I Learned About Flying From That: The Longest Journey

Howard Paul

Monday, April 14, 2014 at 09:33 PM ET

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** To see more of Barry Ross' aviation art, go
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Key Takeaways:

The author delivered a Cessna 150M from Phoenix to Florida, facing persistent challenges including strong winds and moderate to severe turbulence across multiple states.
A critical incident involving extreme fatigue and severe turbulence forced the pilot to declare an emergency and land immediately with ATC guidance, highlighting the dangers of pushing limits.
Fatigue led to subsequent errors in judgment, such as forgetting to remove chocks and accidentally falling asleep for two hours at an FBO, prompting a decision to stay overnight.
The author reflected on key lessons learned, acknowledging that flying beyond comfort levels and underestimating the impact of fatigue on vigilance and judgment were significant mistakes despite good initial planning.

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I purchased 3723V, a 1976 Cessna 150M, to help defray the cost of acquiring my instrument rating and to build time. After earning the rating, business took me to Phoenix, and due to the desert heat and the thermals, it soon became apparent that I needed a turbocharged airplane. So I sold 23V to a gentleman in southern Florida under the agreement that I would deliver the airplane to him.

Flight planning put the trip around 18 hours. I would depart Deer Valley heading southeast toward Tucson to remain west of the mountains and then fly almost due east to cross them while following Interstate 10 all the way to Florida before heading south to my final destination, Airport Manatee (48X) in Palmetto.