Calgary city tours

Fish · Post by **Fish** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:16 pm

I'm doing some time building out of Springbank right now and I like to take my friends and family on city tours. I've noticed there are lots of folks from Calgary here and I wonder what some of you consider for possibilities if you had an engine failure over the city. I have to admit that every time I am on a city tour this goes through my head. At 5000' in a 172 over down town, there doesn't seem to be many options.

Anyone have any thoughts?

A. Thompson · Post by **A. Thompson** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:21 pm

Well in Hawaii, golf courses are always a consideration. How about athletic fields, that sort of thing?

bigbonez · Post by **bigbonez** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:14 pm

Macleod Trail? Highway 1?
im sure the cars wouldnt mind being cut off by a one seven douce landing infront of them.....
Also it depends on the altitude your flying at and where you were at the time but if your over the stampede grounds at 1500AGL you could probably glide into Calgary internationals massive runway....

just my $.02

bmc · Post by **bmc** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:36 pm

Stampede grounds. Glemore reservoire (south side)

Lurch · Post by **Lurch** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:58 pm

I asked my instructor this exact question during my PPL and he told me "land wherever you are going to take the least amount of lives".

TerrainTerrain · Post by **TerrainTerrain** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:45 pm

Lurch wrote:I asked my instructor this exact question during my PPL and he told me "land wherever you are going to take the least amount of lives".

Thats pretty much it over any built up area. And its really no different when doing a forced approach/engine out anywhere for that matter. Just watch out for them power lines. I'd choose a residential street over a main boulevard. Macleod Trail would be my last choice.

oldtimer · Post by **oldtimer** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:00 pm

Next time you drive down McLeod Trail, imagine how you are going to fit a 172 in between the power lines and all the obstructions, Look for school yards. Most are big enough to get down to survivable speeds. just don;t do it at recess. I will bet some warehouses have flat roofs big enough to land on.

Bubbaganoosh · Post by **Bubbaganoosh** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:13 pm

I wonder if that hideous dive of a Cecil hotel still exists downtown, you could always land in the lot of that dump, go in and get gorged

or maybe not, how bout a race track or football field?

asdfasd · Post by **asdfasd** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:35 am

You glide to 500 (looking and panicking for a suitable landing area, or unsuitable but unpopulated area) ", then you point the nose straight down in an empty lot, field or road. If you’re going to fly around a city at 1500” AGL, YOU take the risk, not the people on the ground.

my 2 cents.

TerrainTerrain · Post by **TerrainTerrain** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:02 am

If you're aiming for a flat roof to land on, word on the street is Western Canada High School would be a bad choice. Its already nearing collapse and doesn't need another 2k pounds.

I doubt I'd pick a roof anyways. Too sketchy. You might manage to grease the landing but fly off the end anyways.

TerrainTerrain · Post by **TerrainTerrain** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:04 am

bigbonez wrote: but if your over the stampede grounds at 1500AGL you could probably glide into Calgary internationals massive runway....
just my $.02

You must be joking! No chance in hell could you glide that far.

2R · Post by 2R » Tue Aug 01, 2006 1:04 pm

A friend of mine landed a 152 in a Mcdonalds parking lot,stopped it right by the drive thru .They were suprised when the little voice came out of the box and asked them "Welcome to Mcdonalds "

Would you like that plane supersized ???

Hedley · Post by **Hedley** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 1:11 pm

Reminds me of the time that a 150 crashed in a graveyard in Newfoundland. 250 bodies were recovered, and rescue operations continued throughout the night.

TerrainTerrain · Post by **TerrainTerrain** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 3:43 pm

kavupilot · Post by **kavupilot** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:32 pm

a) over a built-up area or over an open-air assembly of persons unless the aircraft is operated at an altitude from which, in the event of an emergency necessitating an immediate landing, it would be possible to land the aircraft without creating a hazard to persons or property on the surface, and, in any case, at an altitude that is not lower than..bla bla bla

seems pretty clear here...don't fly low enough that you may cause a hazard to persons or property...even 1000 feet above the city may not be legal according to the cars

TerrainTerrain · Post by **TerrainTerrain** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:27 pm

ok, well lets take Calgary as an example, which by land area is larger than New York. How high do you have to fly to do away with this hazard. Is 10000 feet high enough to glide to the city limits in a Cessna?

I wouldn't recommend an open air stadium, except for McMahon Stadium. The Stampeders need to be put out of their misery anyways.

kavupilot · Post by **kavupilot** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:31 pm

all i am saying is that that guys instructor telling him to minimize the amount of casualties on the ground is bs..fly high enough to make it to a race track, soccer field whatever..its the law and new york is very high density city..there is lots of open spaces in cowtown

Fish · Post by **Fish** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:12 pm

Plus, 1000-1500 AGL is all Calgary terminal allows.

shitdisturber · Post by **shitdisturber** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:47 am

Keep your eyes open for golf courses; Calgary has lots of them and they're relatively wide open.

If you have a passenger, have them open their window and yell "Fore" just prior to touchdown.