Every summer for several years, I have been flying my Varga from my home base about 25 miles south of San Francisco—San Carlos, California—to Ashland, Oregon, to take in a play at the Shakespeare Festival and then proceed to Idaho for some camping.
Down to Empty Fuel Tanks
Key Takeaways:
- The author recounts an annual cross-country flight in his Varga aircraft from California to Oregon for a Shakespeare Festival and then to Idaho for a week of wilderness camping.
- On the return journey, the pilot chose to bypass his usual refueling stop, confident that favorable winds and current fuel levels would allow him to reach an airport closer to home.
- However, he misjudged the remaining fuel and the gauge's declining speed, leading to his engine quitting at 400 feet on final approach to his home airport.
- The plane crashed inverted just short of the runway, causing extensive damage but leaving the pilot uninjured, underscoring the critical importance of careful fuel planning.
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