If you are asking yourself "Self, should I declare?" then the answer is yes. One of my buddies is one of the heads of the local airport fire service, and they are *always* happy for the practice, and happy when they don't have to hose something down. They will never be pissed or second-guess. They are there for you!
Thanks for the comment. It’s a really great point. I don’t mean to defend my actions, I made many mistakes on this flight. There’s more here than a comment but I think the problem isn’t the fire brigade. I’ve seen pilots clobber the frequency with odd questions, I’ve seen pilots join up with the stricken aircraft to “take a look”, and lastly i have seen low time mechanics show up with “good intentions” that slow things down and add cost to the program. No question one should declare more often than not, and I believe I was on the wrong side of the line here, but there is more grey area than is obvious.
@@utopiasnow You're the professional and have the ability to review and critique what the right thing to do was. And in this case, I think you did the right thing.
@@flyer6931 maybe/maybe not. No longer working in a large flight test organization I don't have a lot of formal oversight on my work. For this reason I record most everything I do, write reports on anything interesting, and publish things publicly for feedback as often as possible. I make mistakes all the time, I am not 100% confident on any flight I have had. But the goal with this is to learn, and challenge what I know, to be ready for the next fight. Thanks for coming along and being a part of the conversation.
@@utopiasnow great video, with wonderful insight into your handling of an inflight emergency. You used the word yourself many times in the video, I think it would have been fine to use it on the frequency to tune everybody in to the situation. It leaves them from guessing why you came in high, fast, go around with a 'gear issue' and requested the runway cleared. All in all, using the E word might have helped you, and rather call it and come down fine, then not mentioning it, and end up in a bad event with no one clue-ed in. Once again, your video and insights were great and I hope everyone takes it as a learning event to chew on.
@@utopiasnow exactly as I expected, another excellent video from you. I love the way you explain your thought process and the steps you take as you work through problems. I'm not a pilot, just some guy who bums rides with my CFI buddy any chance I can get, but everything was easy to understand and follow. The one thing I wish you would have talked about a little more was the choice to go to idle as soon as you started seeing problems. You never said anything about the engine acting like it was starved for fuel (I'm out of my element here, do turbines even give you any indication that they're starved for fuel, besides an RPM drop?). If you did a little troubleshooting and discovered earlier that the low fuel indication was a red herring, how would you have handled things differently?
@@jrucker2004 Thanks for the comment and the kind words. I have very limited experience flaming out turbine engines, but my understanding is unlike a recip the fire just goes out. So by switching tanks and pulling power you find a new source for gas and lower the demand to minimize the chance of a flame out. If it weren't for smoke in the cockpit I would likely have continued to troubleshoot. Being up high I had plenty of time and options should it have flamed out. And to be honest I was eager to learn more about the way the system fails. Thanks again!! Let me know if I didnt answer the questions.
Thank you for taking us along for the ride Elliot! The whole aviation community benefits from you sharing these projects through the ups and downs. These videos are a lot of work, on top of the flight test challenges you tackle, so your efforts are truly appreciated! 💪🏼
I fly out of a super crowded uncontrolled airport (KAWO) I think my biggest tip, if I may, is to make your situation known a little better that you may need to be priority. I've made room for experimentals who called up saying they had issues (I was in the pattern, and just turned to head away to get out of the guy's hair so he could turn back and have one less variable to worry about). People are generally friendly, and I think you could make things a lot more comfortable for yourself if you weren't dealing with multiple low performance targets doing student pilot type stuff while you're trying to sort out a high performance airplane that may imminently result in an undesirable situation for yourself. I think that would be easier than having to work to arrange the evolving traffic situation (ie, kindly requesting a speedier runway clearing) to accommodate yours. Of course you know this, but you can always break the 4th wall and just key up on the CTAF and say that you are having issues and need a clear pattern for a bit to sort them out. Nobody will judge you for that, and if they do, they shouldn't be flying. It may also make for a good lesson for a CFI instructing a student that this is a real world scenario that they could encounter on their own, this is how you deal with it if they need to remove themselves from the airport vicinity to make room. Great video, as always, thank you for sharing.
@@chris1seto- Thanks, will do! Also, holler if you ever want to give the glider stuff a try... I mostly fly in E WA during the summer (or elsewhere in the US for major contests), but am part of the club at KAWO and love intro'ing people to the sport!
Lots of crazy stuff at KAWO. Can’t believe it’s not towered and Kbli is. Strangest thing I have seen is some one doing pattern work to a full stop on the runway at night with traffic in the pattern. The fella stopped at the pumps and thanked me for going around... yeah, Kawo needs a tower
I am not above getting on the Unicom and telling everyone to get out of the way and shut up. I did it once in the 1980's, on behalf of someone else who may have been having a landing-gear-not-locked-down problem. I said something to the effect of "North Perry Traffic, everyone stay off the radio and off the runways until the Navion is down." Everyone complied. (...and the gear _was_ down and locked!)
"Engineering School"! 🤣 If anything, you learned to think logically and systematically, and look for the "big picture". The owner is very lucky to have had you in the cockpit! Great job with sorting things out and a near perfect finish (99%)! Only lost one point for not making a more emphatic "Emergency" call. But I understand your fear of what the reactions might have been. Take care! Stay Safe! Keep the canopy side up!! 👍
I think the biggest take away from this is the configuration in the cockpit... leg bumps throttle.... fuel crossover requires a Gumby like maneuver.... but thankfully he was able to shimmy shake the gear into a locked position
1st rule of the day...... we are all professionals when we have hindsight. ide be happy to have half your skills and humbleness. when you think you know everything is when your dangerous to everyone. love your content.. please make more
Great social engineering explanation on landing with problems at an unfamiliar airport. Low time PP here, but lots of time in ultralight so who am I to advise you on anything, BUT, Always Declare the Emergency! Hope you get the Pony sorted out. Thanks for the update.
This the second video of yours I've listened to where you have real emergencies. Very helpful to hear details description of all the thought process you go through as things are developing but hope it never happens to me. :)
I really enjoyed hearing your internal monologue after the event. Some very interesting reflections, and assessments. Once you fly planes long enough, I think we have all had one brown moment or another, but fuel + engine + fire + gear + unfamiliar airport, ALL in the one 12 minute block makes for a seriously exciting “0.2 hrs” in the log book! Well done, sir. Obviously not your first rodeo, and I learned much listening to your reasoning. Thanks for your honesty and willingness to share your expertise. Looking forward to episode 4.
Love how articulate you are in these videos man! You do a great job using language that a non-test pilot can easily understand! Thank you for that! I always learn something
Some very great lessons for all of us who fly, what stuck out for me is to take a step back and look big picture. The two emergencies I've had I passed up obvious avenues of escape because I was target fixated. Thanks for the detail and the lessons.
Execellent video - very clear. And very helpful when it comes to learning from other's experiences. Looking forward to the next video. Thanks much for taking the time to edit and post that.
That's the most beautiful thing about what we do Elliot. Not in every case but the vast majority, we are surrounded by good honest people with whom we share our passion. Glad you made it safe brother and thanks for the education my friend.
Thanks for the comment. We were certainly lucky to have great people around on this program. Glad that is almost always the case. airplanes are cool, and so are airplane people.
@@utopiasnow Agreed! I have been watching you on the Tube for a while. I have always valued your approach to flying. I have learned tons of information from you sir and I appreciate you for taking the time to help educate us all. The explanation you gave on the Delta project's control system was really good. It gave me a glimpse of a characteristic in flight I had previously never given much thought to. The Flight Stick moments of freedom are indeed traditionally square by design. When you presented the diamond moments of freedom and its limitations made total sense and really gave me food for thought. I really appreciate that brother! Fly safe and in the words of one of my greatest inspirations, Mr. Bob Hoover, "Fly that plane through the crash till she comes to a stop" if you ever have to!
Thank you for the comment Wade, I put those details in to highlight this topic. I agree that more often than not you should declare, and on this flight, I was probably on that side of the line. I don't however think it's an "always declare" situation. I have seen the frequency get clobbered with silly questions, I have seen "helpful" pilots join up to "inspect the airplane" and I have seen low time mechanics clobber an afternoon with disorganized distractions. There were two other big emergencies this year in which "emergency" played a role. Check out the next video for another perspective on this same topic.
