Forrest had a brilliant idea he would take off into the weather and climb out to V.F.R. on top.
Forrest taxied to the end of the runway did his run up and decidedly took off into the solid overcast...
anticipating to break out on top... in short order, instead he scared himself pretty good.
Climbing, Climbing, Climbing, this is thicker then he thought as he passed through 5500 feet.. well at least he was above the upcoming mountain range or was he over it? Granite cumulus can be nasty stuff.
A quick peek outside the window from his steady scan from artificial horizon and instruments revealed a lovely sight... clear ice forming on the wing strut... as he reached across the console to turn on the Carb. Heat.
Nice going Forrest... gosh I hope it does not get worse for your sake. Forrest broke out at 8500' to a crystal clear blue sky above.. the sun shining... he breathed deep.
He dialed in two distant V.O.R.'s and got an intersection Fix... oh shit he was nearly over his destination and it was a solid blanket of clouds as far as he could see in any direction below him....
Now what...? Thinking of a blind descent... that was more then he bargained for, the ascent was one thing the descent quit another..... Radio towers flashed by with their guy wires in his imagination.
Well one good thing.. Forrest had a goodly amount of fuel left.. and the engine was running good and now that he had broken out on top of the cloud cover along with the bead of sweat on his brow..
He simply decided to fly on past his destination.. hopefully the weather would improve.
For another 30 minutes he flew in a Southerly direction... and a hole appeared beneath him where he could see the ground...
A Sucker Hole.... and low and behold... a nice paved runway right there talk about timing and luck..... it was his that day..........
he chopped the power dropped some flaps and rolled into a spiraling descent a Kamikaze heading for the carrier deck ... poof right on down and roll level.... now he was at 800' Scud running... as he set up a landing approach and pattern into the Mystery Airport...
Nice landing he complemented himself.... as he taxied up to the line shack... He wondered where he was as he confidently walked up into the line shack... with the big Aviation Chart on the Wall.. with the red PIN.. marking 'This is where you are' 'Magellan'
Nonchalantly he had a look and scratched his chin then set a course back up to the north 70 miles ducking under the clouds .. he purchased 10 gallons of fuel... that would give him yet another hour plus should he encounter any more difficulties...
He made it right in to home base with no problems.... He thought about the Ice... and the potential of an emergency let down blind. That probably was not such a good idea.
Forrest Byron
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