It's just too risky for me

[John Boucher]

..

[Splinter]

Your continued insults show your true character John, on a public forum. Would love to run into you sometime.
The sentence continues.....but it would have improved their chances drastically on landing the two attempts considering the wind and direction over the trees deep on the runway! As far as I am aware Rod did have some IF training but I could be wrong. If he did you and any other pilot will know IF is dangerous if not practiced continuously because you lose the feel for it, pretty much the same as low flying.

About 5 minutes before I heard them take off the cloud was at just over 250ft and lifting. Microlighters often use the tower approx 1 mile to the south east of as ref to estimate how high the cloud actually is in relation to WX reports. The top (painted red and white) was already visible when I started my preflight and they took off
.

[John Boucher]

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[Dish]

Okes get a room !! - or pm each other and sort it out, this isnt constructive!

[Tumbleweed]

You can have a difference of opinion without conflict.

I agree with Splinter though. Its not whether they should have taken off but whether the pilot's chances were any better if he had previous experience with flying a circuit that he knew very well at 300 feet above the highest obstacle.

[John Boucher]

I have deleted my posts as obviously it is not adding value!

[Splinter]

You can have a difference of opinion without conflict.

I agree with Splinter though. Its not whether they should have taken off but whether the pilot's chances were any better if he had previous experience with flying a circuit that he knew very well at 300 feet above the highest obstacle.

Glad there is someone that understands the point I am trying to make. The rest was bad decisionmaking by the pilots and it cost them dearly.

[Asterix]

John - PM sent

[Bundy]

Sorry boyz...I was off line for the day, missed all the "action" and with deleted posts and all that jazz...I cannot comment on anything....

Had a lekker flight on sat with Asterix and David as my "wingmen" Love the view from up there!

[Asterix]

No "action missed", but I think this thread can be locked now! (Mods?)

Lets start our k@k on a new thread!!

[Bundy]

James...you are prob right. This subject crops up every few years it seems and I have no doubt that it will again.

I have said my say in my first post. My decision remains unchanged. I made a statement, and I believe it was food for thought. There are those that will and there are those that wont, every pilot has their own reasons for flying..... which is why we will never ever agree on anything...

Fly safe guys... That's my last take on this.

[Ugly Duckling]

Rod's IF rating was of no use, other than to tell him it's a kak day for VFR flight, because the Cheetah did not have an IF panel.
I arrived at the airfield just as Malcolm got back to the hangar, where we were going to have brekkie, from the crash site. I took a couple of pics of the airfield. The bluegums were dissapearing in the fog. It was more closed in after the prang.
RIP Rod & Dave.

[John Boucher]

Its not whether they should have taken off but whether the pilot's chances were any better if he had previous experience with flying a circuit that he knew very well at 300 feet above the highest obstacle.

They never had 300ft.... let alone above the highest obstacle...

I think the following :

CRM was tense if non existent (CRM must be spot on when flying low)
Disorientation & Panic (not a good thing when flying low)
Distracted (you got to be really focussed when flying low)
Work load (the minimum when flying low)
Visibility (I'm just going to repeat myself....)

Then Paul, I ask you the following question : Would a pilot with low flying skills or experience have been able to avert the inevitable?

Just an afterthought though... if it blows your hair into the style you like by busting minima, be prepared to answer to the rap sheet presented when things go wrong ie. if you are around to do so! Enough said .... what do I know anyway?

[Splinter]

Photo 1 I am still in the photo taken just minutes after the crash. Bad WX and not for VFR! Could they have saved it though, ill let everyone decide for themselves.
Photo 2 a short time after the crash. Clear.

[John Boucher]

I really give up Splinter.... but watch this space!