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Icing Out of Options

As we entered the clouds at about 13,000 feet, we immediately encountered horrendous icing, and the windshield defroster became ineffective very quickly. Barry Ross
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A pilot and a CFI experienced a near-catastrophic flight attempting to retrieve a donated Cessna 210 for the Boy Scouts, battling severe icing, equipment failures, and risky decisions to fly through hazardous weather.
  • Despite the dangerous conditions and heavy ice accumulation rendering the aircraft barely controllable, they narrowly avoided a crash landing thanks to an unforecast warm air pocket that shed the ice.
  • A subsequent inspection revealed the donated aircraft had not undergone maintenance for seven years, with critical control cables found to be severely frayed and nearly broken.
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In 1980, as a local banker for 15 years, I was asked by the bank’s directors to become more involved in community affairs—specifically, to take over the position of chairman of finance on the executive board of the Boy Scouts of America in our town of Greenwich, Connecticut. In that position, I was responsible for the finances of the organization, and much of my time was devoted to increasing its income in order to fund projects.

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