@@utopiasnow Your reasoning repeatedly is taking the wrong considerations.. call emergency if you have a problem that warrants.. make your situation known.. make a safe landing outside all else.. the armchairs should be told to buzz off until you're ready to discuss, which should be the last thing on your mind
@@DFI429 I'm sorry that we disagree on this. check out the next video and tell me what you think about my comms and how it played into tthe end result. airplanes are cool
@@DFI429 there is a lot more at play here than a guy out for a flight encountering a mechanical issue. You have a very experienced test pilot, many many hours reviewing and studying component design, confident in his ability to handle the situation. You also aren’t gaining anything by declaring an emergency. No tower, no ARF unit, no onsite emergency services and he will be on the ground before any could be effective. He probably felt the added complexity was without benefit. You may have declared an emergency and I also may have. Everything worked out so his decisions were sound.
I am not a pilot. But it is clear to me, that the owner of the P-51 is so fortunate to have you!!!! No one could have taken stock of the situation, and reacted any differently. I salute you sir.
It has come up. In Chino we were down the road from a prison. It was strange to pull up next to a bus load of prisoners wearing the same kit. Or maybe it was weird pulling up next to the gaurd driving the bus.
Great video. I loved your focus on risk management and planning. As a former flight test engineer who never got a license, I'm living vicariously through your videos. Glad you were safe.
OMG!!! First thought is, I am so thankful this had a good ending!!! Second thought, I am so glad you are very thorough in all aspects of your flights from flight planning to wheels up to wheel chocks at the end of a flight!! Great job on dealing with what I would consider an emergency, without telling ATC you actually had one, but I probably would take the same stance you took on working it out and getting on the ground!!! Stay safe Elliot!!!
This is the second such video I have seen on the channel where an incident took place. I can already see a theme forming where a mishap was narrowly avoided by some excellent piloting skills. Thanks for posting another really interesting video.
Whew! That was stressful, Elliot :) Glad you made it down safe. Always a great watch. I should have known from the first video this gear pump was going to be the problem child. Looking forward to the next episode!
Thanks for the comment. I am trying to do a better job of story telling so I was trying to foreshadow this from the begging...unfortunately they didn’t cover this in engineering school. Party on!!
I throughly enjoy watching your videos. I watch some of the other general aviation experts’ channels and yours are definitely as informative and enjoyable as anyones. Thank you.
so sorry, trying to reach my old college mate who is from India and met you. Nevermind? I'm at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, located in southeast Texas, on the southern coast of Corpus Christi Bay. I'm working as the Cyber information consultant and CCTV information carrier naval officer. Don't post much here,but you can reach my official Gmail at (megsaudibert@gmail.com) and drop a DM massage for me,so I can reach directly to you! hope you stay safe.
Airplane are! cool! thanks for taking the time to share your humble experiences and replay of events. As a pilot and A&P i love both the flying and testing that goes into the experimental world.. thanks again for bringing us along!
As an AME (A&P tech) I can tell you right off the bat that I have never seen such a flimsy bracket attaching to a rod end on a gear door. Not to mention the fit didn't look great. No wonder it snapped after such a short time, no rigidity.
"Oh, I'm just an engineer after all.." Can't tell you how many times I been told that!! Great video and IMO very good handling on the event.... Luckily you had time to step back and look at the big picture, so very crucial in times like that. Too easy to keep chasing the rabbit instead of trying to put all the events in context. Good job!
Had been looking forward to your next video and wow, it didn’t disappoint. We could watch the chain of events unfolding like we were right there with you. Glad you were able to work through them to an successful landing. Looking forward to the next update.
Great video! Question: Why climb out and avoid the TRSA? Participation is voluntary and probably nice to be talking to someone if something goes wrong. Glad you made it down safe.
@@utopiasnow TRSA's aren't "airspace" they're just the FAA's obtuse way of saying when a class D has full-on radar service. I fly out of MCN, nobody here askes for service on a local flight and the controllers prefer it that way; as soon as we leave the Delta, it's "frequency change approved see ya later"
It’s seeing how you handle these sort of complex situations that really makes me hope I can have the opportunity to get to do what you do everyday. Another amazing video. Can’t wait to see the next!
Elliot - My friends who own and are flying T-51 Mustangs say it's a life changing event...all of the "intangibles" as you noted. Very positive, very rewarding.
Thanks for the comment. The folks I know who have succeeded in this corner of aviation are no doubt sharp with a great knowledge of a lot of different things. It's dangerous for sure but very rewarding. Thanks for the comment!!
This is perfect story telling on a real emergency... So much alert signs thrown at you in such a short time. What really makes it great to watch is the way you explain your decision making and factor so many variable into it. Did you ever lost sight of the flying part (airspeed or atitude) in this emergency while making all this thinking?
There were definitely some spots where my flying wasn't as clean as I would have liked. One of the great things about recording your flights is there is no debate about how you performed. Thank you for the comment and the kind words.
I'm a relatively fresh PPL pilot and though I see your point of view, if I was in the traffic pattern of Cleveland Muni at that time, I would have appreciated you mentioning "emergency" in one of your transmissions, just so I could get out of the way until you were on the ground. Other than that, fantastic video, of course.
Thanks man, this is the struggle. I made sure to include it because it played a part in two of the other major emergencies we have had this year. It would have been annoying in this case to explain to a fire brigade why we didn’t need help, but the one in Compton was another story. Thanks for the comment.
@@utopiasnow Not trying to armchair second guess your flying, i know things are very different when you are in the situation. One thing I've learned though is that there is such a thing as sounding too calm on the radio, something that seasoned pilots have to be aware of. Information is conveyed by the tone of or voice, at least in an equal amount as by the words that we say. The famous Avianca 52 accident comes to mind as an extreme example.
I am finding your iterative and detailed processes very relevant to my daily life, and am enjoying the rehearsal and abstraction very enjoyable Thank you for your work
Great job man! Just found you on Instagram, I’m a flight test photographer for the USAF stuck out in the middle of NM passing time until the next flight. I’ll be shooting some patches your way to trade! TEST!
Stumbled onto you via IG. Stayed up past my bedtime to watch this. Great video. I’m now a subscriber. And I am not going to bed until I watch the next one!! Fly safe! Bondo, sends.
"I am just an engineer after all" - given how much vicarious enjoyment I derive from your videos, I think we may need to agree to disagree. Great ending to a great series of videos. (Also, your patreon link has some trailing non-printing characters that breaks things when I try to follow it - not a big deal, I could figure it out, but though I would mention it).
Really enjoyed that, thanks for putting it together. Also really glad it turned out with you able to get home to your family vs a number of less desirable outcomes. Be careful out there!
so sorry, trying to reach my old college mate who is from India and met you. Nevermind? I'm at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, located in southeast Texas, on the southern coast of Corpus Christi Bay. I'm working as the Cyber information consultant and CCTV information carrier naval officer. Don't post much here,but you can reach my official Gmail at (megsaudibert@gmail.com) and drop a DM massage for me,so I can reach directly to you! hope you stay safe.
Another great one! Long video, but kept me 'n' my wife watching in rapt attention throughout! She said she was going to read a book this evening; but she's a pilot - I knew what was going to happen the moment I pressed Play... ;-)
so sorry, trying to reach my old college mate who is from India and met you. Nevermind? I'm at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, located in southeast Texas, on the southern coast of Corpus Christi Bay. I'm working as the Cyber information consultant and CCTV information carrier naval officer. Don't post much here,but you can reach my official Gmail at (megsaudibert@gmail.com) and drop a DM massage for me,so I can reach directly to you! hope you stay safe.
Awesome vid! My question is regarding calling an emergency... what do you think it is that makes you so hesitant to cal an emergency? It seems like it’s better to have too much attention rather than not enough right?
