AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 104

NEVERAGAIN

BY SHANE TEDJARATI

The 100-hour itch

I

was a freshly minted private pilot, and I was nearing that ego-boosting 100-hour mark. I was itching for a “real” mission—a long and exciting cross-country flight.

I decided to fly three friends from Winnipeg to London, Ontario, for an international youth conference. It would be more than 25 hours round trip and would require complex cross-country planning, cross-border, and busy airspace. My Piper Arrow was the perfect machine for the mission. After three exciting days at the conference, we headed back. We cleared Customs at the busy Chicago Midway International Airport, and as we took off for the next leg to Minneapolis-St. Paul, I knew something magical was going to happen—I would reach 100 hours. We landed at Minneapolis midafternoon.

After refueling, I checked the weather and the FSS informed me that though my route of flight looked to be VFR, a low pressure system was hanging over the Great Lakes and we could expect some weather moving westward over our route of flight. I had a decision to make. The weather along the route was VFR and I would have enough fuel to divert or go indirect to Winnipeg. I debated with myself, but not for long. We all had to be at work the next day. We were on a budget and staying at a hotel would blow it. I filed for 6,500 feet agl all the way to Winnipeg. As we headed northwest, I started noticing the lowering clouds getting uncomfortably close. I descended to 4,500 feet, then to 3,000. The farther we flew, the more weather we encountered weather. I could see precipitation to the east and northeast of our flight path. Soon, the sky over us was getting darker, and the weather was closing in. I was getting uncomfortable, but still hoping to make it through. Then we started to encounter some showers followed by turbulence. My passengers were silent. I was talking to the Minneapolis controller and informed him that I needed to descend lower to stay out of the clouds. I was now at 2,000 feet and the weather was all over me. We were bouncing everywhere. I no longer knew exactly where we were. The farther we progressed north, the worse it got. I diverted west, then south, only to find that it was as bad or worse. I contacted the Minneapolis controller. No response! My passengers were beginning to panic. We were now about at 1,000 feet agl, flying in all directions to dodge the weather. I felt alone and helpless. Suddenly I heard a voice on my radio: “Canadian Piper Aircraft, this is Federal Express cargo at 17,000, can you hear me?”

Plus— Listen to an original Never Again story.
AOPA PILOT •

SARAH HANSON

104 • MARCH 2012



AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012

AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012
Contents
President’s Position
Hangar Talk
AOPA Media
AOPA Action
Letters
Waypoints
Proficient Pilot
Safety Pilot
License to Learn
Pilot Counsel
Fly Well
Pilot Briefing
Rally GA: Rights for Pilots?
Keep ’Em Flying: New Voices for GA
Another Day, Another Island
Wx Watch: The Whys of Wind
Avionics: Angle of Attack Indicators
Products: There Are Accessories for That
Tougher Than a Tornado Sweepstakes: Happy Birthday
Never Again
Fly-Outs
Fly by Wire
Pilots
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - President’s Position
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Hangar Talk
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 9
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - AOPA Media
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 11
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - AOPA Action
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 13
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 14
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 15
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 16
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 17
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 18
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 19
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 20
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 21
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 22
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 23
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Letters
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 25
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 26
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 27
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Waypoints
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 29
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Proficient Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 31
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Safety Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 33
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - License to Learn
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Pilot Counsel
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 37
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Fly Well
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 39
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Pilot Briefing
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 41
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 42
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 43
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 44
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Rally GA: Rights for Pilots?
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 46
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 47
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 48
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Insert001
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Insert002
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Keep ’Em Flying: New Voices for GA
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 50
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 51
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Another Day, Another Island
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 53
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 54
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 55
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 56
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 57
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 76
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 78
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 79
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 81
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 85
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 86
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 87
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 88
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Insert003
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Insert004
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 89
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 90
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 91
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 92
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Wx Watch: The Whys of Wind
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 94
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 95
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 96
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Avionics: Angle of Attack Indicators
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 98
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Products: There Are Accessories for That
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 100
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Tougher Than a Tornado Sweepstakes: Happy Birthday
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 102
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 103
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Never Again
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 105
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 106
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Fly-Outs
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Fly by Wire
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 109
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 110
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - 111
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Pilots
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2012 - Cover4
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