This special series is by noted author Anthony Nalli.

Close Calls is a column detailing the “close call” experiences of fellow pilots. Determining a close call can be quite subjective but for our purposes here a close call will be any situation where a pilot suddenly finds themselves in a potentially dangerous situation quite unexpectedly. Personally, I describe a close call as “closer than I’d prefer.” I invite you to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 1-888-PCAS-123 (GTA: 416-225-9266) to anonymously share your stories. I will collect the details and prepare the article for Close Calls. The experience shared and lessons learned will be of benefit to all readers. Confidentiality will be assured and I will not use your name or aircraft ident without your permission.

Anthony Nalli is the Director of Canadian Development, General Aviation Collision Avoidance and President of SciDac Corporation/PCAS.ca. PCAS.ca is dedicated to the implementation of affordable collision avoidance devices in General Aviation with a mission to eliminate mid-air collisions and dramatically reduce close calls. Anthony can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , 1-888-PCAS-123 (GTA: 416-225-9266), and www.PCAS.ca. 

As an interesting footnote, Wings Over Canada, Canada’s longest running aviation TV series, has recognized Close Calls columnist Anthony Nalli as “The most dedicated Canadian pilot: Anthony Nalli for his work on promoting flight safety with Portable Collision Avoidance Systems [supported by his wife Lisa].” He’d like to thank John Lovelace and his Wings Over Canada crew for their support and recognition of his efforts.  

It was 1985 when our passenger was asked by his close friend and new pilot to accompany him on a leisure flight. Our pilot was a Palo Alto, CA area renter of Cherokee 150s and 180s. The two flew around the bay area having lunch at a spot in the central valley before returning home. Both enjoyed the short flight so much they immediately planned a weekend trip with their wives.

Our pilot was a student pilot who experienced his close call during a flight lesson. The occurrence was enough to have him seriously consider the acquisition of a portable collision avoidance device immediately… the very next day, in fact, with little time to spare before his next flight!

As many of you may be aware, for more than a year now I have been working with my friend and mentor John Lovelace (creator and 10-year host of Wings Over Canada) on a new television series entitled The Aviators.

Professional pilots are required to track their duty times in an effort to reduce the risk of errors that may be brought on due to pilot fatigue. No such mechanism formally exists for private pilots but then again, seldom do most private pilots fly long enough to warrant one. But that’s not to say that there isn’t a point where the skills and attentiveness of a non-professional pilot, not used to a long and taxing day of flying, might begin to suffer. On any given day, how much flying is too much?

Our pilot was in the process of purchasing a Piper PA-22, a classic cloth covered aircraft. After much research, he found one that had been recently re-covered so he contacted the seller for more information. Our pilot thought the seller seemed “like a legit guy with some knowledge in aviation.“ While in town on business a couple of weeks later, our pilot thought he’d stop in to check out the Tripacer in person.

Mont Tremblant is a quaint and beautiful resort town in Quebec. In the winter, Tremblant is famous for it’s skiing, but the area is also a wonderful summer destination with a host of activities including some incredible golf. Mont Tremblant International is about a 45 drive to the north but for private pilots the summer season offers the convenience of a grass strip right in neighboring St-Jovite only minutes away from the Village.

Up until the afternoon of the August 13^th 2007 our pilot in Great Britain had thought that the flat spin was the province of much more thoroughbred aircraft than his Tipsy Nipper. He also believed it was a maneuver that required positive actions to enter. On both counts he was quite wrong.

We flew a total of almost 6000 miles – from the Toronto area to the shores of the Pacific ocean, then allthe way across to the Atlantic before turning back and heading for home. Andoh, what I’ve learned from the once in a lifetime experience of the recentCross Canada Century Flight. Though there was a lot of it, it wasn’t just aboutthe flying. As the journey progressed it became even more about the people, theplaces, and the awesome wonder of this incredible country. 

Our pilot lived in San Diego, California in the early 1950sand spent his extra money feeding his Ryan PT22 fuel. He worked the swing shiftat Conair at the time. That gave him a lot of available time that he used for flying.Friends would say to him “next time you’re going flying on a nice day, I’d loveto go.” If the weather was good and their schedule permitted, our pilot gavefriends an open invitation to fly that they could take him up on by calling ifthey wanted to fly.