“I don’t think it’s ever been this smooth before,” the learner remarked as we headed east toward the practice area.
Most of his training was done in the summer, in the afternoon no less, when thermals at low altitude batted around the Cessna 172 like a cat toy. This early fall afternoon was refreshing—the air mass was stable, the air calm, and the clouds were up high and looked like a watercolor wash in painting. The trees below us were coming into their autumnal colors, and pumpkin patches dotted the landscape. There was the faint smell of wood smoke in the air as it was cool enough for some folks to fire up their stoves.
