Milking It: How to Extract Every Last Bit From Airplane and Pilot

The aircraft’s state of utility must be measured only once before a flight, but the aviator’s is a moving target.

Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 08:55 AM ET

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FLYING contributor Ben Younger says a flight from New York to Birmingham, Alabama, is about the limit for his Beech Bonanza as far as nonstops go. [Courtesy: Ben Younger]

Key Takeaways:

The author experienced a noticeable decline in pilot skills after a five-week break, leading to a challenging approach and emphasizing the need for regular practice.
He contrasts the straightforward process of maximizing an aircraft's utility with the more complex and dynamic challenge of evaluating and operating within a pilot's own changing physical and mental limits.
A demanding IFR return flight, complicated by personal stress and operational oversights (like forgetting to activate runway lights), underscored that a pilot's readiness is a moving target requiring continuous self-assessment and vigilance throughout the flight.

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For my birthday this year my buddies transported my bike down to Alabama for a race weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. That’s Brooklyn to Birmingham. Pulling a trailer, it takes more than 17 hours. I know, as I’ve made the trip more than a few times myself. Drinking interstate coffee, eating caloric garbage, filling the tanks every 300 miles, sleeping fitfully at truck stops when fatigue finally overwhelms you. I chipped in for gas, but they did all the heavy lifting.

So, how did I get down there? I’m sure you can guess.

Ben Younger

Ben Younger is a TV and film writer/director, avid motorcyclist and surfer—but it’s being a pilot that he treats as a second profession. Find him on Instagram @thisisbenyounger.