Trained pilot Phil Mickelson finds fault in an airplane take-off
Phil Mickelson, who is a CE-500 type-rated pilot, commented on a viral video of a plane taking off. The golfer has experience in this field, so his comments were not unfounded, as he recognized one particular issue.
A popular aircraft X page, aircraftmaintenancengineer, posted an old video of a takeoff and asked followers to spot the issue, and Mickelson obliged. He quickly pointed out the key issue that should've been resolved first.
The LIV Golf star pointed out:
"No flaps (usually 10-15 degrees on takeoff. Could not get above ground effect (width of wingspan from ground has more lift) without stalling."
Without the flaps, planes will have trouble getting off the ground without stalling - the issue that the aircraft page was highlighting. Mickelson might be a pro golfer, more successful than a majority of the golfers, but he seems to be well-versed with knowledge about airplanes.
This is not the first time Mickelson has waded into the aircraft world. The golfer commented on a plane crash in Toronto earlier this year, saying:
"The runway looked white and not clearly defined. There was no flare as if landing was a surprise, a strong cross wind from the right (the smoke reveals this to be the case)requires left rudder to [straighten] the nose just prior to landing but was unlikely to occur if impact was a surprise meaning the nose was off center on impact. I’m curious what the investigation reveals."
Mickelson isn't necessarily planning to retire from golf any time soon, but he can definitely have a career in aviation when he's done.
Former caddie shares emotional tale of Phil Mickelson at the Masters
Phil Mickelson played the Masters this year and missed the cut. He will play the Masters Tournament every single year until he is unable to compete, as he has a lifetime invite on account of winning the tournament three times.
After his first one, his then-caddie Jim Mackay narrated an emotional tale, via The Mirror. He said that he had waited hours for Mickelson following his win in 2004 and saw him with some figures in the parking lot at around 10 pm ET. He said:
"It's like an emotional hug...I'm like, 'Man, who are these guys hugging Phil?' It turns out these are the guys that work in the lower locker room at Augusta National (that) Phil's been tipping all these years and taking such good care of."
Since Phil Mickelson had won, he would be in the champion's locker room. The locker room staff, who had been so friendly with him, wouldn't be able to serve him anymore, and he thanked them for all they'd done for the last time.