Making Do

There are a few things in flying life we might take for granted. In fact, some of us are downright spoiled. For instance, flatlanders (like me) get 99.9 percent radar coverage in our mountain-free region, all taken for granted. Southerners take for granted their three seasons of comfortable flying. Those who fly to larger cities all the time definitely take for granted the big runways, ATC help, and all the information they need at their fingertips.

Elaine Kauh

Monday, July 01, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A pilot planning a seemingly simple trip between Nashville, AR (M77) and Atlanta, TX (KATA) encounters significant challenges due to flying to small, often unattended airports.
These smaller airports lack standard services found at larger facilities, including dedicated ATC, on-site weather reporting, and comprehensive instrument approach procedures for all runways.
The pilot must meticulously plan for strong crosswinds, adapt to an outdated navigation database, and prepare for a circling approach due to limited instrument procedures, requiring heightened self-reliance.

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So if we were to plan a flight from Nashville to Atlanta, it would surely be southeastbound a couple hours from Tennessee to Georgia, with all the amenities from point A to B, right? Not this time. Our flight is from Nashville, Arkansas to Atlanta, Texas, and it’s only a 56-mile leg at that. We depart tomorrow morning, so let’s start planning.