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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 2019)
30 Wednesday, April 17, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon PLANE: Pilot seeks teachable moment in incident Continued from page 1 Madras airport, Lansburgh and his passenger pilot returned to Sisters to find the winds had picked up consid- erably since their departure. Located on the east slope of the Cascade mountains, the Sisters Airport can experience strong and often unpredict- able winds that can make it a technically challenging place to land. In an effort to teach a lesson in difficult flight conditions, as it turned out the <teachable moment= was in considering options, such as diversion to another air- port to wait out the weather. Lansburgh hopes to turn the incident in to a lesson for all pilots flying at airports like Sisters. About five miles from the airport, Lansburgh learned from the radio-activated Super AWOS (Automated Weather Observation System) that wind conditions at Sisters had become turbulent, and cautioned of crosswind and wind shear. Once he had the airport in sight, he found the three wind indicators con- flicting. The wind socks at the ends of the runway indi- cated erratic wind in opposite directions, while the flag in the middle was hanging flat indicating no wind. From that information, he decided the best choice was landing in the direction of Runway 20, and entered a standard left pattern for landing. On final approach, Lansburgh acknowledged the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) filed by the Sisters Airport regarding the flooding and closure of 200 yards at the north end of the runway. He prepared to land long, over- flying the flooded area of the runway. Once below tree line, they continued to experience turbulent and windy condi- tions. Lansburgh, attempting to get cover from the wind by getting closer to the trees on the right, made a safety deci- sion to sidestep the plane to land into the more forgiving dirt to the side of the paved runway. The landing was uneventful, as Lansburgh per- formed a normal roll-out after touchdown. He was surprised when the plane suddenly flipped forward, the propel- ler caught the ground, and he found himself hanging upside down from the seat belt in the plane. The extent of the many fac- tors involved, including man- aging gusting winds which were shifting directions, avoiding the flooded area, in a light tailwheel airplane, is still unclear to Lansburgh. <It just happened in an instant,= he recalls. The jury is still out regard- ing other possible effects which may have contributed to the cause of this incident. Tailwheel airplanes, like Lansburgh9s PA-12, can be tricky to land in conditions like these. Also known as <taildraggers,= the configu- ration offers advantages in backcountry and short-field environments. In order to fly a tailwheel airplane, a pilot must receive special train- ing and an endorsement. Lansburgh specializes in giving this type of training, and has become well-known nationally as <Tailwheel Town.= Lansburgh has been a pilot for over 30 years with over 6,000 hours of flight time without incident. With a colorful career in aviation, CUSTOM HOMES • RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PROJECTS Serving the Sisters Area Since 1976 Lansburgh9s diverse experi- ence includes being a Coast Guard helicopter crewman, air-show pilot, aerial film- maker, certified airframe and powerplant mechanic, owning a glider operation, and man- aging the Sunriver airport. Lansburgh was instru- mental in the beginning of the Flight Science program at Sisters High School, both as a teacher at Sisters High School, and as flight instruc- tor for students learning to fly. He was the founding CFI in what has become Outlaw Aviation today. Lansburgh is a well- respected pilot and instructor within the aviation commu- nity because of his outspo- ken advocacy for training that pushes students9 comfort zones in a way that gives them the tools they need to handle any situation that may arise while they are fly- ing. Thousands of pilots have studied the videos on Lansburgh9s website, www. tailwheelersjournal.com. <To have this happen to a pilot as accomplished as Brian is a clear reminder in pilot decision-making and potential consequences,= said Walt Lasecki, also a CFI with Outlaw Aviation, who wit- nessed the incident. <What I would like other pilots to know is that when the conditions put you in a scenario that is possibly beyond your capabilities, or your plane9s capabilities, it9s better to fly a go-around than try to land,= Lansburgh said. <Pilots often have incidents at their home airports because of 8get home-itus,9 and an PHOTO PROVIDED Brian Lansburgh is a skilled and experienced pilot — who ran into trouble with the wind last week unwillingness to be inconve- nienced by repeated attempts at landing, or simply going to another airport. I could9ve just flown back to Madras or Redmond and waited until the wind calmed down before returning to Sisters. That would9ve been far less incon- venient for me than spending the next year fixing my plane, which is what I9ll be doing.= Land & Homes Real Estate — Serving all of Central Oregon — Sandy Goodsell Principal Broker Jonathan Hicks Broker ABR, CDPE, CIAS, GRI, SRES 541-480-0183 865-335-6104 LICENSED BROKERS IN THE STATE OF OREGON www.goodsellandhicks.com Superior Escrow Execution Ultimate Service Stop by and visit with Tiana Van Landuyt & Shelley Marsh. 220 S. Pine St., Ste. 102 | 541-548-9180 Quality Truck-mounted CARPET CLEANING Quality Cleaning 16 years in Reasonable Prices Sisters! — Credit Cards Accepted — ENVIROTECH 541-771-5048 Licensed • Bonded • Insured • CCB#181062 RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL CCB # 159020 CCB # 16891 Strictly Quality John P. Pierce • 541-549-9764 jpierce@bendbroadband.com Ready to Buy or Sell? Don’t hesitate to give me a call for a Comparative Market Analysis. I’m Here For You… Sellers: Free consult & market analysis gets you the highest price for your home. Buyers: I’ve lived in Sisters 16 years. Let me help you put down roots in the town I know & love. Sheila Reifschneider, Broker, 541-408-6355 Licensed Broker in Oregon sheila@reedbros.com Ross Kennedy Principal Broker Luxury Home Specialist 541-408-1343 Serving Black Butte Ranch h & The h Greater Sisters Area Coldwell Banker Reed Bros. Realty 291 W. Cascade Ave. 541-549-6000 COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER ADS ARE SEEN & READ! Display ads in The Nugget start at $27.20/week Call your community marketing partner, Vicki or Patti Jo, to discuss promoting your business to every household in the Sisters area. 541-549-9941