Well said. I need to go into this further in the next video. It was an issue in three of the incidents this year. I think we are all nervous about having to report an accident, or explain why we called an emergency and made the truck roll for nothing. I have also seen people get very confused about how to respond in these situations, and I prefer the other pilots etc be predictable. Any way, there’s a lot more to say here. Most importantly I know this is an issue for me and I am working on it.
@@utopiasnow Declare! All the free help is more manageable then adding other issues. Like the guy doing a full stop or the other student in The pattern could have made a really bad day for you. I have had several emergencies in my 21 years in the Air Force as well as combat time and the only one I regret how it went was when I didn’t declare.
@@utopiasnow Report to who? You were VFR at an uncontrolled field. By not telling anyone on unicom what was going on nor your intentions to land as fast as possible then it's YOU who are flying unpredictably in traffic! If you need the field, then say so; otherwise youre flying is a threat to others..
Enjoy your comentaries..i grew up fairing junk sales airplanes in the 70s.. this brings back somany memories of how if it can go wrong it probably will.. enjoy your stuff because it has substance instead of garbage like you see alot of on facebook
On a channel that is dedicated to airplanes, and flying, it's been very educational for me to hear how much Elliot talks about people. People on the ground, people in the air, people on the radio, people who own the plane, people that work with him on the race teams. I'm not a test pilot or race pilot but there is a valuable lesson here I think. Thanks Elliot!
so sorry, trying to reach my old college mate who is from India and met you. Nevermind? I'm at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, located in southeast Texas, on the southern coast of Corpus Christi Bay. I'm working as the Cyber information consultant and CCTV information carrier naval officer. Don't post much here,but you can reach my official Gmail at (megsaudibert@gmail.com) and drop a DM massage for me,so I can reach directly to you! hope you stay safe.
42:53 - "...I didn't have the drag I needed to get down and get stopped." It occurs to me that, without fully extended gear, getting stopped would NOT be one of your concerns...or is the belly made of Teflon? 😉
These videos are absolutely fascinating and informative as how to handle an emergency and think about steps to take. I hope to start learning to fly soon and this kind of stuff is invaluable just to learn headspace and keeping cool and assessing the situation. Thank you
Twice I had been reluctant to declare an emergency. Sometimes you get into the mindset that you don't need the support of outside agencies or that you don't want to stir up the pot too much and cause a scene. God knows I try to stay as low key as possible... it's just my personality. In both situations I really just needed one specific thing, however they wouldn't be able to deliver them without declaring. We declared once and got it, and in the other we accepted that we wouldn't get it and it was a rough ride back. I have changed my mindset and I am not afraid to use it when I need the support now. The whole time watching I was waiting for you to use that card. Were you hesitant from the attention you may get after it was over? Like you had said, attracting the attention in an unfamiliar field would have gotten you the resources to help you later (you found it regardless). It worked out in this situation, but if things had went further south you would have had an extra layer to navigate... all that traffic.
Tim, thanks for the comment. It's an important discussion that certainly played a role in this flight as well as two other emergency flights we've had this year. In the next video I hope to cover another perspective created by a very different set of circumstances. I like your perspective about not wanting to cause a scene. I think there is truth to that. I also think we are all taught to fear the FAA so having to go through an investigation after what turned out to be a small emergency is a concern. I also think it's worth saying that there is a lot of unpredictability that comes with making that call. I have seen the frequency get clobbered with silly questions, I have seen pilots unwantedly join up to "check for damage", and I have seen low-time mechanics distract the recovery effort with extraneous details. I am struggling with what would have been the right way to introduce myself on the frequency in this situation and I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. Did you send your address?
@@utopiasnow I can see that point of view especially on a CTAF. That's a whole layer I didn't think about. But when I need someone to vacate the runway expeditiously, I will broadcast my "elite" status as an emergency..."Aircraft on runway, you have an emergency aircraft on final. Vacate so I can land." By the way, I love your videos.
I really find it interesting hearing you talk through troubleshooting and problem solving as problems arise. Gives some good insight (especially to newer/younger pilots such as myself) to realize when something abnormal is happening and how not to slip into those hazardous attitudes.
That plane is terrifying. I think it should have brushless system for the hydraulic pump? I dont know much about planes but I learn a lot from listening to your videos.
Thanks man, it’s a cool airplane and part of that is that it isn’t all sorted out yet. A wise man once said it needs love and we are in the airplane loving business. Thanks again!!
Elliot, I really like how you talk us through your decision making process, even when in hindsight you feel like you could have made a different decision that might have been a better one.
Ok Elliot, I have railed on you enough with my extreme sarcasm! In my defense, it is my primary language!! I believed your video to be quite informative and I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share it with us!! I am primarily thankful you came out of this unscathed, unharmed and alive!!! Please, never place yourself in this situation again! After all, I hope to buy you a pint one day and laugh until it hurts!!!
The airport was probably having just as hard a job pronouncing the pilot's name as the pilot was pronouncing the airport... Is it Segway, Sequin, ah hell, well just go with Elliott Wasabi. Also declare the damn emergency. We regret to inform you that the pilot caught on fire because he didn't want to inconvenience anyone...
Thanks for posting this series of videos i learned of this plane and a turbine nemesis nxt and always wanted to know more about them but it had disappeared for a while. I really hope this plane is going to get flown now with the new owner.
Enjoyable video (aside from the emergency), thanks! I like how technical you get without losing the viewer. And in case you ever wanted feedback, your production values are just right - I don't need flashier graphics or slicker editing. Keep things real, and I'll keep coming back. :)
I will say as someone who has loved any kind of flying for more than 5 decades and owned my own planes, that you are one crazy son of a gun. Planes have enough things that like to go wrong when built by very experienced companies. The idea of flying planes built by someone who found they had enough money and time to build a home built but not fly their own plane, means you have much bigger cojones than I could ever imagine having. Test pilots for planes that corporations had hundreds of people supposedly designing, is one thing. Test flying a plane the joe down the street built. Save me the time and just light me on fire in the middle of the street. LOL. You rock sir!
so sorry, trying to reach my old college mate who is from India and met you. Nevermind? I'm at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, located in southeast Texas, on the southern coast of Corpus Christi Bay. I'm working as the Cyber information consultant and CCTV information carrier naval officer. Don't post much here,but you can reach my official Gmail at (megsaudibert@gmail.com) and drop a DM massage for me,so I can reach directly to you! hope you stay safe.
Perfect teaching moment of the snowball effect emergencies can have. That airplane was spring-loaded and it was letting go of that energy. Great job of unwinding it as it was happening to bring it back into an uneventful landing. The rest of the day and figuring out how to get home to kiss the boys is just part of the adventure. It’s only an airplane and can be replaced. Living to fly another day and airplanes are still cool.
If I'm around an uncontrolled field and I hear you call a MAYDAY, sure yeah I may not be able to offer you useful assistance quite like the boys at Mohave and Reno. But you can be sure that (1) if I'm in the air I'll bug out of the pattern so at least you have one fewer thing to worry about and (2) if I'm on the ground I'll start recording so you have an extra video angle for the debrief. Thanks for the awesome videos.
Lucky that Chris was there to help you out. The liability of working on such an aircraft would probably dissuade a lot of technicians. I’ve always worked for Part 145 repair stations, I can’t imagine the stress and insurance premium that permits a tech to work on an experimental like that. No manuals, no standards, nothing. Or maybe I’m over thinking it? Great video! Hope I get to meet you at Reno Air Races 2021!
Absolutely riveting video, Elliott. I cannot remember a more interesting video and one that I was wishing would go on longer when it ended. I’m sure it’s a terrible feeling to bend up an airplane, especially one that belongs to someone else. You should take solace in the fact your test pilot discipline likely saved not only yourself, but some other future pilot and perhaps even someone on the ground from a more tragic outcome. With nearly flying 50 years and a few thousand hours of flying experience I learned a lot from this video. Thank you.
I can relate to the panic feeling of being at an unfamiliar/unfriendly airport and having a problem. Friends and I had touring as a group of 5 aircraft had a prop strike far from home, and even as a group, getting that fixed was a nightmare. We were also lucky to find a friendly maintenance company for the commercial operation that was at the airport who let us use their tools and space. Great video, and some brilliant learning in there as always.
