Seth

Negative. All I was shown was still of the video. Aircraft was maybe 4 feet from impact. Nose in maybe an 80 degree down angle (with a cowling length to go if that until impact). The left wing (pilot side wing) leading edge was ever so slightly closer to the ground than the copilot side. Gear was down (view was from behind and showing the belly). There is a video surveillance unit on the airfield that captured the final sequence of the crash off the departure end of the runway. The picture I saw was a picture of the computer screen - thus, it's lower quality. If I zoom in to see flight controls it is very pixelated. I'm sure the NTSB already has or will soon have a copy of the video - again, I have only seen the once still frame and some pictures of the accident itself after the fact. Very sad. -Seth

I was shown a video taken by some sort of security footage showing the airplane diving almost straight down (I don't have the rights to share it here). The ground scaring indicates that as well. No chance to survive a crash like that. So sad. -Seth

The tail number is N9667M. My former F Mode wasN9567M. Very sad to hear. -Seth

I have encountered ice a few times in my Missile and twice in my former M20F. Escape as soon as possible. Turn 180 degrees and leave the area. Climb through a thin layer quickly (ice tends to accumulate faster at the top of the clouds). Descend quickly through the layer on your approach. Don't fly if there are reports of icing. Play your route to go around the reported areas of icing. Descend to warmer air below. You can plan and work your way around ice in winter flying, but if you are ever in it - get out. Have an out. Don't fly on days when you don't have an out and its likely you are going to have an encounter. My worst was a trip along the Appalachians and it was not forecast, but all of a sudden I heard reports of it where I was headed, and low and behold, it started forming on my airplane. I asked for lower, and lower, until I was as low as possible. I had descended below the cloud deck, and simply carried it the rest of the way to landing. I was flying fine and it was no longer accumulating, so I landed. It broke off as I entered warmer air at my destination. When climbing through a thin layer in my M20F I picked up some light ice but made it up very quickly (in Detroit). Once above the clouds, it dry air it sublimated off pretty quickly. it was above freezing near the ground so I knew I could descend if needed. In the Cirrus SR22's I fly for a charter company, they all are FIKI and I turn on the TKS prior to entering any type of visible moisture if near or below freezing. Recently near IAD, Dulles, there were reports of light icing at 5-6000 feet. During the climb and decent I put the TKS on prior to entering the cloud layer - didn't accumulate anything but ran the fluid anyway. It is important to not when disembarking or climbing into your airplane, if you ran TKS fluid, watch your footing - it can be VERY slippery - this is not in any of the training I read. -Seth

I have a Tannis that was installed on my airplane when I purchased it. For years I've wanted to hook it up to a remote cell switch so I can turn it on a few hours prior to my winter flights. I also built a heating until out of an electric space heater, dryer ducting, and heat tape. I have it set to keep a certain temperature so it never got too hot. That with a blanket would heat up the cowling just fine. I would plug it in, go fill up the car with gas, run an errand, maybe breakfast, come back and go flying. Now I would just get a remote cell switch for it. You can build one for $25 to $50. If my Tannis breaks, this is what I'll do. I like that with the Tannis when I'm away at another airfield I can bring an extension cord (often not needed) and have the FBO run an extension cord out to my plane the night before or day of my flight. I do not keep the heat on all the time -I only turn it on or plug it in the night before/day of a flight to warm it up for that flight. Otherwise it is off. I also took a look at https://www.aircraftheaters.com just now as suggested. Nice device. Maybe I'll consider one in the future, but I'll probably just build my own heating system like I used to if my Tannis dies. -Seth

Nice update to your Missile!!! I love seeing these sorts of updates and improvements! -Seth

GREAT chart. Where is my Missile on that chart? -Seth

I am based in the SFRA. I sweat when I’m on the ground and squawk 1200 prior to departure when away from my home base . . .

Correct, Uncontrolled is the proper term. I personally like stating non-towered for when I discuss this with the non-pilot population. The look of horror when I say I'm based at an "uncontroled" field vs a "non-towered" field. Kind of like renting out my former townhouse basement. If it was a "lower level suite" I'd get $200 more per month than a "basement for rent." -Seth

Drilled into my head at some point - and no, I haven't check to see if this is actually the case - was that outside of special circumstances like formation flight, no two aircraft are to be on any runway pavement at the same time. So that means waiting until the airplane is clear before taxing on for takeoff at a non-towered airport. At a towered field it is different as you have someone in the tower "watching" your blindside. If an airplane is not clear of the runway but clearing you are not allowed to touch down even if they will be clear or are toward the end of their takeoff roll. It makes perfect sense for safety, but what is the rule at non-towered fields. Thanks! -Seth

Yes - the purpose of this was the legality of a line up and wait type of operation at a non towered field. Is it legal? At busy non towered fields there is often 4-6 aircraft in the pattern and a line up and getting onto the runway for takeoff before the landing aircraft has taken back off or cleared is the difference between sitting on the ground for 10+ min and departing. I feel communication when everyone is working together sometimes beats control towers. The question is the legality. -Seth

