Add some re-imported versions of previously published posts, oi.
The formatting might be a bit off, but I'll have to fix that later
This commit is contained in:
R. Tyler Croy
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layout: post
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title: "Getting beat up in San Ramon"
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tags:
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- aviation
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- flying
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- vfrstudentpilot
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---
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_Note:_ I half-finished this blog post, I'm posting it as such. I ended up
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becoming so busy I didn't write for over a week, and now I can barely remember
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what I ended up doing, other than getting beat up by the wind.
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* * *
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Saturday I headed down to Hayward to prepare for my checkride with some ground
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work with my instructor, followed by solo manuevers in the practice area. As
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luck would have it, Hayward was covered in clouds, preventing my departure.
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Frustrated, I headed back home in a down pour the likes of which are not
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common in the East Bay.
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I reserved a plane to take out the following day, Sunday, to ensure that I
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would at least fly _once_ over the weekend. Due to my checkride preparation, I
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had skipped flying the Tuesday prior, and had my knowledge tested on the
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ground instead.
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I was eager to fly again.
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* * *
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My wife needed the car for some errands, so I was dropped off at the office
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almost a whole hour before my scheduled departure time. This left me plenty of
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time to get a weather briefing, watch planes land and stress out about my
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flight.
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Nothing out of the ordinary there.
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What ended up being out of the ordinary is that my plane was late returning
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from its previous reservation. Things like this happen, but in the 30 minutes
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delay, I became more and more worried that I wasn't going to have a plane, and
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wasn't going to get to fly. The stress of a solo flight is something I'm used
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to, but the stress of not flying is not something I want to accomodate myself
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to, especially so close to my checkride.
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Fortunately my plane arrived, and I walked down to the flight line to
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preflight.
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* * *
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The usual pre-flight complete, I squeezed myself into the cockpit of 738VU and
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started tuning my chair for the optimal position.
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Was it three notches back on the ground track, or two? I can't remember. When
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I pull myself too close, the yoke hits me in my gangly legs when I put a full
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left or right aileron deflection in. Three notches back, and I feel like the
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panel is too far away from me. Perhaps the seat-back isn't far enough forward.
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The Ugly Duckling didn't have any knobs on the seat, only forward and reverse,
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simple. This plane is weird; I can't seem to get comfortable. I wonder if this
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will affect my ability to manuever effectively.
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The things I worry about prior to a solo flight.
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* * *
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I pump the primer three times, shout out the open window "clear prop!", count
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to three and then turn the key. 738VU growls but doesn't catch for a few
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seconds, until I start pumping the throttle. I catch it and bring it back to
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1000rpm, and then continue with my Engine Start Checklist.
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This panel still feels like it's too far away from me.
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Engine Start Checklist complete, I call up Ground:
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"_Hayward Ground, Seven-three-eight Victor-Uniform at the green ramp with
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Papa, request taxi to Two-eight Left._"
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Cleared to taxi, I start putting my way towards 28L to perform my run-up.
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Everything looking good, I roll up to hold short line, call Tower and lower
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the flaps to ten degrees for my soft-field take-off.
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* * *
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Turning right over the golf course, I head towards the Mount Diablo practice
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area. As I depart Hayward's airspace, I call up NorCal Approach to request
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traffic advisory service before I perform my practice.
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By the time I arrived over San Ramon, the mild turbulence in the air made
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itself known. Climbing towards 5000ft for my work, I become aware of the
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clouds scattered over the area and arrest my ascent around 4000ft.
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Starting through the practice program my instructor and I put together with
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slow flight, I work to keep wings level with the wind bouncing me around.
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Pleased with my slow flight, I work a couple power-off stalls.
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Stalls straight-ahead don't worry me too much anymore, even with the wind. The
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most disconcerting part of the power-off stalls was that I don't think I ever
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heard the stall warning horn, I just felt the buffet and decided to recover.
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@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
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---
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layout: post
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title: "King of the straight-out"
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tags:
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- aviation
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- flying
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- vfrstudentpilot
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---
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It's 6am on a dark Tuesday morning. I sip the bland coffee I bought from the
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donut place, wince at the taste, and get back to my flight log. Having just
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called to get a weather briefing, I rotate the [whiz
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wheel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiz_Wheel) every which way, computing my
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wind correction angles, estimated ground speeds and fuel burns.
