> It just happens to be that the quantity of fuel in the system (tubing,
> gascolator, valves, fuel pumps, etc) is approximately enough fuel to get
> airborne and not sufficient altitude to return to the airport, any
> runway. And if you were able to make a 180 degree turn, then you will be
> landing down wind, using much more runway length.

I saw him try.
Pauanui (literally "Big Paua"*) is a holiday resort built on a sand
bar, with a single strip running across the  sandbar from the ocean at
one end to a tidal estuary at the other. He took off towards the
estuary. Pauanui is saturated with pine trees and he banked hard over,
saw that he didn't have a show of getting back through the trees and
straightened up and dropped into the. I joined the zillion other
people running for the beach. Those who could were doing a Hudson
River wing walk by the time I got to the shore edge and several boats
were already in attendance.

I was surprised to hear subsequently that there had been injuries -
but I also know that water landings can be very nasty at speed.


                 Russell


* Approximately ~~=3D Abalone I think.
--=20
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