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Two days and four near misses!

N941WR

N941WR

Legacy Member
Near miss #1:
Saturday I took the family for a flight out to our favorite BBQ restaurant located at 5NC3.

Post lunch we launched and during climb out I flew by a buzzard and while watching that one, I noticed another one that I was able to avoid it by doing a quick roll to the left.

Near miss #2:
After dropping the family off at home, I had some errands to run and shortly after departure a black 172 flown by one of the local flight schools was circling off the departure end of our runway. WTF?

Down on the stick and I sailed right under them. About that time I think they noticed me because they rolled wings level and flew away.

Near miss #3:
While entering the downwind for a local county airport I noticed a Cherokee holding short on one end of the runway. I keyed the mic and asked his intentions as it was obvious to me that he was going to take off down wind. I also informed him that I was going to land the other way, into the wind. He said he was going to depart, which was fine with me and I called downwind for the other runway. After liftoff he said he was going to depart the area to the north (which should have been a left turn for him) and rather than turning north, he turned south, right towards me, as if he was going to do another circuit. I called him up before he could finish his left turn and he quickly reversed directions.

Near miss #4:
With all of my errands finished for the day, I was heading home. “Home” is now a private grass strip / airpark. The airport is shown on the sectional but as is typical for private strips, the airpark’s frequency (122.75) is not listed. As I turned from downwind to base, I flew right over the top of a South Carolina State Police helicopter, by , maybe 100’. Again, WTF? He wasn’t over the center of the runway and was in a position that I never thought to look for traffic; below me and coming the other way. When I make the downwind to base turn I’m always looking for incoming traffic on a long final. I dialed up 121.5 and tried to call him up but he didn’t answer and I was busy landing.

Had I been taking off from the other runway, I probably would have hit him.

Moral of the story:
Keep your eyes open at all times! You never know what craziness is out there! The buzzard saw me as did the black Skyhawk and both took evasive maneuvers. The Cherokee pilot sounded inexperienced and since he was taking off downwind, I wasn’t too surprised when he turned towards me and I was ready for it. The State Trooper in the SC helicopter caught me totally by surprise and I’m sure he didn’t even know I was there.
 
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Good job keeping your head on a swivel. Thanks for sharing your stories...it's always useful to be reminded that the big sky theory doesn't work.
 
N941WR said:
Near miss #1:
Saturday I took the family for a flight out to our favorite BBQ restaurant located at 5NC3.

Post lunch we launched and during climb out I flew by a buzzard and while watching that one, I noticed another one that I was able to avoid it by doing a quick roll to the left.

Near miss #2:
After dropping the family off at home, I had some errands to run and shortly after departure a black 172 flown by one of the local flight schools was circling off the departure end of our runway. WTF?

Down on the stick and I sailed right under them. About that time I think they noticed me because they rolled wings level and flew away.

Near miss #3:
While entering the downwind for a local county airport I noticed a Cherokee holding short on one end of the runway. I keyed the mic and asked his intentions as it was obvious to me that he was going to take off down wind. I also informed him that I was going to land the other way, into the wind. He said he was going to depart, which was fine with me and I called downwind for the other runway. After liftoff he said he was going to depart the area to the north (which should have been a left turn for him) and rather than turning north, he turned south, right towards me, as if he was going to do another circuit. I called him up before he could finish his left turn and he quickly reversed directions.

Near miss #4:
With all of my errands finished for the day, I was heading home. ?Home? is now a private grass strip / airpark. The airport is shown on the sectional but as is typical for private strips, the airpark?s frequency (122.75) is not listed. As I turned from downwind to base, I flew right over the top of a South Carolina State Police helicopter, by , maybe 100?. Again, WTF? He wasn?t over the center of the runway and was in a position that I never thought to look for traffic; below me and coming the other way. When I make the downwind to base turn I?m always looking for incoming traffic on a long final. I dialed up 121.5 and tried to call him up but he didn?t answer and I was busy landing.

Had I been taking off from the other runway, I probably would have hit him.

Moral of the story:
Keep your eyes open at all times! You never know what craziness is out there! The buzzard saw me as did the black Skyhawk and both took evasive maneuvers. The Cherokee pilot sounded inexperienced and since he was taking off downwind, I wasn?t too surprised when he turned towards me and I was ready for it. The State Trooper in the SC helicopter caught me totally by surprise and I?m sure he didn?t even know I was there.
Click to expand...

