrong direction instead
of the most direct route to the shore if there's nothing to guide you.
The waves would have completely blocked his view of the land most of the
time, especially as he'd probably go under each wave regardless of how
strong a swimmer he was.

Even in daylight it would be difficult enough, but at least then you
could get an idea of which way to swim from the position of the sun
assuming it wasn't overcast.

The only thing he did right was not to panic, but unfortunately it
didn't help.

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"
  #124  
Old April 30th 05, 01:08 PM
Steven P. McNicoll
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"Jose" wrote in message
...

I don't even get that in the Dakota. You sure that's not MPH?


All my performance figures came from the 1976 Flying Annual & Buyers Guide,
it gives a cruise speed at 75% power of 139 knots. I'm familiar with the
Archer II, I know it won't go that fast. That's why I pointed out it was a
book figure and that he was achieving a somewhat lower speed.


  #125  
Old April 30th 05, 01:09 PM
Steven P. McNicoll
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"Morgans" wrote in message
...

It is arguing nits, but I'll play the game you started.

If the water of the lake was all indeed at 32 degrees, it would all be a
giant ice cube. If it were all at 32.1 degrees, it would all be liquid.
The wave action has nothing to do with it.


So in other words, the physical state of water is a function of temperature
alone?


  #126  
Old April 30th 05, 01:10 PM
Dylan Smith
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In article , Jon Kraus wrote:
Musta been his time I guess... Just because he died doesn't mean he
wasn't card for... Just my .02


The only person who ultimately directly cares for us when we are solo in
an aircraft is ourselves. No one else. You are the captain of your own
soul as well as your aircraft.
You are the only person looking after yourself in that situation;
remember that. If you expect some divine being to care for you, I think
you're just looking for a grid reference.

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"
  #127  
Old April 30th 05, 01:11 PM
Matt Whiting
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Morgans wrote:

Water has the unusual property of getting less dense, when it gets

to almost
freezing. That is the only thing that keeps lakes from freezing solid, from
the bottom up. Most things get more dense as they get colder, so the cold
sinks to the bottom of the container, but not water.


No, that isn't the only thing. The ground stays warmer than the air
during the winter, so water would still freeze from the top down even if
the density didn't change during the phase change.


Matt
  #128  
Old April 30th 05, 01:14 PM
Steven P. McNicoll
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"Dylan Smith" wrote in message
...

Even if the lake hadn't been so cold, he would be pretty much stuffed. 3
foot waves don't sound a lot, but when you're swimming only your head is
out. At night he could have had absolutely no idea which direction he
should swim unless he could astronavigate (which I suspect he couldn't).
There would be more chances of swimming in the wrong direction instead
of the most direct route to the shore if there's nothing to guide you.
The waves would have completely blocked his view of the land most of the
time, especially as he'd probably go under each wave regardless of how
strong a swimmer he was.


The lights of the city should be visible.


  #129  
Old April 30th 05, 01:44 PM
Jon Kraus
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I'll play along even though my most harrowing aviation faux paux is
nothing compared to that of others.

I was a brand new solo pilot in the practice area trying to run through
all the maneuvers. My least favorite being the dreaded departure stall.
"Oh well" I thought let's get this over with. I set up full throttle,
point the nose up and started losing airspeed. As I got the stall speed
I remember thinking "If I don't keep the ball centered I will have
problems" and as soon as that thought was complete in my head it
happened. The wing snapped over and my windscreen was full of the ground
below. I remember thinking "so this is how I am going to die huh.." I
was strangely calm and thinking clearly. I saw the airspeed in the
yellow and heading up. I grabbed the throttle and pulled it to idle. The
nose immediately "popped" up, I leveled the wings, gently brought the
nose to the horizon and flew away.

I told myself "well Jon that is enough practicing for one day" :-) and
I went back to my home airport. The thing that was interesting was that
there was no panic at all. If anything I was angry that I let myself get
into this situation.

I realize now that I was in a spiral dive and not a spin. To this day I
still don't care for departure stalls.

Jon Kraus
PP-ASEL-IA
'79 Mooney 201

Matt Barrow wrote:

snip

Along those line, anoyone got any good ghost stories? :~)



Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO



Matt Barrow wrote:


"Jon Kraus" wrote in message
...


Sounds like the grace of God to me... Well placed bit of turbulence my
ass.... Somone was looking out for you...



Maybe...but I was over the eastern slope of the Rockies, so turbulence


is

rather common that time of day. Even at 10,500 I was only about 2000


feet

AGL when roused from my slumber.





  #130  
Old April 30th 05, 01:48 PM
Dylan Smith
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In article et,
Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
The lights of the city should be visible.


If it was dead calm, yes - but when your eyes are perhaps 4 inches above
the water in the trough of a 3-foot wave, and perhaps a couple of inches
below the water at the crest of the 3 foot wave, and the city lights are
6 miles away, there's a good chance you'll never even see them.

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"
 




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