I wanted to write in response to the recent Learning Experience entry
Despite my best efforts, the flight ended well thanks to Buffalo approach. They took me up and over the tops all the way to UCA where I made a simple, safe
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Little Voices
I wanted to write in response to the recent Learning Experience entry Ground Reference (September 2007) and the idea of ducking under a cloud deck on a flight between Buffalo, N.Y., and New York City. I dont doubt the author knows the route like the back of his hand, so flying it under a low overcast may be safe. Ive flown the route from Buffalo to Utica, N.Y.; the moisture pumped in from the lakes was something else. I didnt want to be high and on top, but I cant recall why. Despite my best efforts, the flight ended well thanks to Buffalo approach. They took me up and over the tops all the way to UCA where I made a simple, safe approach. The ceiling there was at minimums but it was the smoothest air Ive ever flown in, and some of the safest. The writer mentioned hills, but no reference to antennas as he flew. Hills in general are favored by radio stations and cell phone companies, and most often harbor a danger I learned to call "Porcupine Ridge." Every radio station wants to be there.
Key Takeaways:
- Pilots are warned of increased hazards, dubbed "Porcupine Ridge," from widespread antennas on hills when flying under low cloud decks ("scud running").
- Concerns are raised about ATC requiring frequency changes shortly after takeoff, which is cited as a factor in fatal accidents, prompting a call for a ban on such instructions below 5000 feet AGL.
- The editor emphasizes that pilots maintain ultimate responsibility for aircraft safety, with the discretion to ignore or defer ATC instructions when necessary.
- A reader questions the fairness and completeness of a previous headset review, citing the exclusion of newer models and the lack of detailed comparative statistics.
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