Read Greg’s latest Flying Carpet column, “The Longest Day,” appearing in the December, 2009 issue of AOPA Flight Training magazine, and see additional photos.
This is the third installment of a four-part “cross-the-country” adventure by light airplane. (You no longer need to be an AOPA member to access my column. New photos have been added to those previously posted.) ©2009 Gregory N. Brown
If you enjoyed this story, you’ll love Greg’s book, Flying Carpet: The Soul of an Airplane. Autographed copies available!
Happily, my only experience with that kind of headwind was not as long of a trip. I suppose every pilot will deal with very strong headwinds or other delays that put their trip planning to the test. Staying up to date with forecasts, using FlightWatch, and being acutely aware of time and fuel burn are critical to a positive (if not ideally successful) outcome.
For myself, I start getting antsy whenever a fuel gauge starts to read less than half full. That probably comes from being a renter who flies whatever is available. I have never had the chance to become deeply familiar – or complacent – with any single craft.
On my windy trip, although the trip out and back were separated by a few days, the winds were up the whole time. It meant that the trip back was twice as long, and made for some interesting decision-making before and during flight. I wrote about it here: http://eightgaits.blogspot.com/2009/01/slow-boat-to-china-part-1.html Though it ended up being a longer day of flying, it was still enjoyable to meet the various challenges and keep everything running smoothly.
Greg, another great column in the December edition. Thanks very much for sharing.
Thank you, CJ! Where do you fly out of? Greg