Tip up opened in flight...oops

[Build9A]

I hate to expose my stupid mistake here but it might be interesting and even helpful to others.

In a hurry to beat the rain out of Stuart, Florida this am I took off with my tip-up canopy unlatched. It flew open right after lift-off while dealing with a fairly challenging cross wind. Certainly not a time for such a distraction. When I got straightened out and set up to land I noticed I was quickly running out of runway below me and was too fast. So I went full power and took off holding on to the secondary latch with my right hand. It was at that point that I remembered the RVator article dealing with this exact situation. I remembered that you could release the handle and the canopy will only open about 6-8 inches. I let go of the canopy handle and asked the tower to let me remain in the pattern and return to land. Sure enough the canopy stayed open to about 6 inches and stayed there. The noise reminded me of Hurricane Wilma (which destroyed six planes at this airport and one big hanger). On downwind I slowed to around 85 mph, extended about 1/2 flaps, trimmed for coordinated flight and decided to take my hand off the stick and try to close it. Guess what, after pulling down with my right hand on the secondary latch, I was able to securely latch the canopy with my left hand. You cannot pull the canopy down going much faster than 85 mph. I contacted the tower and told him I had solved the problem and requested departure to the NW.

This is not meant to suggest that you not worry about this checklist item, cause it caused me some tense moments. The first was the distraction with crosswind conditions, then the land or go around decision, and then flying relatively low and slow with no hands. FOLLOW YOUR CHECKLIST. I certainly will cause I know I don't want to do this again. Jack

[McFly]

I like happy endings.

Is the canpoy undamaged? Was there any movement or shaking of the canopy when you took your hand off the handle or did it just kind of float? Just curious.

[Build9A]

McFly:
There was no damage and no shimmy or shake. It just sort of floated up. Just noise until I got it closed. Jack

[robertahegy]

Good to hear, first hand, characteristics of this mistake. Thanks for sharing. Reminds me of the time I forgot to latch the upper latch on my Cherokee during a cross country solo while still in student training. It was December in Wisconsin and the flight was quite cold.

Roberta

[Sam Buchanan]

In a hurry to beat the rain out of Stuart, Florida this am I took off with my tip-up canopy unlatched.

It happened to me when I was in a hurry to join the mass departures out of Sun-N-Fun. It was blazing hot so was taxiing with the canopy propped open. We had three or four planes that were taking off as a gaggle in the midst of the multitude of S-N-F traffic. As soon as I applied full throttle I was blessed with a wonderful blast of cool air. About the time the plane was ready to fly I had figured out that I wasn't supposed to feel a wonderful blast of cool air!

I trimmed the plane for a 100 kt climb then started trying to close the canopy that was riding ~six inches open. By using both hands while holding the stick with my knees I was barely able to get the canopy down far enough so I could quickly release one hand and push the main latch forward. It was so hard to latch I was sure I had damaged the latch.

But the latch still works fine and I decided that if faced with a similar situation in the future, I would do as advised in the post above and find a place to slow down the plane and work on the canopy. Trying to latch the canopy while in the mass climb-out from S-N-F was not the smartest move.......

Sam Buchanan

[Rick6a]

Originally Posted by Build9A

I hate to expose my stupid mistake here but it might be interesting and even helpful to others. In a hurry to beat the rain out of Stuart, Florida this am I took off with my tip-up canopy unlatched. Jack

I listened to the Eustace Bowhay recording about the unfortunate pilot who left his RV-9A slider canopy unlatched resulting in a landing accident and significant airframe damage. I just had to shake my head, and wanted to shout at the recording.
http://www.vansairforce.net/old_news.htm

My very first RV ride EVER was in a -6 tip-up and the embarrassed (retired) airline pilot forgot to latch the canopy. I spent 3/4 of the introductory flight trying to and eventually latching it. My biggest regret was spending more time playing canopy tag than actually flying a real live RV for the first time.

Without boring you with details leading up to my event....and that could border on sounding like excuses....let me just say that I too found the slider canopy on "Darla" unlatched while in flight. The wind and noise were notable, but that's about it. No way was the canopy going to latch. Slowing down and hauling the nose up to the edge of a stall, I still couldn't get that #@*! canopy to latch. Then, I was visited with a personal epiphany..........why bother? Resuming normal flying speed, I discovered you couldn't OPEN that canopy either.....even if you were on fire, wearing a parachute and wanting to bail.

Soon after I starting flying Darla, a fellow experienced RV'er light-heartedly asked me "Well, have you taken off with the flaps down yet?" He said, "There are those that have, those who will, and those who won't admit it." I had to laugh.

Before some of you start giving yourselves congratulatory school yard pats on the back because YOU are personally immune from ever committing such stupid pilot tricks, I "could" refer to the familiar childhood refrain..."I know something YOU don't know!" But I'll settle for the more empowering...."That which does not kill you makes you stronger!"

Rick Galati RV-6A "Darla"