I’m sitting in Atlanta this weekend on a layover in a corporate aircraft. The weather yesterday and all last night was very heavy fog. Taking off at night in near zero visibility in a single engine small prop plane is a terrible idea. I can’t imagine the risk reward decision this pilot made to go?
I wonder if it was cold enough to have Structural icing?
I was flying in corporate planes quite a bit back in the late 1970’s. Many of the pilots were in the Vietnam War and flew in almost any weather conditions. They were crazy, but thankfully good pilots.
We often used small airports where you had to buzz the runway to chase the deer away prior to landing. Other times the ice on the runway was so slippery I couldn’t stand after exiting the plane.
I’m not a pilot, but I absolutely love to fly. For years I had a client who owned a corporate charter service and I frequently tagged along in the co-pilot’s seat for the enjoyment.
Flying makes the earth seem so small. I’ll never forget the first time flying high altitude at night on the East Coast and seeing the lights of several large cities at the same time. It really changes a person’s perspective.