Why does the narrator say, "I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…"?
The narrator was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota because flying it through the storm had been a frightening ordeal. Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black, and the old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. All his instruments, including the compass and radio, went dead, leaving him lost in the storm.
Furthermore, he had very little fuel left—only enough for five or ten minutes more. After surviving such a harrowing experience where he was completely helpless, he was immensely relieved to land safely. Thus, he felt no regret leaving the plane behind.
Explanation
The narrator felt relieved to leave the Dakota because the flight through the storm was terrifying. The plane was hard to control, instruments failed, and fuel was dangerously low, making him eager to walk away from it safely.