How NOT to Have A Good Day Flying!

Take a day with great weather, unlimited visibility and boredom at home. Add one airplane, stir in two people, and you have a recipe for a fun day.

Sunday, we didn't make it to church, and as the afternoon wore on, I had the great idea that we should go flying. Should have known that I'd pay. We live about 100 miles from the coast, so I had the idea to fly down to Brunswick, land at St. Simons Island (SSI), have a soft drink, and then fly along the beach a little, just to break up the monotony.

The trusty old cherokee started up and after a good preflight runup, we were on our way. Everything was turning out just as planned. Landed at SSI, took a pit stop, got something to drink, and then after relaxing a few minutes, watched a jet take off, and we got airborne again. The flight along Jekyll Island and around the seacoast was marvelous, just pure fun. Headed back just as the sun dipped below the horizon and a great big moon hoisted itself over the ocean to the east. The airplane was running great, it trimmed out just right, only taking slight pressure from one finger on the wheel to keep it on course. Lights were coming on down below, giving us another pretty sight. Flight following was established with JAX Center, and we struck out for home.

Made a simulated ILS approach that ended with one of the slickest landings I've ever made, just barely greasing it on, and started the taxi in. Here's where it got a bit dicey: They had moved our airplane to a new hangar, around back, where taxiways were dark and unmarked. I did all right, taking it slow and trying to feel my way in, aggravated by the lights on the hangar roofs that blinded me, and then it happened: An unexpected turn to the right, a bumpy, jostling stop as the right wing bit into the ground and the plane came to a grinding stop! My heart just stopped, Jenny screamed, as I shut it down and we jumped out. Oh, dear Lord! I had run off the taxiway and the right main gear had fetched up on some rocks in a drainage ditch! It was stuck hard, and the right wing tip was lying on the ground, but there didn't seem to be any damage, which was a relief of sorts, in spite of my heart rate being somewhere toward 250.

The only thing to do was to go home, get my towrope, and try to haul it out backwards. OK, I needed to call my partner in the plane and reluctantly tell him what had happened. He sounded upset, said he'd meet me in a few minutes. Went home, got the rope, and back out to the airport. The rope hooked up to the tail tiedown point, and I started to ease the plane backward, it came right out, and for the first time my heart slowed down and I could breathe again! A thorough inspection confirmed my best hope, there didn't appear to be any damage. Whew! Got by that one, and learned a good lesson. In the dark, when landing lights don't give much illumination, next time take a flashlight and have your passenger shine that thing all over your path so you can see!

I learned about taxiing in the dark from that!