The First Lesson in the New Airplane? Overly Eventful

A ‘colossal screwup’ leaves our rookie reeling, and wondering if there’s more to come.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022 at 09:29 AM ET

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A quiet grass strip is a welcome destination…particularly when an urgent precautionary landing is in order. [Photo: Jason McDowell]

Key Takeaways:

On the first lesson in his newly acquired 1953 Cessna 170, the author experienced critical engine overheating due to inadvertently leaving a cowl plug installed.
The dangerously high cylinder head temperature was spotted by his instructor, leading to an emergency diversion to a nearby private airfield.
The incident, caused by a lapse in pre-flight inspection and a cowl plug without safety indicators, deeply affected the author and underscored the crucial importance of thorough aircraft checks, though the engine performed for the flight back.

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Editor’s note: This is part one of a three-part series.

As a rule of thumb, you really don’t want your first lesson in your first airplane to be an eventful experience. Memorable, sure. But otherwise, you want a predictable, run-of-the-mill flight to welcome you into the ranks of airplane owners. That’s what I was hoping for back in August of last year, but as it would turn out, it’s not what I’d receive.