Flight Training - March/April 2023 - 23

WHAT HAPPENED
SWITCH
AND
I hadn't considered the
strong westerly wind that had
taken me farther east than I
realized as I flew southeast
toward Providence, and
that had slowed me down
as I flew southwest toward
Poughkeepsie.
SAVE
ceiling and 1,800 feet above
the tallest mountains in
southern Vermont.
The first half-hour was
uneventful, but soon things
became eventful. The ceiling
was dropping rapidly, and as
I descended to stay clear of
clouds, I was getting closer
to the mountain tops. Not
wanting to descend more, I
began a climb, not realizing
the ceiling was now just a
few hundred feet above.
The instant I entered the
clouds, I knew I didn't
belong there. I lowered the
nose and cleared the clouds.
Immediately, one of Joe's
mantras was broadcast in my
mind: first fly the airplane,
then navigate, and finally
communicate.
I decided not to continue
DECISION MAKING
FOR PILOTS
on my present course but
instead divert to Poughkeepsie
because I believed the
ceiling was higher over the
Hudson Valley. I did not know my
exact position but turned southwest
knowing that would take me to the
Hudson River, which I could follow to
Poughkeepsie. As time passed, despite
good visibility, the Hudson was not in
sight, and I was concerned because it
would be dark in an hour.
I had never called Flight Service from
the air. I knew it was possible, but did
not know how they could help without
radar. I explained my situation and that
I was a student pilot. Using my single
VOR, they were able to cross reference
my position. Much to my surprise, I
was heading directly to Poughkeepsie.
It was comforting to have the company
of FSS until I spotted Poughkeepsie and
switched to tower.
Every year,
approximately 75
percent of all aircraft
accidents are caused
by pilot error, with
a large number
the result of poor
decisions. Making
good decisions doesn't
require superhuman
skill or exceptional
judgment-just the
ability to recognize
basic problems, and
then take action
to correct them.
This ASI Safety
Spotlight provides
recommendations
for developing
your own set of
personal minimums.
airsafetyinstitute.
org/spotlight/
dotherightthing
I landed uneventfully in
daylight and taxied to the
FBO. Using their telephone,
I called Joe and explained
the situation, telling him
that I would be spending the
night in Poughkeepsie, and-
weather permitting-would
return tomorrow. The FBO
tied down my airplane and
drove me to a motel.
The next morning, I took
a taxi to the airport and found
that it had snowed overnight.
This necessitated an hour of
deicing in a heated hanger.
My flight home was uneventful,
and Joe greeted me with a
warm welcome.
Besides my mistake of
ascending into clouds, my
other error was not realizing
why it was taking me so long
to reach the Hudson River
when I diverted to Poughkeepsie.
I hadn't considered
the strong westerly wind that
had taken me farther east
than I realized as I flew southeast toward
Providence, and that had slowed me down
as I flew southwest toward Poughkeepsie.
My 7.1-hour cross-country flight
certainly was a learning experience in
the days when there was no GPS and
flight following. The most surprising
lessons were that I was capable of a lot
more than I would have guessed with
my relatively little solo flying experience,
and that I was able to call on my
stored knowledge and skill when they
were needed. That is a tribute to Joe,
who taught me well, including repeating
critical practices such as " pull carb heat
before retarding the throttle " ad nauseum.
Most important, Joe's repetition of
" fly, navigate, communicate " kept me safe
on March 1. Thank you, Joe.
FLIGHT TRAINING MARCH/APRIL 2023
23
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Flight Training - March/April 2023

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