Maybe everyone has forgotten how to fly over the holidays. Buzzards ate too much leftover BBQ, 172 was just double checking the windsock from better viewing angle, Cherokee had DG 180* out and helicopters just don't seem to fly any type of pattern.
 
A bird and three aircraft down in the weeds.

Would any of them have appeared on an ADS-b traffic display?
 
Was doing T&G's at my home strip the other day and about the time I was lifting off for #2, I noticed a pair of ducks flying right down the runway centerline. They were flying into the wind at about 100 feet AGL like a pair of fighters on initial about to do a departure end break... I simply stayed on the deck and flew right under them. Was strange to look straight up and watch them slide past a few feet away. They never flinched a bit.
 
Helicopter pattern

Wasn't there so this is not a defense of the police helicopter. He may have been reconning something or flew over the private strip and was surprised to see you. But the regs require us to avoid the flow of traffic. So I do not enter the traffic pattern when I am flying a helicopter. I pick an angle and an altitude that will keep me clear of airplanes, keep my noise to a minimum and hopefully not irritate folks.

Whether it is an airplane or helicopter I do believe there is a more dangerous place than an uncontrolled airport.
 
It's the helo "interlude" that scares me the most ...

I've had trouble with helos in the pattern in the past. They can go places and in directions you're not thinking about, in terms of pattern traffic. They also seem somewhat cavalier on the comm calls too.

Two weeks ago I was departing a 2 runway non-towered field. As I was warming up on the apron I monitored CTAF; no traffic, nothing. As I was making the long taxi to the SW end of RW6, I called my taxi and intention to depart 6. No responses. At my runup at 6, I heard a quick radio call that sounded like a plane departing the same airport. Hmmmmm. I did a 360 checking ALL the runways and all directions ... nobody in the pattern and nobody on the ground at a RW. I waited a bit and then called my departure from RW6; no response. As I was climbing out .... at about 300' to 500' AGL, a helo instantly rose up from the apron in front of the big FBO hangar - he was on my left wing not more than 500 yds. Scared the snot outta me. It must have been him calling that departure I heard, but without a runway reference or taxi call. I never thought to look for a departing A/C other than at a RW, and I never heard him say he was a helo.
That's the 2nd time I've had an incident like that with a helo ... 1st time was 3 yrs ago at a different A/P .
Like Bill said, we just can't be too watchful or too careful.
 
N941WR said:
Near miss #4:
With all of my errands finished for the day, I was heading home. “Home” is now a private grass strip / airpark. The airport is shown on the sectional but as is typical for private strips, the airpark’s frequency (122.75) is not listed. As I turned from downwind to base, I flew right over the top of a South Carolina State Police helicopter, by , maybe 100’. Again, WTF? He wasn’t over the center of the runway and was in a position that I never thought to look for traffic; below me and coming the other way. When I make the downwind to base turn I’m always looking for incoming traffic on a long final. I dialed up 121.5 and tried to call him up but he didn’t answer and I was busy landing.
Click to expand...

Curious why you tried 121.5 and thought that might work? I'm missing something...unless you're hoping they were monitoring it too?

Wouldn't an air to air freq be better? 123.025 or 122.75
 
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N941WR said:
I have ADS-b traffic and none of them showed up, not even the birds.
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Thanks Bill. Not trying to be a smartypants, and I hope the point is obvious.

I worry about the new traffic systems like I worry about radio use at a non-towered field. There are always pilots who seem to think the airspace is swept clear with a radio call. Traffic systems may prove to be worse; I see pilots head down, studying targets miles distant while they run over something right in front of them.
 
I've come to the conclusion that the safest place to fly would be between 3000 and 10,000 feet and at least two miles off of either the East or West coast line and well away from any major airports. Seems like it would be like flying back in the 1920's as far as traffic goes. Happy whale watching :).
 
The safest time we have found...

Fly during windy or marginal weather, fly during cold wx, fly above 10,500' MSL. Try to get FF on most flights and keep all lights on continuously.
 
Luck?

So many near misses in such a short period of time.... Don't buy a lottery ticket, you have used up all of your luck.

Cheers

Jim
 
Aryana said:
Curious why you tried 121.5 and thought that might work? I'm missing something...unless you're hoping they were monitoring it too?

