I owned a Baron 55 for 10 years. It’s a fantastic airplane. Mine was not pressurized which means it has a low ceiling and can’t fly over bad weather. I flew the airplane and flew it well but I would never let myself get a license because I know myself and I would take off someday when I shouldn’t take off. So, I had a retired Continental Airlines pilot with 20,000 hours. We never had a problem and never flew into a Thunderstorm. Crazy and so sad.
If a pilot is going anywhere near bad wx, he must have polarized radar on board and know how to read it.
That is so tragic!
I am grateful for my late father (CFII-MEL) having become ‘one with the airplane’ long before a mid-summer 1970 family trip from Mercer County, IL, to his parents in Corry, PA, then to Kitty Hawk before going to New Bern, NC. I was 16 and a soloed student pilot.
About an hour before Kitty Hawk, we were getting some serious haze, and I getting some left seat dual, got sloppy, looking outside and slowly easing into a climbing right turn. Dad quickly pointed at the instruments in front of me, and I corrected.
Two days later, late afternoon leaving New Bern for IL, we were looking to go west between two thunderstorms. As we approached the SE corner of KY the storms had consolidates so completely that we were surrounded at 8,500 asl. In a few minutes we lost sight of the ground.
Dad was left seat, didn’t use a headset back then, yet still understood the Center controller’s vectors in the roar of the 310’s engines and the pounding rain. He was in his zone: one with the machine. And I was getting a master demonstration of staying ahead of the plane. The ride was very rough, lasting maybe 15 minutes but seemingly much longer.
Then it turned smooth for a minute before popping out into a beautiful sunset. Behind us was a wall of white from the ground up to maybe 40k. Dad cheerfully thanked Center for being his eyes. You could detect the controller’s happy relief in his “Glad to help, sir” reply.
I wonder if the pilot was IFR rated and if it would have made a difference.
I guess Captain Steeeve will soon expound.