With an IFR cross-country trip to southern Indiana pending in just a few days, I figured it was time to sharpen my IFR procedures and communications tactics. Some of my IFR skills had fallen into disuse during the previous several weeks of commercial single-engine training.
To break me of the habit of looking at the instruments for the commercial maneuvers, my instructor, Bob, had liberally plastered the panel with AOPA’s “inop” stickers to force me to look outside as we plowed through lazy 8s, chandelles, and the rest of the commercial maneuvers. Like any good instructor, Bob had drilled me incessantly on short-field landings.
But with the potential for a trip through instrument conditions, I wanted to regain some currency in the IFR arena, so I planned a short cross-country on a beautiful, clear afternoon. My routing would take me from Eagle Creek Airpark on the west side of Indianapolis to Putnam County Airport just 25 miles west of Indianapolis, then back to Eagle Creek.
As I turned to enter the downwind for Runway 3 upon returning to Eagle Creek, I noticed a Cessna Citation jet departing from Runway 3. I heard the pilot announce his departure on the unicom and that he was “staying in the pattern.” As I turned onto the base leg, I saw a shiny new Piper Meridian waiting to depart Runway 3. During my final, the Meridian pilot radioed the Citation and said he was going to try to slip out ahead of the Citation as soon as “this guy”—meaning me, in my 1978 Piper Archer—got out of the way.
At Eagle Creek the runway is long and wide—4,200 feet by 75 feet—with several taxiways to allow a quick exit. But the Piper Meridian was obviously anxious to leave and the Citation was cruising along on the downwind.
At that point I decided to do two things: show some airport courtesy and show off some of my newly acquired airmanship with a short-field landing and quick exit. This would let the Meridian out sooner and give the Citation plenty of time to land. Everybody would be happy.
On final I put in three notches of flaps and slowed to 65 knots, rolled in some up trim, closed the throttle, and let the airplane sink. I landed on pavement, short of the numbers. Nice, I said to myself. I retracted the flaps and raised the nose for aerodynamic braking. I remember thinking, if I don’t think I can make the first turnoff, I will just roll on down and everybody can wait.
The taxiway came up quickly on my left but I felt that I had good control so I made the turn. My nosewheel was slightly right of the yellow line but I was still toward the center of the taxiway. Everything was looking good. Then I saw him.
A young man carrying a camera on a tripod was dashing across the grass between the main taxiway and the runway. As I turned, the startled photographer jumped in surprise to his left. There could not have been 10 feet between my wing tip and him as I turned to the southwest onto the main taxiway. If I had drifted much farther to the right on my exit, I am almost certain my wing tip would have clipped him.
Gratified that I had missed him but a little angry that a pedestrian was on an active runway and taxiway, I stopped on the taxiway to calm down. The Meridian, which must have pulled onto the runway as soon as I was down, blew past me on my left and departed. Then I saw the Citation on final and heard him call, “low approach only.” It all became clear to me. It was a photo pass. The photographer had been in the grass setting up for the shot.
I taxied to the self-service pumps and refueled. The Citation landed and an excited young man climbed down to be met by a small posse of women. I heard something about “the video” being done and they disappeared into the FBO.
I gave a lot of thought to what had happened. Was it right to try a completely legal maneuver on a dry runway? Was I just showing off? Should I always be prepared for the unexpected at an airport? Should I have just made everybody wait?
Ultimately I concluded the answer to all of my questions was yes. Next time, I think I will land long and make everyone wait a few minutes.
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