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I didn't sleep well at all the night before, the stress in my head about the
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words "mock checkride" causing my tossing and turning. The wrench in my
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stomach is either pre-flight stress or the bad coffee, it doesn't really
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matter which.
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The plan for the morning was to fly up to [Santa
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Rosa](http://airnav.com/airport/ksts) with my instructor, and go through the
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motions of an actual check-ride, in order to evaluate my readiness for the
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**real deal** with a [Designated Pilot Examiner](http://www.faa.gov/other_visi
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t/aviation_industry/designees_delegations/designee_types/dpe/).
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* * *
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Waiting for the fuel truck on the green ramp, I run across the tarmac to empty
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the coffee from my bladder one last time before we leave. After 737GM (Ugly
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Duckling) moved up north, I had been flying 738VU which during my last lesson
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took 2.5 pilots to start properly. I decided that I'd try out 733PV for the
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flight to Santa Rosa, and likely my checkride some time after.
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Packed into the cockpit, I start the airplane on the second attempt and
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receive my taxi clearance. Turning left out of the parking space and into the
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sun, I realize I left my sunglasses in the car.
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On my [night cross country](/2013/09/14/most-expensive-bacon-and-eggs.html) I
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requested a straight-out-departure into Oakland's Class Charlie airspace. At
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the time my instructor remarked "they never allow straight out departures from
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Hayward."
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Being a doe-eyed student pilot, I call up Hayward Tower:
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"_Hayward Tower, Skyhawk Seven-three-three Papa-victor holding short of Two-
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eight right, requesting straight-out departure_"
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"Skyhawk 733PV, Hayward Tower, straight-out departure approved for runway 28R"
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The right seat was a bit surprised with the clearance, but happy to have it as
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it would cut more time off the trip en-route, allowing us more time to
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maneuver in Santa Rosa.
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* * *
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Closing in on Santa Rosa, I'm informed that there's a balloon a couple miles
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north of the field. "Weird" is my initial thought until my eyes lock onto a
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hot air balloon hovering 50ft off the ground. Neither my instructor nor myself
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have shared airspace with a hot air balloon, but not one to miss an
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opportunity to quiz me he asks "who has the right of way?"
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The hot air balloon.
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The first landing is a smooth soft-field landing on my side (left) of the
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runway. As the nose settles onto the runway, I confirm that we're performing a
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touch-and-go.
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Carb heat, flaps, trim, max power; back into the air.
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Another soft-field landing, followed by a touch-and-go and we depart the
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airport to do some manuevers to the west. Having recently conquered my
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apprehension/fear of power-on turning stalls, performing those to the right
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seat's satisfaction wsa easy. A power-off stall followed, which by Practical
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Test Standards (PTS) is a bit trickier as the pilot is expected to maintain a
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heading +/- 10 degrees during the manuever.
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We continued with a few other standard VFR pilot exercises before I was
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diverted to Sonoma Skypark, a little uncontrolled airport on the way south
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from Santa Rosa. While I fussed around with my charts, looking out the window
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to try to ascertain which road I was over to figure out what my instructor
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wanted to know: time, heading and fuel burn to get there.
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"Use all available resources" he suggests over the intercom. I fumble about a
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bit more, so he repeats his hint: "use all available resources."
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Oh right! This plane has a GPS unit installed. I put the airport code directly
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into the GPS unit, and let the computer calculate the time and distance en
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route, along my ground speed, leaving me to calculate our fuel burn for the
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diversion.
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* * *
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The runway is 40ft wide at Sonoma Skypark, a smaller runway than I have ever
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landed on. The right seat requests a short-field landing as we enter the
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downwind leg.
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My first approach, I'm fast and high, two things you definitely don't want in
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a short-field. Go-around.
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Second approach, I'm less-high, and less-fast, but still too much to avoid
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floating in ground-effect for what seemed like half the runway, before I
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decided to abort the landing and go-around. I was close to putting the wheels
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down, but I was much more worried about the amount of runway I had eaten up.
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Next circuit, I start to get my speed under control earlier, float a bit
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before finally settling down onto the runway, and start braking. Stopped on
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the runway, I prepare for a _true_ short field take-off, staring down the big
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tree at the end of the runway.
