This happens a lot in the UK in the event of controller shortages. In many cases, its my understanding that for the aerodrome to operate, it will be a condition of its licence that ATC/FISO/A/G are operational. For Redhill, this is a particular issue, because it is about 2 miles from London's second busiest airport. The regulator is especially twitchy here about light aircraft straying into controlled airspace, and Redhill is hemmed in laterally and vertically with class D. Some airfields will operate out of hours indemnity schemes, where pilots can apply to use the airfield out of operational hours. I have one for Redhill, which allows me to use the airfield out of hours during specified months (Spring/summer), however this permit doesn't allow me to use it during these temporary, sporadic closures. The Spring/Summer thing likely relates to the fact that in the winter/autumn the airfield only operates from an extremely short runway (actually a taxiway) as the grass runways become unusable. This short taxiway/runway is unlicensed and thus this is probably the reason one cannot fly out of hours in the autumn/winter - oh, and also, in autumn/winter, that taxiway/runway does not have runway lighting. So basically, it's regulatory reasons.
A true measure of a man's character and his intentions lies in his ability to own his mistakes and transform them into valuable lessons for others. It’s a remarkable trait-one that not only demonstrates personal growth but also serves as a guiding reference for those who seek to learn and grow. Truly brilliant. Thank you.
Really good lesson about driving here as well with the comment “I’ve treated it like using a car” we all need to be treating driving our car in much the same way as you normally fly your plane as that kind of complacency really has no place on the roads as well. A valuable lesson for us all, even those who don’t fly!
@@iainhay2823 I couldn't agree more!! It is depressing how complacent and relaxed most people are about getting behind the wheel of a car. Especially when the weather becomes a serious safety factor in the journey. The lack of prep, thinking ahead and generally staying connected with the task of safely operating a car that I see every day is truly shocking. People are generally so distracted and relaxed in cars these days, that they are miles behind the situation at any given speed. I was taught to practice giving a live spoken commentary when learning and still find myself approaching my journeys in this way. Even if not actually talking aloud, I run a commentary in my head throughout my driving and always start any journey which I know will involve a longer distance and dual carriageway and motorway driving, with a complete check and walkround ! Loading luggage or cargo so it is secure and will not create a hazard in an emergency stop, carrying basic safety equipment, first aid, extra clothing for the season and water has become standard on every journey since I passed my test back in the early 1980's! The number of accidents and major collisions I have witnessed over the years, where a basic lack of situational awareness was a key factor is pretty high. Of course, yes I have made stupid mistakes and omissions, and hopefully learned from them, but if more of us focussed on driving in a way that resembles the basics of how people are taught when flying, perhaps it would help reduce the vast number of awful and pointless incidents on the roads. Stay safe out there!! It's bonkers!! 🫣
Being a pensioned professional pilot I can say that I have always made myself strong for proper preflight briefing and even more important a thorough debriefing. Lessons learned that is what it is all about in life and in aviation if you want to stay alife. The fact that you share your experience with everybody that is interested is great, I can only say “hat off to you sir”.
As a pilot I really do appreciate your open and clear analysis as well as communication and debrief professionalism. Certainly a pleasure to fly with and to learn from you every time. Thank you for sharing - and always happy landings.
A great and informative video. As a PPL student, i find these videos where things dont go exactly to plan very useful for learning and how to deal with situations in a pragmatic and calm manner. Thanks Jon.
Headcorn is always a lovely place to visit even if it was unplanned on this occasion. There is a more general point for VFR pilots about always having an alternate in mind. Runways can get closed or blocked for all sorts of reasons at very short notice, and it is always worth having a plan B in mind.
Thanks. I should have covered this in the video actually and you make a really good point.. My usual divert options are Biggin Hill and Southend - both chosen for proximity, but also they're instrument airfields. I check both of their availability prior to my flights. Two reasons led to me not going to either - 1. Embarrassment. Headcorn/Rochester would be more forgiving of such a stupid error (human factors point to dig into there/debrief) and 2. Cost. Biggin would have cost me about £100 to land, Southend, I don't know exactly - more than Headcorn. So given that it was CAVOK, I decided to freestyle the diversion. So there's a really big human factors issue for me to grapple with - overcoming embarrassment - but also I think I'm generally a bit poor at considering the wind. I look at it in the morning, and it was fine for Redhill/Duxford. But further south/east, it was far more of a problem. Thanks Nigel.
Agreed. On my first solo overland flight my instructor called me after landing at a different aerodrome and told me to take lunch, because an ultralight had crashed on the runway shortly after my departure.
That's Dave in ATC great advise as always, lovely people, I'm based at Headcorn and find the whole place a friendly and welcoming. Great video John, so easy to make a silly mistake that could of gone so wrong.
Jon. It’s so easily done. Your use of a sterile 30 minutes is clearly the key for you. Chapeau for sharing. You did all the right things and that’s why you’re posting the vid. See you up there.
This was a great video. Those of us that fly often will all encounter some level of complacency at some point. For me as an airline pilot, the analogy you use of using your aircraft like a car can be likened to ‘another day at the office for me’. The way you’ve responded to this event though is admirable and I’ve always been told it’s not the lack of mistakes that makes you a good pilot, it’s how you react to them 👍
So refreshing to hear a pilot admit an error. To often its swept aside. If you screw up. Own it. Give yourself a good talking to. Will stop you making the bigger mistakes that could really cost you. Well done
Well done to you for disseminating your experience to us.... I Really appreciated it! The more we can share these "lessons learned" in a supportive environment, the better pilots we all become. Total respect to you!
Thanks Damien appreciate that. It sometimes gets misunderstood, but I do try to be transparent with my shortcomings. Just not having to do it with every video thankfully.
We all make mistakes. Nobody was harmed, no precious metal was bent and you reflected on what happened and will no doubt take steps to make sure it doesn't happen again. I can't put the boot in because that would make me a hypocrite. Thanks for sharing your flying, even the mistakes made; it makes you and us better pilots imho.
Such an easy mistake to make. Thanks for sharing and keep that aileron crosswind correction in full during rollout. It’s so common to have things stack up when you are alone and have a minor issue. Your honesty is refreshing. Cheers from Lossiemouth
A good pilot is always learning, remains humble, and owns up to mistakes. Suggestion: when writing time down, use “Z” at the end for Zulu and “L” at the end for Local. Thanks for sharing! We all learned a thing or two here!
