Air Traffic Controller Aides Lost Pilot

[WarHawK]

http://m.click2houston.com/news/air-...-area/25524722
Not quite sure why he didn't listen to the entire ATIS, other than him being a newer pilot. Does anybody else find it weird that his "desired" total flight distance was 22 NM and he couldn't make a judgement call on the ceilings prior to depature?

[Wingman]

... Not to mention the facts that:

* It's west-southwest to Bay City from KBLX, and north-northeast to the Houston Class-B.
* The controller did not literally pull the pilot's bacon out of the fire -- more so figuratively.
* Bay City had an NDB on the field, but it's apparently shut down.
* The pilot flew "five minutes east, five minutes west..." which, at 120kias, puts him in a roughly 10 mile radius from his departure point. That's not even 1/2 way to Bay City and it just barely puts him in the absolute nearest Houston Class-B extended approach airspace which doesn't start until 4000'.
* Initially, it's reported that he took off with a full tank. Later, the case was made that "strong headwinds [caused him to] burn fuel, and go nowhere fast." OMGOSH the horror!! 72 gallons at 12 GPH going 5 minutes back and forth... he could have done that seventy-two times.
* If he was getting in the way of KHOU's approaching aircraft, the aircraft were landing runway 4 -- which is the approach for which there is that aforementioned class B extension. Anyone want to guess the general direction from which the winds were coming? If you guessed somewhere from the northeast, you're probably right. Otherwise, why land runway 4 when there are [strong headwinds]? So, with a back-and-forth, or zig-zag pattern, the plane would essentially not cross the same point each time, it would cross at a point down-wind of the earlier spot... further away from KHOU, and ironically, closer to the intended destination of Bay City.

Of course, here's the counterargument to all the above:
* The reporter knew little of which he was reporting.
* The pilot was guessing when he recanted the story.
* The pilot had no intention of flying direct; as it was just before 5:00AM, and with tanks full, I bet he was looking for an over-the-top sunrise.

... Just my initial eyebrow-raising thoughts.

By the way, I don't recall hearing the name of the "highest award" given to the controller. I bet it was a keg!