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Hey, Let’s Make It Another Day!

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The article illustrates a pilot's decision to cancel a flight due to strong crosswind forecasts, highlighting the importance of prioritizing safety over external pressures, a choice respected by other aviation professionals.
  • It details two primary crosswind landing techniques – the crab method and the forward slip – offering practical guidance on their execution, including adjusting approach speed and flap settings.
  • Pilots are encouraged to develop and maintain crosswind proficiency through progressive practice, understand their personal and aircraft limits, and never hesitate to delay, divert, or seek further instruction when conditions are challenging.
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“Whoosh!” Blustered the gust from the Amtrak Metroliner as it roared past the railroad crossing in my dream. I’d managed to incorporate the sound into my dream but then when Rueben, our geriatric Aussie mix, barked to go out in the middle of the night, I realized it wasn’t the Amtrak train; it was the wind bulling its way through the trees outside our bedroom window.

Waiting for Rueben to take care of business, I watched the whirling wind in the willows and began to question the advisability of making the flight I had scheduled in the early morning from Columbia County (1B1) to Hartford, Connecticut’s Brainard Airport (HFD). I had already cancelled one appointment to have the software and hardware update performed on my Garmin 480 navigator because of icing forecasts and I was reluctant to have to reschedule again. I’d made the original appointment late in the month to allow the return of my Trimble GPS from FreeFlight where it had been upgraded to accept the now required higher capacity memory card. And now, with the annual inspection due by the end of the month, the pressure was mounting to keep the appointment at Exxel Avionics.

FLYING Staff

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