Avidflyer2
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2016
- Messages
- 1,256
- Reaction score
- 441
Reading the post on the Archer vs 777 wake turbulence reminded me of my experience flying out of Miami International waay back in 1982. My wife and I had flown a Mooney M20C into Miami a week earlier and had gone on a week long cruise to the Bahamas. Upon our return to Miami we found our Mooney after much searching (It had been moved unknowingly to us) and were anxious to leave the Class B airspace. I was a very low time pilot with about 150 hours which didn't make the situation any better. We contacted ground and were instructed to taxi to the runway in use at the time. We promptly obeyed and found ourselves in a long line of heavies headed to the departure end of the runway. I remember having to taxi behind a 747 while wondering just how far back I needed to stay to avoid his jetblast. Eventually we were at the departure end with a 747 in front, and a 747 behind us too! I felt the size of a gnat compared to those behemoths. Tower cleared the 747 in front for departure and instructed me to taxi into position and hold when able. When I throttled up to taxi onto the runway the 747 behind me (on ground freq) jokingly said, "Hey little guy, watch the prop wash." Now all I could see behind me was his giant nosewheel assembly as the fuselage was way above the miniscule Mooney. I ignored the comment and continued onto the runway and stopped on the centerline awaiting further clearance. Tower called and told me to taxi further down the runway to allow the 747 behind me to also taxi into position and hold, so I did as I was instructed. The 747 began to move and all I could hear was the sound of his engines spooling up, looking over my shoulder all I could see was his #2 engine intake! OMG! I was a nervous wreck! (Also on ground freq, I told the 747 I was afraid to be sucked up into his engine, and heard laughter in reply). Tower cleared me for takeoff with a left turn when able clearance with a snicker or two. I throttled up and heard another comment about the speed bump on the runway, anyway I crammed the throttle to the max and willed all 180 HP to get me out of there as quickly as possible. That was a very short, short field takeoff with a left turn at about 50 feet! I didn't even make it down the runway to the tower before I was turning and climbing hard, at about 500 feet with gear up, flaps up, etc I nosed it over for maximum speed to get the heck out of Dodge. I was turned over to departure and things became a little less hectic as I raced out from under the Class B the shortest way possible. The flight home was uneventful but I'll never forget that day.
