Flying stories, This may not be a flying a KR story but, I had a KR in my plans and dreams at the time.
It was nearly 20 years ago when I was taking flying lessons that this interesting flying event took place. I learned to fly in northern Indiana. The small community airport I flew out of rarely if ever plowed the snow on the runways in the winter. On this very chilli morning I arrived at the airport to find that the Cessna 152 I flew had the radios removed for service. So, I walked back into the FBO with my head low because I figured there would be no flying for me today. I was greeted by a flight instructor and I informed her that there were no radios in the 152 so I guess I couldn't fly. She quickly responded by saying no Jeff, you can fly without the radios because you will not be flying into any controlled airspace and the regs do not require you to have them, so you don't need them. So, I thought, ok. I am going flying. So, I jumped in the 152 fired her up and took off for a morning of building solo time. That morning the temps outside were about 10 below zero. The runways had several inches of packed snow and my trainer always told me to be very cautious with the use of brakes when on ice and snow. So, being a young and dumb student, I took off knowing that local traffic would be light as I had often found myself to be the only one dumb enough to fly in some of the weather conditions I flew in. Always VFR but sometimes right on the edge of barely being VFR or being extremely cold or windy. In other words, I figured it would be another day when I would be the only one flying. Off I went with a heading northwest to our practice area. So, I got settled in to enjoy the views of all the deep snow and the thrill of being in the air. But, as a dumb student pilot, I paid little attention to how far I had flown and suddenly found myself far outside my student area and I could see the Chicago skyline. Well, it was time to turn around and I had to radios to contact Chicago so I better get out of the area. So, here I am at about 4500 feet way outside my flying area and with no radios when I decided , Hey ! I probably should start lowering my altitude in preparation for getting back toward my airports pattern altitude. So, I put in some carb heat, pull back on the throttle and suddenly the motor starts shaking and the whole plane shakes so bad I can barely make out the panel. I check mixture, carb heat and throttle thinking maybe I have some carb ice but nothing seems to make the plane stop shaking. Well, full throttle seemed to get everything back in order so I continued on and decided the best way to get down was to do a series of dives then shallow them out until I got back down to pattern altitude by the time I made it back to my airport. I try a couple more times to pull back on the throttle and I get the same bad results. Then the thoughts came into my head. What if I got back to my airport and there would be an airplane on the runway and I had an engine out and no radios to warn anyone ? What if anyone was out practicing and they might be back taxiing and I turn final and the engine quits ? Well, I get back to the airport, I am at pattern altitude when what do you know? There's the local flying clubs Piper 180 smack in the middle of the runway just sitting still. 3000 feet of runway and I have about 1500 of ice covered runway to land and get stopped. Lets hope I dont loose the engine, lets hope I dont over shoot my target landing point, lets hope they dont decided to turn around and back taxi the active runway. Well, I held the power in long enough, its time to pull the power and hope for the best. Well, I put in carb heat. The plane starts shaking and then the motor quits. I remember my training which says, fly the plane. I dont have enough altitude to really do a lot of checking and time to do much to attempt to restart the engine so I concentrate on flying and landing and keeping my eye on the piper 180 hoping it doesnt attempt to do a 180 back taxi and hoping I dont over shoot and hoping I dont have to use much of my brakes on the icy snow covered runway. Here it goes God, be my co-pilot, since I have no radio, please allow me to land without that other plane turning around. I come down, flare, cant see the Piper now so I can only hope it didnt start to back taxi. I nail my target landing spot right on, avoid the temptation to slam on the brakes and hope that all the flaps and drag slow me down as I very slightly begin to apply the brakes. I get stopped, 10, 20 30 feet or more to spare. The Piper 180 is sitting there never aware of what was happening behind them. I open the door, fall to the ground, knees shaking from all the adrenalin and I kiss the snow and thank God for letting me make it even though I was to stupid to know better. A couple of days later I return to the airport to get back in the saddle. When I arrive I am told the engine was taken down for repairs. I believe they said they had found that it had some burnt valves. They really wouldnt tell me much. Soon there after I joined a flying club and completed my lessons in a Cessna 172. With most of my time landing on ice. I still managed to only have 41.3 hours of total time when the examiner signed off my check ride. Merry Christmas KR friends Jeff York Georgetown Scott County FAA airport of the year 2010 Kr Gathering Peoples Choice and Best Interior 2011 Air Fest Best Experimental, Best Instrument Panel
