Do you need a compass?

[akflyer 1427]

My best freind had a ratty old PA 12 that I learned to fly in. Before I took lessons in it, he was flying us over to go moose hunting. We were crossing the inlet at about 2000 when suddenly (took about 20 seconds) a massive fog bank formed. I told him to turn around and head back for Kenai. He says I would if I could see... I said hell you got a compass on the dash, use it. Well turns out there was a hole in the side of it and all fluid had leaked out. So I say use your DG.. he had not set it when we lined up on the runway. GREAT. I can barely make out the water below us so I told him to drop down so I could see the waves better, I knew the tide was going out so the wave action should be running more or less east west and the crests should be breaking from the north to the south. We lined up with the waves and continued west (two idiots that thought we were still gonna pull off a moose hunt) I knew that there were wide open flat marshes for several miles before we hit the mountains on the far side so I was not too worried about running into those, however, we did have an island between us and the mainland, and if we hit on the north end, there was only about 30 yards of beach before we would hit a solid rock wall. By this time, we were about 25' off the water and in a bit of a pickle.. About 5 minutes later I see the beach starting to emerge, so I tell him to turn south a bit so we can fly down the beach and land at a little strip I knew. We fly the beachline and as we get close to the strip I am really looking hard through the fog to try and spot it before we splat into the trees. I finally see the strip ( he couldnt) and start vectoring him into it. We had to fly past it and swing around to the north to land. We get lined up on the wind sock and on short short final, we loose all visual refernce as the fog went from bad to worse. He held it steady and we plopped that bugger in with about 375 of the biggest bounces you have ever seen! We taxi up by some cabins and shut it down and I am ready to kiss the ground! The guy that owns the place comes out asking what kind of idiots would be flying in this weather I told him he was looking at two of the dumbest people he would ever meet. He offered us a guest cabin and we ended up staying there 2 days till the fog lifted.

We bagged the hunting trip that weekend and as soon as we got back home I went straight to the airport and bought a new compass and put it in the plane.

He handed me the keys to the plane, his gas card, and the phone number to a good instructor. I flew the plane for about 28 hrs then he put it on its back landing on a remote strip to go duck hunting.

Lesson learned....

1. The second the fog started forming, we should have done a 180 while I still had the Eastern shore insight.

2. As soon as I had figured out our rough heading by the wave action, we could have set the DG and executed something resembling a 180 and headed back east to home. We may not have been heading due east, but we had 100 miles of shoreline we would have hit and would have been able to go VFR once over the land as the fog just holds right over the inlet most of the time.

3. By a GPS < done 3 days after the incident

[Phil]

My best freind had a ratty old PA 12 that I learned to fly in.  Before I took lessons in it, he was flying us over to go moose hunting.  We were crossing the inlet at about 2000 when suddenly (took about 20 seconds) a massive fog bank formed.  I told him to turn around and head back for Kenai.  He says I would if I could see... I said hell you got a compass on the dash, use it.  Well turns out there was a hole in the side of it and all fluid had leaked out.  So I say use your DG.. he had not set it when we lined up on the runway.  GREAT.  I can barely make out the water below us so I told him to drop down so I could see the waves better, I knew the tide was going out so the wave action should be running more or less east west and the crests should be breaking from the north to the south.  We lined up with the waves and continued west (two idiots that thought we were still gonna pull off a moose hunt)  I knew that there were wide open flat marshes for several miles before we hit the mountains on the far side so I was not too worried about running into those, however, we did have an island between us and the mainland, and if we hit o nthe north end, there was only about 30 yards of beach before we would hit a solid rock wall.  By this time, we were about 25' off the water and in a bit of a pickle.. About 5 minutes later I see the beach starting to emeger, so I tell him to turn south a bit so we can fly down the beach and land at a little strip I knew.  WE fly the beachline and as we get close to the strip I am really looking hard through the fog to try and spot it before we splat into the trees.  I fianly see the strip ( he couldnt) and start vectoring him into it.  We had to fly past it and swing around to the north to land.  We get lined up on the wind sock and on short short final, we loose all visual refernce as the fog went from bad to worse.  He held it steady and we plopped that bugger in with about 375 of the biggest bounces you have ever seen!  We taxi up by some cabins and shut it down and I am ready to kiss the ground!  The guy that owns the place comes out asking what kind of idiots would be flying in this weather   I told him he was looking at two of the dumbest people he would ever meet.  He offered us a guest cabin and we ened up staying there 2 days till the fog lifted.