We've all been there! The smarter airline pilot realises how easy to get Z mixed up with other time zones and asks his mate next to him what the local time/local arrival time is at destination before announcing the wrong answer to 300 passengers!
You set out the channel to be educational and proved it right there. Lessons learned and errors dissected very well. There are maybe some who wouldnt have put the vlog up, so well done Jon.
I am an avid watcher of your channel. I really appreciate your open and honest analysis of the mistakes that you made on this flight. It really helps other pilots to possibly avoid making the same mistakes. As a paragliding pilot I have made mistakes (one that almost cost me my life - needing rescue from the sea by the heroes of the RNLI, after misjudging the tide while flying at a coastal cliff site). The "just culture" of aviation, which allows us pilots to report our mistakes helps to make it easier for others to learn from our mistakes. It's always better to learn from the mistakes of others, and possibly avoid them, than to learn from bitter experience!
Having watched numerous flying videos the one thing that was evident is the calmness of your situation. Yes, you weren’t exactly “ diving for the Hudson” but your ability to remain calm and focus was good to watch. You also carried out the ANC principles of flying which you must have learnt so many years ago. Glad you got down safely and saved so much Av Gas.😂😂😂😂
I remember my flight instructor (a very, very long ting ago) saying "complacency kills"...a lesson we all need reminding of occasionally...Thank you for sharing and reminding everyone to focus on the flight. We are all safer when we learn from each other. Thank you !!
Haha, yeh. It's an Air-ground communication service, so not a control service, so hence why they're a bit more relaxed like that. It's pretty common in the UK.
As always, kudos to you Jon for admitting you made a mistake. Huge respect to you for sharing with us all. We've all made silly errors. Anyone who says different is a fool! It makes the man to admit to it and learn from it even if it feels a bit silly at the time. Don't beat yourself up too much
Thanks for having the humility to debrief this. You're right that it's something pilots with all skills can make. Complacency is something I have been a little hyperfocused on avoiding, to the point I worry I am going to the other extreme which is overthinking and being in a sort of decision paralysis when I get something unexpected.
I think the most appealing aspect to your videos is your honestly and if we fly long enough stuff like this will happen to us all to take away as a lessons learned.
It’s so good that you are open and post videos with mistakes like this! I’ve only just qualified and there is so much to think about and remember. You should be commended for helping people learn from experience they don’t have! It’s a mistake I almost certainly would make myself at some point, that I’m far less likely to now.
I think the regulator and the system has lost sight of how much workload are placed on private pilots these days. So much to do and consider - VFR flying is much harder flying than IFR in the airways where you point the aeroplane where you're told to go. Lots of pre-flight tasks, GARS, Flight PLans, PPR, Notams, Weather, Short term closures, temporary restricted areas, etc etc. It's quite a challenge.
A fine lesson in "stick to what you know." Learn from the mistakes of others? I think it's a good idea. At least you have shown that even experienced pilots can make basic mistakes.I admire your honesty in admitting you screwed up. We should all be so honest about our errors. You have also shown the importance of being in the right mindset. Once you realised your mistake you did everything right (apart from possibly having been better to choose Rochester than Headcorn). You did the Aviate,Navigate, Comunicate bit perfectly.
Don’t worry Jon, I used to train Dispatchers about Local/UTC timings and still got it wrong lol😂. Another excellent video and highlights routine and time management are a must! Cheers
Mistakes happen, the important part is learning from them and in this instance nothing serious happened and it served as a wake up call for you so it became a lesson which I’m sure will lead to a change in mindset/workflow. I think it’s also really good to publish stuff like this ‘warts and all’ for others to see and learn from. Thank you for the open discussion and sharing.
This is a great video, and the point about keeping one's head focused on flying and not getting ambivalent (treating an aircraft like a car) is so important. We've had a similar UTC/BST issue once, where a bunch of us flew over to Bembridge for the afternoon. Our home airfield FISO mentioned their closing time and end of civil twilight, but in Bembridge there ended up being some confusion between the group of pilots over the timing. A couple of us felt we ought to be on our way, but - "lovely day, clear skies, sun won't set for ages, it'll be fine, we'll be off soon" was the consensus. Ended up doing a VERY dark landing without a night rating. All worked out okay in the end, and thinking about it, we could have called up to double check the timings, or diverted to a nearby airfield which was still open (and lit). Experience is a cruel teacher - she gives you the test first, and the lesson afterwards.
Been watching your videos for a while. It’s bitter sweet as I’m a grounded PPL but from what I can see you’re a brilliant pilot, very professional with your planning etc and I wish I’d had your videos as a learning tool when I was training. They say that with any mistake there are two types of pilot; those who have done it and those who WILL do it. Laying yourself open and showing your mistakes is very admirable and will help lots of other pilots. Also your video production skills are second to none. Keep up the good work and happy landings.
Whom am I to comment negatively. I am not a pilot and have worked around airplanes. I enjoyed your video and applaud your candor. It takes someone of character to call themselves out to help other pilots; especially those who are new to aviation. Well done sir!
Thank you for sharing your experience! It's always the silliest little things that get us. If there's one thing to take away from this, it's that if you ever think you could never fall for such a stupid mistake: Yes you could!
one of the few (only?) benefits of the clocks going back in october is no more head scratching when converting Z to local! Great video as usual Jon, thanks for posting
Welcome to Heacorn Jon. An unfortunate mistake I'm sure you won't be making again, but one I'm sure many of us have made before. As others have already said, you had the skills and tools to get the job done in a safe and legal manner, plus the excellent character to post a learning video about the mistake. Well done and keep up the great content!
Blimey, just shows us a simple thing can throw us out so much. The best bit was the Headcorn Airfield ATC being so casual but with the vital information and saying " come and have a go" That was worth the 20 quid!
