John Penney

[AAFO_WSagar]

John Penney Deadstick Landing...

I'm going to try to post this for SkyRacer.. it's video of John's deadstick.. Posted with permission of John Penney.. Upload has been timing out for SkyRacer.. let's see how I do..

Here's hoping

Where's that fingers crossed smilie thing???

**edit**

Aaargh... timed out for me too...

OK... here goes.. uploaded it via ftp..

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

not sure why the file's are timing out at only 10 mb... I may have to make some config changes that may well have gotten dorked when the server melted down during a hurricane or some other disaster that I've purged from memory..

[Skyracer]

Re: John Penney

It wasn't me! It wasn't me! Thanks Wayne for putting an end to the frustration of trying to upload the clip.

Now then...Yes, it is shaky. Yes, the Bear is pretty small in the picture (try full screen mode, it helps). Yes, the crowd sound is kewl. This was taken with my handy dandy Sony digital pocket camera with 3X optical zoom (slightly better than a cellphone cam), handheld in the wind at the top of the reserved grandstand while standing on the tippy seat rail with a bunch of other off balance people. Not so bad then, is it? And, at least it was captured and it is being shared.

Hope you all enjoy. I only ask that you respect the copyright.

[MRussell]

Re: John Penney

Damn good. THANK YOU for uploading that.

[Dash]

Re: John Penney

Great thread!

[taglialavore]

Re: John Penney

John, I met you in Reno '94, you won the Gold then, and I took pictures together with you and Lyle Shelton. I was there thanks to Joe & Angela Barbero, I live in Argentina. I always follow the Unlimiteds and time ago I thought you were the best but today I think you are also the right pilot for that right plane. Thank you a lot for landing both, you & Rare Bear, safely. Surely it was an instant in your pilot life that will bring a lot of nice moments for the fans, with the Rare Bear races to come. Thank you for your professionalism.
Fly Fast, Fly Low & Fly Safe
I apologize for my poor english.
Jorge O.Taglialavore

[nitromainia]

Re: John Penney

That little barrel of aluminum drops like a rock! Looks like she's sinkin' 2000fpm on short before the flare- Maybe Mr. Penney could lend some insight... I doubt you were lookin' at the VSI ....and I'd say you looked like you did it 150 times in the sim! What are (were) you using approach speed..... Or does it just come natural? Way to stick it!

[Bob]

Re: John Penney

When I saw that landing I I stuck out my finger and made a little hissing sound, cause it was HOT, best landing I saw all week.

[ramptramp]

Re: John Penney

Mr John Pinney did a magnificent job of bringing that racer down in the dramatic fashon he did. Hopefully, I will get to shake his hand one day! Anyways, great job!

[Frank C.]

Re: John Penney

Mr. Penney,

That was a great summation of the situation. You, Dave Cornell, and Steve Hinton did a great job of bringing the mighty Bear home. Congrats on your 1st place finish to you and the whole team!

Frank Caruso

[nageditor]

Re: John Penney

A wonderful job by one of the finest gentlemen pilots around.
Johnnag

[MMPerk]

Re: John Penney

A wonderful job by one of the finest gentlemen pilots around.
Johnnag

["Bear" Driver]

Re: John Penney

To all,

Thank you all for your nice comments regarding the events of that Sunday's Gold Race. Your generous accolades are humbling.

As I said in my previous, it was no less than a team effort getting the job done of a victorious finish, and the subsequent landing. Our crew had one of the hardest weeks I've seen them push through to the finish that I've ever seen. three to four to five hours of sleep before very early morning work calls were the norm all week. The months leading up to race week were characterized by many of the crew taking time off from work without pay ("WOP"), and giving up opportunities for working overtime that is typical for their normal work schedules. I've never seen our crew work harder for a victory in all the years I've been privileged to work with this team. Again, search out the picture on this site of the "Bear" completely stripped, its state of restoration right up to Saturday of PRS, and you'll have an appreciation of this crew's accomplishments in what was less than 90 days to Gold sunday.

Now to the landing, most of you didn't hear the conversations between Dave Cornell and myself regarding our plan and shutdown techniques for minimizing shock to the motor. And as I've said, Steve Hinton was right there doing and saying the right things, just at the right time. The choice of landing on runway 32 was made to minimize the "flicker vertigo" from sun in the face that all of us racers have to put up with landing after the late afternoon Gold Race. Runway 32 also has a much longer and more suitable overrun off into the dirt should the landing be mis-estimated too long. Runway 26 was actually a better runway choice from an energy standpoint given the strong winds down the runway, but hey, runway 32 worked out OK.

If we had descended down to the best high key position for the deadstck landing, with the power we had on the engine, we would have been going like stink. Thus the decision to shut the motor off on a downwind position to the high key. Speed bled off from about 320-330 KIAS down to around 200-210 which I estimate as our best glide. (There are no published numbers for best glide with the "Bear" in its configuration).

On about a 90 degree base to the runway for the landing, I threw the gear out at 175 KIAS. Normal gear operating speed is 140, but slowing to that speed would have put us well behind best glide and severely compromising our energy state. At that point, with the runway made, the aim point was dropped back from the customary 1/3 down the runway for a deadstick to a point closer to the near end of the runway. Runway 32 has a displaced threshold which I was using as point short of which not to aim.

As we do during a normal approach, we flew an angling final to the runway to keep the touchdown point in sight, rolling out at the last second and using periperal sight to line up for the touchdown. Normal crossing the fence speed is about 105 KIAS, but we bumped it up to 125 KIAS so we had energy to turn the corner in the flare. As said in the previous, I was surprised, (and pleased), with what turned out to be one of my nicest landings of the week! Rollout and stop were uneventful.

Keep in mind the since the motor was shut off, there was always the last ditch option to turn the motor on again, which we really didn't want to do because of potential damage to the motor (throttle position was stuck at about 45 inches of manifold pressure), and the sudden torque at low speed might have been rather exciting.

All in all it turned out OK, again because of teamwork, but we are hopeful that we don't have to practice what we can do to improve either a plan for such an occurrance or its outcome!

As said before, thanks again for all your interest and support of the "Rare Bear" and our hard working team.

John Penney, "Bear" Driver

[ebutner]

Re: John Penney

What a guy, what a team.. Hats off to you all. You'll have my respect forever.

[Daver]

Re: John Penney

Wow. Here's another visual to go along with what John just described.

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: John Penney

Ohmagod John.. I've had little time to keep up with this thread.. just dropping in for a moment at the end of a long productive day at the most amazing Gathering of Mustangs and Legends.. and skimmed this post...

I've just never read anything like you pilots have been providing here since RENO and don't know how to thank you enough for sharing the experience!

THIS is what this is all about... THANKS!!

Wayne