Whats the weirdest thing you have seen on final?
Moderators: lilfssister, North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, I WAS Birddog
One fall day in September about 3 years ago, after landing a Buffalo came charging out of the woods at my plane. Obviously couldn't see him in the forest when passing overhead. I couldn't take off again but I hit full power to get past him. His head went under the wing and narrowly missed the tail. Turned around at the end of the runway unsure of whether to try and taxi into town or run into him with the prop but fortuntately he had been chased into the woods by a guy with a shotgun.
Landing on runway 22 in Sudbury late 70s or early 80s.
Flying a Voyageur Airways Navajo I broke out at about 400 feet and just as I touched down a parachute with package landed just in front of and about 50 feet to the right of the aircraft. After I slowed down I called the tower to ask if they had anyone dropping parachutes. They didn’t. They sent a vehicle out to pick it up and it turned out to be from a weather balloon that had been launched in the US northwest. Even had a return address on it.
Flying a Voyageur Airways Navajo I broke out at about 400 feet and just as I touched down a parachute with package landed just in front of and about 50 feet to the right of the aircraft. After I slowed down I called the tower to ask if they had anyone dropping parachutes. They didn’t. They sent a vehicle out to pick it up and it turned out to be from a weather balloon that had been launched in the US northwest. Even had a return address on it.
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Commonwealth
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Didn't happen to me, but I read in the paper last year there was a medivac taking off from Hay River in the middle of the night. Apparently, at rotation the pilot saw what appeared to be someone riding there bike down the runway. The pilot reported to the CARS what he had seen, but no one was ever found and no one ever spoke up.
I can just picture some guy with a hangover waking up the next morning and saying to his buddy, "I had the weirdest dream I was riding my bike at the airport and almost got hit by a plane."
Didn't happen on final…
but weird none the less.
CW
I can just picture some guy with a hangover waking up the next morning and saying to his buddy, "I had the weirdest dream I was riding my bike at the airport and almost got hit by a plane."
Didn't happen on final…
but weird none the less.
CW
i like doc had cariboo on the runway too. they were all on a snow covered runway so tight that it looked like it was a gravel patch. About 20 sec before touchdown the gravel patch all got up and hauled off into the forest. One of the coolest things i've ever seen while flying.
Mules are way smarter than hunting guides.
Hauling supplies into the camp, it took about 3 trips before the mule figured out the blue and white airplane was always full of oats. Every time she heard the plane she would come running, and then stand in the middle of the strip.
I'd Buzz her she would run off only to come stand on the strip just as I turned final. After about 3 overshoots the guides finally figured out what was going on and chased her off.
This was repeated several time over the rest of the season, the guides just never could remember to go tie her up when they heard the plane coming.
Hauling supplies into the camp, it took about 3 trips before the mule figured out the blue and white airplane was always full of oats. Every time she heard the plane she would come running, and then stand in the middle of the strip.
I'd Buzz her she would run off only to come stand on the strip just as I turned final. After about 3 overshoots the guides finally figured out what was going on and chased her off.
This was repeated several time over the rest of the season, the guides just never could remember to go tie her up when they heard the plane coming.
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Vortex_driver
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critical engine
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RatherBeFlying
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The threshold on rwy 35 at the once King City airport began maybe 10 feet past the roadside ditch.
The last check on short final was to look both ways before crossing the street; so, did not notice photographer llying in ditch just before runway until just about to give him a taste of the nosewheel.
The last check on short final was to look both ways before crossing the street; so, did not notice photographer llying in ditch just before runway until just about to give him a taste of the nosewheel.
Strangest thing I have seen on final on the runway...a red Chrysler Neon driving towards us (direction wise)...CNC4...on short final with a student...
Unicom had called us on the radio to let us know that there was a car on the runway, during the middle of the day. Seemed as if an elderly woman lost her way down Skyway drive and ended up driving over the embankment onto the runway and didn't know what to do, or where to go.
Had to do an overshoot on that one!
Unicom had called us on the radio to let us know that there was a car on the runway, during the middle of the day. Seemed as if an elderly woman lost her way down Skyway drive and ended up driving over the embankment onto the runway and didn't know what to do, or where to go.
Had to do an overshoot on that one!
I was in the flare on rwy 10 at YYC when a fox (4 legged) ran across the runway about 80 feet in front of me.
I watched a B737 circle Kuujuak one summer day while the airport crew tried to move a big herd of caribou off the runway.
I once mooned a Borek Twin Otter in YRB standing at the threshold. Does that count?
I watched a B737 circle Kuujuak one summer day while the airport crew tried to move a big herd of caribou off the runway.