Wouldn't an air to air freq be better? 123.025 or 122.75
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It has always been standard practice for me and I know its the operational policy at all airlines to monitor 121.5 on the second radio if you have one. I am sure a police helo had at least 2 coms and they should have been monitoring guard on one of them. Bill action to try and raise them on guard would be the same thing I would attempt.
There are many benefits to monitoring guard. It could save a lot of trouble. If your IFR center will attempt to contact you there if you miss a frequency change and if your VFR but about to blunder into airspace you don't belong you might also get a call. It also helps if you are in the pattern somewhere and a emergency pops up heading into your field. If you have only one comm radio then all this goes out the window but if you have two comms then the back one should be monitoring guard when not in use for atis or something else.

George
 
Aryana said:
Curious why you tried 121.5 and thought that might work? I'm missing something...unless you're hoping they were monitoring it too?

Wouldn't an air to air freq be better? 123.025 or 122.75
Click to expand...
Our airport's freq is 122.75 and no joy. Just thought they might guard 121.5.

DanH said:
Thanks Bill. Not trying to be a smartypants, and I hope the point is obvious...
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Very obvious Danand no offence taken. We have a few J-3's here and I'm used to "no radios", so that doesn't bother me but even the Cub's fly smart around airports.

Jimboscr said:
So many near misses in such a short period of time.... Don't buy a lottery ticket, you have used up all of your luck.

Cheers

Jim
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I'm thinking maybe it is time to buy a lottery ticket!

Here is a picture of our flight paths. As I said, I didn't see him until I turned base and went right over the top of him. Dang, that was close!

As you can see, the copter pilot wasn't transiting the area in what I would call a safe manner.
Near%2520Miss%2520with%2520SCHP.jpg
 
Typo?

sahrens said:
................. Whether it is an airplane or helicopter I do believe there is a more dangerous place than an uncontrolled airport.
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Is this a typo? Did you mean to say that there is NOT a more dangerous place than an uncontrolled airport? If so, I agree with you!
 
Yes a typo

My fingers and my brain were not working together. "Not a more dangerous place" was what my brain said. iPads are great for something things, typing is not one of them.
 
Best money spent

I know the value of having my head on a swivel but there are so many targets you can't see looking out your windows. GTS800 TAS shows anything with a working transponder no matter where you are. Too bad birds don't have transponders.
 
Helicopters at uncontrolled airports seem to cause an amazing number of near misses, at least around here. They don't say anything on frequency until they're lifting off, if then, and they depart (and arrive) straight in the direction they want to go, despite the local traffic patterns.
 
Helicopter ops at airports

The reason you see helicopters making arrivals and departures different then the prescribed pattern for airplanes is FAR 91.126 (b) 2 which states that "helicopters MUST (emphasis added) avoid the flow of fixed wing traffic." Typically helicopters will operate in the vicinity of the airport at
500'AGL since most airplanes will be at 1000' AGL. None of this, of course, excuses poor radio communications regarding the helicopters intention to land or depart in a particular direction. Unfortunately, some helicopter pilots can get a little cocky (undeserved) about following generally excepted radio procedures. I was once in a unit with about 50 helicopter pilots. We had our share of guys who thought they were "special". No different IMHO than with some airplane pilots.

Keep in mind also that copters will do just about anything they can to depart or arrive into the wind if it is safe to do so.
 
I understand that they must avoid fixed-wing... Ones that do (and that talk) aren't the issue. Ones that fly through the fixed-wing pattern are the issue.
 
Snowflake said:
I understand that they must avoid fixed-wing... Ones that do (and that talk) aren't the issue. Ones that fly through the fixed-wing pattern are the issue.
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Exactly
Also an issue is those that fly low over an airport without guarding the proper frequency.
 
Lots of folks do not talk on the radio

I have been flying helicopters for 37 years and airplanes for almost as long. We all have been cut off by folks not talking on the radio or flying some unique pattern. Some of my fellow helicopter pilots seem to lack the ability to key the mike, but there are many airplane pilots that seem to suffer from the same problem.

I hope you won't judge us all, just as I hope everyone won't judge RV pilots by the action of a few. The large major of helio pilots are dedicated to safe flying. We are just trying to stay out of your way.
 
sahrens said:
I have been flying helicopters for 37 years and airplanes for almost as long. We all have been cut off by folks not talking on the radio or flying some unique pattern. Some of my fellow helicopter pilots seem to lack the ability to key the mike, but there are many airplane pilots that seem to suffer from the same problem.
Click to expand...
True! I don't mean to malign helo pilots to the exclusion of others. But the others, at least, are usually flying the prescribed fixed-wing pattern, so you know where to look to expect them.
 
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