Hi Al,

I'm glad everything worked out as well as it did.  Congratulations on
keeping your cool in an unusual situation.

I've had several incidents (three I think) of a door coming open,
usually just at lift-off.  Nothing worse than a lot of noise resulted.
As I remember, it happened to me in a Cherokee 140, Bonanza, and most
recently on about the third flight in my BD-4.  In that instance I had
failed to latch the door due to some distraction just before I took
the active.

Is there any possibility of redesigning the way your door hinges so that
it won't depart the plane in such a situation?  It might loose some
"cool" factor not having the gull wing door, but from experience I know
these thing happen. :)  The possibility of a prop strike, makes
prevention more important.

Bob W.

On Mon, 1 Jun 2009 08:51:04 -0800
"Al Gietzen" <ALVentures@cox.net> wrote:

> .Wonder if this has ever happened to any other Velocity ??............Glad
> to hear
>
> both you and a/c are OK.....................
>
>  
>
> To the best of my knowledge, mine is the fourth such incident.  Some years
> ago, the Velocity factory recommended an automatic lock be used, similar to
> the passenger side door.  I didn't like the design because it took two hands
> to open the door; not exactly what I'd want in an emergency.  I thought my
> double spring over-center linkage on the latch was the better way; and maybe
> was.  I don't know, but I have to leave open the possibility that I had not
> fully engaged the latch.
>
>  
>
> Al
>
>


--
N93BD - Rotary Powered BD-4 - http://www.bob-white.com
3.8 Hours Total Time and holding
Cables for your rotary installation - http://roblinstores.com/