When to Abort Your Take Off!
Channel: Over 50 and Learning To Fly!
Date: 2021-01-04

When do you abort your take off run?    You should always be prepared and be a couple of steps ahead of the airplane, but in this case the easy answer is…. When airport traffic gets crazy.

Some airports are really busy.  This is one of those airports that has multiple operations going on simultaneously with all different types of GA aircraft, gyrocopters, gliders and parachute operations.  All that being said the pilots who fly in and out of here are pros, have an excellent safety record and are a really good example of how well things can work at an uncontrolled airport provided everyone stays at the top of their game!

I was in the pattern getting footage for another video. When I started there was no one else around. I was going to do about 7-8 landings and get the footage I need and then call it a day.  After I was up for about for about 3 laps it started to get a little busy… and then like bees,…they all came out at once.  Another aircraft, with an obvious student pilot,  flew in joined the left pattern on RW5 then, glider operations started departing from RW 1 and Parachute operations began departing from RW 1, and landing on RW 19.
The wind was 060 @ 9-12 favoring RW5.  

Stay on top of your game. Always stay ahead of the airplane and know what you are going to do next, and always be prepared for any type of evasive or emergency action.  Quiet airports can become busy in a flash, and events that you don’t think are likely are usually the first to happen.  Be prepared.  

Have you always wanted to become a pilot but now you are over 50?  Get out there and start and learn! There are so many people in there 50's and 60's who are just starting to fly so what are you waiting for?