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Gastonia Distress
#186 | FEBRUARY 2026
It’s been a simple IFR flight on a VMC morning. Now you’re approaching a destination that’s frustratingly hard to pick out given the suburban landscape and the just risen sun in your eyes. The distance is ticking down, ATC is getting impatient, and the nearby Class B limits your options to maneuver.
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Martin Pauly
Martin started flying gliders in 1985 and was a glider instructor while obtaining a degree in Computer Science. Today he flies and instructs in airplanes. He shares many of the flying adventures in his Beech A36 Bonanza on the popular YouTube channel which bears his name. Martin is an ABS Recognized Flight Instructor in the American Bonanza Society, helping Bonanza owners with initial and recurrent training. Martin works as a strategist for an aerospace company in Iowa.