Three outcomes to any flight, destination, alternate and on route alternate which can include return to departure. As an airline pilot of some 37 years experience it is basically my job to check, re check and check again all the possible alternates along my route and therefore be in a position to be able to predetermine the best course of action from the application of take off power to a safe arrival somewhere. Having an alternate in mind is always a good idea but having three or four is a better one, my aviation career started at Redhill as an instructor at Redhill Flying Club, but my license was gained up the road at Biggin Hill, the first thing I thought of when you discovered Phil had gone off for lunch/dinner was ‘why had you not considered Biggin?’ While the landing fee has probably risen somewhat since I last went in there, it is closer by a country mile than your other two options and properly into wind. Your thoughts?
Loved the video. Things happen here in the US as well. Lots of pilots get into trouble running out of fuel because they are so focused completing the mission that they forget that the airport destination can be closed or even worse not have fuel available. My motto is always have options available.
Thanks. Around where I'm based, lots of airfields to choose from so it's less of an issue, but the further north you go, you need to be very focussed on these things.
Very good of you to own this out loud so that others might start thinking about their travels instead of what they'll be doing later tonight. I'm not a pilot but getting sidetracked and/or distracted can be very dangerous. Driving experiences the same troubles when they lose focus & suddenly have pile up. They say most wrecks in vehicles happen within 1-2miles from home so on those roads we know the best, we lower our guard while shifting focus then it Happens ; some type of crash. And I'm not including how electronic devices figure into this mistake but it's good you point it out to help yourself & others not to do it again...peace
I wouldn't beat myself up too much... You did fine at the end. It's a great reminder though, I only fly VFR 1% of my time but I could easily make this mistake too. Great content as usual
Great video & don't beat yourself up over this! For the floating part practice dumping your flaps as you float, do that and you will lose that lift! Once you master that technique, you will be amazed how much nicer those floating landings will become! Blue skys!
Thank you so much for sharing your oversight. I endeavour to be a rigorous pilot myself, but seeing your mishap, I have to admit that i can not exclude the same could have happened to me. Thanks to your video, I will pay extra attention to the time in my planning 👍
Everyone screws up from time to time. It takes a good person to be able to take a cold hard retrospective look at the screw up. It takes a great person to publicise it to help others. As Tim Minchin once said "Be a teacher. Even if you can't be a teacher, be a teacher...". Thanks Jon.
Don't beat yourself up too much. I've had similar where the weather at the destination deteriorated (completely unforecast) and then our nominated alternate turned out to be closed at night. We were left on fumes diverting to an alternate further away and made it with just final reserves in tact. A lesson to check the opening hours of both the airfields you intend to fly to - and to those you don't, but might have to in the worst case!
You said it all.... More private pilots should listen to your words of wisdom...... I had a Q2 but haven't flown for over 30 years as a PPL, but been in aviation for 45 years so was always in the aviator mode, and when I was flying and doing swaps in other owners planes, it was to apparent that guys outside of aviation took flying to blasé and on many occasions (after I questioned their knowledge) had completely forgotten how a plane fly's.......as you said..... like hopping in your car and driving home.... No its not.... Again well said and great honesty 👌👌
Thank you. Perhaps a lesson for all (even non pilots) is that whether we get in to drive a Plane or a Car - we should (1) take time to get our heads in the right safe 'driving-focused' space - and the stay there until we step out of the Plane or Car (hopefully having safely arrived at our destination!). 😊😊
getting the tide time wrong when sailing can cause a lot of trouble "don`t ask how I know " it is always better to learn from other peoples mistakes . very honest vid 👍
We all make mistakes. It's all part of human error but we learn from the mistakes we make. And the fact you was completely upfront and honest about it also means you won't make the same mistake twice
A great video because not only have you been totally honest about your error, but you have demonstrated good airmanship in respect of the diversion - and shown the benefit of SkyDemon, which I have used on so many occasions. Okay the crosswind was a bit 'iffy' with, as you correctly noted, a demonstrated crosswind limit of 17 kts for the Arrow. But the take away from this MUST be that you have to focus on the flying no matter what the purpose of the flight might be. The flight brings back memories of me flying into Headcorn a few years ago to combine the flight with a Red Card experience of flying a Robinson R22. What a great day that was, with weather similar to yours bar the crosswind. Keep safe.
My take away, as a Brit living in the US, is the absurdity of closing an airfield for the trivial reason of a misnamed ATC being closed. I’ve lived in the US for over 40 years and there are not many things they do right, but Aviation is one of them. Whenever I watch any RUclips of flying in the UK the absurdity of getting 4 or 5 squawk codes for a 50 mile flight drives me insane and all this “Pass your long winded totally irrelevant message shit” every time you change controllers just makes me shake my head. If you are ever in the Dallas area I’ll take you somewhere IFR or VFR and you can see just how easy it is.
You dont half beat yourself up at times Jon, you reacted and got yourself sorted, life is busy, it's not an error in my book, just a mishap :) just shows how much of a good pilot you are in the manner you diverted and and knew exactly what to do, some less experienced pilots may have panicked quite easily.
Nice video, great explanations throughout. For us U.S. fliers, this is enlightening for us and we should be counting our blessings because we don’t typically run into issues like this, we just convert to untowered airport rules and just self announce. Typically, the only time an airport is closed to GA traffic here is because of maintenance, and accident, or something like an air show,
Thanks - yeh, we get a fair few of these short term closures for one reason or another. Some of our airfields have whole days closed due to events, car boot sales, vehicle testing etc etc.
One thing I liked is that you checked either side and behind before starting your engine. That's something that always worries me , that someone might just be near the plane for whatever reason without the pilot realising it and then the prop starts to turn.
Easily done - even by mere passengers crossing time zones. Best to do it just the once, though. Love your videos, there’s something wonderfully sensible and normal about them.
Fantastic and honest video - thank you. Particularly as I get older, some days I am just not thinking as clearly as others but it takes real honesty and professionalism to make a video of those moments and stick it up on RUclips. I would suggest that you made a second error here, and that was pressing on with Headcorn, after the guy had tactfully pointed out the crosswind levels, rather than switching to your other (better) alternative. More than once, when skippering a yacht on a family holiday, I have pressed ahead with a bad plan rather than admit a mistake and take the hassle and embarrassment of changing tack. From this armchair, it perhaps wasn't the right day or the right mindset for testing new limits on your (and your plane's) crosswind landing experience? Thanks again for a great video.