I‘m air traffic controller since 23 years. Sorry to say but poor communication in flight! We are always happy to help, and it doesn‘t matter if you are VFR, IFR, military or civil pilot! Next time give a quick call to ATC, tell us you have some technical problems which could lead into an 7700, and we are happy to guide you to the next suitable airport. Never be ashamed to ask for support, even more when you are single-pilot ops. If you flip over and catch fire in this shoe box you‘re fckd. Better to have the firebrigade on stand by and nothing happens than finding yourself in a flipped over small experimental like this. Just my 2 cent! Stay save buddy… ;-)
Thanks for the comment. I hope I never implied the flight was without error. On my best days, this channel is about debriefing flights so that people can learn from them, especially when I make mistakes. If I missed that mark on this video I apologize. Your perspective working in ATC is valuable. I have never worked in ATC, most of the time in my background there is little more dangerous than inviting someone who isn't "briefed" to assist in the middle of an emergency. But to your point the majority of my emergencies have happened in the glide cone over a friendly airport. Thank you for the thoughtful comment, I hope we all do better next time. airplanes are cool
Amazing how the human factors that you study once then forget about are so vivid in this video thanks for highlighting them. From the emergency stand-point, I agree with others that maybe a declaration of some sort even a pan would be a good route, but also a description of what people should expect upon arrival to a wreck ( 1 POB, smoke etc). I am not up to date on the rules in the US, but that's drilled in for NZ is the who you are, where you are, what are your intentions and for an emergency what has happened.
Thanks for the comment. I think the mayday discussion has value and thats why I included it, I feel like there is a lesson learned there and I know I will be clearer in the future. For me its not so black and white as some of these comments would have it seem, and I think pan-pan would address a lot of it. On the other side I think you said it exactly, what will people do when they hear it. I have seen people do strange things to "help" an airplane in trouble, and at the very least they are more predictable if I don't say it. Anyway, thanks for the comment, wait until you see how the E word factored into the next video.
Good video thanks for sharing it your honest with yourself and we appreciate that. I can't say i would be happy with the installation of the blow down bottle cable. The the outer was only attached with cable tie to the bottle it needs the installation looking at as i'm sure you know the outer is part of how the cable will works. It almost looks like the lever arm of the bottle would touch the side of the wheel well but that might just be the camera angle. Don't leave it to late declare an emergency Pan or Mayday it will help the other pilots in the area understand what you have going on. Thumbs up from the UK.
When you were talking about the intagibles of flying an aircraft such as this and you pull up next to a student pilot in a 150, I thought you were going to say "and those guys will merrily sit there in their own little world working through their checklist at a snail's pace whilst I'm sat here being forced to waste fuel and time when they could wave me through.." Because that's sure as hell what goes through my mind when I'm No.2 at the hold. Anyway, great work!
Wow you had some issues to deal with and you handled everything great . Your experience clearly shows , your a very mature pilot and I don’t mean in age. Fantastic video and explanation . Please continue to keep us posted with what’s happening.👍👍
@Elliot Seguin Watching your videos reminds me of why I love flying and airplanes. Thanks for a look into the world of Flight Test. I spent a few years at Boeing FT as a photographer and your stuff is mostly way more exciting!! Keep it up.
My apologies. Its a fine line between click bait, factual reporting, and responsible story telling. I am just and engineer afterall. Thank you for the comment.
@41:40, when in doubt, say "emergency". Nobody is going to be mad at you for having a broken engine, even if you're 'only' a motorized parachute. don't worry about people being upset that you took the runway from them, it's more important that they get off the runway so you can land safely instead of cratering.
Thanks for the comment. I think it’s been discussed in detail elsewhere but I don’t think it’s that black and white. Sometimes saying the wrong thing on the radio can make for chaotic responses that make things harder. I was dead sticking a troubled T6 once and I watched the two guys on final below me nearly run into each other looking up for me after I said I was having a problem. I’ve seen “helpful” folks form up and lookiloos distract the technicians. Yes there is a moment in this video that would have been “less rude” if the other pilots would have known more about what was going on, but it’s a trade like every thing. Thanks again for the comment.
If you are asking yourself "Self, should I declare?" then the answer is yes. One of my buddies is one of the heads of the local airport fire service, and they are *always* happy for the practice, and happy when they don't have to hose something down. They will never be pissed or second-guess. They are there for you!
Thanks for the comment. It’s a really great point. I don’t mean to defend my actions, I made many mistakes on this flight. There’s more here than a comment but I think the problem isn’t the fire brigade. I’ve seen pilots clobber the frequency with odd questions, I’ve seen pilots join up with the stricken aircraft to “take a look”, and lastly i have seen low time mechanics show up with “good intentions” that slow things down and add cost to the program. No question one should declare more often than not, and I believe I was on the wrong side of the line here, but there is more grey area than is obvious.
@@utopiasnow You're the professional and have the ability to review and critique what the right thing to do was. And in this case, I think you did the right thing.
@@flyer6931 maybe/maybe not. No longer working in a large flight test organization I don't have a lot of formal oversight on my work. For this reason I record most everything I do, write reports on anything interesting, and publish things publicly for feedback as often as possible. I make mistakes all the time, I am not 100% confident on any flight I have had. But the goal with this is to learn, and challenge what I know, to be ready for the next fight. Thanks for coming along and being a part of the conversation.
@@utopiasnow great video, with wonderful insight into your handling of an inflight emergency. You used the word yourself many times in the video, I think it would have been fine to use it on the frequency to tune everybody in to the situation. It leaves them from guessing why you came in high, fast, go around with a 'gear issue' and requested the runway cleared. All in all, using the E word might have helped you, and rather call it and come down fine, then not mentioning it, and end up in a bad event with no one clue-ed in.
Once again, your video and insights were great and I hope everyone takes it as a learning event to chew on.
"If in doubt, yell it out."
You're alive and you didn't wreck the airplane! success!
Thanks for the kind words!!
Having the blow bottle handle break after all of the other issues, I would have gone "Code Brown". You Sir, are one cool cat.
Thanks for the comment
“Code Brown” lol.
I’m a mountaineer, and “Code Brown” is a regular occurrence.
@@vandalorianvandalorian4769 Stain the drawers? 😂
Seems this airplane was put back together just to get a feel for how everything fits together, not for flying
@@rp61 coat the cotton
“And the handle came off in my hand” hahaha.
Another awesome video!
Thanks for the comment
1 minute in: Oh, this is going to be a good video.
Let me know what you think
@@utopiasnow Awesome video as always
@@utopiasnow exactly as I expected, another excellent video from you. I love the way you explain your thought process and the steps you take as you work through problems. I'm not a pilot, just some guy who bums rides with my CFI buddy any chance I can get, but everything was easy to understand and follow.
The one thing I wish you would have talked about a little more was the choice to go to idle as soon as you started seeing problems. You never said anything about the engine acting like it was starved for fuel (I'm out of my element here, do turbines even give you any indication that they're starved for fuel, besides an RPM drop?). If you did a little troubleshooting and discovered earlier that the low fuel indication was a red herring, how would you have handled things differently?
@@jrucker2004 Thanks for the comment and the kind words.
I have very limited experience flaming out turbine engines, but my understanding is unlike a recip the fire just goes out. So by switching tanks and pulling power you find a new source for gas and lower the demand to minimize the chance of a flame out.
If it weren't for smoke in the cockpit I would likely have continued to troubleshoot. Being up high I had plenty of time and options should it have flamed out. And to be honest I was eager to learn more about the way the system fails.
Thanks again!! Let me know if I didnt answer the questions.
Woah
Elliot, you are always a joy to listen to and I am so happy you are safe and were able to make it home to those 2 boys!
Thank you so much!
Thank you for taking us along for the ride Elliot! The whole aviation community benefits from you sharing these projects through the ups and downs. These videos are a lot of work, on top of the flight test challenges you tackle, so your efforts are truly appreciated! 💪🏼
Thanks for the comment!! Stoked you came along!!!
