Remove Final Approach Remove Ground Effect Remove Tail
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2025 Richard Collins Writing Prize Runner-Up: Tailstrikes and Tiedowns

Air Facts

But as I banked into my final approach, my heart sank. Time seemed to freeze as I floated in ground effect. The aircraft had sustained little damage the tail tie-down was knocked off and no one had been hurt. There in his hand, hung elegantly from a necklace chain, was the tail tie-down. I began to laugh.

Knot 52
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Invisible Trap Kills Glider Pilot – How To Avoid Microbursts

Chess In the Air

There was no opportunity to recover and it hit the ground hard, thankfully just out of camera view. The Rifle ASOS recorded a gust of 43 mph from the south: a 100-degree shift in direction, putting it right on his tail. There was no opportunity to recover and it hit the ground hard, thankfully just out of camera view.

Pilot 52
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Alton Bay's "Excellent Water"

Photographic Logbook

Rolling out on final approach, I was surprised to see another airplane stopped right at the runway threshold. Volunteer Air Traffic Control Because of its unique geometry, the Alton Bay Ice Runway requires careful coordination on the ground to avoid conflicts. More vintage cred: a V-tailed Beechcraft Bonanza!

Runway 68