I would add what is more of a procedural point than anything else. After learning that your destination airfield is closed, it would be sensible to orbit somewhere safe, whilst checking the ATIS of potential alternates or, in the case of Headcorn which doesn't have an ATIS, checking directly with Headcorn ATC. The ATIS information would of course provide wind information .
Yes, I do need to be aware of plan continuation bias - even if it is a hastily made plan. I think I was comfortable with the crosswind and saw it as a challenge worth practising, knowing I can go around.
Yes you made an error but your whole attitude towards flying is tip top . Humble and always willing to learn beats bravado and arrogance every time . Good for you.
You wont get any stick from any of your faithful subscribers, Jon. A mistake that you can learn from is better than one that kills you any day! It’s a good learning point for all pilots out there, be they students or old hands. I imagine you wont mix Zulu and Local Time ever again, though!
I suspect I will make the mistake again - it's so easy to - hopefully not with respect to airspace closures etc. The learning point is to properly reconfigure for the flight after a day of meetings.
Ex airline pilot. Push-on-itis and familiarity drops ones guard. Familiarity doesn't mean it's not going to bite you. Wx, notams and a recap of destination and diversion fields before will never do harm but one day may save you from it. Great video and respect for it. Blue skies and happy landings
Situation handled, landed safely. You and India Victor live to fly another day. Can't complain about that. I've found it a challenge to not let the first mistake get to me (I've perpetrated some doozies...) and mess up further decision-making.
At 11:18 I fly similarly for work on occasion and I have found over the years I had to add a checklist for my work flights to consider the work pressures at the time as some days I found myself not mentally ready for challenging ifr/weather flights and a tough work situation simultaneously. If work pressures are too high I opt for driving as I noticed my propensity to make errors went way up. It can take the fun away. I fly a well equipped Archer II around the mid-Atlantic states here in the US.
Sounds like a really good idea. I'm certainly conscious when I'm maxed out, have a lot on and the weather is marginal. On this day, my arousal was too low, the flying should have been easy.
That happened to me when I flew to Land’s End. I was supposed to land back at North Weald, but they were closed. I landed anyway, thinking it would be like in the USA, where we can use common communication when ATC is not open and proceed with the landing. The next day, I received an email from the airport manager saying I had breached the airport rules, etc. Fortunately, they didn’t give me more trouble than the embarrassment of making that mistake. But I did learn to be more cautious, and since then, I haven’t had another issue. I’m sure you won’t make the same mistake again in the future, haha.
Stop beating yourself with that stick Jon. You made a mistake, you handled it well, you survived. Learn from it and move on. If you keep looking over your shoulder at your historical mistakes you’ll not be looking where you’re going and you’ll trip up again. Keep safe, keep flying.
Hi John, we are all guilty of being complacent at some point or other, it's what you do about it after the event that matters, you recognised the contributory factors so that you can eliminate a repeat of events. These things i think are a good thing because if these little preventable mistakes didn't occur to keep us tuned in then it would eventually lead to something that could end in catastrophic disaster that couldn't be avoided or survived. So don't beat yourself up over it, learnt from it and share your mistakes with others so that we can all learn to avoid and not become complacent.
I've been a motorcycle rider for over 55 years. I stayed alive by staying sharp and not letting my mind drift and of course luck. About two years ago I noticed my mind was wandering and realized it was time to hang up the boots, sell the bike and move on. But I was 71 years old, and age is what got me. Not saying this was your problem, but someday it may become common.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Maybe I missed where it was addressed, but why would the airport randomly close for an hour?
This happens a lot in the UK in the event of controller shortages. In many cases, its my understanding that for the aerodrome to operate, it will be a condition of its licence that ATC/FISO/A/G are operational. For Redhill, this is a particular issue, because it is about 2 miles from London's second busiest airport. The regulator is especially twitchy here about light aircraft straying into controlled airspace, and Redhill is hemmed in laterally and vertically with class D. Some airfields will operate out of hours indemnity schemes, where pilots can apply to use the airfield out of operational hours. I have one for Redhill, which allows me to use the airfield out of hours during specified months (Spring/summer), however this permit doesn't allow me to use it during these temporary, sporadic closures. The Spring/Summer thing likely relates to the fact that in the winter/autumn the airfield only operates from an extremely short runway (actually a taxiway) as the grass runways become unusable. This short taxiway/runway is unlicensed and thus this is probably the reason one cannot fly out of hours in the autumn/winter - oh, and also, in autumn/winter, that taxiway/runway does not have runway lighting. So basically, it's regulatory reasons.
A true measure of a man's character and his intentions lies in his ability to own his mistakes and transform them into valuable lessons for others. It’s a remarkable trait-one that not only demonstrates personal growth but also serves as a guiding reference for those who seek to learn and grow. Truly brilliant. Thank you.
Thanks.
You kept flying the aircraft - no limits were broken. Safe operation. Learning took place and you built your airmanship. Good effort.
Thanks!
Another example of why you are so respected, by sharing your mistakes you help hundreds of others to learn from them.
Thanks Geoff.
massive respect for waiving the ego and choosing to present a learning experience
Pleasure.
Really good lesson about driving here as well with the comment “I’ve treated it like using a car” we all need to be treating driving our car in much the same way as you normally fly your plane as that kind of complacency really has no place on the roads as well. A valuable lesson for us all, even those who don’t fly!
Thanks Iain
@@iainhay2823
I couldn't agree more!! It is depressing how complacent and relaxed most people are about getting behind the wheel of a car. Especially when the weather becomes a serious safety factor in the journey. The lack of prep, thinking ahead and generally staying connected with the task of safely operating a car that I see every day is truly shocking. People are generally so distracted and relaxed in cars these days, that they are miles behind the situation at any given speed. I was taught to practice giving a live spoken commentary when learning and still find myself approaching my journeys in this way. Even if not actually talking aloud, I run a commentary in my head throughout my driving and always start any journey which I know will involve a longer distance and dual carriageway and motorway driving, with a complete check and walkround !
Loading luggage or cargo so it is secure and will not create a hazard in an emergency stop,
carrying basic safety equipment, first aid, extra clothing for the season and water has become standard on every journey since I passed my test back in the early 1980's!