I fly out of a super crowded uncontrolled airport (KAWO) I think my biggest tip, if I may, is to make your situation known a little better that you may need to be priority. I've made room for experimentals who called up saying they had issues (I was in the pattern, and just turned to head away to get out of the guy's hair so he could turn back and have one less variable to worry about). People are generally friendly, and I think you could make things a lot more comfortable for yourself if you weren't dealing with multiple low performance targets doing student pilot type stuff while you're trying to sort out a high performance airplane that may imminently result in an undesirable situation for yourself. I think that would be easier than having to work to arrange the evolving traffic situation (ie, kindly requesting a speedier runway clearing) to accommodate yours. Of course you know this, but you can always break the 4th wall and just key up on the CTAF and say that you are having issues and need a clear pattern for a bit to sort them out. Nobody will judge you for that, and if they do, they shouldn't be flying.
It may also make for a good lesson for a CFI instructing a student that this is a real world scenario that they could encounter on their own, this is how you deal with it if they need to remove themselves from the airport vicinity to make room.
Great video, as always, thank you for sharing.
Chris - Keep an ear out for me! I've got a hangar at KAWO and will be taking the first flight in my homebuilt in just a few months. :-)
@@noelwade good luck! If you see my green pa28 610sh say hi!!
@@chris1seto- Thanks, will do! Also, holler if you ever want to give the glider stuff a try... I mostly fly in E WA during the summer (or elsewhere in the US for major contests), but am part of the club at KAWO and love intro'ing people to the sport!
Lots of crazy stuff at KAWO. Can’t believe it’s not towered and Kbli is. Strangest thing I have seen is some one doing pattern work to a full stop on the runway at night with traffic in the pattern. The fella stopped at the pumps and thanked me for going around... yeah, Kawo needs a tower
I am not above getting on the Unicom and telling everyone to get out of the way and shut up. I did it once in the 1980's, on behalf of someone else who may have been having a landing-gear-not-locked-down problem.
I said something to the effect of "North Perry Traffic, everyone stay off the radio and off the runways until the Navion is down."
Everyone complied.
(...and the gear _was_ down and locked!)
"Engineering School"! 🤣 If anything, you learned to think logically and systematically, and look for the "big picture". The owner is very lucky to have had you in the cockpit! Great job with sorting things out and a near perfect finish (99%)! Only lost one point for not making a more emphatic "Emergency" call. But I understand your fear of what the reactions might have been. Take care! Stay Safe! Keep the canopy side up!! 👍
Party on! Thanks for the note
I think the biggest take away from this is the configuration in the cockpit... leg bumps throttle.... fuel crossover requires a Gumby like maneuver.... but thankfully he was able to shimmy shake the gear into a locked position
Yeah, he probably should have declared. Great vid.
1st rule of the day......
we are all professionals when we have hindsight.
ide be happy to have half your skills and humbleness.
when you think you know everything is when your dangerous to everyone.
love your content.. please make more
Thanks man
Great social engineering explanation on landing with problems at an unfamiliar airport.
Low time PP here, but lots of time in ultralight so who am I to advise you on anything, BUT, Always Declare the Emergency!
Hope you get the Pony sorted out. Thanks for the update.
Thanks man
Agreed.
This the second video of yours I've listened to where you have real emergencies. Very helpful to hear details description of all the thought process you go through as things are developing but hope it never happens to me. :)
I really enjoyed hearing your internal monologue after the event. Some very interesting reflections, and assessments. Once you fly planes long enough, I think we have all had one brown moment or another, but fuel + engine + fire + gear + unfamiliar airport, ALL in the one 12 minute block makes for a seriously exciting “0.2 hrs” in the log book! Well done, sir. Obviously not your first rodeo, and I learned much listening to your reasoning. Thanks for your honesty and willingness to share your expertise. Looking forward to episode 4.
Thanks for saying that
Oh My God! Just got through the opening rundown. Glad you are able to make this video!
Thanks man
Nice job keeping your head about you during the multiple-event emergency. I never had a doubt.
Great to hear from you boss!!
Love how articulate you are in these videos man! You do a great job using language that a non-test pilot can easily understand! Thank you for that! I always learn something
Boy it doesn’t come easy, just an engineer here, way more comfortable with a spreadsheet or a calculator…but I’m trying. Thanks for the comment!!
Just finished watching it...wish it didn't end, can't wait for more!! Grateful that you're safe! Thanks again! Airplanes ARE cool!
Thanks man. I appreciate the feedback!!!
Actually, I was REALLY glad it ended...well ;) lol. Talk about butt pucker!
From a 65 year old "Bored" retired former Aircraft Engineering Technician, I'm not bored now! Thank you for waking me up! ;)
Thanks man
Again, calm under pressure, nerves of steel and cast iron balls!! Looking forward to the next episode!
Thanks. I cut out all the crying. hahaha
@@utopiasnowSeems that training kicks in when the shooting starts....well done!! If your in Reno for the Races in September, I'll buy you a ☕ 🧃!!
Some very great lessons for all of us who fly, what stuck out for me is to take a step back and look big picture. The two emergencies I've had I passed up obvious avenues of escape because I was target fixated. Thanks for the detail and the lessons.
Thanks for the comment. Glad type found value in the debrief.
Execellent video - very clear. And very helpful when it comes to learning from other's experiences. Looking forward to the next video.
Thanks much for taking the time to edit and post that.
Thanks man.
That's the most beautiful thing about what we do Elliot. Not in every case but the vast majority, we are surrounded by good honest people with whom we share our passion. Glad you made it safe brother and thanks for the education my friend.
Thanks for the comment. We were certainly lucky to have great people around on this program. Glad that is almost always the case. airplanes are cool, and so are airplane people.
@@utopiasnow
Agreed! I have been watching you on the Tube for a while. I have always valued your approach to flying. I have learned tons of information from you sir and I appreciate you for taking the time to help educate us all.
The explanation you gave on the Delta project's control system was really good. It gave me a glimpse of a characteristic in flight I had previously never given much thought to. The Flight Stick moments of freedom are indeed traditionally square by design. When you presented the diamond moments of freedom and its limitations made total sense and really gave me food for thought.
I really appreciate that brother! Fly safe and in the words of one of my greatest inspirations, Mr. Bob Hoover, "Fly that plane through the crash till she comes to a stop" if you ever have to!
Always call the emergency what it is; an emergency.
Never caused a problem, only helped in my 25+ years.
Absolutely! Big omission there.
Thank you for the comment Wade, I put those details in to highlight this topic. I agree that more often than not you should declare, and on this flight, I was probably on that side of the line. I don't however think it's an "always declare" situation. I have seen the frequency get clobbered with silly questions, I have seen "helpful" pilots join up to "inspect the airplane" and I have seen low time mechanics clobber an afternoon with disorganized distractions.
There were two other big emergencies this year in which "emergency" played a role. Check out the next video for another perspective on this same topic.
@@utopiasnow Your reasoning repeatedly is taking the wrong considerations.. call emergency if you have a problem that warrants.. make your situation known.. make a safe landing outside all else.. the armchairs should be told to buzz off until you're ready to discuss, which should be the last thing on your mind
@@DFI429 I'm sorry that we disagree on this. check out the next video and tell me what you think about my comms and how it played into tthe end result. airplanes are cool
@@DFI429 there is a lot more at play here than a guy out for a flight encountering a mechanical issue. You have a very experienced test pilot, many many hours reviewing and studying component design, confident in his ability to handle the situation. You also aren’t gaining anything by declaring an emergency. No tower, no ARF unit, no onsite emergency services and he will be on the ground before any could be effective. He probably felt the added complexity was without benefit. You may have declared an emergency and I also may have. Everything worked out so his decisions were sound.
I am not a pilot. But it is clear to me, that the owner of the P-51 is so fortunate to have you!!!! No one could have taken stock of the situation, and reacted any differently. I salute you sir.
Does anybody ever think you’re an escapee when showing up to the airport in the orange suit? 😄
It has come up. In Chino we were down the road from a prison. It was strange to pull up next to a bus load of prisoners wearing the same kit. Or maybe it was weird pulling up next to the gaurd driving the bus.
