Last year, Pilot published an article on VFR arrivals (see "Approaching the Airport," May 2004 Pilot), describing how best to approach an airport in visual conditions, and in response received the following e-mail from flight instructor Mark Hutchins in Virginia: "As a person who flies in and out of the traffic pattern a lot, I appreciate your article on pattern entry. I hope you will do an article on VFR departures from a nontowered field. The most egregious things I see every day are departing pilots flying through the standard arrival route after takeoff!" Great idea, Mark. While a lot of thought goes into the takeoff itself, not so for the segment of flight that follows, once the airplane is up and away, clear of obstructions, and at an altitude from which an engine failure could be more easily managed. Hutchins followed up his assessment with some sound advice, to which we'll add, giving you food for thought prior to your next VFR departure.
展开▼
