I know this is not how you should fly or a good example of good practices, so please don't have a go at me. But I was blagging my way towards China trying to cross through Russia anyhow I could and some people say it's interesting. I was lucky again or was I making my own luck? The video link is here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfEE2IZYTpc I knew the plane well, knew what its limitations were. Thought I could stop it in 400 meters, 1,200 feet if it was light, but as I approached this runway, it looked like it was down hill by about 40 feet from top to bottom, not a lot, but it made hell of a difference. I should have landed the other way I suppose, but as I didn't have permission to land here anyway and was just looking at landing on the road, this seemed a good option, but I would only get one go at this, there would be no going around to try again. I get asked to post loads of videos I have of my journey, This flight was one of my most memorable for so many reasons. I took off from Magadan in a snow storm, trying to escape the Siberian winter's march down from the north. This was the end of the flight from Magadan to Blagoveshchensk via Zeya. The Russian Authorities had wanted me to turn right, head for Zeya and then back on track to Blagoveshchensk to miss a new Cosmodrome which was en route. I couldn't do this as I didn't have the range. Direct to Balgoveshensk I could do, but this dog leg meant I would run out of fuel probably just a few miles short. I took off from Magadan with not a clue what to do, but I had to go... After 10 hours of thinking of an idea during the flight of some 1,250 miles, I had an idea. Not wanting them to think the plane was not capable of the flight, I myself would declare a medical emergency and told Blagoveshchensk Control I was landing at Zeya. They told me I couldn't do this but I said I had no option as I was feeling sick and dizzy and was descending and then I lost them on the radio dropping below flight level 80 and I tuned in to Zeya. Approaching this Russian Airfield 150 miles East of the Chinese border, with the fuel tank close to empty, maybe another 40 minutes of fuel left onboard, but my bladder full, the reason I couldn't land there was because they were re-laying the main runway and had dug it up and there were dumper trucks driving all over it. A friend told me while flying, always have options, well the video starts as I'm eying up the main road into town to land on as my best option. But then I spotted that they had left what looked like a 450 meter 1,400 feet emergency strip. It was down hill, no wind and a fence ran along its approach and dumper trucks were crossing it, but it was my best option. Slowest approach I could do was 85 and over the fence at 75, bang it down and hit the brakes hard. The engine quit as I was pulling it closed so hard, but it was not a concern. The runway was rough and the wheels locked up and bounced around and I had to get off the brakes and then back on them pronto and hard. When the aircraft finally came to a walking pace I restarted the engine and turned the plane around to see that the end of the runway dropped off into the woods and it was about 5 meters away. I had used all of the 450 meters available... But lived to fly on the next day to Blagoveshchensk, after a quick trip to the fuel station in town. The FSB (KGB) came out to find out why I had landed and a doctor arrived to see if he could help, but I said I was just really dehydrated and after a drink and a trip to the toilet I felt fine. The FSB were happy and just wanted to take selfies with the plane. They brought out two English teachers from the local college to translate. They had never met an English person before and were delighted to chat with me. The guards fed me and let me kip in their bunkhouse. All was just fine. I loved my time in Russia and all the people I met were just superb and so so friendly. Just a shame they have such a xxxxxxx as a leader.
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