@@utopiasnow too funny. Did you pull away really fast ??? Like an OH CRAP pull away?
Great video. I loved your focus on risk management and planning. As a former flight test engineer who never got a license, I'm living vicariously through your videos. Glad you were safe.
Thanks for coming along Chris, I appreciate your support.
Narrative had me all the way through. Great editing, music upbeat, good job your a pro!
This engineer might be getting slightly better at this, oh wait nevermind.
Elliot man, you’re really awesome for sharing this insight with us all the way you do. It’s amazing to me how much you know about this subject.
OMG!!! First thought is, I am so thankful this had a good ending!!! Second thought, I am so glad you are very thorough in all aspects of your flights from flight planning to wheels up to wheel chocks at the end of a flight!! Great job on dealing with what I would consider an emergency, without telling ATC you actually had one, but I probably would take the same stance you took on working it out and getting on the ground!!! Stay safe Elliot!!!
Thanks 🙏 for the comment
This is the second such video I have seen on the channel where an incident took place. I can already see a theme forming where a mishap was narrowly avoided by some excellent piloting skills. Thanks for posting another really interesting video.
Whew! That was stressful, Elliot :) Glad you made it down safe. Always a great watch. I should have known from the first video this gear pump was going to be the problem child. Looking forward to the next episode!
Thanks for the comment. I am trying to do a better job of story telling so I was trying to foreshadow this from the begging...unfortunately they didn’t cover this in engineering school. Party on!!
I throughly enjoy watching your videos. I watch some of the other general aviation experts’ channels and yours are definitely as informative and enjoyable as anyones. Thank you.
Thanks man!!
so sorry, trying to reach my old college mate who is from India and met you.
Nevermind? I'm at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, located in southeast Texas, on the southern coast of Corpus Christi Bay. I'm working as the Cyber information consultant and CCTV information carrier naval officer. Don't post much here,but you can reach my official Gmail at (megsaudibert@gmail.com) and drop a DM massage for me,so I can reach directly to you! hope you stay safe.
That intro was gnarly, congrats on surviving.
Airplane are! cool! thanks for taking the time to share your humble experiences and replay of events. As a pilot and A&P i love both the flying and testing that goes into the experimental world.. thanks again for bringing us along!
Thanks Kyle!!
As an AME (A&P tech) I can tell you right off the bat that I have never seen such a flimsy bracket attaching to a rod end on a gear door. Not to mention the fit didn't look great. No wonder it snapped after such a short time, no rigidity.
Greetings from Colorado! As usual a fascinating and comprehensive analysis of a very challenging (and fluid) situation. Thanks for sharing...
Thank you Mark!!
"Oh, I'm just an engineer after all.." Can't tell you how many times I been told that!! Great video and IMO very good handling on the event.... Luckily you had time to step back and look at the big picture, so very crucial in times like that. Too easy to keep chasing the rabbit instead of trying to put all the events in context. Good job!
Thanks for the note!! I am glad you found value in the content.
Had been looking forward to your next video and wow, it didn’t disappoint. We could watch the chain of events unfolding like we were right there with you. Glad you were able to work through them to an successful landing. Looking forward to the next update.
Thanks man
Great video! Question: Why climb out and avoid the TRSA? Participation is voluntary and probably nice to be talking to someone if something goes wrong. Glad you made it down safe.
Agreed. I don't think Eliot realize they were only grey rings (not magenta or blue).
Still a complete amazing video.
Some TRSAs are mind folks poking through without talking more than others and I like to give folks room. Lots of comments about thus one. Thanks
@@utopiasnow TRSA's aren't "airspace" they're just the FAA's obtuse way of saying when a class D has full-on radar service. I fly out of MCN, nobody here askes for service on a local flight and the controllers prefer it that way; as soon as we leave the Delta, it's "frequency change approved see ya later"
It’s seeing how you handle these sort of complex situations that really makes me hope I can have the opportunity to get to do what you do everyday. Another amazing video. Can’t wait to see the next!
Thanks man
Gosh, love how thorough you are. Pulling for you to do our twin turbine testing.
If that happens I hope you'll film it.
I use the cameras for everything, very little of it gets published. But for those guys they could have as much or as little coverage as they want.
Elliot - My friends who own and are flying T-51 Mustangs say it's a life changing event...all of the "intangibles" as you noted. Very positive, very rewarding.
Thanks for the comment. The folks I know who have succeeded in this corner of aviation are no doubt sharp with a great knowledge of a lot of different things. It's dangerous for sure but very rewarding. Thanks for the comment!!
This is perfect story telling on a real emergency... So much alert signs thrown at you in such a short time. What really makes it great to watch is the way you explain your decision making and factor so many variable into it. Did you ever lost sight of the flying part (airspeed or atitude) in this emergency while making all this thinking?
There were definitely some spots where my flying wasn't as clean as I would have liked. One of the great things about recording your flights is there is no debate about how you performed. Thank you for the comment and the kind words.
Well done. Great job working through the issues as you are looking for a place to land.
Thanks man, I appreciate the support
I'm a relatively fresh PPL pilot and though I see your point of view, if I was in the traffic pattern of Cleveland Muni at that time, I would have appreciated you mentioning "emergency" in one of your transmissions, just so I could get out of the way until you were on the ground. Other than that, fantastic video, of course.
Thanks man, this is the struggle. I made sure to include it because it played a part in two of the other major emergencies we have had this year. It would have been annoying in this case to explain to a fire brigade why we didn’t need help, but the one in Compton was another story. Thanks for the comment.
@@utopiasnow
Not trying to armchair second guess your flying, i know things are very different when you are in the situation. One thing I've learned though is that there is such a thing as sounding too calm on the radio, something that seasoned pilots have to be aware of. Information is conveyed by the tone of or voice, at least in an equal amount as by the words that we say. The famous Avianca 52 accident comes to mind as an extreme example.
In Europe we have "pan pan" for this kind of situation, but I don't think it's used much in the US.
I am finding your iterative and detailed processes very relevant to my daily life, and am enjoying the rehearsal and abstraction very enjoyable
Thank you for your work
Agreed declare… also when up high request all birds to move away from airdrome and ask fellow flyers to call EMS ASAP for your arrival. Great video.
And they will be happy to do so. I know I will always help a fellow aviator anytime any way I can.
Glad to see you're ok, and no bent metal!
A big win in the grand scheme of things!
Thanks
Great job man! Just found you on Instagram, I’m a flight test photographer for the USAF stuck out in the middle of NM passing time until the next flight. I’ll be shooting some patches your way to trade! TEST!
Thanks man, I dig!!!
Stumbled onto you via IG. Stayed up past my bedtime to watch this. Great video. I’m now a subscriber. And I am not going to bed until I watch the next one!! Fly safe! Bondo, sends.
"I am just an engineer after all" - given how much vicarious enjoyment I derive from your videos, I think we may need to agree to disagree. Great ending to a great series of videos. (Also, your patreon link has some trailing non-printing characters that breaks things when I try to follow it - not a big deal, I could figure it out, but though I would mention it).
Really enjoyed that, thanks for putting it together. Also really glad it turned out with you able to get home to your family vs a number of less desirable outcomes. Be careful out there!
Thanks 🙏 for the comment
so sorry, trying to reach my old college mate who is from India and met you.
Nevermind? I'm at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, located in southeast Texas, on the southern coast of Corpus Christi Bay. I'm working as the Cyber information consultant and CCTV information carrier naval officer. Don't post much here,but you can reach my official Gmail at (megsaudibert@gmail.com) and drop a DM massage for me,so I can reach directly to you! hope you stay safe.
Oh man, that was exciting?! 😳 Good decision making, well done! 👍🏻 Despite this event; airplanes are cool! 🤙🏻
Thanks man
Another great one! Long video, but kept me 'n' my wife watching in rapt attention throughout! She said she was going to read a book this evening; but she's a pilot - I knew what was going to happen the moment I pressed Play... ;-)
Thanks for the comment
so sorry, trying to reach my old college mate who is from India and met you.
