AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 97

reason I activated the Century autopilot.
That let me scan the gauges, look out the
window, scan the gauges, look out the window, scan the gauges….
“Centurion Niner-Four-Four-ThreeMike. Do you copy?”
“Centurion Niner-Four-Four-ThreeMike. Do you copy?”
That’s interesting. It sounds like someone’s talking. Who is Centurion? And my
name isn’t Mike. And Oh. My. God! Where
was I? And why was I so sleepy?
“Niner-Four-Four-Three-Mike.”
“Niner-Four-Four-Three-Mike. We’ve
called you a half dozen times. You need to
switch to Regional Approach.”
My shaking fingers fumbled changing the frequency. I had fallen asleep and
couldn’t remember a thing. How did this
happen?
I called Approach while pulling the
hairs on my left forearm to stimulate the
lizard part of my brain—and anything else
that could feel sharp pain. I could scarcely
believe that after safely logging more than

500 hours, I had nodded off. Was it the
heat? Dehydration? My noise-cancelling
headset? The drone of the engine? The
boring ride? Did any of that even matter?
If the autopilot had not been turned on,
if it had failed, if ATC had been trying to
divert me from conflicting traffic, if a gas
tank had run dry, if I had never woken up….
I shuddered. My son and I would have been
flying among the clouds for eternity.
Several lessons learned that day have
informed my flying for the past 600 hours
and dozen years. Don’t get in the airplane if
I’m feeling tired or haven’t slept well. Don’t
let the autopilot do all the work. Stay busy
while the airplane’s flying. Stay hydrated.
Two pilots are always better than one. And
land if I start feeling sleepy.

I thought about that, and a lot more,
that hot afternoon after landing in Dallas.
Lifting my sleeping son from the back of
the airplane after gently pushing aside
strands of light auburn hair clinging to
his damp forehead, I was reminded of the
words of another pilot—Antoine de SaintExupéry—who wrote, “As the little prince
dropped off to sleep, I took him in my arms
and set out walking once more. I felt deeply
moved and stirred. It seemed to me that
I was carrying a very fragile treasure. It
seemed to me, even, that there was nothing more fragile on all Earth.”
AP
OA
KEVIN KNIGHT is an instrument-rated

pilot in Dallas who owns and flies a 1967
Mooney M20F.

A collection of classic “Never Again” articles is available in eBook format
(www.aopa.org/ebooks).

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013

AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013
Contents
President’s Position
Visual Approach
Letters
Waypoints
Proficient Pilot
Foundation Focus
License to Learn
Pilot Counsel
Fly Well
Mosquito Bomber
Debonair Sweepstakes
History
Fly Outs
Fly Outs
News
Test Pilot
Test Pilot
Fun and Games
Panel Power
Make Mine a Tail Dragger
Meigs 10 Years Later
Fly Off: Head-To-Head
Safety Pilot Landmark Accident: When Nothing Makes Sense
Remedial Landing School
Technique
Technology
Wx Watch
Avionics
Avionics
Frugal Flier
Frugal Flier
Never Again
Never Again
Membership
State & Local Action
Member Products
AOPA Foundation
Insurance Services
Fly by Wire
Pilots
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - President’s Position
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 9
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Visual Approach
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 11
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Letters
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 13
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 14
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 15
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Waypoints
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 17
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Proficient Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 19
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Foundation Focus
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 21
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - License to Learn
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 23
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Pilot Counsel
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 25
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Fly Well
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 27
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Mosquito Bomber
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 29
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Debonair Sweepstakes
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 31
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - History
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 33
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Fly Outs
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Fly Outs
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 37
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - News
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 39
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Test Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 41
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Test Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 43
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Fun and Games
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - D-1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - D-2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 45
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Panel Power
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 47
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 48
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 49
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 50
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 51
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 52
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 53
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Make Mine a Tail Dragger
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 55
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 56
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 57
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 58
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 59
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 60
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 61
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Meigs 10 Years Later
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 63
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 64
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 65
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 66
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 67
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Fly Off: Head-To-Head
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 69
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 70
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 71
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 72
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 73
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Safety Pilot Landmark Accident: When Nothing Makes Sense
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 75
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 76
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Technique
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 79
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 80
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 81
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Technology
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 83
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Wx Watch
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 85
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 86
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 87
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Avionics
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 89
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 90
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 91
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Frugal Flier
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 93
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Never Again
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 95
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 96
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 97
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Membership
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 99
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - State & Local Action
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 101
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Member Products
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 103
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - AOPA Foundation
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 105
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Insurance Services
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 107
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Fly by Wire
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 109
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 110
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 111
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Pilots
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - Cover4
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