Downs and ups

It is a beautiful day. Light winds, warm and clear.

The flight from Minneapolis to Pierre was routine and after spending the day taking a long nap at our company apartment I'm headed home after a long week of flying.

From Pierre it's a quick flight down the Missouri river to tiny Chamberlain, SD, then Sioux Falls and finally home.

My freight arrived early so I am ahead of schedule and the fine weather has me optimistic that I'll be home early.

In Chamberlain it all goes wrong. I touch down gently and start slowing when I realize something doesn't feel right. It takes a few seconds to process what's happening.

The right main wheel is not rolling, but skidding. I let off the brakes and by then it is too late. The airplane lurches to the right and the vibration starts and the work begins. Hard left rudder and brake to keep the 310 on the centerline and I wobble to a stop.

A few seconds of inattention has left me with a flat tire. Worse still, there is no maintenance in Chamberlain.

I hop out, look at the tire in disgust and immediately call my company. A flurry of calls later and a mechanic is dispatched from Pierre with a fresh tire while I can do nothing but wait, frustrated by my stupidity.

By the time the mechanic lands it is dark. He quickly changes the tire and I am on my way, 2 hours behind schedule.

So what caused the flat? Hard to say exactly, but perhaps I was lighter than usual, got on the brakes a little earlier than usual while there was still some lift left in my wings and it was just too much for the balding right main. Or maybe it was going flat to begin with and I just finished it off. Or perhaps I just braked too hard without realizing it.

Not that it matters. Two seconds of “what's that?” was all it took to turn a fine day into a long, frustrating and expensive one.

I try to chalk it up as just another learning experience, which it is, and comfort myself with the knowledge that I'll likely get home in one piece, which is what matters most, but I'm still in a foul mood the rest of the way home.

On a higher note, one of my private students passed her check ride on Friday. It's always satisfying when a student achieves their goal but this was a little more satisfying than the rest.

She had started training with a different instructor who hadn't done her many favors. When she told me stories of her instructor yelling at her, grabbing the airplane and generally acting unprofessionally I was dismayed. She'd had her confidence shaken to the point that she was going to quit.

It took a while to undo the damage done by her previous instructor but in the end she turned out to be a fine pilot, which is a testament to her persistence and courage. Learning to fly is difficult enough, I can't imagine doing it with an instructor who was anything less than totally professional and supportive.

Watching the examiner write out her temporary certificate helped take the sting out of what had been a lousy end to the week.