Way off

[mil...@uiucdcsb.cs.uiuc.edu]

I'd hate to see this notesfile disappear for lack of traffic, so I'll add to
the notes on "way off" dives.
This one day was particularly windy, with gusts up to 25mph. It was starting
to get cloudy, but we took off hoping to jump through the holes before it got
any worse. By the time we got to altitude (I was spotting) the holes had
gotten much smaller, such that I had no idea where we were. Central Illinois
is covered with corn and soybean fields; they all pretty much look the same.
We flew around for 5-10 minutes, with both the pilot and our instructor peering
out at the brief glimpses of ground. Finally, the pilot saw a section of
railroad track he thought he recognized.
Pilot: "I know where we are. I'll get you to the spot."
(we fly on for few more minutes. he finally cuts the engine.)
Pilot: "This is it. Get out here."
(I start my climb out)
Instructor: "Are you sure this is the right place?"
Pilot (with grin): "What do I care? I'm not getting out."
I didn't worry about it too much on the way down. After all, with the amount
of farm land in the area there are few hazards, and I trusted the pilot. I
eventually landed in a field almost two miles *downwind*. It was a lot of fun.
Sometimes unexpected events are the ones you enjoy the most.

A. Ray Miller
Univ Illinois