Hi Jon, I had a very, very similar experience when I was asked to take my boss and one of his friends from the East of England to SCotland to go on a shooting trip.All 3 of us were big guys, and I knew weight would be an issue. I duly and correctly did the weight calculations and even left fuel tanks empty that I knew we didn’t need. The airfield I was operating out of was a grass strip. On the day there had been light rain so the ground was soft. The wind direction which was light dictated using a slight uphill takeoff. I had stressed to my passengers that weight was critical so not to bring anything unnecessary. When we loaded the aircraft guns and a load of cartridges came on board (effectively lead ballast) along with all of the shooting paraphernalia (at on point I was expecting a black Labrador to appear). At this stage I was really worried but said nothing due to peer pressure. When we were ready I did my engine checks which were all fine and got ready for the take off roll. My heart was in my mouth, but still I said nothing. I applied full power and thought the brakes were on. Slowly the aircraft rolled and gathered momentum, but not as fast as wanted. I still said nothing and I could hear my heart in my headphones. Bit by bit we gathered speed and I feared something very bad was about to happen. Sill I was too worried to let my boss and his friend down so carried on. We reached nearly the end of the runway with just enough airspeed to get airborne and I gently eased the stick back enough to get us enough height to clear a hedge at the end of the runway, with the stall warner sounding in my head set. At this point I maintained altitude at around twenty feet to gain airspeed before altitude (it is all flat farmland), feeling as though I was about to be sick with what had just happened. Fortunately we made it, but it remains to this day the most utterly idiotic thing I have ever done. This video sums all of this up so very well, and I just wish I had seen it 10 years ago!
@@lemonator8813 well this is a good question. I was taught that each aircraft as a desired take off RPM. Archer or worries 2300-2350, 172 same. duchess is higher. What I never thought of is what are acceptable minimum RPMs.
I always go over my "Abort Plan" before every flight. "If (any issue) before Rotation: Back to idle and apply brakes. If (any issue) after rotation and < 500 ft....." and I am sure a lot of pilots do the same. But from now on I will make sure to add "If not at rotation speed at 50% of the runway: Back to idle and apply brakes.". Thanks Jon. I learned something knew today.
You don't need to be at rotation speed when half way down the runway.....but at 71% rotation speed. Get Sparky Imeson's MOUNTAIN FLYING BIBLE and read up.
I do this in my car. There's a road I don't drive very often. Lots of traffic. 55 mph speed limit. Over the course of a few miles there are three traffic lights. The problem is, you can see the light is green, at any point it can turn orange and then red. How close do you have to be to stop your car at the light when it blinks green (before orange)? I always make a conscious decision when approaching the lights. At this certain distance, once I pass that point, I will not stop and hesitate. No hard breaking. It is a similar problem and I hate it. You need a solid plan and once a criterion is met. Go for it. No change of strategy after a certain point.
As an old pilot with close to 15,000 hours and heart Afib now I like what your attempting to get across. Pilots never know it all and learn from every accident that happens. Review accidents often and learn from others mistakes. Teach those youngsters everything you can. They are golden.
My Dad is a pilot and his favourite saying was 'There are old pilots and there are bold pilots but there are no old bold pilots' I guess you already know that one
Perfect timing, new private pilot, trained on a 10,000' runway, going on a XC to a 2900' runway. I've been concerned leading up, flight planning. Perfect time to see this video thanks
Sight picture for a 2900' runway is very different than 10,000'. May I suggest asking your instructor to take you to a shorter runway for some familiarization to short runways before your XC solos. Will serve you well should you need to divert. Enjoy.
I am a student pilot, and I have watched hundreds of videos over the past year. This one, this one...I will go on record by saying, this one will be embedded in my mind every time that I do weight and balance and subsequently take off. The thoughts about safety versus ego, which we all have, will be ever instilled in my mind. Thank you for taking the time to make this very important video. JM
Saying no used to be hard for me a year ago but started practicing those 'no's and now is super easy and is gotten me out of trouble quite a few times, from drinking too much or spending to much or staying up too late.
I tried the whole time I was flying, I tried to be an absolute coward when it came to minimums and margins. I once took off before dawn out of KSDL to go to KPSP with my wife, kids, some bags, and a dog in a Turbo 182. I was less than a week from my IFR rating. As I was climbing out, I encountered a cloud in what was supposed to be a clear ceiling for another 3500 feet. I could not maintain VFR, and my relatively short flight loomed into possibly a very long drive. It took me a full half of a second to call the Phoenix approach and tell them I was turning back and canceling the flight because I couldn't maintain VFR. On the drive there, we went through some serious weather that was a few hours ahead of when it was forecast. I likely saved if not our lives, I saved us having to find someplace to put down and try to wait out the weather. Still one of my best no-go decisions.
I mean realistically if you were less than a week from your IFR rating, then I can't really see how this could possibly become a "life-saving" event. It's not like a few days later, after passing your checkride, your IFR flying abilities suddenly kick in from 0 to 1.
Besides the fact that it set a precedent in how I would continue to approach flying, the fact that there was some serious unexpected weather I could have ended up in, that's kind of my logic for saying it was a life-saving event. Could've been a couple of weeks before my IFR rating, too, it was quite a while ago, but I was basically some simulated IFR time away from my checkride.
I'm not a pilot and never will be, but I've been a teacher and I can tell if someone is a great instructor or not. This narrator is an excellent trainer! He handles redundancy very well. If something is important, it is worth repeating several times. Best derived from different angles. Excellent, thank you very much.
I've watched a bunch of accident videos, but this one really hit home. I don't know exactly what my minimum takeoff rpm should be. I'll be doing that right now. Thanks Jon, this one made a difference.
2+2 is what I call them. Sine me and everyone I know is over 200 lbs, there isn't even a +2 for me. I tell everyone to go on a diet so we can carry more fuel.
@@tlgibson97 lol good one. There was a 172 at my college that had a generic "please leave your shoes at the door" sign from someone's house on the door lol 😆
@@mitchthomson653 I disagree. It depends on the model, the runway surface, the wind, the temperature, the configuration, the fuel load and then say you can’t carry the four people. Your comment is why people crash.
Very well said, Jon. As a student pilot looking to Checkride at age 17 within the next month or two, w/x permitting, I have always looked up to people like you. You are truly making a great difference. This isn't the first time I have seen this video. You can really send a message, and I got it.
Tiras, Power (in this case RPM) is not checked at rotation. It is checked during run-up, and confirmed at the beginning of the takeoff roll. Performance throughout the takeoff must be monitored. On short runways, using the midpoint, or some other reference, to measure performance is a good practice. (After reading the NTSB Accident Docket, I have revised this reply.)
I even treat my 3/4 ton van the same way, it has seat belts for 4 adults, or two adults and three people under 100 lbs each. That's the limit no exceptions . You didn't mention calculating density altitude and how that affects both engine performance and Wing performance where I live a hot day in the mountains for many aircraft is an absolute no-go.
You should not be flying a plane if your don’t know your plane like the back of your hand. Don’t fly please. Save yourself and save others. You should know what rpms your engine is at just by sound and feel, you should know what rpm your plane should be at before you even enter the cockpit. Speed and rpm are completely different, if your making low rpm but high speed, abort because that speed will be lost and only reduce more and more the second you rotate. You need to be at a good balance of high enough rpm and air speed, always aim to be above your aircrafts minimum rpm for rotation. If your at peak minimum but still acceptable, then just know your rpms will drop by atleast 15-25% once you start fighting gravity ( rotate) All planes have different weight and different engines, know your engine, know your plane. Use common sense which you should’ve absorbed better in aerospace physics fundamentals, because these things are important. Good way to get good at knowing your plane, would be to buy a broken race car and try rebuild it, drive it for years, these things will help you understand how your engine responds in different situations(up hill, down hill, around bends) as this is the most practice way to learn these things if your not a very book and study enthused person. Speed is a stupid way to monitor your power.
I’m a student pilot and my CFI insists I watch at least 1 accident report a week. I hate this but I totally appreciate it! Unfortunately at someone else’s expense but we learn Thank you for your direct and seriousness on these matters Thumbs up!!
@@badgerfishinski6857 I’m not a pilot nor an investigator but I find reading crash reports fairly straightforward and fascinating. Just recently read the report on Sriwijaya Air 182
Thanks for keeping me thinking! As a newbie pilot with only 150 hrs, I can't help but think when will my time be up when I see pilots with thousands of hours bite the dust. It lingers in the back of my mind.
