It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and nobody was flying. My open-cockpit biplane, a Great Lakes 2T-1A-1, was just the answer for a relaxing start to the day. It’s a great airplane for sightseeing. It flies low and slow, and turns on a dime. I departed Montgomery Airport (KMYF) in San Diego and put down at nearby Gillespie Field (KSEE) for a delicious cheese omelet. When I departed, it was still a ghost town; the Gillespie controller even offered an intersection departure on the perpendicular runway, just for fun. I departed into the clear, gorgeous empty sky. What could possibly go wrong?
An Alpha Male Flirts with Bravo Airspace on a Sightseeing Excursion
Key Takeaways:
- A confident pilot meticulously flew just below Class Bravo airspace near a major airport, relying on his navigation tools but not contacting Air Traffic Control.
- Despite not technically busting the airspace, his uncommunicated flight path caused ATC to divert an incoming commercial airliner as a safety precaution.
- The pilot learned that even when legally clear of controlled airspace, communicating intentions to ATC is crucial when flying near busy areas to prevent significant disruptions and ensure overall safety.
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