With some advance planning, bringing your new airplane home can become an instructional adventure. [Photo: Jason McDowell]
Key Takeaways:
The author, a new airplane owner with limited recent flying experience, initially planned to combine the long ferry flight of their new Cessna 170 with a full checkout, flight instruction, and refresher training over a restrictive three-day weekend.
This ambitious plan was wisely scrapped after a friend pointed out the severe risk of "get-home-itis" due to the tight schedule for a 1,600-nautical-mile trip in a slow aircraft, which could compromise safety if weather or mechanical issues arose.
While the plane was delivered safely by others, the author recommends that future new owners arrange for more flexible, extended time off to truly leverage the ferry flight as a comprehensive, educational, and adventurous introduction to their new aircraft with an instructor.
Jason McDowell is a private pilot and Cessna 170 owner based in Madison, Wisconsin. He enjoys researching obscure aviation history and serves as a judge for the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. He can be found on Instagram as @cessnateur.
