Flight Training - June 2023 - 26

PREFLIGHT FLIGHT LESSON
BY BARBARA SANTAMARIA
BUT I WANT TO GO HOME!
LISTENING TO THE GOOD PEOPLE IN ATC AND FLIGHT SERVICE
WHAT HAPPENED
I could see some
lightning off to
the west, but
since I was going
north, I wasn't too
concerned about
how that would
affect me.
Not to be put off, I explained all of this
to the controller, whom I knew could not
prevent me from leaving. Fortunately for
me, however, he was not to be deterred.
" There is another aircraft also on its
way to Buttonville that is waiting, " he
informed me, to appeal to my better
judgment. " Fine! " I replied, feeling
annoyed. " I'll call flight service and
then get back to you. "
IT WAS A HUMID AUGUST EVENING IN TORONTO, CANADA, IN THE
1990s. I was a flight instructor at the time and was lucky enough
to possess my very own 1978 Cessna 172, which I would use to fly
from my home airport Toronto Buttonville (CYKZ) to Toronto
City Centre (CYTZ) where I instructed.
As I did not enjoy flying at night, I always made it a habit to
depart for home just before full dark. My time in the air to get
from City Centre to Buttonville was a reliable 0.2 on the Hobbs
meter, or 12 minutes. It was a straight line north that kept me
clear of any restricted airspace or other areas that might require
a deviation, and I had flown the route so many times that it had
become routine.
I was slightly busier than usual that day and was behind
schedule to get home before full dark. My 172 was waiting
patiently for me on the ramp, and after completing a quick walkaround,
I jumped in and started up. Normally, I would have called
flight service first to confirm the weather en route, but I had done
this trip so many times that I decided this could be omitted from
my preflight routine, since I was in a hurry. Sound familiar?
I could see some lightning off to the west, but since I was
going north, I wasn't too concerned about how that would affect
me. When I called ground control for taxi instructions, the controller
on duty suggested that I wait because of lightning in the
area. Hmm, I thought. I've already started the aircraft, and I really
just want to get going. In any event, I surmised, the lightning was
not on my route of flight.
26
FLIGHT TRAINING JUNE 2023
DO THE RIGHT THING
DECISION MAKING
Approximately 75
percent of all aircraft
accidents are caused
by pilot error, with
a large number
the result of poor
decisions. Making
good decisions
about flying doesn't
require exceptional
judgment-just the
ability to anticipate
and recognize basic
problems, and then
take timely action to
correct them.
airsafetyinstitute.org/
spotlight/
dotherightthing
When I called flight service, I was
informed that a tornado had just passed
through Buttonville and would have
coincided precisely with my arrival time
at the field. More than gobsmacked, I was
left humbled by the knowledge that if
not for the insistence of the controller on
duty that night, I would likely have met
with a not so happy fate.
I have never forgotten this most
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impressive lesson, and to this day, I
make it a habit to always call flight service
before every flight. Despite all the
technology available for us to reference
without ever having to talk to anyone,
there is no substitute, in my humble
opinion, for the invaluable input that
these professionals offer.
I share this story with all my students.
When it comes to aviation, haste is not
your friend. As the saying goes, better to
be on the ground wishing you were in
the air, than in the air wishing you were
on the ground. I never did get to thank
that controller, but from the bottom
of my heart I am full of gratitude, and
I hope that, if nothing else, this lesson
learned will help to provide all pilots with
some food for thought when it comes to
risk assessment and the importance of
reminding oneself when decision making
is clouded by desire.
TOP LEFT: ALEX WILLIAMSON; ABOVE: STEVE KARP
http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/spotlight/dotherightthing http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/spotlight/dotherightthing http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/spotlight/dotherightthing
Flight Training - June 2023

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