P&P Dec 2012.pdf - Plane & Pilot News

Page 8 PLANE & PILOT NEWS December 2012
Flyin’ Around
Jim Opalka
Where Did All The
Airplanes Go?
JIm OPALKA
My sister started me wondering.
Regarding super storm
Sandy she said: “Where do all
the airplanes go?” When she
asks questions I attempt to
give her answers, not necessarily
to the specific questions
she asks. This is what may be
called a brother / sister thing.
If you have a brother or sister
you know exactly what is
being said here. Antagonize
at all costs. It is usually meant
in jest; not a bad thing. It is a
throwback to childhood.
The first answer I gave her
was that airplanes go where
the winds take them if they do
not have the proper tie downs
and / or appropriate knots to
hold them in place. Of course
she was referring to those aircraft
we saw on charts heading
from west to ease – quickly.
I pretended I did not understand
her query. I continued
my explanation that was of
course not related to her
question about aircraft flying
to escape a nasty storm. It
must be said here that sister is
very intelligent. Certainly she
is brighter than the writer of
this article. I kid you not. But I
could not resist playing. It is in
our blood.
Amazingly, aircraft can withstand
winds in the triple figures
- if aircraft and owner are
lucky. And we haven’t even
factored in water as a condition
of displacing aircraft;
floating them from point A to
B.
Whether or not your Piper Cub
stays put as opposed to performing
an unauthorized, un-
piloted, take off depends upon
a multitude of factors. There is
of course wind direction, type
of tie down (no brand names
mentioned), the angle at which
the tie down sets relative to
the aircraft and the wind, the
tensile strength of the rope,
frequency of gusts, their velocity
and on and on.
To say the least, tie-downs are
important, so much so that
they are required at AirVenture.
To my knowledge though, at
least at OSH, there are no
requirements in terms of minimum
tensile forces the ropes
etc. have to withstand.
The standard for single engine
aircraft is 3,000 pounds. In
other words the aircraft tiedown
must withstand winds
producing up to 3,000 pounds
of pressure that is placed upon
the hardware.
Are we wondering how much
the aircraft can withstand? In
other words even if you have
the proper equipment and can
withstand 10,000 pounds of
pressure, at what point does
your 172 snap the rope and
fly?
The above reference to storms,
winds, and water brings to
mind an article from our local
paper about helicopters and
water rescue training at our
community college. This of
course became especially relevant
during the frightening
days of storm Sandy.
As part of the Department of
Public Safety Training the college
has partnered with the PA
Air Guard. Choppers, namely,
the UH-60 Black Hawk, a
four-bladed, twin engine utility
helicopter manufactured by
Sikorsky Aircraft, have been
chosen for the water rescue
training. The course and
training go by the mnemonic
HART, or the PA HART Team;
(Pennsylvania Helicopter
Aquatics Rescue Team). The
group will be one of only five
helicopter-based water rescue
teams in the nation.
The PA HART Team came
close to deployment during
the Sandy tragedy. They
were pre-deployed to the John
Murtha Johnstown-Cambria
County Airport (KJST) and Fort
Indiantown Gap (KFTIG), an
active National Guard Training
Center and headquarters for
the Pa. Department of Military
and Veterans Affairs and the
Pa. National Guard.
Speaking of air / water rescue
and Oshkosh, there is a particular
topic that comes to mind
that was shared by a Coast
Guard Air Rescue crew member
at an excellent FAA forum.
This point of information could
save our collective lives. Many
pilots probably know this but
yours truly did not until attending
the seminar.
If we ever went (God forbid)
down in water in our little GA
aircraft and subsequently
flipped over, leaving us hanging
from our trusty harnesses,
here is how to keep your body
and your mind in the same
place at the same time. More
so, here is how to know which
side is up and how to get
safely out of your aircraft.
First, do not tightly wrap your
hands (especially your thumbs)
around the yoke. Of course
it would be common to do,
knowing you are about to
make you first water landing.
It would seem that a prudent
pilot would hold-on-for-dearlife.
Don’t do that. You will in all
probability break your thumbs.
You will need them in good
working order to exit your
newly acquired amphibious
aircraft. Hold gently.
And more importantly, do not
lift your feet off the floor and
begin thrashing around as
water fills your craft. You lift
one limb at a time and sort
of walk, step, hand hold, and
creep slowly to your best exit.
If you let go of everything and
lift your feet thinking it is time
to swim you will have no idea
where the exit is.
I will certainly tell my sister the
above. In addition I will try to
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figure out where all that heavy
metal was heading from east
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia
to west before the nasty storm.
Photo Compliments of Wikipedia
Again, Courtesy of Wikipedia