Critical Situations


If things get difficult somehow ...

Wellcome to the critical situations in flying

This is about situations typical for flying. A good example is trying radio communication with the wrong frequency dialed in. While you are at rest on the ground it is not a big thing because no one can hear you and no one is expecting you. The only exception that comes to my mind is, if you happen to have dialed in the emergency frequency 121.50 MHz.

From time to time it is interesting to dial in this frequency to find out what is going on around you, which wretch is in trouble this time, and does he or she have a realistic chance or not. But for the sake of piety one should refrain from making lengthy comments on the situation (Hey, didn't I tell you before? Why didn't you listen?!!) on the emergency frequency. It is not always easy to estimate, in particular for third party, whether or not the comments are really helpful.


Radio Contact With the Wrong Aerodrome


Landing In the Wrong Direction


Getting Lost In Clouds


Errors In Flight Planning


Navigation and Fuel Planning

Some like to fly their aircraft frankly
As if the route they really knew.
If suddenly the tank runs empty
The options left in fact are few.

No matter then, if trees or meadows,
they have to land in the potatoes.
There will be shatter, crush, and thunder,
the debris will pile up, no wonder.

What do we learn from this event:
Guessing the fuel can be the end.


Everything here is somehow borderline!

Better get back.

© 2006 by Holger Wallmeier