In fall 1967, I was a Marine second lieutenant and completed my first solo in a Navy T-34. After a couple of times around the pattern, the instructor got out, slapped me on the helmet, and told me to make three touch-and-goes and come back to pick him up.
No More Happy Landings
Key Takeaways:
- The author chronicles a diverse 50-year aviation career, beginning as a Marine pilot in Vietnam and encompassing various civilian roles worldwide, including relief efforts, corporate flying, and flight instruction.
- He began to experience progressive memory and cognitive issues that increasingly affected his flying performance, leading to incidents such as forgetting procedures, failing to follow ATC instructions, and violating airspace.
- Following FAA evaluations that confirmed his cognitive decline, the author surrendered all his pilot certificates, taking one final solo flight that poignantly marked the end of his extensive career as a licensed pilot.
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