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Near max power, I release the brakes and the plane starts barrelling down the
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runway. I anxiously switch from looking at the airspeed indicator and the tree
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at the end of the runway. At 59 knots I start pulling the yoke and maintain a
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~60 knot climb (short-field climb) until at least 200ft.
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My palms are a bit sweaty from the take-off.
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On the last circuit, my speed is under control, my descent reasonable but I
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flare too abruptly, ballooning slightly and then I let the plane fall down
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with a mild jolt onto the mains before braking. Short-field doesn't have to be
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soft, it just needs to be short, mission accomplished.
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Another short-field take-off and we're in the air heading down towards
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Hayward.
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* * *
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The right seat has a hard(ish) stop at 10am, and was only able to squeeze this
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flight in because we started at 6:30am. Overflying Novato he requests "maximum
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forward speed" which is pilot speak for "burn fuel and haul ass." The GPS
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indicates roughly 120 knots over the ground at 2500rpm. I request clearance
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through Oakland Charlie airspace again, receive it, and over the San Pablo Bay
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we're screaming along 2000ft above the water.
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As we're handed off to Oakland Tower, my instructor holds up his hand to
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indicate that he's going to take this radio call.
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"Hey how's it going?"
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"Heeyyy, not that bad man."
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Aeronautical terminology goes out the window when the frequency is quiet and a
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friend is working the other end of the radio.
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After a brief conversation about how the Federal shutdown is affecting the
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FAA-employed controllers, we catch sight of Hayward and are handed off to
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Hayward Tower.
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A well executed (finally!) short-field landing later, we taxi off the runway
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and to parking. Mock checkride completed.
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* * *
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My performance was satisfactory enough to where my instructor and I scheduled
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my **official checkride** on October 24th.
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Between now and then there's a lot of nights studying and a few more practice
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flights to go before my instructor and I pile back into 733PV and fly up to
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Santa Rosa again. Hopefully the return flight won't be piloted by a student
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pilot but rather an FAA-certificated VFR pilot.
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---
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layout: post
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title: "12 months of burning avgas"
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tags:
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- aviation
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- flying
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- vfrstudentpilot
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---
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One year ago today, my wife and I made the drive down to Hayward for the first
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time to take an introductory flight/bay tour with California Airways. My
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scheduled instructor for the flight was busy, and so another instructor picked
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up the flight.
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In the past twelve months, I've received 50 flight hours of instruction from
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him, and racked up nearly 15 hours of solo time myself, all in the pursuit of
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a private pilot's license.
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[](http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/8083598598/)
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**Before our first flight**
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* * *
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Running late this morning, I pushed my right foot, and my luck as I sped
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towards Hayward. The weather wasn't flyable when I woke up, but it was
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clearing up fast, and I wanted to get as much work in as possible.
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The plane, 733PV, that I had intended to take out went "off-roading" the day
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prior and was off the flight line until it could be inspected for non-obvious
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damage. This put me in 172CA for my morning work, and likely for my checkride.
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A year to the day, I would be taking the same plane into the air. Unlike last
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October 13th, this time I would be pre-flighting, taxiing, taking-off and
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landing, all by myself.
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* * *
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Pre-flight complete, I wiggle into the cockpit and start to adjust the seat.
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There's a pit in my stomach, but not one of anxiety that has typically marked
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my solo flights, it is a pit of agitation. With only a few hours before my
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checkride, I was switching planes _again_, and thanks to the weather, I
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wouldn't have enough time to head out to
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[Livermore](http://airnav.com/airport/klvk) to practice.
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With the engine cautiously coming to life, I'm almost immediately in better
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spirits. I've noticed that external stresses tend to melt away once I'm
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sitting behind the yoke. The engine running means it's time to fly, and until
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I shutdown and tie-down the plane, none of the other bullshit matters.
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"Hayward Tower, Skyhawk One-seven-two Charlie-alpha at the green ramp with
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November, request taxi to Two-eight rig..uh, two-eight left."
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* * *
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Completing my run-up, I mosey towards the hold-short line for 28L, going over
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my departure review for my invisible instructor in the right seat.
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"All right, we'll be staying in the pattern today so any engine failure on the
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runway before rotation and we'll go power to idle, maintain centerline, brake
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straight ahead and exit the runway once we've reached taxiing speed.