We bagged the hunting trip that weekend and as soon as we got back home I went straight to the airport and bought a new compass and put it in the plane. 

He handed me the keys to the plane, his gas card, and the phone number to a good instructor.  I flew the plane for about 28 hrs then he put it on its back landing on a remote strip to go duck hunting.

Lesson learned....

1. The second the fog started forming, we should have done a 180 while I still had the Eastern shore insight. 

2. As soon as I had figured out our rough heading by the wave action, we could have set the DG and executed something resembling a 180 and headed back east to home.  We may not have been headding due east, but we had 100 miles of shoreline we would have hit and would have been able to go VFR once over the land as the fog just holds right over the inlet most of the time.

3. By a GPS < done 3 days after the incident

[Guest]

You are both lucky to be alive

[akflyer 1427]

You are both lucky to be alive

oh I have alot more war stories about me and my buddy Sid flying... most of them I doubt you guys would believe as there were some real bone head maneuvers we pulled. I guess it is true that god watches out for fools and idiots, as the only way you can explain Sid and I living through some of our "stunts" is divine intervention

[EDMO 1078]

My best freind had a ratty old PA 12 that I learned to fly in. Before I took lessons in it, he was flying us over to go moose hunting. We were crossing the inlet at about 2000 when suddenly (took about 20 seconds) a massive fog bank formed. I told him to turn around and head back for Kenai. He says I would if I could see... I said hell you got a compass on the dash, use it. Well turns out there was a hole in the side of it and all fluid had leaked out. So I say use your DG.. he had not set it when we lined up on the runway. GREAT. I can barely make out the water below us so I told him to drop down so I could see the waves better, I knew the tide was going out so the wave action should be running more or less east west and the crests should be breaking from the north to the south. We lined up with the waves and continued west (two idiots that thought we were still gonna pull off a moose hunt) I knew that there were wide open flat marshes for several miles before we hit the mountains on the far side so I was not too worried about running into those, however, we did have an island between us and the mainland, and if we hit on the north end, there was only about 30 yards of beach before we would hit a solid rock wall. By this time, we were about 25' off the water and in a bit of a pickle.. About 5 minutes later I see the beach starting to emerge, so I tell him to turn south a bit so we can fly down the beach and land at a little strip I knew. We fly the beachline and as we get close to the strip I am really looking hard through the fog to try and spot it before we splat into the trees. I finally see the strip ( he couldnt) and start vectoring him into it. We had to fly past it and swing around to the north to land. We get lined up on the wind sock and on short short final, we loose all visual refernce as the fog went from bad to worse. He held it steady and we plopped that bugger in with about 375 of the biggest bounces you have ever seen! We taxi up by some cabins and shut it down and I am ready to kiss the ground! The guy that owns the place comes out asking what kind of idiots would be flying in this weather I told him he was looking at two of the dumbest people he would ever meet. He offered us a guest cabin and we ended up staying there 2 days till the fog lifted.

We bagged the hunting trip that weekend and as soon as we got back home I went straight to the airport and bought a new compass and put it in the plane.

He handed me the keys to the plane, his gas card, and the phone number to a good instructor. I flew the plane for about 28 hrs then he put it on its back landing on a remote strip to go duck hunting.

Lesson learned....

1. The second the fog started forming, we should have done a 180 while I still had the Eastern shore insight.

2. As soon as I had figured out our rough heading by the wave action, we could have set the DG and executed something resembling a 180 and headed back east to home. We may not have been heading due east, but we had 100 miles of shoreline we would have hit and would have been able to go VFR once over the land as the fog just holds right over the inlet most of the time.

3. By a GPS < done 3 days after the incident

That brings up a querstion. I know what the FAR says. Anyone ever get approved for a car compass in an experimental?? Ed in Missouri