Quote:
Originally Posted by Tchocky
Pilots turning right instead of left. Happens more often than you might think.
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If I had a dollar for every time I confused right downwind with left downwind I would have exactly 1 dollar and that is 1 dollar too much!!
The most dangerous thing in the air is a solo student pilot.
There I was, no shi... uh this really happened to me.
Back in nineteen ought eighty-six, I was the aforementioned hazard to aerial navigation.
At our airport we almost always entered a left downwind for a landing (runway 30 was the "default" runway) when entering from the West. Well the wind changed and the pattern changed to Right downwind on the opposite runway.
The tower clearly told me to enter right downwind for 12 and I entered a perfect left downwind for 30 (Fortunately it was the weekend and no traffic at this time). I was actually proud of how smooth my entry was.
What a good pilot I was turning out to be!
The tower operator, always the professional, simply asked me to confirm that I was in a right downwind for 12 (when clearly I wasn't. Duh, I was heading in the opposite direction!)
My first reaction, being a stupid student pilot was: of course I am. I know right from left. Does this guy think I am stupid? I can clearly see the runway out my left windo....
hmmm
OMG!
"Offutt Tower, Tomahawk 2930B, my apologies, Making right 180 to enter right downwind for runway 12"
What really hurt was the tower's response
"2930B, thank you" That's all they said. I was so embarrassed. And lucky that my fuc... uh "pilot error" did not cause an accident.
Good thing we never have to face the tower people. They would kick our butts.... and for good reason too.
How student pilots survive is one of the mysteries of aviation.