The number of accidents and major collisions I have witnessed over the years, where a basic lack of situational awareness was a key factor is pretty high.
Of course, yes I have made stupid mistakes and omissions, and hopefully learned from them, but if more of us focussed on driving in a way that resembles the basics of how people are taught when flying, perhaps it would help reduce the vast number of awful and pointless incidents on the roads.
Stay safe out there!! It's bonkers!! 🫣
You Brits have the cleanest and easy to understand voices the radio. Good on you for letting us know what happened, you didn't have to.
Thanks Richard.
Probably because we don't speak at machine gun speeds. Slow down a little and less errors are made.
Being a pensioned professional pilot I can say that I have always made myself strong for proper preflight briefing and even more important a thorough debriefing. Lessons learned that is what it is all about in life and in aviation if you want to stay alife. The fact that you share your experience with everybody that is interested is great, I can only say “hat off to you sir”.
Thanks Percy.
As a pilot I really do appreciate your open and clear analysis as well as communication and debrief professionalism. Certainly a pleasure to fly with and to learn from you every time. Thank you for sharing - and always happy landings.
Thank you!
A great and informative video. As a PPL student, i find these videos where things dont go exactly to plan very useful for learning and how to deal with situations in a pragmatic and calm manner. Thanks Jon.
Good to be alert when driving flying and underground gold mining cheers…
Headcorn is always a lovely place to visit even if it was unplanned on this occasion. There is a more general point for VFR pilots about always having an alternate in mind. Runways can get closed or blocked for all sorts of reasons at very short notice, and it is always worth having a plan B in mind.
Thanks. I should have covered this in the video actually and you make a really good point.. My usual divert options are Biggin Hill and Southend - both chosen for proximity, but also they're instrument airfields. I check both of their availability prior to my flights. Two reasons led to me not going to either - 1. Embarrassment. Headcorn/Rochester would be more forgiving of such a stupid error (human factors point to dig into there/debrief) and 2. Cost. Biggin would have cost me about £100 to land, Southend, I don't know exactly - more than Headcorn. So given that it was CAVOK, I decided to freestyle the diversion. So there's a really big human factors issue for me to grapple with - overcoming embarrassment - but also I think I'm generally a bit poor at considering the wind. I look at it in the morning, and it was fine for Redhill/Duxford. But further south/east, it was far more of a problem. Thanks Nigel.
Agreed. On my first solo overland flight my instructor called me after landing at a different aerodrome and told me to take lunch, because an ultralight had crashed on the runway shortly after my departure.
Excellent point.
why don't they just convert to CTAF when closed? vs closing to fixed wing traffic. seems odd to me (USA)
@@clarkalang I suspect it's the proximity of Gatwick airspace. It's the only fully towered a/f in the area because of it.
That's Dave in ATC great advise as always, lovely people, I'm based at Headcorn and find the whole place a friendly and welcoming. Great video John, so easy to make a silly mistake that could of gone so wrong.
Thanks Iain - don't go in there a lot, but when I do it's always a friendly place.
Jon. It’s so easily done. Your use of a sterile 30 minutes is clearly the key for you. Chapeau for sharing. You did all the right things and that’s why you’re posting the vid. See you up there.
I need to enforce my 30 minutes for sure. Things go so well 99% of the time, but it only takes one slip up...
This was a great video. Those of us that fly often will all encounter some level of complacency at some point. For me as an airline pilot, the analogy you use of using your aircraft like a car can be likened to ‘another day at the office for me’. The way you’ve responded to this event though is admirable and I’ve always been told it’s not the lack of mistakes that makes you a good pilot, it’s how you react to them 👍
So refreshing to hear a pilot admit an error.
To often its swept aside.
If you screw up. Own it. Give yourself a good talking to.
Will stop you making the bigger mistakes that could really cost you.
Well done
Thanks for watching
Well done to you for disseminating your experience to us.... I Really appreciated it! The more we can share these "lessons learned" in a supportive environment, the better pilots we all become. Total respect to you!
This honesty is why we as subscribers love your videos. The brutal honesty is outstanding delivery
Thanks Damien appreciate that. It sometimes gets misunderstood, but I do try to be transparent with my shortcomings. Just not having to do it with every video thankfully.
Love this mans flights and commentary. Also seems a really nice chap.
Thanks Neil.
We all make mistakes. Nobody was harmed, no precious metal was bent and you reflected on what happened and will no doubt take steps to make sure it doesn't happen again. I can't put the boot in because that would make me a hypocrite. Thanks for sharing your flying, even the mistakes made; it makes you and us better pilots imho.
Thanks Mel.
You have done a great service to other GA pilots with this honesty and openness… 👏🏼
I hope it helps. Thanks for watching.
This is a fabulous teaching video. “Can’t happen to me”. Well it did. You coped well but it stretched you. Thank you for being so honest.
Thanks Malcolm, it's a pleasure.
Such an easy mistake to make. Thanks for sharing and keep that aileron crosswind correction in full during rollout. It’s so common to have things stack up when you are alone and have a minor issue. Your honesty is refreshing. Cheers from Lossiemouth
Thanks for watching.
A good pilot is always learning, remains humble, and owns up to mistakes. Suggestion: when writing time down, use “Z” at the end for Zulu and “L” at the end for Local. Thanks for sharing! We all learned a thing or two here!
Thanks for watching.
We've all been there! The smarter airline pilot realises how easy to get Z mixed up with other time zones and asks his mate next to him what the local time/local arrival time is at destination before announcing the wrong answer to 300 passengers!
"L" isn't local though.
Better to use the appropriate TZ and DST.
You set out the channel to be educational and proved it right there. Lessons learned and errors dissected very well. There are maybe some who wouldnt have put the vlog up, so well done Jon.
Thanks Rob.
I am an avid watcher of your channel. I really appreciate your open and honest analysis of the mistakes that you made on this flight. It really helps other pilots to possibly avoid making the same mistakes. As a paragliding pilot I have made mistakes (one that almost cost me my life - needing rescue from the sea by the heroes of the RNLI, after misjudging the tide while flying at a coastal cliff site). The "just culture" of aviation, which allows us pilots to report our mistakes helps to make it easier for others to learn from our mistakes. It's always better to learn from the mistakes of others, and possibly avoid them, than to learn from bitter experience!