Using your logic, people with hundreds of thousands of walking hours get struck and killed by cars. Flying is safe. Keep your head. Keep learning. Have fun.
I honestly believe newer pilots are safer. One thing about pilots with thousands of hours is they start treating it like a car, and just hop in and go without thinking, sometimes without even using checklist and becoming complacent about flying in general. Flying is safe but always check your fuel, do a thorough run up, and set minimums., If you have a lot of weight and it’s a high density altitude day, do a thorough weight and balance and don’t take chances. If you do all of that it’s extremely safe. Almost every airplane accident is something that could have been prevented. Lack of fuel, poor judgment, complacency etc. Just do your checklist, make sure everything is working as it should and then have fun!
This is “AN ON-THE-MONEY” video. Uncomfortable to hear but what pilot hasn’t done/ said some of the ego-statements you mention. CAA and FAA should ensure every pilot watches this and is tested on the key points you make. This video is a ‘LIFE-SAVER” Thank you!1
Hi Jon, Great presentation and tips on how to succeed on short runways. I struggled to understand what happened there as I was a part owner of that aircraft up to shortly before the accident. Here are some added clarifications to round up your presentation: I have over a hundred hours in this Mooney M20K 231. It had a turbo normalized engine and delivered a lot of power, so was not underpowered in the least, well unless you came close to max weight. The pilot was the CFI to the 5 owners of this aircraft and he was very thorough and safety conscious, having given me great tips on flying that bird safely. Now, we never said much about the weaknesses of this aircraft, one of which, is weight traded for speed means bismal performance at or close to maximum weight. The home base was Paine Field in Everett WA where the Boeing 747, 777, 787 aircrafts are made so the runways are long to not have to care too much when you depart. One time, my wife wanted to make a cross-country flight to Utah and the plane was loaded at max weight. Much like Angus, I thought, ok, long runway, great engine, great climb (~1500fpm) so should be ok. As I was taking off, I realized that I was barely getting 100fpm climb. I considered aborting the take-off, but the PugetSound was next to the runway so I knew I would have time to circle up to pass the Cascade. The plane performance significantly improved as I burned my 19 gph of fuel. 50 lbs less increased climb rate to 500 fpm, and another 50 lbs more and I was climbing at 1000 fpm. That day was a momentuous lesson for me, and one that did not end like Angus'. I asked him if he was over the max weight, but he said no, but his group had brought some fish from their trip. For me, it had taken the better part of the 9010 foot main runway to get off the ground and gain 200-300 feet, and slowly climb. Normally, Angus takes his other, larger aircrafts when he goes fishing, but not sure why he picked the Mooney that time (Perhaps the C-340 or the KingAir-90 needed more runway than this strip provided.) In any case, in addition to all you said, I am going to review the weaknesses of the aircrafts I fly. While the Cessnas 152/`172/182 are great birds to fly, they tend to be more weight forgiving, I suspect by design, rather than being fast machine, and since many train in these machines, we tend to forget that the strengths of one aircraft does not necessarilly carry into another make and model. Experience in this case may be somewhat of a detriment, unless you understand its true context.
Coming at us with the dad voice. As a new pilot i didn't even think about rpms for take off. You really take thinfa we wonder why they are important and instill the worth of really actually knowing everything. Thank you for making me a better pilot every post.
My CFI hammered that if I'm not rotating with half the runway left, then I need to abort, and used to enforce that I call out the half way point (when I would already be in the air) each time as I took off. it's instinct now, (though I just do it in my head).
I recall you did a video some time ago talking about looking up the TCDS for a particular airplane. I looked up mine (a C-172M model) and learned that my static RPM was supposed to be between 2270 and 2370. Mine was low at around 2200 rpm. Mechanic and I looked at several things before I bought an optical tach and discovered the panel tachometer was around 70 to 150 rpm low, depending on the throttle setting. We replaced the tachometer. You are right that a good pilot has to know these numbers. I’ve got the 50% rule firmly in mind now as well! A great presentation on a sobering subject. Thank you.
When I was looking for a plane to buy, I took a test flight in a Cardinal RG in Arkansas (That I eventually bought). The pilot wasn't the owner (but also owned a Cardinal RG) as the owner had lost his medical and was selling the plane. Looking at the video LATER, we took off from a short grass strip, downwind, on a very hot day (about 95 degrees) and the engine only turning 2500 instead of the proper 2700 RPM. The engine and prop were new and the governor wasn't set properly! Looking at the video later I was really happy we made it! We cleared the trees by about 20 feet!!! The governor was reset and I eventually bought the plane and we flew home with no problems. But ever since, I check to make sure we make max power or NO-GO! Good video! Thank you.
I can wholeheartedly confirm that people will know and appreciate that you care for them and their safety. That also means that when you do get a chance to go flying with them, they'll trust your judgment and feel safer in your airplane. And that is a great compliment.
Great video. Your 50% rule makes more sense than the 50/70 rule. "Aviation demands humility" , "Aviation will uncover your weaknesses". Great quotes. I have to remember those! Thanks. Edit: I watched this video again 6 months later, and still impresses me. I think this is a gem.
The best video i have seen and learnt from since i started watching flying videos. The hardest truth about being a pilot is to know and accept the limitations of your airplane and firmly convey it to your passengers whoever they are. I always do this and have had to cancell some of flights and chose to drive. Thank you for this video ..I am now going to check my RPM on take off and decide an abort point everytime I fly.
I rarely comment on videos, however I have to applaud you fir creating such a needed video. Some very crucial facts and ideas we all need to be aware of. 👏
Great, yet sobering, video Jon. I think i've learned more about flying from Accident investigations and reports than I have from any flight lesson in particular---and that's no offense to CFI's! The part @14:00 is probably the most important in the video.
Mr. FLY8MA... a very personal comment: I had watched you a number of months ago when you converted back to a GA pilot. I didn't know then.... but know now: You are a tremendously insightful individual whose integrity oozes right thru the screen. Kudos to you, sir, on all fronts.
Thank you for pointing out the safety factors a lot of us off airport folks use that might not be obvious. Great video... great breakdown of die hard truths. The hardest thing we do as pilots is having to make the decision to say no or make changes to mitigate the risk.
"If you genuinely care about their safety - it will show"... What a deep meaning in these words. So true that our ego may run ahead of this, and so important message from you to always stay alert - am I here to impress or to ensure we all are coming back to our wifes and kids tonight. Thank, I can't say more how grateful I am for this message and reminder. Thank you.
Preach it brother! That’s good stuff right there. In my career, I have to make unpopular decisions all the time. It’s not fun but it’s what keeps the people I’m taking care of safe.
Jon, As a 52 year old pilot in training, I appreciate the video and the concept. I will always keep this in mind, as it has already started with my buddies planning trips with me doing the flying. I'm not afraid to say "NO". Thanks
This is a huge change in stance and tone from your Video talking about the Impossible being the Improbable. This mindset is the one that tells the experienced pilots to say that maneuver to turn back is the Impossible. They dont want people who haven't the experience to do it and die.
Last month, my CFI asked me, if he could bring two people from work to fly with us in a C172N. I can tell you, that is was really hard to say no, and to embarrass him. But I am very glad about my decision. With my weight of 260lbs a C172N with full fuel is a two seater. Even with 1 gallon of fuel and four people I would be out of the envelope. We have a runway length of nearly 5000ft and in the past I had an other flying teacher who told me, that with a runway like this, a little bit of overweight doesn't matter. Everybody need to make his own decisions, no matter how embarrassing this could be.
Just started watching your videos. I wanted to be a pilot when I was 10. Finally earned my license at 52. Bought a 1962 Piper Cherokee. Love everything about aviation. Was searching for a video on Cherokee CHT probe. Found your videos on tearing up a Cherokee. Initially was upset that you were tearing up that beautiful plane. But wow. I learned more about my plane in three of your videos than I have flying it for a year 😮 You have a gift of cutting to the chase. No bullshit. Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much. There were a number of things wrong with the plane 07W (my cherokee) for me to obviously make the call to produce that series on whats inside an airplane. I think they will help students and owners understand their plane more.
Absolutely outstanding video. Most other case accidents either drag on too long or talk about information that is kind of irrelevant, your video had me glued from start to finish with a lot of interesting points.
