bizarre accident

[SharkFisher]

Date: unknown
Place: Lancaster, PA

I was rather startled by a story that my meteorology professor told us today. We were discussing thunderstorms, and tonadoes and such. Anyhoo, this young student pilot saw a thunderstorm and the first thing he did was land the plane. "He did everything according to the book" said the teacher, but as he was tying up the plane with the "cable" he got hit by lighting and died. So the police called him (because he is a local weather man) to help them investigate the cause. Do flight schools still largely use cables? The only only FBO I visited used ropes to tie down their planes. How weird.

 

[pilot602]

Chains are a mainstay in the SouthWest largely because they are stronger than rope and generally dont rust.

 

[FlyingNole]

Ropes or not, thats just bad luck.

 

[Chris_Ford]

Chains are a mainstay in the SouthWest largely because they are stronger than rope and generally dont rust.

ropes rust?

 

[BCTAv8r]

ropes rust?

Yes, they do. Where have you been?

 

[Chris_Ford]

Yes, they do. Where have you been?

I didn't know that ropes had iron in them...

 

[BobDDuck]

Chain is good. Rope is hard to tie, can stretch/rot and is nasty when wet. The down side of chain is that is get REALLY hot when it has been sitting in the sun. Also, as stated, it does conduct electricity.

 

[Bigey]

Chain is good. Rope is hard to tie, can stretch/rot and is nasty when wet. The down side of chain is that is get REALLY hot when it has been sitting in the sun. Also, as stated, it does conduct electricity.

Hrmm

Then i guess it's cool for socal (ropes) since we rarely get rain!

 

[BCTAv8r]

I didn't know that ropes had iron in them...

Yes they do. How did you even graduate high school?

 

[SteveC]

Re: bizarre

The good aspect of ropes is that they have some "give" to them when the plane is getting jerked around in the wind. Easier on the aircraft structure than chains when they snap taut.

 

[Bandit_Driver]

Flight 101 in PTK uses chains. It is supposed to make it easier for the student to tie the airplane down securely and quickly.

Just clip the chains on, pull the chains taunt and chock the wheels... It is pain in the winter when the clips freeze closed.

 

[frog_flyer]

it took me a month to learn how to tie a proper knot. ask anyone at skymates