Nevermind? I'm at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, located in southeast Texas, on the southern coast of Corpus Christi Bay. I'm working as the Cyber information consultant and CCTV information carrier naval officer. Don't post much here,but you can reach my official Gmail at (megsaudibert@gmail.com) and drop a DM massage for me,so I can reach directly to you! hope you stay safe.
Awesome vid! My question is regarding calling an emergency... what do you think it is that makes you so hesitant to cal an emergency? It seems like it’s better to have too much attention rather than not enough right?
Well said. I need to go into this further in the next video. It was an issue in three of the incidents this year. I think we are all nervous about having to report an accident, or explain why we called an emergency and made the truck roll for nothing. I have also seen people get very confused about how to respond in these situations, and I prefer the other pilots etc be predictable. Any way, there’s a lot more to say here. Most importantly I know this is an issue for me and I am working on it.
@@utopiasnow Declare! All the free help is more manageable then adding other issues. Like the guy doing a full stop or the other student in The pattern could have made a really bad day for you. I have had several emergencies in my 21 years in the Air Force as well as combat time and the only one I regret how it went was when I didn’t declare.
@@utopiasnow Report to who? You were VFR at an uncontrolled field. By not telling anyone on unicom what was going on nor your intentions to land as fast as possible then it's YOU who are flying unpredictably in traffic! If you need the field, then say so; otherwise youre flying is a threat to others..
Enjoy your comentaries..i grew up fairing junk sales airplanes in the 70s.. this brings back somany memories of how if it can go wrong it probably will.. enjoy your stuff because it has substance instead of garbage like you see alot of on facebook
Judging by the colt meters you had something arcing to ground.
On a channel that is dedicated to airplanes, and flying, it's been very educational for me to hear how much Elliot talks about people. People on the ground, people in the air, people on the radio, people who own the plane, people that work with him on the race teams. I'm not a test pilot or race pilot but there is a valuable lesson here I think. Thanks Elliot!
If I could choose to be someone else:
Jimmy Page
Hugh Hefner
Elliott Seguin 😎
Hahahaa, that’s not a reasonable list at all. But thank you.
Haha, hold on; me first! 😉👍🏻
so sorry, trying to reach my old college mate who is from India and met you.
Nevermind? I'm at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, located in southeast Texas, on the southern coast of Corpus Christi Bay. I'm working as the Cyber information consultant and CCTV information carrier naval officer. Don't post much here,but you can reach my official Gmail at (megsaudibert@gmail.com) and drop a DM massage for me,so I can reach directly to you! hope you stay safe.
42:53 - "...I didn't have the drag I needed to get down and get stopped." It occurs to me that, without fully extended gear, getting stopped would NOT be one of your concerns...or is the belly made of Teflon? 😉
Boerne is pronounced "burn-ey" because this is Texas.
Love your channel.
Hahaha, thanks man. I didn’t realize until it was too late I have no idea how to say that word.
@@utopiasnow we have a Texas town called Seguin near San Antonio… not sure how you pronounce your last name, but we call it “Suh-geen”
@@dominickatx478 Used to live there. Short drive from Boerne.
These videos are absolutely fascinating and informative as how to handle an emergency and think about steps to take. I hope to start learning to fly soon and this kind of stuff is invaluable just to learn headspace and keeping cool and assessing the situation. Thank you
Twice I had been reluctant to declare an emergency. Sometimes you get into the mindset that you don't need the support of outside agencies or that you don't want to stir up the pot too much and cause a scene. God knows I try to stay as low key as possible... it's just my personality. In both situations I really just needed one specific thing, however they wouldn't be able to deliver them without declaring. We declared once and got it, and in the other we accepted that we wouldn't get it and it was a rough ride back.
I have changed my mindset and I am not afraid to use it when I need the support now. The whole time watching I was waiting for you to use that card. Were you hesitant from the attention you may get after it was over? Like you had said, attracting the attention in an unfamiliar field would have gotten you the resources to help you later (you found it regardless). It worked out in this situation, but if things had went further south you would have had an extra layer to navigate... all that traffic.
Tim, thanks for the comment. It's an important discussion that certainly played a role in this flight as well as two other emergency flights we've had this year. In the next video I hope to cover another perspective created by a very different set of circumstances.
I like your perspective about not wanting to cause a scene. I think there is truth to that. I also think we are all taught to fear the FAA so having to go through an investigation after what turned out to be a small emergency is a concern.
I also think it's worth saying that there is a lot of unpredictability that comes with making that call. I have seen the frequency get clobbered with silly questions, I have seen pilots unwantedly join up to "check for damage", and I have seen low-time mechanics distract the recovery effort with extraneous details.
I am struggling with what would have been the right way to introduce myself on the frequency in this situation and I appreciate your thoughts on the matter.
Did you send your address?
@@utopiasnow I can see that point of view especially on a CTAF. That's a whole layer I didn't think about. But when I need someone to vacate the runway expeditiously, I will broadcast my "elite" status as an emergency..."Aircraft on runway, you have an emergency aircraft on final. Vacate so I can land."
By the way, I love your videos.
I really find it interesting hearing you talk through troubleshooting and problem solving as problems arise. Gives some good insight (especially to newer/younger pilots such as myself) to realize when something abnormal is happening and how not to slip into those hazardous attitudes.
(ALSO do you or will you have Long Nose Thunder patches/ stickers? Would be REALLY cool)
We are still working on the patch for the ReReflight program, I have just a couple of the old patches left. We'll have more soon.
That plane is terrifying. I think it should have brushless system for the hydraulic pump? I dont know much about planes but I learn a lot from listening to your videos.
Thanks man, it’s a cool airplane and part of that is that it isn’t all sorted out yet. A wise man once said it needs love and we are in the airplane loving business. Thanks again!!
Elliot, I really like how you talk us through your decision making process, even when in hindsight you feel like you could have made a different decision that might have been a better one.
Thanks for saying that!! Did you send your address?
@@utopiasnow I have now!
Boerne Stage is pronounced "Bernie" Stage
Thanks
Yes indeed when you get there just drop me a line I'll get lunch😋great Mexican food just down the road from airport.
Or "Burn-ee" Lots of good memories from that field, and the Texas Hill Country can make for exciting emergencies...
Not Pa-tal-ka, it's Pa-lat-ka.
Ok Elliot, I have railed on you enough with my extreme sarcasm! In my defense, it is my primary language!! I believed your video to be quite informative and I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share it with us!! I am primarily thankful you came out of this unscathed, unharmed and alive!!! Please, never place yourself in this situation again! After all, I hope to buy you a pint one day and laugh until it hurts!!!
Thanks for the comments
Gear problem: “Get the popcorn and watch” 😂
Thanks Robert!!
Elliot Seguin You are great to watch. Very informative with humor. Thanks
You kept me glued to your story all the way through!!
Good to hear that!!
Content🤩🤩🤩🤩
Thanks man, I apologize for the delay.
@@utopiasnow totally worth the wait, I appreciate you had a lot to get squared away since your last. Thanks for sharing
Awesome video, thanks for sharing the excitement. Watched all 56 min. Looking forward to your next episode.
Thank you!! I appreciate the support!
The airport was probably having just as hard a job pronouncing the pilot's name as the pilot was pronouncing the airport... Is it Segway, Sequin, ah hell, well just go with Elliott Wasabi. Also declare the damn emergency. We regret to inform you that the pilot caught on fire because he didn't want to inconvenience anyone...
Thanks for the comment, as oddly phrased as it was, I appreciate the feedback.
That's gotta be the prettiest experimental out there. What a wonderful plane
Boy you said it
Thanks for posting this series of videos i learned of this plane and a turbine nemesis nxt and always wanted to know more about them but it had disappeared for a while. I really hope this plane is going to get flown now with the new owner.
Enjoyable video (aside from the emergency), thanks! I like how technical you get without losing the viewer. And in case you ever wanted feedback, your production values are just right - I don't need flashier graphics or slicker editing. Keep things real, and I'll keep coming back. :)
I appreciate that feedback!! Thank you!
You sure had your hands full there. Generally well handled, but I think I would have declared an emergency. Looking forward to the next episode.
Thanks Paul. Wait until you see the emergency discussion on the next episode.
