Looks like he checked his canopy but didn't know how to lock it properly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSo7DYAZLo
I am not sure if it was overly tiring holding the canopy closed but assuming it was not..... I would have considered climbing to a higher altitude, more roll control with rudder inputs, searching for a longer runway and setting oneself up for a nice long stable approach at a good approach setting(such as 1500 rpm) at reduced flap and then bringing the power to idle at a few hundred feet.
But perhaps others have their own suggestions on what they might consider.
Canopy Opened in Flight
Moderators: North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister
Re: Canopy Opened in Flight
I think a little bit of confirmation bias here is okay because we know that what he did worked so it’s certainly a correct answer.
The Sonex has a pretty big canopy that I suspect has a fairly low pressure acting over an expansive top surface. I bet there’s a lot of force there to fight against. On top of that, the one in the video has a canopy that tips back to open. Had it opened all the way and stayed attached, the airplane would likely have been unflyable. Likewise had it opened and come off, there was a risk of it colliding with the tail and possibly also rendering the plane unflyable. For those reasons I agree with the notion of getting back on the ground immediately.
The Sonex has a pretty big canopy that I suspect has a fairly low pressure acting over an expansive top surface. I bet there’s a lot of force there to fight against. On top of that, the one in the video has a canopy that tips back to open. Had it opened all the way and stayed attached, the airplane would likely have been unflyable. Likewise had it opened and come off, there was a risk of it colliding with the tail and possibly also rendering the plane unflyable. For those reasons I agree with the notion of getting back on the ground immediately.