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Any failure after rotation in the upwind or cross-wind legs and we'll be
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landing within 30 degrees of the nose.
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Any failure in downwind, base or final, and we're landing back at the
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airport."
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I laugh at myself and the fake-airline-captain voice I found myself using for
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the departure review, and call up Tower.
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Take-off clearance received, I push the flaps to 10, yank the yoke back and
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slowly roll onto the runway: soft-field take-off to start us out.
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* * *
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Once airborn, Tower informs me that until 10am touch-and-go's are prohibited
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for noise abatement so I'll need to perform full-stop landings. Fine by me! I
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need to practice short-field landings anyways.
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Coping with the fast and low pattern at Hayward usually leads me to make
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circuits that look more like elongated ovals with straight sides as opposed to
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rectangles. By the time I've finished turning base, it's already time to turn
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final! In order to stay ahead of the airplane, I find myself performing my
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CGUMPS checklist half at the very end of downwind, and half after completing
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the turn to base.
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My headset has been very quiet for this first circuit as I turn final I click
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the radio
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"Hayward Tower, 172CA, am I cleared for 28L?"
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"172CA, Hayward Tower, 28L cleared to land."
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I must have caught somebody dozing off at the scope. I neglected to descend
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much, and less than a mile from the threshold I decide I'll overfly the runway
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and just go around.
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Next circuit, my headset is being quiet again, so I decide to politely nudge
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the Tower.
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"One-seven-two Charlie-alpha, turning base"
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"172CA, Hayward Tower, 28L cleared to land."
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On final I get my airspeed down, and continue my descent. Runway widens, the
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sound of air rushes past the windscreen, the stall warning horn starts crying
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and the mains gently touch down. Once the nose touches the pavement, my feet
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slide up to the brakes at the top of the pedals. If I'm going to have to make
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full-stop landings, I'm going to make sure I get the first taxiway every time
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around.
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Taxiing back to the start of 28L, I look at my watch, 9:00am. I've got another
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50 minutes before I'm done.
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* * *
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I alternate between short-field take-offs and landings, and soft-field take-
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offs and landings. I'm not sure if everything is up to my instructor's
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requirements, but I'm quite pleased with my consistency and improvements in
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speed management.
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On circuit five or six, a new controller's voice comes on the radio while I'm
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in my downwind leg.
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"[17]2CA, 28L cleared for the options"
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Being cleared for the options means you can perform full-stop landings or
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touch-and-go's, I know it's not 10am yet, so I ask "Hayward Tower, 172CA, just
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checking, you're clearing me for the options?" "Affirmative."
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I debated whether or not I should ask about the noise abatement, but figured
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he must have cleared me for some _reason_, and besides, avgas is expensive and
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I've only got this bird for another 30 minutes.
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Touch-and-go it is!
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A soft-field landing later, I'm back in the air. In my downwind leg, the
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controller jumps back on the radio
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"Two-charlie-alpha, 28L, cleared to _land_"
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After the readback he explains "Sorry, I forgot about the noise-abatement,
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full-stop until 10am" "Roger" is the only reply I can let off before I start
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laughing in the cockpit.
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Perhaps I should feel bad for those spoil-sports whose mornings I interrupted
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at the end of the runway, but the airport has been there over 60 years, so I
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think they knew what they were getting into.
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* * *
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Running out of time, I terminate and return to the green ramp to shutdown and
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secure the aircraft. My instructor's words "be quick, but don't rush" go
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through my head as I jog around the plane tying it down, only a couple minutes
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before the next scheduled flight in 172CA, and I still need to run the binder
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down to the office!
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Despite my haste, I still stop to take a photo of the plane that started it
|
||||
all one year ago.
