Racing a Storm Is Not the Best Choice

Ferrying an airplane for a friend takes a turn for the worse when a storm prompts a hasty reaction.

Andy Gelston

Friday, August 12, 2022 at 01:15 PM ET

Verified

[Illustration: Joel Kimmel]

Key Takeaways:

A pilot recounts flying a newly purchased vintage Piper Cub cross-country when a severe storm forced an unplanned, emergency landing at an unverified, overgrown grass strip.
After an uncomfortable overnight stay in the leaking, mosquito-infested aircraft, the pilot performed a risky takeoff the next morning from the challenging field, barely clearing obstacles.
The author reflects on a series of poor judgments—racing the storm, landing at an unverified airport, and a hurried, dangerous departure—concluding that survival was due to chance rather than skill or luck.

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“Would you go to Hanover County, Virginia, and fly the Cub I just bought to my grass strip in southeastern Wisconsin?” A friend in need asked me—and I was happy to make the trip.

“Sure.” So I flew commercial into Richmond where the seller picked me up, then introduced me to the prewar Piper J3L-65 Cub. She was original and in remarkably good shape, so I prepped her for the trip and slept on the FBO’s couch that night.