Utility of GA

I could fly above the worst of that, but headed west wed need a fuel stop. Now, I trust the near-all-weather capability of my airplane, perhaps more than I should, but descending through freezing rain and snow, and then climbing back through it were activities Id rather avoid. A new route was needed.

Editorial Staff

Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The article highlights the usefulness and capability of general aviation (GA), enabling a swift outbound flight with favorable winds.
Despite encountering an "arctic superstorm" on the return, the pilot successfully rerouted with careful planning to avoid hazardous weather and ensure a safe flight.
Even with a longer return journey and a fuel stop, the overall GA travel time and experience compared favorably to commercial airline travel, offering convenience and flexibility.
The key takeaway is that with reasonable care and planning, general aviation flights can be conducted safely and efficiently, even in challenging conditions.

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Once again it was time to visit the Southeast U.S. I’m preaching to the choir here, but I’m repeatedly struck by the usefulness and capability of flying general aviation, and this trip was another prime example.

I’d watched the developing December weather patterns and expected poor weather. But, the forecast for departure was clear skies. As a bonus, our flight out at FL210 experienced up to 100 knots of tailwind. Wahoooo! We made the 1240 nautical-mile trip nonstop in about 4:30 hours. What a rush!