About the time I reached the highway, the engine quit again. Interstates make excellent landing sites when the traffic is light, but I'd hate to make a habit out of it. At this rate, I thought, it may take days to get home to Arkansas. The idea of putting the airplane on a truck and sending it home occurred to me. I did finally make it home to Arkansas, but I was wiser from the day's events.
Weird things can happen in airplanes, sometimes.
If you think this month's column is about fuel vents, you're not paying attention. Yes, I lived through these experiences, including my flight over the Rockies with a fuel vent obstruction. But the reason for this piece is to highlight the delicate balance upon which we hang. Though we often make a big deal about engine failures, structural failures and the Big Things, it is probably more likely that we ruin our day with something as simple as a fuel vent. After landing at my Colorado airpark, I pulled the obstruction out of the vent tube and inspected it carefully.