Today, I took another flight to Oswego County Airport with my boys, flying out from Penn Yan. It was a smooth trip there and back, but I had a couple of frustrating moments. On the return leg, I forgot to set my transponder to ALT—definitely not my finest moment. To make matters worse, when I reached Penn Yan, I accidentally turned off the landing lights instead of turning them on. These would’ve been easier to swallow if I hadn’t used a checklist—but I did, and still missed it.
Yes, my boys, ages 10 and 12, can be a distraction, but I can’t use that as an excuse. The real reason for these mistakes? I wasn’t as careful as I should have been.
Note to self: Don’t let distractions or the rush of passengers cause carelessness in the cockpit.
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