Occasionally getting off the beaten path is an important experience for pilots, according to airline captain Sam Weigel.
“Many young pilots get their private and commercial licenses without ever having flown off of unpaved runways or short ones, or ones that are just short for the density altitude, or ones with obstacles or mountains around,” Weigel said. “Instead, student instructors simulate these conditions on long, paved runways, going through the motions without ever experiencing the effects of real-world conditions.”
This week, Weigel flies to three grass strips to review the important short- and soft-field techniques a pilot can hone while visiting them.