One of the best Aviation safety presentations I've seen!! Great job!!! Your focus on the human decision portion of this example are great. Telling people that maybe their personality would eliminate them from aviation was something I've longed to hear for years. Some people don't need to be flying. Note we don't know if this guy is one of those but the point comes up and it is THE single biggest factor in aviation safety - in my opinion. People are the limitation sadly. Some people aren't constitutionally suited for flying and you are to be commended for saying it out loud. Keep up the great work - and stop by when you're out this way.
Solid instruction Jon. This is what every low time pilot should hear, and also any mid or high time “experienced” who isn’t constantly striving to learn, and be pragmatic about flight.
I appreciate this analysis. I hope there’s more of these. I tell upcoming mechanics that there’s no room for ego in aviation. I hope that as an IA I can do exactly as you said, remember the basics and the limitations of the aircraft and myself. Thanks man.
That was one of the best set of questions asked about an accident I’be heard in while. Only by constantly asking questions can you ever start to mine your way down to the sources of an accident.
I’ve had to abort take off twice in a Cherokee bc the rpm was not where it should be on takeoff and wouldn’t pick up speed as normal. And it was night time. Come to find out the next day, 2/4 cylinders were done for..
Im not envolved with aviation at all, i war searching for aviation videos as reference for the game that im working on, But that video fit to my Life, specially in the actual situation that helps me to stop, take a breath and think about things that i had forgot for any reason, but until see this video im not realize how big influence this things makes on our lifes, Thanks for this video, great work, keep on!
As a student still beginning my pilot journey, this is sobering. It also affirms the need for a safety mindset above all. Thank you for the blunt honesty.
First of all I like to say I’m sorry for the families. I learn a lot from other peoples mistakes and that’s the way it should be. Thank you for sharing this with us and I hope we all can learn and not make this mistake. I like knowing a little bit more.
Jon, your video resonated with how am feeling/ happening to me now. I started flight training at ATP with their accelerated program. My first instructor with over 700hrs was overcontrolling everything and did not let me have a real control/ feeling for the airplane and he spent my hours before my TOL eval without ever showing me touch&go and go around maneuvers. I passed my eval and the evaluator had to show me and practice with him what the other did not. I changed instructor and this new one is simply amazing, he let me do things by myself and little by little I'm getting a hang for it but I still tend to chance the instruments to keep everything perfect which is not a good thing I think. My confidence is not up yet, and I need to slow things down because at times I feel I run thru the motions without thinking things thru. Sometimes I do things correctly and then like today I kinda took a few steps back. I don't know what is going on, I get nervous or anxious and things kinda start slipping off my mind. I wanna be a good pilot, but at times it feels so overwhelming with the workload. I have been honest with my instructor about my feelings, and he decided it is best not to fly until next week because I only have 4 more flights until my solo eval and solo. I and him undestood that it is important as you said, slow things down and not fall for external pressures until Ibuild my confidence back up with more studying and sim time. Thanks for letting me share my experience.
Jon?That was so Right On!!Private Pilot since 1974!You keep getting the word out on just what you said about the pressure we encounter with passengers and ego?I never fell in that trap.I have turned around,told friends the weather was not good in route!And I had a rule to never put 3 humans in my 172!Never!Stay with that message Jon well done!
Jon I really like the direction you have been going with your videos. Keep it up. I’m sending this to my son and all of his friends at OU Aviation. If you are every wondering why you left the Airlines these videos will save lives and you should be proud of your accomplishments.
Woodland State W27, terrible little airport for a gross weight Mooney. Happened just south of south of me, locals say they landed in the morning to go fishing and took off in the hot afternoon, glad to learn what actually happened. I just figured out how to use the land/takeoff estimator in ForeFlight.... excellent tool and necessary for my Mooney as we head to the high desert for a vacation. I was surprised when we did a new weight and balance for my plane, 75 lbs heavier than the 60 year old POH indicated.
This kind of content is awesome. I would love to see more analysis on crash or near-crashes (or pilot errors in general). There is a lot of learning to do from these mistakes.
John, nice video... 2 points to compliment your point; 1. Get-there-itis gets those who must get there! 2. The FAA says a pilot is bound by the regs set forth..... But, at the end of the day, when all else fails, your main job as the PIC is to "fly the plane" My Quote: "Regulations are written... So are Eulogies, Knowledge is gained from one, Complacency is the cause of the other; Wisdom is learning the right one first"
I'm not a pilot 'yet' but as a commercial driver (Roadtrains across Australia) I respect the facts and prechecks or I would not be doing what I do. Maybe I'm different but I thought this would be obvious but you make a very good point about trying to live up to expectations. Your absolutely rite 'Be Strong and Fly Safe.'
Excellent Video because that fence looked so low I couldn't believe they hit it, and secondly wouldn't have believed anyone got that hurt let alone killed! Peer Pressure and Ego is the take away. For all those that find the math of weight & balance annoying or inconvenient, well here you go!
This video reminded me how lucky I was, I learned to fly in a Benson gyrocopter in the late 60s before I could legally drive a car. I learned to feel and hear the aircraft early while I was young and it stayed with me all my life and in every aircraft I ever flew. EXCELLENT VIDEO
New to your channel. Thank you for speaking Hard Truth. No one should feel belittled or attacked by your clear analysis of these horrible mistakes, unless of course Their Ego won’t allow clear thinking about how they make decisions. Please do not stop your clear, respectful, and professional analysis!
I like that 50% of runway rule that is very good. I had an airspeed indicator fail a few times during flight training doing solos and I can tell you it’s always good to have some extra runway available to stop
I sometimes wonder if I have cancelled too many flights with friends over too trivial of reasons, but when I’m considering if I should cancel I remind myself that cancelling when things don’t look right is an important practice. I also know from experience that turning to your friend and announcing “we’re not flying home today” because a partial brake failure led to a prop strike and now it’s a 5 hour drive home if we can find a rental car really sucks. If being stuck at your home airport due to a maintenance issue sucks, it’s 10 times worse being stuck at your destination.
Truth, Straight Facts! I really appreciate the true value of this video these sort of videos just don't exist today but I needed to hear this. By making this video it helps to make aviation safer and helps our community grow. Thank you! I Read a quote that read: ''You Must Learn from the Mistakes of Others. You Will Never Live Long Enough to Make Them All Yourself" then I thought just don't make them if its preventable. A good instructor once told me it will happen to me but I'll be ready if it does because I'm expecting it.
Thanks Jon for the valuable and important lesson. I am only a 350 hr pilot. I do remember the 1/3 and 50% rule my CFI taught me. The airspeed has to be alive at 1/3 of the runway and airborne at or before 50% runway or abort. However, I don’t recite takeoff briefing in every flight when I fly in my home area port and fly the familiar C172 from my Club’s. I shall do the takeoff briefing in every flight even in my home base airport from now on and mentally going through the abort procedure or engine failure on takeoff procedure.
Great to hear u address “pilot-itus” at the start of the vid! ive listened to so many armchair or low time in-experienced pilots gloat or boast with swelled heads of the right thing .... Were human and not perfect, and alot of that is forgotten ,once we get that piece of paper license... Great video
This is a must watch video for anyone who wants to push themselves and their aircraft to the limit, and then what happens if you exceed them. Can I relate this none aircraft story but in a way, it is kind of related. I had a big car 2 litre 16 valve double over head cam multi-point fuel injection 180HP. I didn't do much passenger carrying, I was young, free and single. Overtaking? just squeeze the throttle an inch; instant on tap power. I had to be someplace one weekend but couldn't take my own car, a friend borrowed me his, saved me money hiring one, just paid for the petrol. This car was just a very ordinary 1.3 litre with average performance. I was driving along a single track road and a lorry was in front me doing about 50mph. I could see there was traffic coming in the opposite direction but it seemed oceans away, in my own car I could have been past the lorry and back in my lane before the oncoming traffic was anywhere near me so putting my foot down in the car to overtake, I was about half way past the lorry when I realised Christ, I'm not going to make this. I did the sensible thing, braked and tucked myself back behind the lorry. Had I been in a "just go for it" mood would I be alive to write this? possibly not. I'll end this as I started it. Know your own limitations, know your machines limitations and NEVER EVER TRY TO PROCEED BEYOND EITHER. I am almost 60 years old now, I got my PPL aged 26, I went on to get a VFR/IMC rating, and a twin rating too, but that incident in the car when I was only just out of my teen years I never forgot, and it's something that has held me in good stead, not just as a pilot, but a life lesson too. Happy new year everyone
Man you are so right...this is why we did any calculation before any flight just to make sure everything is going well if it not...we cant fly....also this is why we do the PRE-TAKE OFF briefing we say to ourselfs or to our FI what is the rotation speed when we should stop etc.....great video keep up the good work!
