Rick6a
Well Known Member
A few days ago, I was returning to home base after attending a monthly EAA chapter meeting at a nearby airport. Our small airport has only 20 or so planes based on it and because of its lack of services and other less-than-desirable local features, M71 does not exactly lure the casual transient pilot so traffic is almost always very light. You usually end up talking to yourself on 122.9.
Entering the airport traffic pattern was straightforward enough and I dutifully announced a 45 degree pattern entry (left traffic) for downwind to runway Niner. Soon, I announced base leg for Niner, finally announcing "turning final" for Niner. At the moment when my turn to final was almost complete, I quickly noticed a Piper Tri-Pacer to my left that just completed an unusually close-in downwind leg to base turn in front of me and without evasive action, a collision was a virtual certainty. As I banked hard to the right, I radioed "Blue Piper on base to Greensfield, DO YOU SEE THE RV IN FRONT OF YOU?" A moment later, a flustered voice came over the radio, "Ah, yes we see you now, we'll just wait around out here till you land." Having to initiate a go-around, on each leg I doubled my radio reports in a gesture of righteous emphasis "Experimental 307R is NOW on crosswind for runway Niner, that is crosswind leg for runway Niner". And so it went until I landed. As I back-taxied the runway to my hangar, I noticed the Piper making lazy aimless circles out to the west.
Many minutes later, after shut down and "Darla" was gingerly backed into her familiar hangar spot, the Piper finally landed and managed to use all 3200 feet of runway in spite of a considerable breeze out of the east. With my hands on my hips, I watched in bemused anger and amazement as that Piper very, very slowly back-taxied as it headed toward the west end of the field and disappeared behind some buildings. "Let it pass." I said to myself over and over until I calmed down. After sprucing up "Darla" and generally tidying things around the hangar, I locked the door, got into my truck and headed for home. Just before leaving the airport, I spied the Piper sitting on the ramp between two buildings with the passenger door open and two people sitting in it. I quickly wheeled my truck just front of the Piper, got out and walked towards its opened door. At that moment I recognized one of the persons inside occupying the left seat. Containing myself as best I could, I said "Pete, (not his real name), I reported downwind, I reported base, I reported final, and with not one word uttered on the radio, you just cut in front of me....what in the hell was that?" Quickly, the passenger (not an instructor) the owner of the Piper jumped in saying "We are very sorry, we were talking to one another and had the radio turned down. You see, Pete has not flown in quite awhile and I was checking him out in my airplane." I said that had to be some of THE sloppiest pattern work I ever witnessed anywhere, and the plane was mushing around aimlessly with no pretense of any normal pattern discipline. "At least you could have talked on the radio." "I know, I know, we're very sorry, that WAS sloppy."
Here is the upshot: Pete is well known in our area. He is a decorated WW11 and Korean War aviator, was a test pilot and has flown everything from B-17's and C-119's to Korean War era jets including hundreds of hours in an F-86 Saber Jet, a design he once had to eject from. He has more stick time in more high performance military aircraft than most of us will ever know. Pete was among my first delighted passengers in "Darla" after the 25 hour flyoff phase. He is a slightly built and likable fellow who sports a rather large hearing aid that occupies the better part of one ear. Pete has a quick smile, a crisp, clear voice and a basketful of war stories. Because of his credentials, Pete is often asked to speak at local aviation related functions one of which will be the EAA's B-17 visit to the local area in July. What can I say? It is hard to stay mad at a guy like Pete.
Like I said ....life is NOT fair. I suppose a part of personal maturity comes at the cost of understanding that principle as a fundamental fact of life, I mean...... to really UNDERSTAND that.
Rick Galati RV-6A "Darla"
Entering the airport traffic pattern was straightforward enough and I dutifully announced a 45 degree pattern entry (left traffic) for downwind to runway Niner. Soon, I announced base leg for Niner, finally announcing "turning final" for Niner. At the moment when my turn to final was almost complete, I quickly noticed a Piper Tri-Pacer to my left that just completed an unusually close-in downwind leg to base turn in front of me and without evasive action, a collision was a virtual certainty. As I banked hard to the right, I radioed "Blue Piper on base to Greensfield, DO YOU SEE THE RV IN FRONT OF YOU?" A moment later, a flustered voice came over the radio, "Ah, yes we see you now, we'll just wait around out here till you land." Having to initiate a go-around, on each leg I doubled my radio reports in a gesture of righteous emphasis "Experimental 307R is NOW on crosswind for runway Niner, that is crosswind leg for runway Niner". And so it went until I landed. As I back-taxied the runway to my hangar, I noticed the Piper making lazy aimless circles out to the west.
Many minutes later, after shut down and "Darla" was gingerly backed into her familiar hangar spot, the Piper finally landed and managed to use all 3200 feet of runway in spite of a considerable breeze out of the east. With my hands on my hips, I watched in bemused anger and amazement as that Piper very, very slowly back-taxied as it headed toward the west end of the field and disappeared behind some buildings. "Let it pass." I said to myself over and over until I calmed down. After sprucing up "Darla" and generally tidying things around the hangar, I locked the door, got into my truck and headed for home. Just before leaving the airport, I spied the Piper sitting on the ramp between two buildings with the passenger door open and two people sitting in it. I quickly wheeled my truck just front of the Piper, got out and walked towards its opened door. At that moment I recognized one of the persons inside occupying the left seat. Containing myself as best I could, I said "Pete, (not his real name), I reported downwind, I reported base, I reported final, and with not one word uttered on the radio, you just cut in front of me....what in the hell was that?" Quickly, the passenger (not an instructor) the owner of the Piper jumped in saying "We are very sorry, we were talking to one another and had the radio turned down. You see, Pete has not flown in quite awhile and I was checking him out in my airplane." I said that had to be some of THE sloppiest pattern work I ever witnessed anywhere, and the plane was mushing around aimlessly with no pretense of any normal pattern discipline. "At least you could have talked on the radio." "I know, I know, we're very sorry, that WAS sloppy."
Here is the upshot: Pete is well known in our area. He is a decorated WW11 and Korean War aviator, was a test pilot and has flown everything from B-17's and C-119's to Korean War era jets including hundreds of hours in an F-86 Saber Jet, a design he once had to eject from. He has more stick time in more high performance military aircraft than most of us will ever know. Pete was among my first delighted passengers in "Darla" after the 25 hour flyoff phase. He is a slightly built and likable fellow who sports a rather large hearing aid that occupies the better part of one ear. Pete has a quick smile, a crisp, clear voice and a basketful of war stories. Because of his credentials, Pete is often asked to speak at local aviation related functions one of which will be the EAA's B-17 visit to the local area in July. What can I say? It is hard to stay mad at a guy like Pete.
Like I said ....life is NOT fair. I suppose a part of personal maturity comes at the cost of understanding that principle as a fundamental fact of life, I mean...... to really UNDERSTAND that.
Rick Galati RV-6A "Darla"
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