It's true I think that anyone who has flown small GA certified AC will
have had an experience with an open door. As Shakespeare said,
tis much ado about nothing, as long as the pilot remembers what
to do (fly the plane) and what not to do (fight to close said door).
Its one thing to have a Cessna door or window pop - nothing
happens to the aircraft, pilots undergarments excepted.
When a door open on a Europa or a Liberty, there is an excellent
chance that the door will cleanly depart the airframe as has happened
several times. There is a theoretical, but so far unseen possibility
that the departing door will hit the empenage and damage an
airfoil or control. That is not a nothing event!
My request for comments was actually a probe to start a discussion
on whether the Europa community should look into doing the same.
The port door on my airframe has long been deformed by heat while
under the tension of the gas spring and has thus deformed so it takes
some special effort to engage the shoot in the rear. This deformity
was exacerbated by the door blowing off the hinges on the ground at
Norfolk VA after a perfect ILS in a 40 kt crosswind coming home
---From SnF 2006. As soon as I opened the door at the gas pump,
it pulled right out of my hand. Actually, when
closed, but not latched, the rear corner of the door is proud of the
fuse by two inches or so, therefore I need a handle on the inside to
pull it in.
The Liberty mod probably will not do a thing for me, but
it might help avoid someone else's accident.
I am planning a trip to SnF this year (even though I promised myself
I would not) and I will look at the new Liberty shoot bolts.
I have it from reliable sources, that the close by establishment for the
annual engineering meeting is now remodeled and open for business.
8)
Fly Safe!
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Ira N224XS
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