Having watched numerous flying videos the one thing that was evident is the calmness of your situation. Yes, you weren’t exactly “ diving for the Hudson” but your ability to remain calm and focus was good to watch. You also carried out the ANC principles of flying which you must have learnt so many years ago. Glad you got down safely and saved so much Av Gas.😂😂😂😂
I remember my flight instructor (a very, very long ting ago) saying "complacency kills"...a lesson we all need reminding of occasionally...Thank you for sharing and reminding everyone to focus on the flight. We are all safer when we learn from each other. Thank you !!
Love the English ATC. So relaxed and like whatever works for you , have a go at it :)
Haha, yeh. It's an Air-ground communication service, so not a control service, so hence why they're a bit more relaxed like that. It's pretty common in the UK.
I have learnt so much from this, particularly the the line about treating flying like driving a car. That really resonated for me. Thanks.
As always, kudos to you Jon for admitting you made a mistake. Huge respect to you for sharing with us all. We've all made silly errors. Anyone who says different is a fool! It makes the man to admit to it and learn from it even if it feels a bit silly at the time. Don't beat yourself up too much
Thanks for having the humility to debrief this. You're right that it's something pilots with all skills can make. Complacency is something I have been a little hyperfocused on avoiding, to the point I worry I am going to the other extreme which is overthinking and being in a sort of decision paralysis when I get something unexpected.
I think the most appealing aspect to your videos is your honestly and if we fly long enough stuff like this will happen to us all to take away as a lessons learned.
It’s so good that you are open and post videos with mistakes like this! I’ve only just qualified and there is so much to think about and remember.
You should be commended for helping people learn from experience they don’t have! It’s a mistake I almost certainly would make myself at some point, that I’m far less likely to now.
I think the regulator and the system has lost sight of how much workload are placed on private pilots these days. So much to do and consider - VFR flying is much harder flying than IFR in the airways where you point the aeroplane where you're told to go. Lots of pre-flight tasks, GARS, Flight PLans, PPR, Notams, Weather, Short term closures, temporary restricted areas, etc etc. It's quite a challenge.
Love this vid: honesty, self-reflection and no blaming others!! ❤
Thanks. No-one else's fault but my own.
A fine lesson in "stick to what you know." Learn from the mistakes of others? I think it's a good idea. At least you have shown that even experienced pilots can make basic mistakes.I admire your honesty in admitting you screwed up. We should all be so honest about our errors. You have also shown the importance of being in the right mindset. Once you realised your mistake you did everything right (apart from possibly having been better to choose Rochester than Headcorn). You did the Aviate,Navigate, Comunicate bit perfectly.
Don’t worry Jon, I used to train Dispatchers about Local/UTC timings and still got it wrong lol😂. Another excellent video and highlights routine and time management are a must! Cheers
Thanks for watching.
Mistakes happen, the important part is learning from them and in this instance nothing serious happened and it served as a wake up call for you so it became a lesson which I’m sure will lead to a change in mindset/workflow. I think it’s also really good to publish stuff like this ‘warts and all’ for others to see and learn from. Thank you for the open discussion and sharing.
Thanks Alan.
This is a great video, and the point about keeping one's head focused on flying and not getting ambivalent (treating an aircraft like a car) is so important. We've had a similar UTC/BST issue once, where a bunch of us flew over to Bembridge for the afternoon. Our home airfield FISO mentioned their closing time and end of civil twilight, but in Bembridge there ended up being some confusion between the group of pilots over the timing. A couple of us felt we ought to be on our way, but - "lovely day, clear skies, sun won't set for ages, it'll be fine, we'll be off soon" was the consensus. Ended up doing a VERY dark landing without a night rating. All worked out okay in the end, and thinking about it, we could have called up to double check the timings, or diverted to a nearby airfield which was still open (and lit). Experience is a cruel teacher - she gives you the test first, and the lesson afterwards.
Been watching your videos for a while. It’s bitter sweet as I’m a grounded PPL but from what I can see you’re a brilliant pilot, very professional with your planning etc and I wish I’d had your videos as a learning tool when I was training. They say that with any mistake there are two types of pilot; those who have done it and those who WILL do it. Laying yourself open and showing your mistakes is very admirable and will help lots of other pilots. Also your video production skills are second to none. Keep up the good work and happy landings.
Sorry to hear that you're grounded. And thanks for watching.
Whom am I to comment negatively. I am not a pilot and have worked around airplanes. I enjoyed your video and applaud your candor. It takes someone of character to call themselves out to help other pilots; especially those who are new to aviation. Well done sir!
Thank you for sharing your experience! It's always the silliest little things that get us.
If there's one thing to take away from this, it's that if you ever think you could never fall for such a stupid mistake: Yes you could!
Yep. I'm not a believer but I think the phrase 'There but for the grace of god...' comes to mind.
one of the few (only?) benefits of the clocks going back in october is no more head scratching when converting Z to local! Great video as usual Jon, thanks for posting
Too right.! Thanks for watching.
love how headcorn says "youll be fine..." :)
Haha I know!
Welcome to Heacorn Jon. An unfortunate mistake I'm sure you won't be making again, but one I'm sure many of us have made before. As others have already said, you had the skills and tools to get the job done in a safe and legal manner, plus the excellent character to post a learning video about the mistake. Well done and keep up the great content!
Thanks Fred.
Thanks for uploading this Jon! As a student pilot these videos are super useful, as well as being inspirational.
Good luck with the rest of the traiing.
@@TheFlyingReporter thank you! 👍
Blimey, just shows us a simple thing can throw us out so much. The best bit was the Headcorn Airfield ATC being so casual but with the vital information and saying " come and have a go" That was worth the 20 quid!
Haha. Yes, it's a 'radio' aerodrome not ATC, but pretty cool that they were so welcoming.
Three outcomes to any flight, destination, alternate and on route alternate which can include return to departure. As an airline pilot of some 37 years experience it is basically my job to check, re check and check again all the possible alternates along my route and therefore be in a position to be able to predetermine the best course of action from the application of take off power to a safe arrival somewhere.