Also contact Alan Fox here on Mooney Space

In a separate topic there is discussion over line up and wait. The purpose of this thread is to review two scenarios and ask what is legal, and then what is reasonable. I have found that busy non-towered airports where everyone is working together can sometimes be more efficient than a towered field where certain safety rules are applied, however from an efficineny standpoint, less traffic is able to use the runway at once. I have also been at a non-towered field where even if one pilot does not "work with" or have consideration for the others in the pattern, it would be much safer with a tower at the field. Case in point, I was at a Class D airport about two weeks ago #1 for departure and waited for three landing aircraft. It added maybe 6-8 minutes to my trip - not really a big deal, but I did have passengers with a time constraint. I easily could have departed between two of them, but also understood the tower did feel comfortable with a "line up and wait" and then depart no delay. Earlier in the day, I departed between landing traffic at a class B airport with similar gaps in landing traffic. At non-towered airports, I think that "line up and wait" which used to be "position and hold" is not a standard phrase. That's something a control tower can state, but at a non-towered field, it's not something standard to self announce. Rule: Only once aircraft can make use of the runway (wheels on pavement) at any given period of time (except formation take off/landings - still one "flight."). Scenario 1: There are many planes in the pattern, someone on downwind, someone just turned downwind to base, and five aircraft are lined up for takeoff. No one is really extending downwind for spacing to allow for takeoff (but also no one has requested the pattern traffic to do so). The aircraft on final has just passed the threshold and is in the flare or has already touched down and is wheels down on the runway. I have seen people announce their own "line up and wait" type announcement, get in position, and add power as soon as the landing aircraft is clear of the runway, thus having launched prior to the base aircraft reaching final or short final. This would have not been possible without lining up for takeoff with the runway occupied with the the landing aircraft on rollout. Technically though the runway now has two separate aircraft not on the same "flight" with wheels on pavement and no control tower ensuring separation. Dangerous as an engine out could cause the aircraft on base or downwind to turn immediately for the pavement, if waiting too long, you no longer have eyes on the base traffic, etc . . . but perfectly reasonable in order to make use of the gap between landing and arriving traffic to get an aircraft out in a busy atmosphere. Thoughts? Is this legal? Is it reasonable? Thanks! Scenario 2: When flying into a local airport that had some taxiway work (or airports that have partial taxiways) backtaxing down runways are sometimes needed. During busy times, I have witnessed the following: When an aircraft is in flare or ground roll after landing, traffic waiting at a midfield taxiway will taxi out immediately on to the runway behind the moving aircraft travelling in the opposite direction to the main ramp - they'll announce they are back taxing to the ramp, but again, technically you have two aircraft not in the same flight now taxing opposite directions down the same runway. If seen the same scenario with a train of three aircraft backtaxing together down the runway from the midfield taxi way turn off to the main ramp. If each aircraft had waited until the landing aircraft was clear of the runway, it may have been another 15-20 seconds, and the difference between an aircraft in the pattern turning base vs turning final. Or, if each of the three backtaxi aircraft waited for a one at a time taxi back, it would have taken 3 more laps in the pattern for each airplane to get to the main ramp. I do not feel any of these are unsafe, but is it legal? Thanks for your feedback! -Seth

Tyndall ATC Tower. Every structure at Tyndall received significant damage.

Wow. Curious if he’ll replace it.

It was a Belgium technician and F-16. Also two people were injured. Extent of injuries unknown. Scroll through the article - the pics were quite descriptive. Big fireball. At least it wasn’t as bad as the USS Forestall - when a carrier had a Rocket go off and start a massive fire on the flight deck. But that was 50 years ago! -Seth

Our friends at Tyndall got slammed by Hurricane Michael. Every structure received significant damage. Here are some pics of the contorl Tower:

And fueling/armed for a mission while conducting maintenance? Isn’t there some sort of you don’t work on armed airplanes rule? Unless there was an issue and they had to fix it for the mission. -Seth

I know. It makes no financial sense to do it, it I could own the least expensive, lowest time airframe, flying B-17 in the world. Man - I wish my finances were where I could just drop $120k (i’d negotiate it down) on something like this. One day - yes - now with two kids and college education to save up for - no. But I do drool over it. It fits in a T-Hanger!! -Seth

https://jalopnik.com/technician-accidentally-sets-off-an-f-16-cannon-blows-1829732241 In the believe it or not category, a technician while servicing an F-16 accidently activated the cannon thus blowing up another F-16. -Seth

http://courtesyaircraft.com/aircraft/n413me-ballys-bomber-b-17g/ He worked 20 years to build a 1/3 B-17 and now it's for sale. -Seth

Well done Erik!! The aviation community is a special place. -Seth

Replacing my brake fluid fixed a brake problem I had which seemed to just not be working as well. It had gotten very thick over the years. It took MANY hours and many flush/bleeding to get the old fluid out. Separately, my spouse's car had an issue with a caliper that was not fully resetting - it's a common bad design in her vehicle. You may need a new caliper or to clean the area around the caliper as mentioned to allow it to fully retract. -Seth

Good job recognizing the issue, acting in a measured fashion, and quickly getting on the ground. Declaring the emergency made perfect sense. Did ATC even ask for paperwork or follow up? -Seth