I once mooned a Borek Twin Otter in YRB standing at the threshold. Does that count?
bmc
Landing at CYSH at night, 15+ years ago, a wolf was at the threshold and ran alongside the aircraft during the rollout. Never seen that before or since.
Landing at Titusville, Florida with parachutists landing right on the edge of the runway at the same time. It was pretty nerve-wracking until you realized that they were incredibly skilled, despite their incredibly slovenly appearance. Add to the above a B747 flying overhead with the space shuttle strapped to the top, landing nearby at the space center, and you're going to think you're in the circus.
Landing on a snow-covered runway with (overcast) "flat light". Hard to explain, but you can't see much.
Not sure if this counts, but taking off at Toronto Island (or trying to) in a Mooney around 10 years ago. A large flock of seagulls was parked on the runway, so I asked Tower to send someone out to chase them away. About a minute later a white van appears at great speed (having great fun, I suspect) and drives right through the flock of birds, who all rise momentarily, then settle right back down again. As it say on the shampoo bottle, rinse, lather, repeat. The only way to get rid of a flock of birds is to kill one, oddly enough - they need to see a familiar-looking corpse on the ground before they are convinced it is time to move on. Rats with wings, I tell people.
Landing at Titusville, Florida with parachutists landing right on the edge of the runway at the same time. It was pretty nerve-wracking until you realized that they were incredibly skilled, despite their incredibly slovenly appearance. Add to the above a B747 flying overhead with the space shuttle strapped to the top, landing nearby at the space center, and you're going to think you're in the circus.
Landing on a snow-covered runway with (overcast) "flat light". Hard to explain, but you can't see much.
Not sure if this counts, but taking off at Toronto Island (or trying to) in a Mooney around 10 years ago. A large flock of seagulls was parked on the runway, so I asked Tower to send someone out to chase them away. About a minute later a white van appears at great speed (having great fun, I suspect) and drives right through the flock of birds, who all rise momentarily, then settle right back down again. As it say on the shampoo bottle, rinse, lather, repeat. The only way to get rid of a flock of birds is to kill one, oddly enough - they need to see a familiar-looking corpse on the ground before they are convinced it is time to move on. Rats with wings, I tell people.
Hedley, your story about jumpers reminded me of flying out of Dillingham on Ouahu, Hawaii.
Ciruit height was 800'. You couldn't cross the threshold below 600' on the 5,000 foot runway due to glider activity. So, you drag it across the fence with flaps out, chop power, shove nose and land. While cleaning up for the touch and go, you're watching jumpers landing at the far end of the runway. Once you rotate, build up speed before popping up over the trees and turning into the 30 degree steady cross wind from offshore and climing like a bat, only to shove the nose down at 800 feet and do it all over again.
Fun filled quick short circuits.
Ciruit height was 800'. You couldn't cross the threshold below 600' on the 5,000 foot runway due to glider activity. So, you drag it across the fence with flaps out, chop power, shove nose and land. While cleaning up for the touch and go, you're watching jumpers landing at the far end of the runway. Once you rotate, build up speed before popping up over the trees and turning into the 30 degree steady cross wind from offshore and climing like a bat, only to shove the nose down at 800 feet and do it all over again.
Fun filled quick short circuits.
bmc
What`s the weirdest thing you have seen on final?
On approach to Fernando de Norunha off the coast of Brazil had to go around because a guy with a donkey cart loaded with bananas was crawling along the runway. No radio contact with the military authorities who run the strip. Did three attempts at landing before the guy got his cart off the runway.
Esse quam videre.
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mileagejunkie
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Whats the weirdest thing you have seen on final?
A black bear in fort simpson. sitting at the button of 31 licking his junk, he just looked at us and didnt budge., the odasity!!! 
bobm wrote:Landing on runway 22 in Sudbury late 70s or early 80s.
Flying a Voyageur Airways Navajo I broke out at about 400 feet and just as I touched down a parachute with package landed just in front of and about 50 feet to the right of the aircraft. After I slowed down I called the tower to ask if they had anyone dropping parachutes. They didn’t. They sent a vehicle out to pick it up and it turned out to be from a weather balloon that had been launched in the US northwest. Even had a return address on it.
kind of brings new meaning to the term airmail I guess,
I've flown into a couple of flocks of snowbirds as well one day. After breaking out at minimums, just about to flare, when the whole runway errupted (sp?) in front of me. That makes your day kind of interesting, good thing it wasn't a bigger type of bird.
The one that truly sucks is when your on short final at night into a northern runway, and the lights just go out (power failure, not forgetting to reset them). That messes you up a little, going into a missed from that position.
You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.
