I could probably skip this post and just mail Marc Zorn directly, but in case someone else wants to hear an aviation confession, here it is.<\/p>\n
I filed a NASA ASRS form<\/a> today. NASA is responsible for both space flight and for aeronautics – aviation – and one of the best ways that they address that part of their responsibilities is ASRS (pronounced a-sars), the Aviation Safety and Reporting System<\/a>.\u00a0 It’s a system for collecting and analyzing data about incidents in which unsafe things happen in aviation with the intent of improving overall safety. The data is largely self-reported by pilots, air traffic controllers, and other aviation professionals.\u00a0 In order to get people to admit when they screw up, filing an ASRS indemnifies the reporter against FAA punishment when (loosely speaking<\/a>) the incident was a genuine accident and the infraction did not result in significant damage or danger.\u00a0 I had one of these today.<\/p>\n I took a long-ish trip this morning to work with some of Sleipnir<\/a>‘s en-route systems and get some brunch at Fresno’s Chandler Executive Airport<\/a>.\u00a0 Slippy has a dazzling array of features to help a poor pilot cope with her complexities, and most of my time to date in her had been working practicing landing, taking off, and other activities that happen at the ends of flights.\u00a0 So today I went further and spent some time on the middle phases. I practiced using the autopilot, leaning with the engine monitor, flying an IFR flight plan and some other things.<\/p>\n That was all interesting and fun and enlightening.\u00a0 It was also apparently distracting enough that I took my feet off the rudder pedals.<\/p>\n Actually, now that I think about it, I know exactly when I took them off.\u00a0 I was looking for a landmark and was adjusting my position relative to the higher cowling position.\u00a0 Hurm.<\/p>\n In any case, the upshot is that when I landed, I had one foot on a steering pedal and one off.\u00a0 On the ground, one generally steers an aircraft with one’s feet.\u00a0 Left pedal turns left, right pedal turns right.\u00a0 If a pilot has one foot on a the left pedal, and none on the right, it means they can only turn left.\u00a0 This is the situation I found myself in, though I didn’t know it at the time.<\/p>\n Slippy lands pretty fast – touchdown is in the 80 mph range – and the runway I was landing on was one of the more narrow I’ve attempted.\u00a0 So, I get her on the ground, and suddenly she jerks hard left.\u00a0 And doesn’t stop doing that.\u00a0 It feels<\/strong> like I’m countering it, but I’m not, because I haven’t realized my right foot is pushing on the floor, not the pedal.\u00a0 Runway edge markings are not happy things to see when you’re not expecting them.\u00a0 When they’re approaching at 80 mph, discretion is the better part of valor.<\/p>\n My go-around technique is not beautiful yet, but it is good enough to recover from a near-loss-of-control on the runway.\u00a0 In other news, Slippy’s engine is quite powerful<\/a>.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, I did pass through Fresno’s Class C airspace before I finished cleaning up.\u00a0 That’s what I filed the ASRS about, though the controller indicated that I hadn’t caused any problem.<\/p>\n