When the text blipped across my iPhone screen, I couldn’t help but grin. My friend—and JetBlue captain—Mike Strauss and his wife, Christa, were inviting my wife and I to his newly purchased home in Colorado. One of the attractive aspects of the invitation was that the trip out west would be flown in his Cessna 180 Skywagon, an adventure in itself.
Two Airline Pilots and a Skywagon
Key Takeaways:
- Two experienced airline pilots embarked on a multi-leg cross-country trip to Colorado in a single-engine Cessna Skywagon, aiming to visit a friend and ski while avoiding pandemic-era airport crowds.
- The outbound journey involved navigating significant headwinds, fog, and careful weight-and-balance planning, requiring flexible route adjustments to avoid adverse weather and ensure passenger comfort over two days.
- The return trip presented similar weather challenges, including freezing fog and snow flurries, leading to multiple delays, diversions, and strategic rerouting, including eventually crossing a high mountain pass.
- Despite numerous complex aeronautical decision-making situations and unexpected weather, the trip was completed safely and successfully, providing the seasoned pilot-author with valuable new general aviation insights.
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