What's new
Van's Air Force

The definitive Van's Aircraft support community! Buying, building or flying an RV? Join our exclusive family of mentors and enthusiasts!

Aviation History from your RV…..

Ironflight

Ironflight

VAF Moderator / Line Boy
Mentor
{sorry for the lousy picture - iPhone camera didn't know what to focus on - the AoA, bugs on windshield, cowling, prop, or the horizon…..}

One more trip across the lunar surface (otherwise known as flying across Central Nevada) in the RV-3! That white area up ahead is Smith Creek Ranch Dry Lake (it has other names, but that is a common one). It was a Launch Abort Site for the X-15 during high/long flights that started way up in northern Nevada. If the X-15 dropped off the B-52 and the engine didn’t light, this is one of the places that it could go - becasue it was goign to be on the ground in about four minutes (from 50,000’) one way or another. AViation history is written all over the west - and on a clear day, you can see lots of it from typical western RV cruise altitudes!

Lakebed looked a bit wet yesterday - wouldn’t have been an acceptable place to land, so the mission would have been scrubbed (as many of them were)…..


IMG_7809.jpeg


IMG_0278.png
 
How apropos. Two days ago while flying (in the back) over Nevada and watching the below on YouTube thanks to Starlink, the speaker no sooner mentioned a X-15 landing accident on Mud Lake (just south of Tonopah), when I looked out my window only to see Mud Lake! Many years ago I read Milt Thompson’s “At the Edge of Space”, which I highly recommend.
 
Tandem46 said:
How apropos. Two days ago while flying (in the back) over Nevada and watching the below on YouTube thanks to Starlink, the speaker no sooner mentioned a X-15 landing accident on Mud Lake (just south of Tonopah), when I looked out my window only to see Mud Lake! Many years ago I read Milt Thompson’s “At the Edge of Space”, which I highly recommend.
Click to expand...
Milt was a great guy, and it is indeed a really good book.
 
Ironflight said:
{sorry for the lousy picture - iPhone camera didn't know what to focus on - the AoA, bugs on windshield, cowling, prop, or the horizon…..}

One more trip across the lunar surface (otherwise known as flying across Central Nevada) in the RV-3! That white area up ahead is Smith Creek Ranch Dry Lake (it has other names, but that is a common one). It was a Launch Abort Site for the X-15 during high/long flights that started way up in northern Nevada. If the X-15 dropped off the B-52 and the engine didn’t light, this is one of the places that it could go - becasue it was goign to be on the ground in about four minutes (from 50,000’) one way or another. AViation history is written all over the west - and on a clear day, you can see lots of it from typical western RV cruise altitudes!

Lakebed looked a bit wet yesterday - wouldn’t have been an acceptable place to land, so the mission would have been scrubbed (as many of them were)…..


View attachment 104557


View attachment 104558
Click to expand...
In Nevada we glider pilots have a saying: "If it's white, it's alright. If it's brown, go around" (not that you get to go around in a glider, whether it is Shuttle, X-15, or LS-6)
 
When landing on a dry lake, any tips on judging height above the surface without good visual references (i.e. no landing lights, stripes, or easily discernable surface texture)?

We don't have any dry lakes in Alabama, so it was a new experience.

 
DanH said:
When landing on a dry lake, any tips on judging height above the surface without good visual references (i.e. no landing lights, stripes, or easily discernable surface texture)?

We don't have any dry lakes in Alabama, so it was a new experience.

Click to expand...
My only experience was on the Alvord desert SE Oregon. I just set up for a wheel landing and flew it on.
Now, any experience getting the playa dust out of your airplane ? Took me about two years!
 
DanH said:
When landing on a dry lake, any tips on judging height above the surface without good visual references (i.e. no landing lights, stripes, or easily discernable surface texture)?

We don't have any dry lakes in Alabama, so it was a new experience.

Click to expand...
Treat it like a glassy water landing in a sea plane. If you can, land near a shoreline (because you’ll have better reference and the lakebed is dryer) and set up a shallow approach so that you can simply let it fly on. Wheel landing is how it will end up because you’ll never really flare - you’ll just make contact. An alternative to a landing near the shore is to land near some tire tracks - there are very few lakebeds that haven’t been visited by four-wheelers these days… and usually frequently!
 
