Back when I was a fledgling aviator with less than a thousand hours in my logbook, I ferried airplanes for various aircraft brokers throughout the United States to build time. My goal was to gain 1,200 hours of flight time so that I could hopefully become employed flying canceled checks with a Part 135 operation. The brokers would buy an airplane and call me to reposition it to their home hangar. They liked using me because at the time I worked for a major airline with flight benefits and this saved them a good deal of money.
Density-Altitude Debacle Leads To Near Disaster
Key Takeaways:
- A pilot ferrying a Grumman Tiger experienced a dangerous takeoff situation from a high-elevation airport due to complacency.
- Despite the aircraft's generally good performance, the pilot, in a hurry, failed to calculate the critical density altitude at the 6,877-foot airport.
- This oversight led to an extremely slow takeoff, with the plane barely clearing the runway, highlighting the crucial importance of always checking density altitude, especially at higher elevations.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
