How many times have you heard ATC say something like the above? What was your response? I bet the first reaction to such a statement was disbelief, followed by a tinge of anger and, finally, acceptance as you worked to come up with a Plan B. Somewhere in that mix of emotions and reactions, there may also have been thoughts unprintable in a journal like this one. Welcome to the wonderful world of aviation.
So it was a few months ago when a friend and I found ourselves out over the Gulf of Mexico in a single. We had planned our flight to and from Key West to remain within easy gliding distance of land, either the Florida Peninsula or one of a series of small islands we could at least land close to and wade the rest of the way. The route chosen was one I’d flown numerous times and is even published as a preferred one in the Chart Supplement for the departure and destination airports.
