The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I felt like a I was almost a tail-dragger pilot today. We had a lot of rain turning to ice Saturday. John and I were out doing some flying and ended up at and airport where the runway was all ICE!!!! RUDDER.....NO BREAKS!!!!! MORE RUDDER!!!!! NNNNNOOOOO BBBBBRRRRREAAAAAKKKKKKSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

Rubber Tires on ICE

Even with a small cross wind of 7kt was a bit of a challenger. We both did a take off and landing.......good practice.

I'll be having nightmares tonight...........

W.

My buddy in Kenai, AK just sent me some photos of this Twin Beech which was lost yesterday after sliding off the end of the runway in New Stuyahok, AK. It has been unusually warm and there is a bit of water standing on top of the ice. I don't know any more details. It sure shows what can happen with nil braking action.

Disregarding all else, those're good sales photos for the durability of old planes.

W.J.Langholz wrote:I felt like a I was almost a tail-dragger pilot today. We had a lot of rain turning to ice Saturday. John and I were out doing some flying and ended up at and airport where the runway was all ICE!!!! RUDDER.....NO BREAKS!!!!! MORE RUDDER!!!!! NNNNNOOOOO BBBBBRRRRREAAAAAKKKKKKSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

Rubber Tires on ICE

Even with a small cross wind of 7kt was a bit of a challenger. We both did a take off and landing.......good practice.

I'll be having nightmares tonight...........

W.

It's not nearly as entertaining when sliding sideways and a patch or dry pavement shows up. No amount of practice will help then.

gahorn wrote:It's not nearly as entertaining when sliding sideways and a patch or dry pavement shows up. No amount of practice will help then.

Funny you should say that George. My dad told a story one time of watching a guy land a Martin 404 on an icy, windy runway. At one point the airplane was prodeeding down the runway right wing first, but the pilot managed to get it under control and stopped without incident. Dad asked the pilot later what was going through his mind, and he replied "I was just praying I didn't hit a dry spot."

cessna170bdriver wrote:

gahorn wrote:It's not nearly as entertaining when sliding sideways and a patch or dry pavement shows up. No amount of practice will help then.

Funny you should say that George. My dad told a story one time of watching a guy land a Martin 404 on an icy, windy runway. At one point the airplane was prodeeding down the runway right wing first, but the pilot managed to get it under control and stopped without incident. Dad asked the pilot later what was going through his mind, and he replied "I was just praying I didn't hit a dry spot."

Your Dad was one of the REAL old-timers of Air Line captains! Those guys, the E. K. Gann contemporaries, are the ones I most admire when I think of aviation.

gahorn wrote:Your Dad was one of the REAL old-timers of Air Line captains! Those guys, the E. K. Gann contemporaries, are the ones I most admire when I think of aviation.

Thanks George; Dad would have appreciated the comment, but he didn't really consider himself an old timer. He was really a generation after Gann. He didn't fly for a living until the late 1950's, and got on with the airline in 1961. He used to say he was 20 years too young to get in on what he called the "Golden Age" of aviation, and 20 years to old to really enjoy the miniskirt.

If you do any flying during the winter months up north you will run into ice on the runway at some point and time.

I thought it would be a good time for my son to experience something like this with his dad sitting next to him.

We did a low pass and side stepped the runway to check the conditions
Went back out and reviewed our check list prior to entering the pattern
Decided to go ahead and land slowing down as much as possible prior to touch down and no BRAKES!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9frqwnR2e20

John did a great job!

Hey Willie-
Looks like John has those landings nailed down, now let's see one of your's!

Aren't any of you guys using tire chains in that kind of weather?

Atta boy Dick I like to see someone with a practical point of view. Bet those chains would do wonders for braking

cessna170bdriver wrote:

gahorn wrote:Your Dad was one of the REAL old-timers of Air Line captains! Those guys, the E. K. Gann contemporaries, are the ones I most admire when I think of aviation.

Thanks George; Dad would have appreciated the comment, but he didn't really consider himself an old timer. He was really a generation after Gann. He didn't fly for a living until the late 1950's, and got on with the airline in 1961. He used to say he was 20 years too young to get in on what he called the "Golden Age" of aviation, and 20 years to old to really enjoy the miniskirt.

Miles. if there was a like icon I would have pushed it .....