Jon, thank you bro! This was extremely helpful and I can’t thank you enough. We hear this through training and flying with different instructors but this was conveyed so perfectly as well the comments and story below in England. Thank you all!
I'm not a pilot. But seriously thinking about becoming one. I'm viewing everything I can on flying. Learning. Gaining knowledge. This video was great. Scary. But great. Keep it coming.
Good conversation... I’m pretty rigid on my go/no-go decisions and if I have someone who is adamant about going it’s still not going to move me... if anything it’s an opportunity to sit down with the person placing those demands on you and lay out why you are unable to go and why.
I saw this video at a perfect time. I've been thinking about this scenario for a while and was going with timing my acceleration using a dragy but your method is much better/simpler. Although I still may use the dragy to see if it could detect issues before they arise. One thing I will add is you should always have in mind a minimum runway length that you'll land at. For me it's 3,000 feet. I think having that as part of your personal minimums prevents issues like this and also works perfectly with your 1/2 runway rule
Thanks for doing this video Jon. And thank you for reminding all of us that we shouldn’t Monday morning quarterback a fellow pilot, but, use this to learn.
That's a great point. I was wondering why so many crashes these day's. I'm not a pilot but i love flying & eventually get my ppl. Great job!!! Keep it up.
Jon, as I was flying down south from NY. I was diverted off my flight path (un planned) so I decided to land at W75 (Hummel) to gas up. It's the first time I had a no kidding short field takeoff, but I forgot to treat it as such, so I'm the only one in my Cessna 150L and I back taxied for takeoff, but I failed to put in some flaps, I can't remember the density altitude that day, but I remember vividly I got airborne, but had to guide my self in between the trees at the end of the runway. Needless to say, the sphincter was puckering. I love your channel, keep up the good work.
Great words, keep up the great work! I pray that all pilots think this way as it's our duty and it's what we are trained to do, regardless of your certificates, or hours, or jobs, etc. I look at my family every time I or we fly and realize they are looking right back at me to do everything I can to make sure we get to our destination in the same way that we left. I was once told, if you aren't nervous on every flight, you're too comfortable; it stuck with me and I think is a great motto to fly by. Stay ahead of that airplane, always
It is also important to know where that 50% point is at on the runway you are attempting the takeoff. If you are guessing, you are probably going to guess wrong. Identify that point, and stick to it. Something tells me that since there was a video rolling that someone had an idea that this was not going to be a normal takeoff. Great content Jon, Thank you.
When in 1994 I was Solo trainning in Tamiami had to abort 3 take off and the problem was the RPM was not 2700 on C172M. Read on rolling 2000RPM finally the traffic controllers told me it wasnt my Day to fly. This words made me realized I was wrong and Thanks. Blessed her she may had save my life. I was young and didnt realized the risk I was taking. Thanks for this video.
This is almost identical to what happened to myself and two of my friends. Only difference is we were airborne. I was the backseat passenger, and the two up front were killed. Weight and balance is serious stuff. Aircraft performance is serious stuff. Now that I’m a student pilot myself, that experience has made me way more conservative. I will not fly if something feels off. Hell recently I even did a short field take off in a Piper warrior on a 5000 foot runway with just myself and my CFI. Didn’t care about what anyone thought, it’s what I felt was safest. So I did it.
Ex flying instructor here. Getting that call from FAGM tower "MIKE OSCAR CHARLIE, CONFIRM OPS NORMAL?". Descending geography saved four people. Was seen to descend below the horizon. My reply was a few octaves above normal comms. Flying school airplanes do not perform as per the graphs. Thank you for your channel.
Excellent vid. Very effective break down of the process that resulted in the crash. The two big things: know your plane and be flying by 50% runway or shut it down. Straightforward, important and easy advice to remember. Thanks.
Jon, thank you for your effort in bringing this case to us. Please, do more. It sad to say, but 1 negative case teaches more than 10 positive. We don't deal with such material during PPL or other types of licenses. We only have regulations and books which is actually enough but they don't represent us what will be with us if we don't follow those dry rules.
I learned to fly at an airport with a tiny runway (2100 feet). The school's rules were that you must confirm static RPM (2300 RPM) at the beginning of the takeoff roll and reject if you weren't in the air by the 1000 foot marker. Now that I own and fly my own plane I apply similar rules. I also fly as a two-seater: the back seat is for charts and stuff, not for people. She wasn't over-powered to begin with, and 2020 people weigh more than 1963 people did. My maximum takeoff weight is significantly less than what the Beechcraft POH says.
Thank you for giving this message to stick to the rules and limits you set for yourself as pilot in command. When I become a pilot I hope I always remember this.
I am not a pilot, but you did nail it , people can be somewhat pressured, so not to disappoint, bad decisions are made and poor or tragic results then follow. Great training VID!! Also, I just noticed the thumbs down on this video, I can only imagine these are the ego driven, weak minded people, the "no it all's" .. we all try to avoid, especially in piloting.
So I just took the advice of this video. Not once but twice. Not even with a takeoff. I left it in the hanger because it didn’t feel right. And I’ve just been attacked by a licensed pilot he’s told me that my dad needs to get more training and I’m not even a pilot. So yeah you do need a thick skin to survive in aviation no matter what type of pilot you are. I am an unlicensed pilot of course due to my blindness. But I still took the advice of you, John. And it was the correct advice. And I’ve just been attacked by a licensed pilot for doing the right thing. So yeah, it is hard. But it’s always best to do the right thing When these things come up.
Hi Jon, I had a very, very similar experience when I was asked to take my boss and one of his friends from the East of England to SCotland to go on a shooting trip.All 3 of us were big guys, and I knew weight would be an issue. I duly and correctly did the weight calculations and even left fuel tanks empty that I knew we didn’t need. The airfield I was operating out of was a grass strip. On the day there had been light rain so the ground was soft. The wind direction which was light dictated using a slight uphill takeoff. I had stressed to my passengers that weight was critical so not to bring anything unnecessary. When we loaded the aircraft guns and a load of cartridges came on board (effectively lead ballast) along with all of the shooting paraphernalia (at on point I was expecting a black Labrador to appear). At this stage I was really worried but said nothing due to peer pressure. When we were ready I did my engine checks which were all fine and got ready for the take off roll. My heart was in my mouth, but still I said nothing. I applied full power and thought the brakes were on. Slowly the aircraft rolled and gathered momentum, but not as fast as wanted. I still said nothing and I could hear my heart in my headphones. Bit by bit we gathered speed and I feared something very bad was about to happen. Sill I was too worried to let my boss and his friend down so carried on. We reached nearly the end of the runway with just enough airspeed to get airborne and I gently eased the stick back enough to get us enough height to clear a hedge at the end of the runway, with the stall warner sounding in my head set. At this point I maintained altitude at around twenty feet to gain airspeed before altitude (it is all flat farmland), feeling as though I was about to be sick with what had just happened. Fortunately we made it, but it remains to this day the most utterly idiotic thing I have ever done. This video sums all of this up so very well, and I just wish I had seen it 10 years ago!
Wow. Thanks for sharing that.
You are a humble man to share this! People that is willing to share will save lives! Blessings to you
Thanks for sharing. I’m glad it turned out ok for you and you learned a valuable lesson at the same time.
I think we have all had an event like that. Thanks for sharing yours. But you lived to learn from that experience.
read it again - flying out of E of England (flat, but uphill). Cool story. Did you have to fly back the dead stags? :(
Never thought about what my RPM on takeoff should be. Now I'll never forget. Thank you, Jon. What an asset to aviation you truly are.
I just noticed it is on a cessna checklist. But it says "in the green", not sure that is sufficient especially fully loaded.
I always think about the RPM, I have never actually thought about the minimum RPM required. Good stuff Jon
Im on this boat with you
Shouldn't it just be whatever RPM is at full power? Unless you have a more complicated engine ? Thats what my CFI taught me but I have my doubts haha
@@lemonator8813 well this is a good question. I was taught that each aircraft as a desired take off RPM. Archer or worries 2300-2350, 172 same. duchess is higher. What I never thought of is what are acceptable minimum RPMs.