I will say as someone who has loved any kind of flying for more than 5 decades and owned my own planes, that you are one crazy son of a gun. Planes have enough things that like to go wrong when built by very experienced companies. The idea of flying planes built by someone who found they had enough money and time to build a home built but not fly their own plane, means you have much bigger cojones than I could ever imagine having. Test pilots for planes that corporations had hundreds of people supposedly designing, is one thing. Test flying a plane the joe down the street built. Save me the time and just light me on fire in the middle of the street. LOL. You rock sir!
That was a great video E! The explanations and thought process walkthroughs were on point! Keep it up brotha!
Thanks 🙏
so sorry, trying to reach my old college mate who is from India and met you.
Nevermind? I'm at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, located in southeast Texas, on the southern coast of Corpus Christi Bay. I'm working as the Cyber information consultant and CCTV information carrier naval officer. Don't post much here,but you can reach my official Gmail at (megsaudibert@gmail.com) and drop a DM massage for me,so I can reach directly to you! hope you stay safe.
Perfect teaching moment of the snowball effect emergencies can have. That airplane was spring-loaded and it was letting go of that energy. Great job of unwinding it as it was happening to bring it back into an uneventful landing. The rest of the day and figuring out how to get home to kiss the boys is just part of the adventure. It’s only an airplane and can be replaced. Living to fly another day and airplanes are still cool.
Thanks for the note. I am glad you found value.
If I'm around an uncontrolled field and I hear you call a MAYDAY, sure yeah I may not be able to offer you useful assistance quite like the boys at Mohave and Reno. But you can be sure that (1) if I'm in the air I'll bug out of the pattern so at least you have one fewer thing to worry about and (2) if I'm on the ground I'll start recording so you have an extra video angle for the debrief. Thanks for the awesome videos.
Oh man that’s a great set up for the next video!! Thanks for the comment!!!
Wow! Last 10 minutes had my heart racing! Great job getting her down!
Thank you for coming along!!
Lucky that Chris was there to help you out. The liability of working on such an aircraft would probably dissuade a lot of technicians. I’ve always worked for Part 145 repair stations, I can’t imagine the stress and insurance premium that permits a tech to work on an experimental like that. No manuals, no standards, nothing. Or maybe I’m over thinking it?
Great video! Hope I get to meet you at Reno Air Races 2021!
Absolutely riveting video, Elliott. I cannot remember a more interesting video and one that I was wishing would go on longer when it ended. I’m sure it’s a terrible feeling to bend up an airplane, especially one that belongs to someone else. You should take solace in the fact your test pilot discipline likely saved not only yourself, but some other future pilot and perhaps even someone on the ground from a more tragic outcome. With nearly flying 50 years and a few thousand hours of flying experience I learned a lot from this video. Thank you.
You are a great storyteller. A+
Thanks
I can relate to the panic feeling of being at an unfamiliar/unfriendly airport and having a problem. Friends and I had touring as a group of 5 aircraft had a prop strike far from home, and even as a group, getting that fixed was a nightmare. We were also lucky to find a friendly maintenance company for the commercial operation that was at the airport who let us use their tools and space. Great video, and some brilliant learning in there as always.
That sounds like an experience that will stick to your ribs. Thanks for the comment!!
I‘m air traffic controller since 23 years. Sorry to say but poor communication in flight! We are always happy to help, and it doesn‘t matter if you are VFR, IFR, military or civil pilot! Next time give a quick call to ATC, tell us you have some technical problems which could lead into an 7700, and we are happy to guide you to the next suitable airport. Never be ashamed to ask for support, even more when you are single-pilot ops. If you flip over and catch fire in this shoe box you‘re fckd. Better to have the firebrigade on stand by and nothing happens than finding yourself in a flipped over small experimental like this. Just my 2 cent! Stay save buddy… ;-)
Thanks for the comment. I hope I never implied the flight was without error. On my best days, this channel is about debriefing flights so that people can learn from them, especially when I make mistakes. If I missed that mark on this video I apologize.
Your perspective working in ATC is valuable. I have never worked in ATC, most of the time in my background there is little more dangerous than inviting someone who isn't "briefed" to assist in the middle of an emergency. But to your point the majority of my emergencies have happened in the glide cone over a friendly airport.
Thank you for the thoughtful comment, I hope we all do better next time. airplanes are cool
Whew! Super conditions and being in the right place to have a runway to land safely. Amen!
Amazing how the human factors that you study once then forget about are so vivid in this video thanks for highlighting them. From the emergency stand-point, I agree with others that maybe a declaration of some sort even a pan would be a good route, but also a description of what people should expect upon arrival to a wreck ( 1 POB, smoke etc). I am not up to date on the rules in the US, but that's drilled in for NZ is the who you are, where you are, what are your intentions and for an emergency what has happened.
Thanks for the comment. I think the mayday discussion has value and thats why I included it, I feel like there is a lesson learned there and I know I will be clearer in the future. For me its not so black and white as some of these comments would have it seem, and I think pan-pan would address a lot of it. On the other side I think you said it exactly, what will people do when they hear it. I have seen people do strange things to "help" an airplane in trouble, and at the very least they are more predictable if I don't say it.
Anyway, thanks for the comment, wait until you see how the E word factored into the next video.
Good video thanks for sharing it your honest with yourself and we appreciate that. I can't say i would be happy with the installation of the blow down bottle cable. The the outer was only attached with cable tie to the bottle it needs the installation looking at as i'm sure you know the outer is part of how the cable will works. It almost looks like the lever arm of the bottle would touch the side of the wheel well but that might just be the camera angle. Don't leave it to late declare an emergency Pan or Mayday it will help the other pilots in the area understand what you have going on. Thumbs up from the UK.
When you were talking about the intagibles of flying an aircraft such as this and you pull up next to a student pilot in a 150, I thought you were going to say "and those guys will merrily sit there in their own little world working through their checklist at a snail's pace whilst I'm sat here being forced to waste fuel and time when they could wave me through.."
Because that's sure as hell what goes through my mind when I'm No.2 at the hold.
Anyway, great work!
hahaha, there may have been some of that. But no man I was stoked that they were stoked. airplanes are cool
Always super chill but constantly processing very inspiring.
thanks for saying that
Wow! So glad you got down safely! It’s can be so hard to think logically in a real emergency, nice job!
Thanks for saying that
Well done, sorry for bad experience in the kit P-51, looking foreword to next part 4!
Thank you!
Wow you had some issues to deal with and you handled everything great . Your experience clearly shows , your a very mature pilot and I don’t mean in age. Fantastic video and explanation . Please continue to keep us posted with what’s happening.👍👍
Thanks Donna
@Elliot Seguin Watching your videos reminds me of why I love flying and airplanes. Thanks for a look into the world of Flight Test. I spent a few years at Boeing FT as a photographer and your stuff is mostly way more exciting!! Keep it up.
Thanks man, it’s been a gnarly year.
You really had an exciting flight. I am glad no one got hurt.
Thanks, me too
Sweet video... I thought we'd see a flame out though!!!
Glad to see you and AC are safe
My apologies. Its a fine line between click bait, factual reporting, and responsible story telling. I am just and engineer afterall. Thank you for the comment.
@@utopiasnow hahah its was a cool story regardless... Thanks again!
Looking forward to the next part!
Wow great stuff well explained was glued from start to finish
Great to hear!!
@41:40, when in doubt, say "emergency". Nobody is going to be mad at you for having a broken engine, even if you're 'only' a motorized parachute. don't worry about people being upset that you took the runway from them, it's more important that they get off the runway so you can land safely instead of cratering.
Thanks for the comment. I think it’s been discussed in detail elsewhere but I don’t think it’s that black and white. Sometimes saying the wrong thing on the radio can make for chaotic responses that make things harder. I was dead sticking a troubled T6 once and I watched the two guys on final below me nearly run into each other looking up for me after I said I was having a problem. I’ve seen “helpful” folks form up and lookiloos distract the technicians. Yes there is a moment in this video that would have been “less rude” if the other pilots would have known more about what was going on, but it’s a trade like every thing. Thanks again for the comment.