I lost a good friend who was a great pilot and a CFI in a Kitfox crash about 10 years ago. He was riding with the plane‘s owner, who had been warned about constantly doing max performance, high pitch angle takeoffs. He kept doing them anyway and on this flight, lost the engine at 300 feet. Witnesses said he didn’t lower the nose quickly enough and tried to turn back to the runway. I‘m pretty sure my friend just didn’t have time enough to undo what the pilot had done. Thanks for this video, fly safe folks!
Great video with very good demonstrations, Harlan! Gives you a good idea of what an engine failure on takeoff looks like in a KitFox. Keep the content coming. 👍
It's going to happen. My family has a farm in the Ms delta. I flew over it recently and it was next level. Walking gets old. 4 wheelers and side by sides are great but scare wildlife. Flying gives you a perspective like none other. I thought we had a lot of deer until I flew over it. Same for wild hogs not from seeing them but from seeing the damage. Then there's that crow thing. We have to go through gravel roads driving all over before we get where we are going. In the air it is so much better. One of the funnier things my 16 year old son noticed was even his cell phone worked once he got up to 200 '. That's another thing. Low and slow is so much more fun. @@KitfoxPilot
Thanks for this video Harlan. Gives a good idea on what's required for an engine out in those conditions, and a not so subtle hint to avoid those steep climb outs.
@@KitfoxPilot The two aboard walked away before the fire engulfed the plane. They stated that the RPMs dropped suddenly at 40 feet and the nose would not push over. Those much closer to the runway than I was claimed a fuel pump problem, but I never got word of an NTSB final report. There was little left to examine after the fire.
I use 1/2 flaps for takeoff, the flaps are not needed for takeoff only there to help if you have an engine out. Without flaps while doing these, it was a way worse outcome. Needed another 100ft alt without flaps. I didn't give all the details due to fear of boring the crowd. Haha