I always go over my "Abort Plan" before every flight. "If (any issue) before Rotation: Back to idle and apply brakes. If (any issue) after rotation and < 500 ft....." and I am sure a lot of pilots do the same. But from now on I will make sure to add "If not at rotation speed at 50% of the runway: Back to idle and apply brakes.". Thanks Jon. I learned something knew today.
If you are in a tailwheel better wait a bit and make sure the tail is down, the stick back and then the brakes lightly.
I'll keep that in mind when I fly first :)
You don't need to be at rotation speed when half way down the runway.....but at 71% rotation speed. Get Sparky Imeson's MOUNTAIN FLYING BIBLE and read up.
I do this in my car. There's a road I don't drive very often. Lots of traffic. 55 mph speed limit. Over the course of a few miles there are three traffic lights.
The problem is, you can see the light is green, at any point it can turn orange and then red. How close do you have to be to stop your car at the light when it blinks green (before orange)?
I always make a conscious decision when approaching the lights. At this certain distance, once I pass that point, I will not stop and hesitate. No hard breaking.
It is a similar problem and I hate it. You need a solid plan and once a criterion is met. Go for it. No change of strategy after a certain point.
As an old pilot with close to 15,000 hours and heart Afib now I like what your attempting to get across. Pilots never know it all and learn from every accident that happens. Review accidents often and learn from others mistakes. Teach those youngsters everything you can. They are golden.
My Dad is a pilot and his favourite saying was 'There are old pilots and there are bold pilots but there are no old bold pilots' I guess you already know that one
Mr bragger 🙄🙄
"Aviation demands humility". Thank you, John, for your words of wisdom.
Life demands it as well.
It sure does!Well said!!PP since 1974
Perfect timing, new private pilot, trained on a 10,000' runway, going on a XC to a 2900' runway. I've been concerned leading up, flight planning. Perfect time to see this video thanks
Good luck on your XC. Remember to lean on the way up and enrich the mixture on the way down. I learned that the hard way many years ago.
Sight picture for a 2900' runway is very different than 10,000'. May I suggest asking your instructor to take you to a shorter runway for some familiarization to short runways before your XC solos. Will serve you well should you need to divert. Enjoy.
A terrible and sad incident presented in a balanced way with a great message.
That’s why I love this channel.
Thanks Jon!
I am a student pilot, and I have watched hundreds of videos over the past year. This one, this one...I will go on record by saying, this one will be embedded in my mind every time that I do weight and balance and subsequently take off. The thoughts about safety versus ego, which we all have, will be ever instilled in my mind. Thank you for taking the time to make this very important video. JM
Blunt hard feedback for all pilots. We need to be disciplined and continue to learn. Harsh, Sad video, but very very good.
This video proves the old adage...."The only thing more abundant in the universe than hydrogen is stupidity."
Saying no used to be hard for me a year ago but started practicing those 'no's and now is super easy and is gotten me out of trouble quite a few times, from drinking too much or spending to much or staying up too late.
I tried the whole time I was flying, I tried to be an absolute coward when it came to minimums and margins. I once took off before dawn out of KSDL to go to KPSP with my wife, kids, some bags, and a dog in a Turbo 182. I was less than a week from my IFR rating. As I was climbing out, I encountered a cloud in what was supposed to be a clear ceiling for another 3500 feet. I could not maintain VFR, and my relatively short flight loomed into possibly a very long drive. It took me a full half of a second to call the Phoenix approach and tell them I was turning back and canceling the flight because I couldn't maintain VFR. On the drive there, we went through some serious weather that was a few hours ahead of when it was forecast. I likely saved if not our lives, I saved us having to find someplace to put down and try to wait out the weather. Still one of my best no-go decisions.
I mean realistically if you were less than a week from your IFR rating, then I can't really see how this could possibly become a "life-saving" event. It's not like a few days later, after passing your checkride, your IFR flying abilities suddenly kick in from 0 to 1.
Besides the fact that it set a precedent in how I would continue to approach flying, the fact that there was some serious unexpected weather I could have ended up in, that's kind of my logic for saying it was a life-saving event. Could've been a couple of weeks before my IFR rating, too, it was quite a while ago, but I was basically some simulated IFR time away from my checkride.
I'm not a pilot and never will be, but I've been a teacher and I can tell if someone is a great instructor or not. This narrator is an excellent trainer! He handles redundancy very well. If something is important, it is worth repeating several times. Best derived from different angles. Excellent, thank you very much.
Thank you for sharing your feedback! We appreciate it.
I've watched a bunch of accident videos, but this one really hit home. I don't know exactly what my minimum takeoff rpm should be. I'll be doing that right now. Thanks Jon, this one made a difference.
Great reminders. It IS hard to convince people that I can't carry 4 people in my 172,
even though it has 4 seats, unless I only have 1 hour of fuel.
The 172 really is not a 4 person aircraft
172 is only a 4 person aircraft as long as 2 of them are under the age of 10.
2+2 is what I call them. Sine me and everyone I know is over 200 lbs, there isn't even a +2 for me. I tell everyone to go on a diet so we can carry more fuel.
@@tlgibson97 lol good one. There was a 172 at my college that had a generic "please leave your shoes at the door" sign from someone's house on the door lol 😆
@@mitchthomson653 I disagree. It depends on the model, the runway surface, the wind, the temperature, the configuration, the fuel load and then say you can’t carry the four people. Your comment is why people crash.
Very well said, Jon. As a student pilot looking to Checkride at age 17 within the next month or two, w/x permitting, I have always looked up to people like you. You are truly making a great difference. This isn't the first time I have seen this video. You can really send a message, and I got it.
Thank you and Best of wishes on your checkride!
Have u taken it?
These are hard truths to hear. Thanks Jon, I'm I'm going to see what RPM I'm supposed have in my plane at rotation.
Tiras, Power (in this case RPM) is not checked at rotation. It is checked during run-up, and confirmed at the beginning of the takeoff roll. Performance throughout the takeoff must be monitored. On short runways, using the midpoint, or some other reference, to measure performance is a good practice.
(After reading the NTSB Accident Docket, I have revised this reply.)
if you aren't making the rpm at runup you don't even enter the runway.
@@Turk10mm
Have not seen a POH that calls for max rpm at run up, but it should be checked on initial roll
I even treat my 3/4 ton van the same way, it has seat belts for 4 adults, or two adults and three people under 100 lbs each. That's the limit no exceptions . You didn't mention calculating density altitude and how that affects both engine performance and Wing performance where I live a hot day in the mountains for many aircraft is an absolute no-go.
You should not be flying a plane if your don’t know your plane like the back of your hand. Don’t fly please. Save yourself and save others.
You should know what rpms your engine is at just by sound and feel, you should know what rpm your plane should be at before you even enter the cockpit.
Speed and rpm are completely different, if your making low rpm but high speed, abort because that speed will be lost and only reduce more and more the second you rotate.
You need to be at a good balance of high enough rpm and air speed, always aim to be above your aircrafts minimum rpm for rotation.
If your at peak minimum but still acceptable, then just know your rpms will drop by atleast 15-25% once you start fighting gravity ( rotate)
All planes have different weight and different engines, know your engine, know your plane. Use common sense which you should’ve absorbed better in aerospace physics fundamentals, because these things are important.
Good way to get good at knowing your plane, would be to buy a broken race car and try rebuild it, drive it for years, these things will help you understand how your engine responds in different situations(up hill, down hill, around bends) as this is the most practice way to learn these things if your not a very book and study enthused person.
Speed is a stupid way to monitor your power.
One of the best GA safety videos I have ever seen, well done.
I’m a student pilot and my CFI insists I watch at least 1 accident report a week. I hate this but I totally appreciate it! Unfortunately at someone else’s expense but we learn
Thank you for your direct and seriousness on these matters
Thumbs up!!
I am a CFII MEII. I frequently read accident reports. Something every pilot should do regardless of hours. Keep up ur good attitude!
@@badgerfishinski6857
I’m not a pilot nor an investigator but I find reading crash reports fairly straightforward and fascinating. Just recently read the report on Sriwijaya Air 182
Thanks for keeping me thinking! As a newbie pilot with only 150 hrs, I can't help but think when will my time be up when I see pilots with thousands of hours bite the dust. It lingers in the back of my mind.
nah man u can always learn from others mistakes ... keep it up!
