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Feeling Fuelish

Overconfidence, with a strong desire to sleep in my own bed that night, almost leads to disaster from multiple causes.

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A pilot faced a risky flight home due to misjudging fuel requirements against stiff headwinds and rapidly deteriorating weather, which closed potential refueling stops.
  • Pressing on with critically low fuel and encroaching nightfall, the pilot resorted to scud-running to their VFR-only destination, ultimately landing safely but acknowledging the significant danger.
  • The key lesson learned was the importance of conservative fuel planning and making early, safer decisions like refueling proactively or delaying a flight, rather than pushing limits.
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After several relaxing days, I finally was able to strap on my Cardinal RG and head home. I’d had an enjoyable family holiday, but it was time to face the music and be back at the office the next morning. Only I was 450 miles from home, with the destination weather forecast to get gnarlier as the day went on. Even with the stiff headwinds, I had enough fuel to make it a non-stop. Sort of. As it turned out, I should have stopped for gas before the weather worsened.

The first hundred or so miles had me cruising among at least three stratus layers, all of them broken. I could intermittently see blue sky above and terrain below. My fuel computer told me I had adequate reserves at my destination, given the headwind. Just.

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