INCIDENT REPORT

After lunking cargo around Alaska in NAMC YS-11 for the last few days, I thought I 'd give the Grumman F3f a quick spin around Sitka Harbor. This WWII veteran had been built to fly off of carriers, so it should be a piece of cake here. This was the first time I flew this great old bird (seems to be a pattern here?) and I wasn't sure of it's handling. After lurching off the runway, I finally started getting the feel of it and could see what the old carrier pilots saw in it. It's heavy, but powerful and wanted to climb.

Felling fairly confident, I turned to base with the threshold a little behind my left shoulder and made a one mile final. I went a little wide and brought it back in to line up. Watching the airspeed... 110 kt... feeling pretty good. No flaps to worry about on this one. 100kts... 200 feet... threshold dead ahead... looking good. 100...50...right on the line. 20... 10... Uh, wasn't there something I was supposed to do? Oh yeah... LOWER THE LANDING GEAR!!! ARRGGGHHH!!!

The sparks and smoke in FS2002 are great, aren't they? Oh well, there's probably still one or two flying somewhere.