Using your logic, people with hundreds of thousands of walking hours get struck and killed by cars. Flying is safe. Keep your head. Keep learning. Have fun.
I honestly believe newer pilots are safer. One thing about pilots with thousands of hours is they start treating it like a car, and just hop in and go without thinking, sometimes without even using checklist and becoming complacent about flying in general.
Flying is safe but always check your fuel, do a thorough run up, and set minimums., If you have a lot of weight and it’s a high density altitude day, do a thorough weight and balance and don’t take chances. If you do all of that it’s extremely safe. Almost every airplane accident is something that could have been prevented. Lack of fuel, poor judgment, complacency etc.
Just do your checklist, make sure everything is working as it should and then have fun!
This is “AN ON-THE-MONEY” video. Uncomfortable to hear but what pilot hasn’t done/ said some of the ego-statements you mention. CAA and FAA should ensure every pilot watches this and is tested on the key points you make.
This video is a ‘LIFE-SAVER” Thank you!1
As a student pilot, I have not really put much thought into this stuff before. Definitely learned something from this video! Thanks!
Hi Jon, Great presentation and tips on how to succeed on short runways. I struggled to understand what happened there as I was a part owner of that aircraft up to shortly before the accident. Here are some added clarifications to round up your presentation: I have over a hundred hours in this Mooney M20K 231. It had a turbo normalized engine and delivered a lot of power, so was not underpowered in the least, well unless you came close to max weight. The pilot was the CFI to the 5 owners of this aircraft and he was very thorough and safety conscious, having given me great tips on flying that bird safely. Now, we never said much about the weaknesses of this aircraft, one of which, is weight traded for speed means bismal performance at or close to maximum weight. The home base was Paine Field in Everett WA where the Boeing 747, 777, 787 aircrafts are made so the runways are long to not have to care too much when you depart. One time, my wife wanted to make a cross-country flight to Utah and the plane was loaded at max weight. Much like Angus, I thought, ok, long runway, great engine, great climb (~1500fpm) so should be ok. As I was taking off, I realized that I was barely getting 100fpm climb. I considered aborting the take-off, but the PugetSound was next to the runway so I knew I would have time to circle up to pass the Cascade. The plane performance significantly improved as I burned my 19 gph of fuel. 50 lbs less increased climb rate to 500 fpm, and another 50 lbs more and I was climbing at 1000 fpm. That day was a momentuous lesson for me, and one that did not end like Angus'. I asked him if he was over the max weight, but he said no, but his group had brought some fish from their trip. For me, it had taken the better part of the 9010 foot main runway to get off the ground and gain 200-300 feet, and slowly climb. Normally, Angus takes his other, larger aircrafts when he goes fishing, but not sure why he picked the Mooney that time (Perhaps the C-340 or the KingAir-90 needed more runway than this strip provided.) In any case, in addition to all you said, I am going to review the weaknesses of the aircrafts I fly. While the Cessnas 152/`172/182 are great birds to fly, they tend to be more weight forgiving, I suspect by design, rather than being fast machine, and since many train in these machines, we tend to forget that the strengths of one aircraft does not necessarilly carry into another make and model. Experience in this case may be somewhat of a detriment, unless you understand its true context.
Coming at us with the dad voice. As a new pilot i didn't even think about rpms for take off. You really take thinfa we wonder why they are important and instill the worth of really actually knowing everything. Thank you for making me a better pilot every post.
My CFI hammered that if I'm not rotating with half the runway left, then I need to abort, and used to enforce that I call out the half way point (when I would already be in the air) each time as I took off. it's instinct now, (though I just do it in my head).
I recall you did a video some time ago talking about looking up the TCDS for a particular airplane. I looked up mine (a C-172M model) and learned that my static RPM was supposed to be between 2270 and 2370. Mine was low at around 2200 rpm. Mechanic and I looked at several things before I bought an optical tach and discovered the panel tachometer was around 70 to 150 rpm low, depending on the throttle setting. We replaced the tachometer. You are right that a good pilot has to know these numbers. I’ve got the 50% rule firmly in mind now as well! A great presentation on a sobering subject. Thank you.
When I was looking for a plane to buy, I took a test flight in a Cardinal RG in Arkansas (That I eventually bought). The pilot wasn't the owner (but also owned a Cardinal RG) as the owner had lost his medical and was selling the plane. Looking at the video LATER, we took off from a short grass strip, downwind, on a very hot day (about 95 degrees) and the engine only turning 2500 instead of the proper 2700 RPM. The engine and prop were new and the governor wasn't set properly! Looking at the video later I was really happy we made it! We cleared the trees by about 20 feet!!! The governor was reset and I eventually bought the plane and we flew home with no problems. But ever since, I check to make sure we make max power or NO-GO! Good video! Thank you.
I can wholeheartedly confirm that people will know and appreciate that you care for them and their safety. That also means that when you do get a chance to go flying with them, they'll trust your judgment and feel safer in your airplane. And that is a great compliment.
Great video. Your 50% rule makes more sense than the 50/70 rule. "Aviation demands humility" , "Aviation will uncover your weaknesses". Great quotes. I have to remember those! Thanks. Edit: I watched this video again 6 months later, and still impresses me. I think this is a gem.
they are not your real friends if you would lose them over cancelled flight
Agreed; those are the kinds of friends we need to distance ourselves from if possible
I'd rather have a hundred cancelled flights to one cross your fingers marginal trip attempt.
Some of my imaginary friends are real people…
The best video i have seen and learnt from since i started watching flying videos. The hardest truth about being a pilot is to know and accept the limitations of your airplane and firmly convey it to your passengers whoever they are. I always do this and have had to cancell some of flights and chose to drive.
Thank you for this video ..I am now going to check my RPM on take off and decide an abort point everytime I fly.
I rarely comment on videos, however I have to applaud you fir creating such a needed video. Some very crucial facts and ideas we all need to be aware of. 👏
Great, yet sobering, video Jon. I think i've learned more about flying from Accident investigations and reports than I have from any flight lesson in particular---and that's no offense to CFI's! The part @14:00 is probably the most important in the video.
Who the hell disliked this video? Very informative and professional, thank you, Jon!
I tell everybody I know that Jon is a natural born teacher and one of the best flight instructors ever. So glad the airline thing didn't work out 😎
Bingo! He's found his niche. So glad we share the same state!
Mr. FLY8MA... a very personal comment: I had watched you a number of months ago when you converted back to a GA pilot. I didn't know then.... but know now: You are a tremendously insightful individual whose integrity oozes right thru the screen. Kudos to you, sir, on all fronts.
Thank you for pointing out the safety factors a lot of us off airport folks use that might not be obvious. Great video... great breakdown of die hard truths. The hardest thing we do as pilots is having to make the decision to say no or make changes to mitigate the risk.
"If you genuinely care about their safety - it will show"... What a deep meaning in these words. So true that our ego may run ahead of this, and so important message from you to always stay alert - am I here to impress or to ensure we all are coming back to our wifes and kids tonight. Thank, I can't say more how grateful I am for this message and reminder. Thank you.
Preach it brother! That’s good stuff right there.
In my career, I have to make unpopular decisions all the time. It’s not fun but it’s what keeps the people I’m taking care of safe.
Jon,
As a 52 year old pilot in training, I appreciate the video and the concept. I will always keep this in mind, as it has already started with my buddies planning trips with me doing the flying. I'm not afraid to say "NO". Thanks
This is a huge change in stance and tone from your Video talking about the Impossible being the Improbable. This mindset is the one that tells the experienced pilots to say that maneuver to turn back is the Impossible. They dont want people who haven't the experience to do it and die.
Last month, my CFI asked me, if he could bring two people from work to fly with us in a C172N. I can tell you, that is was really hard to say no, and to embarrass him. But I am very glad about my decision. With my weight of 260lbs a C172N with full fuel is a two seater. Even with 1 gallon of fuel and four people I would be out of the envelope.
We have a runway length of nearly 5000ft and in the past I had an other flying teacher who told me, that with a runway like this, a little bit of overweight doesn't matter.
Everybody need to make his own decisions, no matter how embarrassing this could be.
