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Busting the Bravo

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A pilot inadvertently entered Class B airspace without clearance during a return flight, attributing the error to inadequate pre-flight planning for the specific leg.
  • Air Traffic Control (ATC) identified the violation but was understanding, prompting the pilot to apologize immediately and later file an Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) report.
  • The incident served as a critical learning experience, emphasizing the importance of thorough flight planning for every segment, even when familiar with nearby controlled airspace.
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It was a good day for flying, and I had agreed to fly a fellow pilot/neighbor and his wife an hour or so away so he could conduct some personal business. The destination airport was a non-towered facility southwest of and outside a nearby piece of Class B airspace. Our flight down was uneventful and my neighbor was able to conclude his business.

The route back to home plate I put into my GPS navigator was to an outlying airport to the east, so I could top off with some cheap gas. As a result, the route was oriented slightly more to the north than had been the inbound flight. 

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