Light Sport Airplane Makes Emergency Landing on a Lakeshore

A "postage stamp" strip of shoreline, at Lake Berryessa, was the only place to set her down, when smoke and the stench of burning electrical wire (or was it?) permeated the cabin!

[@CoinTradingBoy]

What a great video! Thanks for sharing your story. I would never have thought of walking back to examine the field or dump fuel. 👍👍👍

[@Paul_Lucas]

Welcome back! Love your videos - they’re so straightforward and honest about making mistakes. Safe flying!

[@StingFlight]

Thank you, Paul! (Even though that obligatory "fuel dumping" was rather crass, and may "bite" back!)

[@brandonthompson8411]

Great to see you out there again and really appreciate the honesty, makes me want to triple check everything on my trike.

[@smittysmith3227]

Great video Rich and was glad to see you again”👍👍

[@35057]

Thank you for he videos! It really has been a while but it’s good to see you back again., ✈️

[@jamesbruzgis9476]

Cool! I just flew the sting sport for the first time today. Cool airplane

[@goproaction1617]

Love your videos keep them going and fly safe

[@karenrichardson3432]

It looks like the boaters were keeping an eye on your takeoff. I bet they were surprised to see you there.

[@ibgarrett]

At least yours was fly-able after your landing. My Sting required quite a bit of repair after putting down in a field after losing 2 of 3 prop blades.. :)

[@StingFlight]

I know, Brian, I had your mashed-up Sting in the back of my mind, making this re-creation✔😁

[@utahhomeloan]

Good to have you back! Keep uploading, please!

[@DNModels]

Good one!

[@jenniferwolfe8747]

Great Video!

[@jimsandoval7633]

Very cool recreation of an event.

[@technomentis]

Excellent! Thank you for sharing.

[@johnyeary1]

Awesome!

[@benstockert1219]

Always enjoyed your video, good call doing a precautionary landing.👍

[@stingireland29]

Great to see you back ...just off to charge up my gopros !

[@StingFlight]

Yes sir, charge 'em just before flight...the key to keeping them running✔ And hook them all to one GP remote control.

[@erstugs]

Glad to see you doing well and flying. I haven’t done any videos in a long time also. Maybe try doing some in my Sonex this spring.

[@StingFlight]

Thanks! Go for it🎈

[@brettwest549]

Great to see you are back! While watching was thinking this might be the best real-world emergency in progress, well documented, and flawlessly executed. But awwww, you fooled me! Two questions, it looked to me you had 20 to 30 feet of runway behind you when you started the take-off roll, did we not see something in the frame that blocked that portion of run-way? In a real short field situation, most shut down and push their plane all the way back to get every inch of runway available. Second question, you dumped flaps at about 20’ AGL, I am not sure the procedure in the Sting, but in every aircraft I have flown, that’s a big no-no? Great video even though a “re-creation” thank you!!

[@StingFlight]

The unused part behind me, was rocky and too bumpy. You're right about dumping the flaps a little too soon! I need to watch that. I was still well below the 15-Degree flap speed limit of 75 knots.

[@walterrawdanik8077]

Why would that be a big no no ? I dump flaps as soon as I hit 60 knots which generally happens around 80-100 AGL ... I don't really need flaps for takeoff on pretty much 100% of runways I use, but I still use them all the time because it lets me get off of the runway quicker and thus minimize wear and tear on the gear.

[@markseward1214]

Great video. Glad I wasn't in the right seat with ya or it would have been an overnight stay!

[@StingFlight]

Yep, for sure...too much weight✔🌟 And, it's a good thing you sold your Sting, otherwise, I would probably have convinced you to take it up there with me--and risk mashing it!

[@drdpetizo]

Love the videos! How is the sting? Is it hard to find parts when needed? Your videos have made me look for some used ones

[@StingFlight]

I love it or wouldn't have taken off in one 4,200 times over 2,800 hours in 10 years. Parts come from the Czech Republic so they can take some time. However many small, consumable parts, such as brake pads are motorcycle parts, which are widely available in the US. The main impediment is that, because of the composite fuel tanks, you need to run alcohol-free 91 (or better) auto-gas. Check here (www.pure-gas.org/) for such gas near you, before investing in one of these airplanes. Av-gas (100LL) is also authorized for short-term use, though.

[@froggyziffle]

A friend who was helping me with something left his reading glasses on the top of the engine case on my Cardinal. I didn't notice and he didn't say anything so it sat right there until the next time I took the cowl off to change the oil. By then one of the lenses was cracked from the heating and cooling. So yeah, it happens to all of us.

[@StingFlight]

That flashlight of mine dropped down, and rested on, the Muffler🎆 It was definitely no joke!

[@flytoday]

great video, shame about the lack of rain

[@StingFlight]

Yep--but even worse, is the lack of snowpack! cdec.water.ca.gov/snowapp/sweq.action

[@ttabs]

Ah yes - I was on the edge of my seat until the confessional. Whew! I too leave things on top of my engine - and maybe it's time I stop.

[@StingFlight]

Yes sir, Tom...could bite✔😁

[@ForFunFlyer]

Nice vid, sir. Are you the Sting owner who suffered from a delaminating fuel tank? Did you take extra pictures during the restoration work, e.g. from the fuel pickup line? I'm a TL-96 Star owner and am curious about the construction of the tank, fuel level sender unit, fuel pickup line, etc. Don't know about similarities, but I think a lot is same on both our A/C 😉

[@StingFlight]

Yep...that would be me. More later...flying now✔😁

[@ForFunFlyer]

@@StingFlight Roger! Would it be possible to send met those pictures via email or DM on social media? Have a nice flight!

[@walterrawdanik8077]

ForFunFlyer here is the very forum thread about the fuel tank ...sportpilottalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4132

[@StingFlight]

@@walterrawdanik8077 Thanks, Walter (Warmi)! I just got home from flying and was going to send exactly that!

[@ForFunFlyer]

@@walterrawdanik8077 Yes, I saved all those pictures, but still looking for pics of the fuel pickup line, etc.

[@cmtetaboaco]

Sting Bush plane ;)

[@michaelgrisewood3358]

Please, please, please, can you make more videos?

[@StingFlight]

Working on 'em! Next one up by end of this week--for sure! Thanks!

[@michaelgrisewood3358]

Sting Flight thanks so much. I really enjoy your videos. I’d love to move to California and fly with the freedom you guys have. Thanks . M

[@AZVIDS]

Awesome video Rich! Waiting long time for you to make a new one and was happy to get notification. I traded my Sting 3 last year for another Savage, this time with 180hp Titan, check my vids...

[@StingFlight]

Will do! Thanks✔🎈

[@StingFlight]

Oh yes! You got the airplane I NEED!

[@albergan3174]

Do you really think 48lbs would have made a difference? Great job of polluting the beautiful watershed you flew around. Gees it would be different if you were in Alaska or a wilderness, but gee there were fisherman and roads all over the place . Bad move.

[@StingFlight]

Like I said, I hated to do it, but yes, I'm quite confident, after 2,800 hours and 4,200 take-offs in this machine, that shedding 48 lbs very definitely made a significant difference--and may have "made" my day 6.5 years ago, when this event actually happened. Also, in this re-creation, I limited environmental damage, by draining less than a pint onto the ground--about what I see the local landscaper "dumping," as he fuels his screaming 2-stroke machines--which some mornings, at 0700 make me want to either commit suicide or put a "bolt" from a 200-lb crossbow through his head!

[@walterrawdanik8077]

You do what you gotta do - a few gallons in an emergency ( meaning perhaps once in your lifetime) is not going to make much difference