Curious how CFI responded
Just started watching your videos. I wanted to be a pilot when I was 10. Finally earned my license at 52. Bought a 1962 Piper Cherokee. Love everything about aviation. Was searching for a video on Cherokee CHT probe. Found your videos on tearing up a Cherokee. Initially was upset that you were tearing up that beautiful plane. But wow. I learned more about my plane in three of your videos than I have flying it for a year 😮 You have a gift of cutting to the chase. No bullshit. Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much. There were a number of things wrong with the plane 07W (my cherokee) for me to obviously make the call to produce that series on whats inside an airplane. I think they will help students and owners understand their plane more.
Absolutely outstanding video. Most other case accidents either drag on too long or talk about information that is kind of irrelevant, your video had me glued from start to finish with a lot of interesting points.
One of the best Aviation safety presentations I've seen!! Great job!!!
Your focus on the human decision portion of this example are great. Telling people that maybe their personality would eliminate them from aviation was something I've longed to hear for years. Some people don't need to be flying. Note we don't know if this guy is one of those but the point comes up and it is THE single biggest factor in aviation safety - in my opinion. People are the limitation sadly. Some people aren't constitutionally suited for flying and you are to be commended for saying it out loud. Keep up the great work - and stop by when you're out this way.
Solid instruction Jon. This is what every low time pilot should hear, and also any mid or high time “experienced” who isn’t constantly striving to learn, and be pragmatic about flight.
I appreciate this analysis. I hope there’s more of these. I tell upcoming mechanics that there’s no room for ego in aviation. I hope that as an IA I can do exactly as you said, remember the basics and the limitations of the aircraft and myself. Thanks man.
That was one of the best set of questions asked about an accident I’be heard in while. Only by constantly asking questions can you ever start to mine your way down to the sources of an accident.
I’ve had to abort take off twice in a Cherokee bc the rpm was not where it should be on takeoff and wouldn’t pick up speed as normal. And it was night time. Come to find out the next day, 2/4 cylinders were done for..
I really like your no BS approach to teaching.
At 6:16 I see my plane parked at Seldovia, AK during the STOL competition. Very good analysis of all the factors.
Im not envolved with aviation at all, i war searching for aviation videos as reference for the game that im working on,
But that video fit to my Life, specially in the actual situation that helps me to stop, take a breath and think about things that i had forgot for any reason, but until see this video im not realize how big influence this things makes on our lifes,
Thanks for this video, great work, keep on!
As a student still beginning my pilot journey, this is sobering. It also affirms the need for a safety mindset above all. Thank you for the blunt honesty.
First of all I like to say I’m sorry for the families. I learn a lot from other peoples mistakes and that’s the way it should be. Thank you for sharing this with us and I hope we all can learn and not make this mistake. I like knowing a little bit more.
Love this content as well. We need more of this stuff for GA-specific flying! Keep it coming!
Jon, your video resonated with how am feeling/ happening to me now. I started flight training at ATP with their accelerated program. My first instructor with over 700hrs was overcontrolling everything and did not let me have a real control/ feeling for the airplane and he spent my hours before my TOL eval without ever showing me touch&go and go around maneuvers. I passed my eval and the evaluator had to show me and practice with him what the other did not. I changed instructor and this new one is simply amazing, he let me do things by myself and little by little I'm getting a hang for it but I still tend to chance the instruments to keep everything perfect which is not a good thing I think. My confidence is not up yet, and I need to slow things down because at times I feel I run thru the motions without thinking things thru. Sometimes I do things correctly and then like today I kinda took a few steps back. I don't know what is going on, I get nervous or anxious and things kinda start slipping off my mind. I wanna be a good pilot, but at times it feels so overwhelming with the workload. I have been honest with my instructor about my feelings, and he decided it is best not to fly until next week because I only have 4 more flights until my solo eval and solo. I and him undestood that it is important as you said, slow things down and not fall for external pressures until Ibuild my confidence back up with more studying and sim time. Thanks for letting me share my experience.
Jon?That was so Right On!!Private Pilot since 1974!You keep getting the word out on just what you said about the pressure we encounter with passengers and ego?I never fell in that trap.I have turned around,told friends the weather was not good in route!And I had a rule to never put 3 humans in my 172!Never!Stay with that message Jon well done!
Thank you! This information is for new and old pilots alike. We all have something to learn from these incidents.
Jon I really like the direction you have been going with your videos. Keep it up. I’m sending this to my son and all of his friends at OU Aviation. If you are every wondering why you left the Airlines these videos will save lives and you should be proud of your accomplishments.
Woodland State W27, terrible little airport for a gross weight Mooney. Happened just south of south of me, locals say they landed in the morning to go fishing and took off in the hot afternoon, glad to learn what actually happened. I just figured out how to use the land/takeoff estimator in ForeFlight.... excellent tool and necessary for my Mooney as we head to the high desert for a vacation. I was surprised when we did a new weight and balance for my plane, 75 lbs heavier than the 60 year old POH indicated.
This kind of content is awesome. I would love to see more analysis on crash or near-crashes (or pilot errors in general). There is a lot of learning to do from these mistakes.
The Air Safety Institute RUclips channel from AOPA has a lot of informative ones. Sadly, a lot of them are about people who didn't make it.
Agree with others. Air Safety Institute is a must. Great video.
" learn from others mistakes, you cant afford to make them all." Really applies to aviation. It only takes 1
John, nice video...
2 points to compliment your point;
1. Get-there-itis gets those who must get there!
2. The FAA says a pilot is bound by the regs set forth..... But, at the end of the day, when all else fails, your main job as the PIC is to "fly the plane"
My Quote:
"Regulations are written... So are Eulogies,
Knowledge is gained from one, Complacency is the cause of the other; Wisdom is learning the right one first"
This is probably the best video you have produced. I hope it gets a lot of views!
I'm not a pilot 'yet' but as a commercial driver (Roadtrains across Australia) I respect the facts and prechecks or I would not be doing what I do. Maybe I'm different but I thought this would be obvious but you make a very good point about trying to live up to expectations. Your absolutely rite 'Be Strong and Fly Safe.'
Excellent Video because that fence looked so low I couldn't believe they hit it, and secondly wouldn't have believed anyone got that hurt let alone killed! Peer Pressure and Ego is the take away. For all those that find the math of weight & balance annoying or inconvenient, well here you go!
This video reminded me how lucky I was, I learned to fly in a Benson gyrocopter in the late 60s before I could legally drive a car. I learned to feel and hear the aircraft early while I was young and it stayed with me all my life and in every aircraft I ever flew.
EXCELLENT VIDEO
New to your channel. Thank you for speaking Hard Truth. No one should feel belittled or attacked by your clear analysis of these horrible mistakes, unless of course Their Ego won’t allow clear thinking about how they make decisions. Please do not stop your clear, respectful, and professional analysis!
Such a good video. After two weeks of considering becoming a pilot and watching 100/“s of aviations videos. This is the true mindset of a pilot.
I like that 50% of runway rule that is very good. I had an airspeed indicator fail a few times during flight training doing solos and I can tell you it’s always good to have some extra runway available to stop
YES YES YES AND YES!!!!!! This 50% rule saved my ass on many occasions, thanks John.
As a new student pilot, I really appreciate your advice here. Thanks, brother!
I sometimes wonder if I have cancelled too many flights with friends over too trivial of reasons, but when I’m considering if I should cancel I remind myself that cancelling when things don’t look right is an important practice. I also know from experience that turning to your friend and announcing “we’re not flying home today” because a partial brake failure led to a prop strike and now it’s a 5 hour drive home if we can find a rental car really sucks. If being stuck at your home airport due to a maintenance issue sucks, it’s 10 times worse being stuck at your destination.
Truth, Straight Facts! I really appreciate the true value of this video these sort of videos just don't exist today but I needed to hear this. By making this video it helps to make aviation safer and helps our community grow. Thank you! I Read a quote that read: ''You Must Learn from the Mistakes of Others. You Will Never Live Long Enough to Make Them All Yourself" then I thought just don't make them if its preventable. A good instructor once told me it will happen to me but I'll be ready if it does because I'm expecting it.
Thanks Jon for the valuable and important lesson. I am only a 350 hr pilot. I do remember the 1/3 and 50% rule my CFI taught me. The airspeed has to be alive at 1/3 of the runway and airborne at or before 50% runway or abort. However, I don’t recite takeoff briefing in every flight when I fly in my home area port and fly the familiar C172 from my Club’s. I shall do the takeoff briefing in every flight even in my home base airport from now on and mentally going through the abort procedure or engine failure on takeoff procedure.
