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I Learned About Flying From That: A Memorable Day

One pilot's brush with bad weather shows
how crucial it is to be prepared for anything.
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The pilot encountered a severe, unexpected thunderstorm directly over their destination airport (Lunken Field, Cincinnati), necessitating an immediate go-around and diversion to a nearby alternate airport.
  • The experience underscored the critical importance of pilot preparedness, including having approach plates readily available and always having an "out" or alternate plan in mind for rapidly changing weather.
  • The article emphasizes that weather forecasts are fallible, and pilots must be ready to adapt to evolving conditions, maintaining composure even under internal stress.
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__My wife’s sister invited my wife and I to spend Memorial Day weekend with her and her husband in Cape May, New Jersey. An early summer visit to the Jersey shore sounded like fun, plus I could fly us there in our Cessna Skyhawk. Our plan was to fly out on Saturday, spend a couple of days and return on Tuesday. We had a time cushion on either side of the weekend, so I didn’t think weather would be a problem.

Saturday morning was hazy and overcast in Indianapolis, and the Weather Channel radar showed a line of precipitation in central Ohio just north of our route. Our IFR flight to Morgantown, West Virginia, was uneventful. We landed in marginal VFR conditions, stretched, refueled and headed on to Cape May in improving weather. As we flew directly over the Baltimore-Washington International Airport at 7,000 feet, we could see the New Jersey coastline.

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