Garmin GPSMap 496 – Keep it Simple!
Sometimes the best things in life are the simplest. I present to you the Garmin GPSMap 496.
Break the Chain
In almost every accident analysis, there is a chain of events that can be followed all the way up to the accident. It is never just one thing, but a combination of bad choices that ultimately lead to the final event. I had convinced myself that these were just the statistics of other peoples’ accidents, and I so blindly led myself down a chain of bad choices that almost certainly could have ended in disaster.
A Blast from the Past: 1961 Mooney M20B
Antique. I couldn’t think of a better word to describe what I was staring at more aptly. A plane more than twice my age. Not surprisingly enough, it was probably a lot better-looking than me.
Going Missed
It was supposed to be a routine solo flight – from Hooks to Pearland and back to drop off my aerobatic parachutes to be re-packed. I was in a Cessna 172 that was equipped with a Garmin 430 with WAAS and no autopilot or onboard weather.
First Aerobatic Contest
I have always been known to be a thrill seeker. It was nothing new to most of the people that knew me to find out that I was interested in airplane aerobatics. I had always loved roller coasters, and an aerobatic sequence is pretty much just that – except you aren’t connected to the ground.