Having an alternate in mind is always a good idea but having three or four is a better one, my aviation career started at Redhill as an instructor at Redhill Flying Club, but my license was gained up the road at Biggin Hill, the first thing I thought of when you discovered Phil had gone off for lunch/dinner was ‘why had you not considered Biggin?’ While the landing fee has probably risen somewhat since I last went in there, it is closer by a country mile than your other two options and properly into wind.
Your thoughts?
Good lessons learned! Thanks for sharing.
Loved the video. Things happen here in the US as well. Lots of pilots get into trouble running out of fuel because they are so focused completing the mission that they forget that the airport destination can be closed or even worse not have fuel available. My motto is always have options available.
Thanks. Around where I'm based, lots of airfields to choose from so it's less of an issue, but the further north you go, you need to be very focussed on these things.
Good job. The Headcorn guys were very helpful there. Very nice of them.
Yes Mark. Thanks for Watching.
Very good of you to own this out loud so that others might start thinking about their travels instead of what they'll be doing later
tonight. I'm not a pilot but getting sidetracked and/or distracted can be very dangerous. Driving experiences the same troubles
when they lose focus & suddenly have pile up. They say most wrecks in vehicles happen within 1-2miles from home so on those
roads we know the best, we lower our guard while shifting focus then it Happens ; some type of crash. And I'm not including
how electronic devices figure into this mistake but it's good you point it out to help yourself & others not to do it again...peace
I wouldn't beat myself up too much... You did fine at the end. It's a great reminder though, I only fly VFR 1% of my time but I could easily make this mistake too. Great content as usual
Great video & don't beat yourself up over this! For the floating part practice dumping your flaps as you float, do that and you will lose that lift! Once you master that technique, you will be amazed how much nicer those floating landings will become!
Blue skys!
great video. Thank you. I could see the wind based on the little flags on the buildings fascia blowing strongly
Lesson learnt, hopefully. You're human. Thanks for your honesty.
Thank you so much for sharing your oversight. I endeavour to be a rigorous pilot myself, but seeing your mishap, I have to admit that i can not exclude the same could have happened to me. Thanks to your video, I will pay extra attention to the time in my planning 👍
Thanks for watching and safe flights..
Thank you for sharing!! You’ve at least saved 1 person some headache and likely many!
Everyone screws up from time to time. It takes a good person to be able to take a cold hard retrospective look at the screw up. It takes a great person to publicise it to help others. As Tim Minchin once said "Be a teacher. Even if you can't be a teacher, be a teacher...". Thanks Jon.
Not heard that before, thanks Nigel.
HUMILITY!! Saving your FUTURE. WELL DONE!!!
Don't beat yourself up too much. I've had similar where the weather at the destination deteriorated (completely unforecast) and then our nominated alternate turned out to be closed at night. We were left on fumes diverting to an alternate further away and made it with just final reserves in tact. A lesson to check the opening hours of both the airfields you intend to fly to - and to those you don't, but might have to in the worst case!
Sounds like a situation no one wanted to be in - glad you made it in.
You said it all.... More private pilots should listen to your words of wisdom...... I had a Q2 but haven't flown for over 30 years as a PPL, but been in aviation for 45 years so was always in the aviator mode, and when I was flying and doing swaps in other owners planes, it was to apparent that guys outside of aviation took flying to blasé and on many occasions (after I questioned their knowledge) had completely forgotten how a plane fly's.......as you said..... like hopping in your car and driving home.... No its not.... Again well said and great honesty 👌👌
Thank you. Perhaps a lesson for all (even non pilots) is that whether we get in to drive a Plane or a Car - we should (1) take time to get our heads in the right safe 'driving-focused' space - and the stay there until we step out of the Plane or Car (hopefully having safely arrived at our destination!). 😊😊
getting the tide time wrong when sailing can cause a lot of trouble "don`t ask how I know " it is always better to learn from other peoples mistakes . very honest vid 👍
Yes, and couple of people have made a similar comment about sailing. Thanks for watching.
What an honest video. Glad you landed safely with that crosswind. Best wishes
Thanks Tim.
The way you poms operate your airspace and airports does my head in.
We all make mistakes. It's all part of human error but we learn from the mistakes we make. And the fact you was completely upfront and honest about it also means you won't make the same mistake twice
Thanks for sharing and adding color commentary in post production. I really enjoy your content and am a frequent viewer. Stay safe sir.
Thanks for watching.
A great video because not only have you been totally honest about your error, but you have demonstrated good airmanship in respect of the diversion - and shown the benefit of SkyDemon, which I have used on so many occasions. Okay the crosswind was a bit 'iffy' with, as you correctly noted, a demonstrated crosswind limit of 17 kts for the Arrow. But the take away from this MUST be that you have to focus on the flying no matter what the purpose of the flight might be. The flight brings back memories of me flying into Headcorn a few years ago to combine the flight with a Red Card experience of flying a Robinson R22. What a great day that was, with weather similar to yours bar the crosswind. Keep safe.
My take away, as a Brit living in the US, is the absurdity of closing an airfield for the trivial reason of a misnamed ATC being closed.
I’ve lived in the US for over 40 years and there are not many things they do right, but Aviation is one of them.
Whenever I watch any RUclips of flying in the UK the absurdity of getting 4 or 5 squawk codes for a 50 mile flight drives me insane and all this “Pass your long winded totally irrelevant message shit” every time you change controllers just makes me shake my head.
If you are ever in the Dallas area I’ll take you somewhere IFR or VFR and you can see just how easy it is.
Thanks.
You dont half beat yourself up at times Jon, you reacted and got yourself sorted, life is busy, it's not an error in my book, just a mishap :) just shows how much of a good pilot you are in the manner you diverted and and knew exactly what to do, some less experienced pilots may have panicked quite easily.
Thanks for watching.
A valuable learning experience for all, well done for posting this video. Always good to have alternative airfields in the mind's eye too.
Thanks for watching as always.
Great video john, evert day is a school day, no matter how many hours you have, always enjoy your content.
We all need to discuss our "mishaps", it's how we all become better Pilots. Thankyou.
Owning up! - a salutary report Jon - and worthy of giving others a nudge to avoid similar problems. :)
Thanks Chris.