What a breath of fresh air in the world of RUclips aviation videos. Lots of wisdom. Thank you!
Great to hear u address “pilot-itus” at the start of the vid!
ive listened to so many armchair or low time in-experienced pilots gloat or boast with swelled heads of the right thing ....
Were human and not perfect, and alot of that is forgotten ,once we get that piece of paper license...
Great video
A video that pilots should watch at least once every year! Thanks Jon! An excellent word!
Glad you liked it!
This is a must watch video for anyone who wants to push themselves and their aircraft to the limit, and then what happens if you exceed them. Can I relate this none aircraft story but in a way, it is kind of related. I had a big car 2 litre 16 valve double over head cam multi-point fuel injection 180HP. I didn't do much passenger carrying, I was young, free and single. Overtaking? just squeeze the throttle an inch; instant on tap power. I had to be someplace one weekend but couldn't take my own car, a friend borrowed me his, saved me money hiring one, just paid for the petrol. This car was just a very ordinary 1.3 litre with average performance. I was driving along a single track road and a lorry was in front me doing about 50mph. I could see there was traffic coming in the opposite direction but it seemed oceans away, in my own car I could have been past the lorry and back in my lane before the oncoming traffic was anywhere near me so putting my foot down in the car to overtake, I was about half way past the lorry when I realised Christ, I'm not going to make this. I did the sensible thing, braked and tucked myself back behind the lorry. Had I been in a "just go for it" mood would I be alive to write this? possibly not. I'll end this as I started it. Know your own limitations, know your machines limitations and NEVER EVER TRY TO PROCEED BEYOND EITHER. I am almost 60 years old now, I got my PPL aged 26, I went on to get a VFR/IMC rating, and a twin rating too, but that incident in the car when I was only just out of my teen years I never forgot, and it's something that has held me in good stead, not just as a pilot, but a life lesson too. Happy new year everyone
Man you are so right...this is why we did any calculation before any flight just to make sure everything is going well if it not...we cant fly....also this is why we do the PRE-TAKE OFF briefing we say to ourselfs or to our FI what is the rotation speed when we should stop etc.....great video keep up the good work!
Jon, thank you bro! This was extremely helpful and I can’t thank you enough. We hear this through training and flying with different instructors but this was conveyed so perfectly as well the comments and story below in England. Thank you all!
I'm not a pilot. But seriously thinking about becoming one. I'm viewing everything I can on flying. Learning. Gaining knowledge. This video was great. Scary. But great. Keep it coming.
Good conversation... I’m pretty rigid on my go/no-go decisions and if I have someone who is adamant about going it’s still not going to move me... if anything it’s an opportunity to sit down with the person placing those demands on you and lay out why you are unable to go and why.
Great video, I didn’t even realize it had been twenty minutes since clicking on it.
I saw this video at a perfect time. I've been thinking about this scenario for a while and was going with timing my acceleration using a dragy but your method is much better/simpler. Although I still may use the dragy to see if it could detect issues before they arise.
One thing I will add is you should always have in mind a minimum runway length that you'll land at. For me it's 3,000 feet. I think having that as part of your personal minimums prevents issues like this and also works perfectly with your 1/2 runway rule
Thanks for doing this video Jon. And thank you for reminding all of us that we shouldn’t Monday morning quarterback a fellow pilot, but, use this to learn.
That's a great point. I was wondering why so many crashes these day's. I'm not a pilot but i love flying & eventually get my ppl. Great job!!! Keep it up.
Jon, as I was flying down south from NY. I was diverted off my flight path (un planned) so I decided to land at W75 (Hummel) to gas up. It's the first time I had a no kidding short field takeoff, but I forgot to treat it as such, so I'm the only one in my Cessna 150L and I back taxied for takeoff, but I failed to put in some flaps, I can't remember the density altitude that day, but I remember vividly I got airborne, but had to guide my self in between the trees at the end of the runway. Needless to say, the sphincter was puckering. I love your channel, keep up the good work.
Basically just talking the truth. Very rare in pilots, I admire you a tone and learn a lot from you. Thanks for helping us be better safer pilots
Great words, keep up the great work! I pray that all pilots think this way as it's our duty and it's what we are trained to do, regardless of your certificates, or hours, or jobs, etc. I look at my family every time I or we fly and realize they are looking right back at me to do everything I can to make sure we get to our destination in the same way that we left. I was once told, if you aren't nervous on every flight, you're too comfortable; it stuck with me and I think is a great motto to fly by. Stay ahead of that airplane, always
I am currently at the beginning journey of getting my PPL. Thank you for making this video!
You're so welcome! Good luck with your training! Let us know if you need any help with written prep or checkride prep!
It is also important to know where that 50% point is at on the runway you are attempting the takeoff. If you are guessing, you are probably going to guess wrong. Identify that point, and stick to it. Something tells me that since there was a video rolling that someone had an idea that this was not going to be a normal takeoff. Great content Jon, Thank you.
When in 1994 I was Solo trainning in Tamiami had to abort 3 take off and the problem was the RPM was not 2700 on C172M. Read on rolling 2000RPM finally the traffic controllers told me it wasnt my Day to fly. This words made me realized I was wrong and Thanks. Blessed her she may had save my life.
I was young and didnt realized the risk I was taking. Thanks for this video.
This is almost identical to what happened to myself and two of my friends. Only difference is we were airborne. I was the backseat passenger, and the two up front were killed. Weight and balance is serious stuff. Aircraft performance is serious stuff. Now that I’m a student pilot myself, that experience has made me way more conservative. I will not fly if something feels off. Hell recently I even did a short field take off in a Piper warrior on a 5000 foot runway with just myself and my CFI. Didn’t care about what anyone thought, it’s what I felt was safest. So I did it.
Ex flying instructor here. Getting that call from FAGM tower "MIKE OSCAR CHARLIE, CONFIRM OPS NORMAL?". Descending geography saved four people. Was seen to descend below the horizon. My reply was a few octaves above normal comms. Flying school airplanes do not perform as per the graphs. Thank you for your channel.
Excellent vid. Very effective break down of the process that resulted in the crash. The two big things: know your plane and be flying by 50% runway or shut it down. Straightforward, important and easy advice to remember. Thanks.
Thanks! Glad it helps!
You are the most awesome instructor ive ever seen
Love your videos and hopefully after i get my PPL ill get my tail wheel endorsement with you !
Jon, thank you for your effort in bringing this case to us.
Please, do more. It sad to say, but 1 negative case teaches more than 10 positive.
We don't deal with such material during PPL or other types of licenses.
We only have regulations and books which is actually enough but they don't represent us what will be with us if we don't follow those dry rules.
9:01 sorry but reading that file comment, you cannot help but to laugh at the pilot's mindset. The thought process is beyond incomprehensible
I learned to fly at an airport with a tiny runway (2100 feet). The school's rules were that you must confirm static RPM (2300 RPM) at the beginning of the takeoff roll and reject if you weren't in the air by the 1000 foot marker.
Now that I own and fly my own plane I apply similar rules. I also fly as a two-seater: the back seat is for charts and stuff, not for people. She wasn't over-powered to begin with, and 2020 people weigh more than 1963 people did. My maximum takeoff weight is significantly less than what the Beechcraft POH says.
Are you single?
Thank you for giving this message to stick to the rules and limits you set for yourself as pilot in command. When I become a pilot I hope I always remember this.
I am not a pilot, but you did nail it , people can be somewhat pressured, so not to disappoint, bad decisions are made and poor or tragic results then follow. Great training VID!!
Also, I just noticed the thumbs down on this video, I can only imagine these are the ego driven, weak minded people, the "no it all's" .. we all try to avoid, especially in piloting.
So I just took the advice of this video. Not once but twice. Not even with a takeoff. I left it in the hanger because it didn’t feel right. And I’ve just been attacked by a licensed pilot he’s told me that my dad needs to get more training and I’m not even a pilot. So yeah you do need a thick skin to survive in aviation no matter what type of pilot you are. I am an unlicensed pilot of course due to my blindness. But I still took the advice of you, John. And it was the correct advice. And I’ve just been attacked by a licensed pilot for doing the right thing. So yeah, it is hard. But it’s always best to do the right thing When these things come up.