Biggest POS You've Ever Flown

killbilly said:
I didn't know this was a trend. There were two more I flew down in Austin before I started flying other things...a 152 with the Sparrowhawk and a 152 Aerobat and neither of those had that issue. But, a) my instructor DID teach me to lean it out for taxi - about an inch or more as I recall, and b) I'm guessing that's how they were teaching it down in AUS when I moved there.

Good to know, though.
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In an old beat up late seventies 152: Lean it out gradually until it literally starts to sputter and die, push it back in just enough so it won't. That is how far out it has to be. :D

Lead fouling of the bottom spark plugs via an excessively rich mixture setting during taxi is extremely common, and afflicts most if not all general aviation reciprocating engines. A real A&P like Roger Roger could tell you exactly how tetraethyl lead gets stuck and how you have to burn it off. I was never a real A&P... I just played one on tv.

Back on topic, POS airplanes.
 
It's a toss up for me, but the plane I got stuck flying at Picto would be the winner. Old beat up, underpowered 150hp skyhawk that had mowed the sky for who knows how long. First official day on the job while surveying, the engine decided it was hungry and ate a valve. 5 months later the same thing happened in the same cylinder. So 2 emergency declarations in a 5 month period is my record so far. I swear the radios were the prototypes from Cessna, because every time I had an avionics tech look at them, they would laugh and say "Boy those were old when I started working, and I've been doing this for 30 years!". It got to the point early in the season where I needed to listen on comm 1 and transmit on comm 2. Every time I hit the PTT switch, the VOR needles would center. The few times I shot an approach, I would be intercepting a radial or a loc, have to read back a clearance and in doing so, screw myself up because the needle would center and then eventually wander back to where it should be. It didn't fly straight, it was beyond drafty, even for a 172, which made sitting in it for 8 hours a day an absolute joy when I got stuck in New Jersey in January. The engine also liked to hiccup a lot on takeoffs, which is such a confidence builder for a young, dumb pilot.
 
The worst POS that I can think of is related to one of my favourites.

I picked up a Stinson 10A (N26200) in Blackfoot ID for a student who purchased it. I flew it back to Hood River OR and checked him out in it.

It had a very tired Franklin engine and old drum brakes that smoked if you looked at them wrong.

One of my favourite planes was a Stinson 108 (N9437K) she was great to fly and the owner (my boss) had spent a lot of money on her. You couldn't get the chalks set before people were coming over to admire her and ask questions. I ferried the plane from the bosses hangar in Tallahassee FL to the Hayward WI hangar and back. It was hard to believe it was part of my job to do something I'd want to do on my day off.

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Since I was a ferry pilot for a bit I've flown some turds they didn't even bother to paint. From 172s with only the pilot seat and nothing else of the interior to 150s with the skylights ducktaped in to a 320 with no interior or paint.

*shudder*
 
jrh said:
Ok, I give kudos to that, same as the panel falling out.

But the fact remains, your buddy *flew* from point A to point B. He beat the Wright Brothers for goodness sakes.

Unless somebody gets stranded in the middle of nowhere and burns their plane to the ground in one final act of disgust, I probably won't be impressed.
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I have to agree with JRH on this, while obviously safety is important, flying in itself is pretty good compared to many POS's out there. Good mental image on burning btw haha. My pacer is a total POS but I love it and it works great. I've flown everything from total junk Navajos to 757s that needed to die, but they still got the job done which is certainly worth something!
 
Duchess at flight school. Doors popping open at every opportunity and the baggage had inch wide gaps top and bottom even when closed. Radio failures, engine failures, I don't think there was a flight when everything worked. Most of the students wouldn't fly it, but often that meant it was the only one flying.

It's probably still flying.
 
staledog said:
I've flown quite a few 55's, and there was one I flew which was especially crappy. I was almost to V1 speed taking off at Midway and the entire 65 pound instrument panel fell onto my shins. I mean literally the whole dash fell out. All 7 camlock screws had broken or stripped out. I had to have the other guy taxi in because I couldn't move my legs or feet to steer. There were plenty of other problems too, I never had a flight in that thing where something didn't go wrong. Freaking N95WK.
95WK.jpg
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I was reading this in bed last night and busted out laughing waking everyone up. I can't believe that picture. I think this takes the cake!!
 
z987k said:
BE99. All of them.
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There was a 99 in ONT where one of the yokes was held together with duct tape, so the yoke would bend when you put in trim. That same plane also compressor stalled every time you set takeoff power.

Thing flew like a dream.
 
The 55 dash is pretty damn crazy. Our 3 55s are so butter its not even funny. Best planes I have flown to date with the exception of the newish PC-12 and Meridians I have flown.
 
Mark815 said:
It's a toss up for me, but the plane I got stuck flying at Picto would be the winner. Old beat up, underpowered 150hp skyhawk that had mowed the sky for who knows how long. First official day on the job while surveying, the engine decided it was hungry and ate a valve. 5 months later the same thing happened in the same cylinder. So 2 emergency declarations in a 5 month period is my record so far. I swear the radios were the prototypes from Cessna, because every time I had an avionics tech look at them, they would laugh and say "Boy those were old when I started working, and I've been doing this for 30 years!". It got to the point early in the season where I needed to listen on comm 1 and transmit on comm 2. Every time I hit the PTT switch, the VOR needles would center. The few times I shot an approach, I would be intercepting a radial or a loc, have to read back a clearance and in doing so, screw myself up because the needle would center and then eventually wander back to where it should be. It didn't fly straight, it was beyond drafty, even for a 172, which made sitting in it for 8 hours a day an absolute joy when I got stuck in New Jersey in January. The engine also liked to hiccup a lot on takeoffs, which is such a confidence builder for a young, dumb pilot.
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This, THIS is why aerial survey is pretty valuable experience! :D Which vender? AAs older M models were properly crappy(looking).
 
All AMF Navajos -310.
I loved the 99s compared to the 'Jo's.

Chico tower literally said to TC, "...You're left engine is smoking worse than your right engine."
 
Douglas said:
All AMF Navajos -310.
I loved the 99s compared to the 'Jo's.

Chico tower literally said to TC, "...You're left engine is smoking worse than your right engine."
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HAHAHAHAHA!!! Lovely

I flew "butt hole" yesterday and I guess I'm just jaded coming from FLX because it wasn't THAT bad. I don't hate the 99 at all.
 
images


Maintenance guy: Captain I'm repairing this with duct tape, nobody is going to notice.
Captain: Ok, I'll fly like that.....
images


:oops:
 
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