On 2/5 Mark Talbot wrote --
>> How long a strip? That is the question!! I can only say the longer the
better.
I have 1100 hours now, mostly in an AA-5 Traveler that's no homesick angel on
the takeoff run (cruise prop). I used to fly out of short strips, and IFR
even in icing conditions, but don't anymore. I believe in having margins now,
ever since I was on an air carrier MD-80 that left important pieces of its
port side engine on the runway right at rotation. It had the power on one
engine to continue climbout, make a circuit to a missed approach (night, 300
and 3/4 in rain, sleet, and fog), climb out for another try at the ILS. Made
it down second time, and used all of 9200 feet of slick runway to stop with
1/2 thrust reverse (blew a main tire in the process). Excellent skill on the
part of those pilots.
All machinery is fallible.
Sorry to hear about your unfortunate incident; heartened to hear you like the
Europa enough to go for another!
Regards
Fred Fillinger
A063 Tri-gear (working on fuselage)
|