Ok, good. I was indeed flying it on, although sometimes I was a little surprised 😉
Shoreline and tires tracks, got it!
 
Ironflight said:
Treat it like a glassy water landing in a sea plane. If you can, land near a shoreline (because you’ll have better reference and the lakebed is dryer) and set up a shallow approach so that you can simply let it fly on. Wheel landing is how it will end up because you’ll never really flare - you’ll just make contact. An alternative to a ding near the shore is to land near some tre tracks - there are very few lakebeds that aven;t been visited by four-wheelers these days… and usually frequently!
Click to expand...
Yup, pretty much what Paul said, although there is usually some texture to the playa surface. Rarely as smooth as a pool table, although I have seen that. Often there are some rocks near the edges of the lakebed too. I've landed on Black Rock Desert near Gerlach, Flannigan Dry Lake (what some yay-hoo's call Dead Cow Dry Lake), Rabbit Dry Lake (just east of where Paul lives), and a small dry lake between Nixon and Pyramid Lake. Maybe a few others I can't think of off the top of my head.

As for getting all the dust out.....well.....its just a mess, no two ways about it. And it is usually corrosive.
 
scsmith said:
Yup, pretty much what Paul said, although there is usually some texture to the playa surface. Rarely as smooth as a pool table, although I have seen that. Often there are some rocks near the edges of the lakebed too. I've landed on Black Rock Desert near Gerlach, Flannigan Dry Lake (what some yay-hoo's call Dead Cow Dry Lake), Rabbit Dry Lake (just east of where Paul lives), and a small dry lake between Nixon and Pyramid Lake. Maybe a few others I can't think of off the top of my head.

As for getting all the dust out.....well.....its just a mess, no two ways about it. And it is usually corrosive.
Click to expand...
“Rabbit” is known locally as “Misfits” because that’s where they filmed that “pretty bad” Marylin Monroe/Clark Gable movie.

Getting the dust out? After shuttle Columbia landed on the gypsum lakebed at White Sands during one of its “Phase I” flights, they were cleaning dust out of thrusters for more than a decade…..
 
Ironflight said:
Treat it like a glassy water landing in a sea plane. If you can, land near a shoreline (because you’ll have better reference and the lakebed is dryer) and set up a shallow approach so that you can simply let it fly on. Wheel landing is how it will end up because you’ll never really flare - you’ll just make contact. An alternative to a ding near the shore is to land near some tre tracks - there are very few lakebeds that aven;t been visited by four-wheelers these days… and usually frequently!
Click to expand...
+1. We use half flaps to keep a more nose up attitude. On glaciers I’ve read they drop some pine bows and use them for reference
 
Head over to the Black Rock Desert (when Burning Man isn't going on) and fly the length. Then reflect that in 1997 Andy Green did that supersonic. At ground level. Look up Thrust SSC.
 
Head over to the Black Rock Desert (when Burning Man isn't going on) and fly the length. Then reflect that in 1997 Andy Green did that supersonic. At ground level. Look up Thrust SSC.
 
DanH said:
When landing on a dry lake, any tips on judging height above the surface without good visual references (i.e. no landing lights, stripes, or easily discernable surface texture)?

We don't have any dry lakes in Alabama, so it was a new experience.

Click to expand...

Bias toward an edge or realize the second mouse gets the cheese. Many a lakebed will have ground vehicles seeking outdoor recreation that serve the same purpose for you. Land sailing is fun. If you’re in a slide back canopy as opposed to clamshell, or have a buddy with a high wing and large window, do like the float plane guys worried about glassy water and bring “flotsam” to throw out and create contrast. As we’re non-stalling in our 3-pt, could set the attitude with a reasonably slow VVI and drive it in without normal round-out and flare, again similar to floats and glassy water. But this adds landing distance, so pick a line accordingly. Could do the same with a wheel attitude but will need even slower VVI and even more length. In fact, generally review glassy water stuff. Though there are now inexpensive and fairly precise radar altimeters available. On a lucky day, the right amount of wind will stir sufficient dust to see but not too much to obscure.

Note - the lakebed does not just obscure height, it also obscures speed. You will feel both slower and higher as you first cross over it. Good AOA, or if you must, speed scan is important. VVI too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top