ahhhh John....... ahhhhh does the words NO THANKS come to mind.... ouch...
your exactly right about one thing..... in an emergency your mind goes into
warp speed with adreniline and all of your major muscle groups constrict to
allow the Maximum flow of blood to your brain...
if you think through all of the possibilities in advance your mind will in
fact have some information to work with.....instead of Freezing up and doing
nothing....
Planning and thinking ahead is about the most important part of Flying and
Driving I am sure..... I know I have sat in the car many times and searched
for the fire handles with my eyes closed and shut the car down... if anyone
noticed the last thing I did everytime in Paul's car was to put my hand on
the chute release........Just before the Pass
(yes Joe I made the Putt putt noises to go with it) Keith
----- Original Message -----
From: John Beckett <landspeedracer@email.msn.com>
To: Keith Turk <kturk@ala.net>; <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 1999 10:05 AM
Subject: Re: Front Brakes
> Good topic. Looking back on ECTA meets..."all" the problems we have
had
> have been with cars that didn't have front brakes...which isn't to say
that
> lack of front brakes caused the problem...but it sure made recovery
> difficult. Because of SCTA rules it's hard to mandate front brakes...but
> ECTA whole heartily recommends them on all vehicles.
>
> Here's another story relating to my own braking experience. I had a
> problem in Lionel's 427 BB powered rear engined Lakester one day at
Maxton.
> This was a rear brake only car, as many are. While making a 200+ MPH run
the
> left rear axle broke...causing the left brake pad to fall out...not to
> mention a rather hard pull to the left also. After crossing the finish
line
> the chute got tangled on the battery box...and when I started to use the
> brakes there weren't any...the pedal went to the floor. Now you have to
tell
> yourself in these situations, at these speeds, don't panic...well Good
Luck
> with that...it's pucker time.
>
> At Maxton if you use up your 4,500+' of shut down you have three
> choices: 1, Bear left cross the back side of the main runway and turn left
> again onto the large apron that parallels the main runway...this is
probably
> the best choice as there is another 4,000' of apron to run on. 2, Go
> straight onto the tall grass, but it only goes for about 1000' with a
chain
> link fence keeping you from running onto the road...please miss the ILS
> building as it will cost you $500,000. 3, Pull a hard right at the end of
> the long shutdown and continue coasting up the return road...ever try to
> make a hard turn with a 230" WB car and a butterfly steering wheel? It
> worked for me however, only because the one rear brake that was still
> working, and engine compression, did slow the car marginally, and I set
> myself up for the turn, pulling left and then right up the return road.
>
> I'd like to tell you that it was a cool head that saved the day. I had
tried
> to think and plan for what I would do under these situations. The reality
is
> that it was much more likely the grace of God that saved the day instead.
If
> I had only had front brakes I don't believe it would have been quite such
a
> panic situation. My advice...try not to panic...think...plan ahead...there
> are alternatives.
>
> Best of all install front brakes.
>
> John "got no brakes" Beckett
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Keith Turk <kturk@ala.net>
> To: land-speed@autox.team.net <land-speed@autox.team.net>
> Date: Tuesday, December 07, 1999 5:52 AM
> Subject: Fw: Front Brakes
>
>
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: Keith Turk <kturk@ala.net>
> >To: <land-speed@autox.tea.m>
> >Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 1999 4:41 AM
> >Subject: Front Brakes
> >
> >
> >> Ole Uncle Brad and I were having a discussion last night on Front
> >Brakes....
> >> I was curious how many folks don't run them... and why you wouldn't...
> >>
> >> For me at Maxton.... I like BRAKES and next year I think I am even
going
> >to
> >> run Twin Chutes.... Cars still gotta steer and they gotta stop....
> >Starting
> >> is optional....
> >>
> >> Tom Bryant gave us a great discussion awhile back on Shutting down....
> may
> >> have to go get it and share it with the list this year.... Keith
> >>
> >>
> >
>
>
>
>
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