I had done a transoceanic ferry flight in a single before, flying my Piper Archer over the Atlantic to Germany and selling it there for a handsome profit. I had taken a course from experienced ferry pilots in Vero Beach, Florida, had a fat binder with all flight-planning details with me, and subsequently enjoyed an uneventful yet exciting experience.
Back in the U.S., I used the sales proceeds as a down payment to buy a Socata TB-21—a retractable I chose for its range and endurance as a reliable cross-country machine— and flew it several hundred hours in sometimes questionable weather but never got anything worse than the faintest trace of rime ice.
There was one weather phenomenon, however, that scared me to the core: thunderstorms. I had done my flight training in Amarillo, Texas, at the edge of Tornado Alley, where thunderstorms are at their worst. My flight instructors had instilled thunderstorm avoidance in me by teaching that flying into one of those beasts is essentially a death sentence. Avoidance is the only option. How to deal with one should you blunder inside was never really addressed. My only education on this topic came from Capt. Robert Buck’s excellent book Weather Flying. He had been through quite a few storms in DC-3s and had come out unscathed.
Esta historia es de la edición December 2019 de Flying.
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Esta historia es de la edición December 2019 de Flying.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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The Temple of Speed
Reno entices even this altitude-oriented pilot.
Flat Sixes
Fanatical artisans
Blue over Green, Tent in Between
I’m old , I’m cranky. Why do I keep air-camping?
Gulfstream Reveals G400, G800
The product lineup gains large-cabin and ultralong-range mounts.
Every Airplane Requires a Checkout
Embrace the challenge of mastering a new machine.
Fuhggedaboutit
Fifty-plus years of f lying forgetfulness
THE MAULE FAMILY APPROACHABLE AIRCRAFT
Choose your mount —the Maules do it all.
Sisters
“ Women certainly have the courage and tenacity required for long flights.” —Mildred Doran
INSIDE OUT OR OUTSIDE IN?
What kind of pilot should you be?
WE FLY: CESSNA CITATION CJ4 GEN2
THE FLAGSHIP CJ JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT BETTER.