Miracle Intervention of Fate Leads to Positive Outcome on Flight to South Africa

Flying conditions can change rapidly, especially the weather, so it's best to always be prepared.

Peter Dearlove

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A flight to South African reminded the author how fascinating flying can be. [Illustration: Joel Kimmel]

Key Takeaways:

A VFR pilot, accustomed to benign weather and without an instrument rating, encountered unexpectedly severe and rapidly deteriorating conditions during a family flight to the coast.
Forced to divert, he struggled to locate a mountain-surrounded airfield obscured by low clouds and mist, preparing to make an emergency landing on a dirt road.
In a "miracle intervention," the last-minute appearance of a descending glider unexpectedly revealed the hidden airfield, allowing for a safe landing.
This harrowing experience taught the pilot the critical importance of obtaining an instrument rating, meticulous pre-flight terrain analysis, and always being prepared for sudden weather changes.

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Learning to fly and becoming the owner of a Cessna 182 were two of the happiest and most exciting times of my life.

Over the next few years, I could scarcely be kept out of the cockpit, flying friends and relatives wherever and whenever they wanted. What I did not do, however, was expand my skills with an instrument rating—all my flying was VFR. That was because of the benign weather in the country where I lived in the heart of Central Africa, and in truth, there was only one occasion in more than 1,000 hours when I regretted the omission.