Aviation fans: Engine out P-51. Off airport landing with analysis

[Hassin Bin Sober]

[yonder]

1. Whoa!

Hell, my heart was pounding just watching that.

[Laffy Kat]

2. Cool to watch.

They bring up a good point in the analysis about practicing engine off landings enough to be able to call on muscle memory when you need it, 'cause there's no time to pull out a check-list to follow. This is why I only flew gliders: no engine to worry about, LOL. The scariest part of landing out in fields to me are the fences and wires you can't see until it's too late.

[jmowreader]

3. He didn't damage the plane that badly

https://www.flitetest.com/articles/watch-p-51-pilot-expertly-ditch-in-a-corn-field

They're repairing it. It'll be flying again soon.

[yonder]

4. Fascinating

I'm not a pilot nor ever will be. I just watched the whole thing and I'm amazed at the training and skill these guys have. Cool-headed, decisive, presence of mind, all helped this turn out with a relatively good outcome. Hats off!

[Tipperary]

5. Wow!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

6. Thanks, excellent video - recommend watching in full.

Why? Because it's informative in how this pilot (who flies 747s) can be open and honest about what was wrong and what was right in this emergency landing. He demonstrates total honest self-reflection in order to help other general aviation pilots.

It's a damn shame we don't have many politicians that think and behave in that fashion - as true public servants.

Also interesting is his discussions on how our primitive instincts pop up automatically in emergencies and how to tame those. I recall similar experiences in my time in the fire service, when the instincts are triggered and say "run like hell".

..........

[hunter]

7. Good medicine works the same way.

Everyone honestly evaluates what went right, and what went wrong.

Yes, it would be good politics too.

[yonder]

8. +1

[Dave Starsky]

9. The modern way of thinking is to never admit mistakes.

You never mess up. To admit mistakes shows weakness to others.

That's total bullshit.

If I had a choice between flying with a pilot who "never" made a mistake and one who made a few and can tell you what what he learned from them, you'd better believe I'd scramble to be on the second guy's plane.

[hunter]

10. Carburetor problems, according to the initial investigation.

I'm sure these carburetor problems have been discussed with similar candor. I've had a few cars prone to carburetor problems, even fixed a few myself, but there was never any danger of me falling out of the sky.

My grandfather was an Army Air Corp officer in World War II. I'm sure he had romantic visions of flying these beasts and getting all the girls, but the Army in it's wisdom decided he'd be more useful on the ground. They were probably right too because I saw him ride a bicycle once and it was terrifying.

Somewhere in the war my grandfather picked up a knack for exotic metals and was later an engineer for the Apollo Project. Bits of his metal landed men on the moon and brought them back safely. That's probably where my love of airplanes and rockets comes from, as well as my klutziness.