4 for 2024 continues!
1️⃣ All flights deserve the same amount of planning
During our October Missouri/Arkansas trip, we encountered two situations where the airports we landed at didn’t have fuel when we needed it. With so many airports around, it seems like it should be easy to just hop over to one for a quick fuel stop, right? However, because the airports were so close together, we didn’t have enough time in the air to properly discuss crucial details like pattern altitude, pattern entry, weather, and more. We should have reviewed these aspects more thoroughly on the ground before taking off, even though it was only a 10-minute flight.
[Original posts: fuel stop 1, fuel stop 2]
2️⃣ Don’t trust skydivers
We’ve flown to two active skydiving airports, and our first visit went much more smoothly than the second. On the second trip, Steven was diligent in speaking with the skydiving facility owner to confirm it was okay for him to take off, and he also checked with the other pilot on the radio (the one who had dropped off the skydivers), who assured him there would be at least 5 minutes before the skydivers landed. So we took off, but shortly after becoming airborne, I spotted a skydiver spiraling down fast in 360s, and Steven had to turn at a much lower altitude than he would have liked to give the skydiver ample space. Despite all the communication with the owner and the other pilot, the unpredictability of skydivers once they’re in the air became clear. It’s better to wait until they’re on the ground before taking off or landing.
[Original posts: successful skydiving encounter, scary skydiving encounter]
3️⃣ Finding a “new-to-you” airport is a lot harder than you’d think
Small airports are surprisingly tricky to spot from the sky. They don’t take up much space, and are sometimes tucked between things or right on the edge of something, making it challenging to locate them from 10 or even 5 miles out. This year’s award for the hardest-to-find airport goes to 58C – a tiny grass strip in a field!
I really want to get better at this in 2025. A good starting point will be studying satellite images and familiarizing myself with the surrounding landmarks. That way, if I can’t spot the airport right away, I’ll have reliable reference points to guide me.
[Original post here]
4️⃣ Don’t rely on ForeFlight
This is a special lesson, just for Kim, which I apparently need to learn quite a few times before it sticks. The lesson is USE YOUR FREAKING EYES TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOWS KIM, AND JUST USE FOREFLIGHT FOR REFERENCE AND WHEN ASKED. The examples are too embarrassing for me to share here, but let’s just say I’ve said some dumb stuff because of something I saw on ForeFlight. I’ve gotten a little better with it as I’ve learned the app and flown more. I know what is important to share with Steven (airport elevation, radio frequencies, weather, pattern altitude, runway numbers, other planes nearby close to our altitude) and what isn’t. But the truth is I have a lot of improving to do. Good thing I’m not the pilot in command MUAH HA HA.
Honorable Mention: We need to meal plan better on long flights!
I don’t know anything about flying, but this was nonetheless fascinating to read! The skydiver thing sounds very scary though.
I’m glad it was entertaining! And the thing with the skydiver WAS scary. We wanted to get away from him but it was so low to make a turn. Ugh. We learned A LOT that trip.