Posted for "Eric M. Jones" <emjones@charter.net>:

Since both brake failures and Catalina are being discussed. I should tell
the story of a failed brake (one side---broken brake line) while landing on
Catalina in a C172. I found with enough rudder and aileron it was not too
much of a problem. In fact it was not too much different from (the training
for) blowing a tire. Just fly the plane. It does not become an automobile
when the rubber meets the runway.

Catalina was one of my favorite places to fly. Really worth it. In the
summer when the sun beats straight down, the black shadows under the
chaparral, toyons and live oaks hide huge black bad-tempered buffalo and
their calves. Eat the buffalo-burger at the FBO restaurant.

Years ago (as I recall) a Lear Jet tried to land there (against the tower's
standard recommendations). The pilot committed to landing, touched down,
then changed his mind because the runway LOOKED short and started to take
off again, then he changed his mind and decided he had room to stop, then he
changed his mind and decided to take off again. The airplane rolled off the
end of the runway and killed six or eight businessmen from Santa Barbara out
for a long lunch and a buffalo burger. His first three ideas were probably
okay.

The point of this story is that there is PLENTY of runway on Catalina.

Regards,
Eric M. Jones
www.PerihelionDesign.com
113 Brentwood Drive
Southbridge MA 01550-2705
Phone (508) 764-2072
Email: emjones@charter.net