Thuder Bump

The trip was a simple one. Bristol Virginia to Gaithersburg, Maryland then on to Norfolk, Virginia  to spend a night, have a meeting with the Navy then back to Bristol.

All in all about 820 miles. Now you can Google map this trip but I can save you the trouble. There’s nothing along this path and only  close to anything important.

The equipment was a POS Cessna 172 that someone had forgotten to wash. But it was cheap and running and available. So. I took it.

Now the leg out to Gaithersburg should have told me something. When I went by Roanoke, VA.. I called the tower controllers because I was kind of close to them and they deserved a call. But when they ask were exactly I was I couldn’t read the chart from the all the turbulence I was going through.

But I made it to the scientists that were waiting for me in Gaithersburg and the motel that was waiting for me in Norfolk.

The next day I was a bit disappointed. I received no salutes from the Navy brass. But they all listened politely and sent me on my way. Which I was glad to do because I still had to get back to Bristol. The trips last leg and only about 320 miles.

Now I should explain something. In Oregon where I come from and most of my flight time was had A healthy person can almost out-walk the thunder storms there. So at 150 MPH it’s easy to out run them or go around them. Not the same in Virginia. The storms there move, and merge FAST!

So without going into the details, I found myself in a hole in the storms. It was about 40 miles across but at flight speed that aren’t much. There was a landing strip below me. But it had a dirt strip and standing water over the dirt. This was an accident looking for a victim. There was a golf course close by but it also had standing water on its long fairways. The golfers, I’m sure, were sitting in a dry room drinking coffee and wondering who this crazy pilot was buzzing them.

But there was a highway. It had a long stretch that was free of standing water and very little traffic. I made plans which included a good approach which included missing the overpass that ran across the highway.

To test my plan I set up and made the approach but there was traffic below me so I flew over the bridge and went around. It seems two Forest Service guys had been watching me and were ready.

On my second try I slipped to a safe landing (This is an aeronautical expression meaning to fly sideways.) The Forest Service guys were ahead of me. But when I got the Cessna on the highway and stopped one of them ran back and screamed over the planes noise to follow them. So I did. It was a fast taxi with no traffic. Anyone that saw a Cessna on the road did an about face and RAN for cover.

The Forest Service guys lead me to a saw mill off to the side of the road. I finely got to a safe place. I stopped the engine, got out and lit a cigarette. I was congratulated on being so calm and safe. Little did they know I was shaking inside.

When the sheriff got there he just blinked hard. Getting out he hitched up his gun belt and said he was glad to see me.  Alive…    Then he gave me a phone number to call the next day and promised he’d stop all traffic so I could take off. And I did the very next day.

That night the rumors were flying all over Keysville, VA. And the mayor told me that I had done well and that if the FAA gave me any trouble I should call him. I didn’t have to.

The next day the takeoff was easy and the 200 miles back to Bristol was without trouble. But I was glade to hand back the keys to the Cessna.