Its not the mistakes that matter. Its how you resolve them. Plus youve had the bonus of finding another friendly aerodrome
Thanks Dale.
Great video and at the end of the day, all went well plus a bit of cross wind training.
I think the challenge appealed to me a little with the crosswind. It's been a few months since I've had to do one that strong.
Wonderful vid. Thank you so much. A new sub from Perth, Western Australia.
Well done on that landing with strong cross wind.
A fantastic lesson for all of us, thank you
Thanks for watching.
Nice video, great explanations throughout.
For us U.S. fliers, this is enlightening for us and we should be counting our blessings because we don’t typically run into issues like this, we just convert to untowered airport rules and just self announce. Typically, the only time an airport is closed to GA traffic here is because of maintenance, and accident, or something like an air show,
Thanks - yeh, we get a fair few of these short term closures for one reason or another. Some of our airfields have whole days closed due to events, car boot sales, vehicle testing etc etc.
Don't beat yourself up too bad, mate. Looks like to me you made it back safely. You also had the option of a go-around. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for watching.
Great lesson for this student pilot. Thank you
Thanks for watching and good luck with the rest of your training.
One thing I liked is that you checked either side and behind before starting your engine. That's something that always worries me , that someone might just be near the plane for whatever reason without the pilot realising it and then the prop starts to turn.
Owning and even showcasing a mistake is a good antidote to never repeating it.
Easily done - even by mere passengers crossing time zones. Best to do it just the once, though. Love your videos, there’s something wonderfully sensible and normal about them.
Great honest video John and as a nqp I must to note.
Thanks Dale.
Fantastic and honest video - thank you. Particularly as I get older, some days I am just not thinking as clearly as others but it takes real honesty and professionalism to make a video of those moments and stick it up on RUclips. I would suggest that you made a second error here, and that was pressing on with Headcorn, after the guy had tactfully pointed out the crosswind levels, rather than switching to your other (better) alternative. More than once, when skippering a yacht on a family holiday, I have pressed ahead with a bad plan rather than admit a mistake and take the hassle and embarrassment of changing tack. From this armchair, it perhaps wasn't the right day or the right mindset for testing new limits on your (and your plane's) crosswind landing experience? Thanks again for a great video.
I would add what is more of a procedural point than anything else. After learning that your destination airfield is closed, it would be sensible to orbit somewhere safe, whilst checking the ATIS of potential alternates or, in the case of Headcorn which doesn't have an ATIS, checking directly with Headcorn ATC. The ATIS information would of course provide wind information .
Yes, I do need to be aware of plan continuation bias - even if it is a hastily made plan. I think I was comfortable with the crosswind and saw it as a challenge worth practising, knowing I can go around.
I think sitting on your hands for a moment to think about the plan and weigh up the options would have been a good idea.
Jon and the BBC - both experts at beating themselves up ❤
Yes you made an error but your whole attitude towards flying is tip top . Humble and always willing to learn beats bravado and arrogance every time . Good for you.
Thank you for you honesty.
You wont get any stick from any of your faithful subscribers, Jon.
A mistake that you can learn from is better than one that kills you any day!
It’s a good learning point for all pilots out there, be they students or old hands.
I imagine you wont mix Zulu and Local Time ever again, though!
I suspect I will make the mistake again - it's so easy to - hopefully not with respect to airspace closures etc. The learning point is to properly reconfigure for the flight after a day of meetings.
Ex airline pilot. Push-on-itis and familiarity drops ones guard.
Familiarity doesn't mean it's not going to bite you. Wx, notams and a recap of destination and diversion fields before will never do harm but one day may save you from it.
Great video and respect for it.
Blue skies and happy landings
Thanks Jonathan.
Situation handled, landed safely. You and India Victor live to fly another day. Can't complain about that. I've found it a challenge to not let the first mistake get to me (I've perpetrated some doozies...) and mess up further decision-making.
Yes - nothing got bent or broken - good day.
At 11:18 I fly similarly for work on occasion and I have found over the years I had to add a checklist for my work flights to consider the work pressures at the time as some days I found myself not mentally ready for challenging ifr/weather flights and a tough work situation simultaneously. If work pressures are too high I opt for driving as I noticed my propensity to make errors went way up. It can take the fun away. I fly a well equipped Archer II around the mid-Atlantic states here in the US.
Sounds like a really good idea. I'm certainly conscious when I'm maxed out, have a lot on and the weather is marginal. On this day, my arousal was too low, the flying should have been easy.
That happened to me when I flew to Land’s End. I was supposed to land back at North Weald, but they were closed. I landed anyway, thinking it would be like in the USA, where we can use common communication when ATC is not open and proceed with the landing. The next day, I received an email from the airport manager saying I had breached the airport rules, etc. Fortunately, they didn’t give me more trouble than the embarrassment of making that mistake. But I did learn to be more cautious, and since then, I haven’t had another issue. I’m sure you won’t make the same mistake again in the future, haha.
Thanks Jeff. Some unlicensed airfields are fine with it, others are not.
Stop beating yourself with that stick Jon. You made a mistake, you handled it well, you survived. Learn from it and move on. If you keep looking over your shoulder at your historical mistakes you’ll not be looking where you’re going and you’ll trip up again. Keep safe, keep flying.
Thanks for watching Jim.
Hi John, we are all guilty of being complacent at some point or other, it's what you do about it after the event that matters, you recognised the contributory factors so that you can eliminate a repeat of events. These things i think are a good thing because if these little preventable mistakes didn't occur to keep us tuned in then it would eventually lead to something that could end in catastrophic disaster that couldn't be avoided or survived. So don't beat yourself up over it, learnt from it and share your mistakes with others so that we can all learn to avoid and not become complacent.
Don’t beat yourself up Jon, it’s easily done and we’re all human at the end of the day. A great video as always 👌
Thanks Lee.
Well, you gained a subscriber here!
Kudos to you for your honesty l’m sure your video has and will aid many others from similar slip ups👌🏽
I've been a motorcycle rider for over 55 years. I stayed alive by staying sharp and not letting my mind drift and of course luck. About two years ago I noticed my mind was wandering and realized it was time to hang up the boots, sell the bike and move on. But I was 71 years old, and age is what got me. Not saying this was your problem, but someday it may become common.