credit: Jon Baird/KNX1070)
doesn’t look like a plane
Lancairs are very clean and fast single engine aircraft. Good safety record. “Experimental” is really not a very apt word to describe these aircraft. They are not mass manufactured and go through an abbreviated licensing regimen. I think some are built in shops and at FBO’s as kits.
I’ve never flown one, but I understand they are nice.
Oldplayer
Prayers for Professor Behar and his family.
http://sese.asu.edu/people/alberto-behar
“Before coming to SESE, Alberto spent 18 years at NASA/JPL operating, designing, building, testing and deploying scientific instruments and robotics in extreme environments (e.g. Antarctica, Greenland, Alaska, Deep Sea, Inter and Sub-Glacial, Reduced Gravity, Hi-Altitude, Mojave Desert, Volcano, Space/Planetary/Asteroid, Space Station). His primary interests are developing, testing and deploying architectures for future planetary surface spacecraft in remote extreme environments on Earth. His previous studies earned him a PhD in EE (Astronautics Minor) from USC, an ME from Rensselaer and an MS with Specialization in Robotics from USC. He is also active as a Helicopter Instructor, Commercial Airplane Pilot and as is certified as a Scientific and Rescue Diver.”
http://extremerobotics.lab.asu.edu/members.htm
“Professor Alberto Behar, Director
Dr. Behar has over 20 years of experience in planetary flight projects and research and development of extreme environment robotics and instruments for planetary (including Earth) science and engineering applications. He has developed instruments and robotics that have reached deep in the ocean’s hydrothermal vents, next to volcanoes, under thick ice sheets, to the south pole, in to the stratosphere and on to other planetary bodies (asteroids/Mars). He is an Airline Transport Pilot and Instructor in Helicopters and Airplanes with a Gulfstream 5 Type Rating. He is also a Scientific and Rescue SCUBA diver. His primary interests are developing, testing and deploying architectures for Earth exploration and future planetary surface spacecraft in remote extreme environments on Earth.”
Takes balls of steel to "fly' the plane into terrain other than a runway, but that's what ya' gotta' do. That it's in the intersection and not in a building says to me... that particular action was what the pilot was trying to do. Very narrow envelope though- estimate 700' agl max (approx.) with loss of airspeed. Only thing to do: nose down to gain airspeed and prepare to land/crash. That's why what Captain Sullenberger did, was so outstanding. Kept flying the plane all the way into the water. He made the decision and went with it.
I have 6 successful (thankfully) reserve parachute deployments during my skydiving career. I learned a few old school axioms.
He who hesitates, shall inherit the earth forever. Amen.
When in doubt- whip it out.
The sky, even more than the sea, is unforgiving of even the slightest error.
It's on the news right know. Just saw the wreckage. Catastrophic impact. Total destruction. I'm in Phoenix, AZ. The pilot's from Scottsdale. ASU professor. RIP.
