10th November 1997

Warning: This points to "wav" sound file which is probably quite large Cessna 182 engine.

FUA as she was ten years ago.

Hello, I thought you could use this flying story in your Web Page.

A few days ago I was driving back to Guelph from Kitchener, where I had seen the Super-Dogs "Hollywoof" performance. It was about four-thirty and although I was driving away from the sun, it shone like headlights in all my rear-view mirrors. I felt really sorry for the pilots who may be landing on 25 at Waterloo, as well as other drivers returning to Waterloo without sunglasses. It reminded me of this essay which I wrote a few years ago:-

It was in 1967 and I was working as a civilian clerk at the Central Police Station in Dorchester, England. I spent my days typing summonses which the police constables had written out: ... "At the place of the accident, the Morris Minor car had exited a side road in a northerly direction, directly into the path of oncoming traffic. The motor bus had immediately removed the front of Mr. Jones' Morris Minor. I warned Mr. Jones that anything he said may be taken down and used in evidence against him. He said: "Well Officer, I could not see anything as I was completely blinded by the setting sun" ... I stopped typing this one of numerous accident reports submitted by police officers and commented to Sergeant Watson, my companion in the office: "Why on earth would anyone drive directly into oncoming traffic, unable to see. Why would anyone drive into the setting sun .. without sunglasses ?" .. Why indeed!

Twenty years later I had my answer in no uncertain terms:

It was a pleasant, still, very bright, hazy afternoon about five years ago, in November. I had just received my Private Pilot Licence. This had not been easy for me, at the age of forty-eight. But, finally, I was allowed to take passengers.

On two occasions previously I had visited the local Flight Control Tower at Waterloo. They spent time showing me how well they could see the air traffic, how they would give the winds and altimeter, D.F. steering, etc. On calm days they would often be using both runways at once and coordinating all the aircraft like so many remote-control toys. The use of both runways was particularly interesting and stuck in my mind.

I had been checked to fly the Cessna 172 called FUA. Everyone agreed that it was a plane that "really likes to fly". One tended to make long landings and it has to have much greater power reduction to descend, compared with the 150s, in which I had always trained.

My husband and his friend, Tony, decided to accompany me in the 172. We thought we would go to take video pictures of Tony's farm.

This venture was such a pleasure. I felt quite elated and full of confidence. As it was then only a ten minute trip to the control area at Waterloo, I thought they would like to go over there.

It must have been about 15:30. I circled over Guelph Lake and requested permission to enter the Control Area; giving the "ITPAID" information: Identification, Type, Position, Altitude, Intention and Destination. I sounded good on the radio. The only thing that bothered me was when I spoke into the microphone, my passengers could not hear my voice. The intercom had a strange cut-out mechanism. This meant they did not know I was addressing the tower and they interrupted me.

On receiving clearance I turned to a heading of about 250º. At this point I realized I had made a big mistake. I was looking straight into the setting sun, without sunglasses and could not see a darned thing for a minute or two. My mind was frazzled and the magnificent sunset shot across the windshield in a blinding golden fog.

When the "minute or two" were up things really started happening: I glanced down the side of the plane - the only place I could see without being blinded - and there was the Waterloo Airport already. At that moment the Tower cleared me straight in on final for runway 25! .. I was still at 3,500 ft. and short final altitude at Waterloo is about 1,300 ft.

I suddenly felt as though I was on a bolting horse. My two passengers were blissfully unaware of my predicament. I desperately needed to tell the Tower: " HELP .. I can't get down!" But my passengers were chatting. Other pilots were announcing. No words came to mind to express my distress.

At such an altitude there was no way I could get down on short final. I decided the only thing to do would be to go overhead the airport and descend on the other side as I always had at the uncontrolled airport. In the instant it took me to think about this .. I was in more trouble already:

My heading was 250º The Tower said "FOXTROT UNIFORM ALPHA TURN RIGHT AND GO EAST".

"If I turn right I shall be going North" .. I thought, madly plowing on. "He must be looking at someone else" .. "Do you have me in sight?" I blathered hopelessly. I suddenly saw two other pilots in fron and below me, shearing off to either side.

"She's going the wrong way in the downwind" .. muttered another voice, obviously unaware of my altitude.

"WILL YOU TURN RIGHT IMMEDIATELY AND GO ALL - THE - WAY - ROUND - TO - THE - EAST - HEADING OF 090º". Said the Tower - eventually.

"Foxtrot Uniform Alpha, turning right", I intoned.

"ABOUT TIME TOO .. I TOLD YOU TO TURN RIGHT FIVE MINUTES AGO", said the Controller, obviously very concerned.

I took several deep breaths, gulped my dry mouth and was extremely glad to get the mind-bending sun out of my eyes. If I had been alone I might have taken all power off and side-slipped. But, with two passengers I just reduced power and got down as best I could.

It was not good enough. On short final I was still too high and too fast - 90 kts! FUA came down like the proverbial "Stuka" and zipped along the runway, giving my passengers quite a thrill!

After that I really needed to come to a full stop. "Turn left on 14", said the Tower. This I did. However, I suddenly realized that 14 was, of course, a runway. My mind rivetted on the fact that on calm days they used both runways. I had never ever seen anyone taxi on a runway. I must have misunderstood his instructions. I rapidly turned around and went back onto 25 - the runway I had just landed upon. ... "OVERSHOOT .. OVERSHOOT" barked the Tower. And, the incoming plane aborted his landing on 25!

FUA waddled happily along to the end of 25, then I had to taxi Alpha back to the beginning. "AND WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO NEXT, FUA?" asked the Controller, with great patience.

"I think I'd better go back to Guelph". Our return flight to Guelph was uneventful, BUT .. someone had left the ADF (automatic direction finder) tuned to a local radio station and this began to play rock music, scrambling my mind and announcements. The 150s in which I had trained did not have ADF equipment. I did not know where this sound came from and could do nothing to stop it.

As before, without any headwind I came in on short final too high and too fast, also chickened out on full flaps. FUA remained off the ground for the length of the longest runway and I was forced to go around ... I could almost hear FUA laughing!

Next time around I finally got the picture. Got my speed down, got the flaps down and got the plane down.

FUA was parked and we unloaded. It was getting dark and I was so relieved to be down in one piece.

At the Guelph Airport Office I was told a gentleman was waiting to see me. I was expecting someone about an aircraft. However, it was the Controller from Waterloo. I am still grateful to him for being so conscientious. He had a very difficult afternoon with a number of Control Tower students. Numerous pilots were diving at each other in his area. Then, I arrived. There had been other pilots coming into Waterloo, unable to see the Airport until they were upon it. He was tired, at the end of an exhausting and nerve racking afternoon .. But he had taken his own time to drive over to Guelph in the name of aviation safety.

He explained that if the Tower tells you to taxi on a runway, then it is ok to do so. If the Tower tells you to turn right, then you do that and you can assume the Controller is able to see you. If you had any problems you must tell the Controller immediately. He also emphasized that if the oncoming plane had put his wheels on the runway I would have lost my licence.

Later I spoke to my instructor about all this. He listened intently and heard all these problems out. Finally, he took a deep breath and said .. "You know what your first and worst problem was don't you ? .. No SUNGLASSES!".

PS To all you drivers out there who think it is "cool" to wear aviation sunglasses .. These shades are particularly designed for flying. They specifically do not screen out sparkle and shine- because when we are flying we actually want to be able to see anything sparkling (particularly when it is approaching head-on).