All seemed well just after takeoff, but before long I noticed an unfamiliar light on the instrument panel. “Low Voltage,” it said. I wasn’t sure what that meant—they don’t teach new pilots much about the plane’s mechanics. I tapped the light, hoping it was just a glitch, but nothing changed. Unsure how to respond, I did what seemed natural at the time: I checked every other instrument for anomalies. My airspeed and altitude were good. The navigation aid told me I was perfectly on course. The fuel gauge showed plenty of gas. All these instruments were telling me I had nothing to worry about. So
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