The poster-child accident arguing against low-level maneuvering occurred February 3, 1998, when a U.S. Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler like the one pictured at left severed a cable supporting a ski gondola near Cavalese, Italy. The gondola operator and 19 skiers were killed; the crew survived to face criminal charges. The cable ranged from 364 to 370 feet agl.

by Jeff Pardo

When someone I know very well was a student pilot, not so many years ago, he experienced one rather disappointingly short flight with his instructor in a Cessna 152. Convective weather was brewing, and it became obvious their cross-country would have to wait yet another day.

Perhaps because he perceived his student’s frustration, the instructor took the controls for a moment. Never having experienced aerobatic flight, all the student remembered were strange sensations and new perspectives for a few short moments, followed by the sudden realization that they were now headed back home. …