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/10257275714/"
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title="172CA after pattern work by agentdero, on Flickr"><img
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src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8139/10257275714_2b44a2fede.jpg" width="500"
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height="375" alt="172CA after pattern work"></a><br/><b>Charlie-Alpha after our
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morning exercises</b></center>
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|
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@ -0,0 +1,203 @@
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---
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||||
layout: post
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||||
title: "Can't do that buddy"
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tags:
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- aviation
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- flying
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||||
- vfrstudentpilot
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---
|
||||
|
||||
Early on in my flight training I wrote that one of the most difficult aspects
|
||||
of the endeavour is summoning the strength to humbly, and realistically, self-
|
||||
assess your own performance.
|
||||
|
||||
In the long run, I believe it to be a highly valuable capability to have as an
|
||||
individual, but that doesn't make it any less difficult at times.
|
||||
|
||||
Today, I traveled to Santa Rosa for my private pilot (single-engine land)
|
||||
checkride with an examiner. If you're not interested in the journey, but only
|
||||
the result, I'll spare you some reading and state now that I didn't pass. I'm
|
||||
disappointed not in the verdict, but in my performance.
|
||||
|
||||
I wouldn't have passed me either.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
The checkride somewhat started the night prior, when my examiner asked me to
|
||||
plan a trip from Santa Rosa to Santa Barbara. Upon arriving home I immediately
|
||||
set to work preparing for the following morning. I labored over every single
|
||||
detail of the flight log, the routing, and the weather. While I wanted to have
|
||||
all my bases covered for the checkride, I am also planning on making this same
|
||||
trip at some point with my wife, so the amount effort poured in would be
|
||||
"reusable."
|
||||
|
||||
Hopping into bed around midnight, my heart rate higher than normal with
|
||||
anxiety, I forced myself to sleep. At 5:11am, I awoke. Not due to an alarm, I
|
||||
just woke up. Again I forced myself to sleep. Two more of these cycles before
|
||||
I gave up hope of rest around 7.
|
||||
|
||||
After an hour of killing time at home, I decided to head to the airport.
|
||||
Better to kill time in the company of other pilots than an empty house.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
Hayward was overcast when I arrived, and was scheduled to be overcast into the
|
||||
early afternoon. My instructor and I talked about the checkride, did some
|
||||
paperwork, and waited [im]patiently for the fog in [Santa
|
||||
Rosa](http://airnav.com/airport/ksts) to raise up high enough for a safe
|
||||
instrument approach.
|
||||
|
||||
As a lowly VFR pilot, clouds keep me grounded; with my instructor on-board,
|
||||
every cloudy day offers an opportunity not only to fly but also to accrue some
|
||||
_actual_ instrument time.
|
||||
|
||||
I flew the departure, en route, he flew the appraoch, and then I landed after
|
||||
we popped out of the clouds. After a couple of unsavory bounces on the runway,
|
||||
he says "that's okay man, just shake that one off." I asked "does that count
|
||||
as three landings?"
|
||||
|
||||
A subtle indication of "roger, shaking that one off."
|
||||
|
||||
I pull into the Sonoma Jet Center, park and we head inside for more time
|
||||
killing.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
The first part any checkride is an oral examination. With most examiners this
|
||||
means a couple hours of conversation, wherein questions required by the FAA
|
||||
are interleaved into stories, open-ended discussions, and reviewing of
|
||||
prepared materials.
|
||||
|
||||
Without going into too much detail, the oral examination went well. I
|
||||
demonstrated that I had a sufficient grasp on the knowedlge I was expected to
|
||||
know, and the section ended with the final question of "shall we go flying?"
|
||||
|
||||
A full pre-flight of my airplane later, we're both sitting in the cockpit and
|
||||
we each give each other our pre-flight briefings. Mine required by my
|
||||
checklist, and his required by his checklist.
|
||||
|
||||
Engine start, taxi clearance received, we taxi to the start of runway 14 where
|
||||
I perform my runup.
|
||||
|
||||
I request a straight-out departure, and one normal take-off later and we're in
|
||||
the air.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
I start navigating towards [Napa County](http://airnav.com/airport/kapc), the
|
||||
first leg of our trip to Santa Barbara, when I'm diverted to Healdsburg. I
|
||||
relay the information for the diversion, using my GPS unit to make things
|
||||
_loads_ easier. The examiner is quite a friendly guy, and despite his
|
||||
confirmation that I was doing my work correctly, I was still incredibly tense.
|
||||
|
||||
Holding right rudder to keep the ball centered, I caught my right leg gently
|
||||
shaking once or twice.
|
||||
|
||||
En route to Healdsburg, he grabs the "foggles" (view limiting goggles) from my
|
||||
flight bag behind me, and starts vectoring me. Satisfied with my ability to
|
||||
climb, descend and maintain heading and control, he assumes control of the
|
||||
airplane for "unusual attitude recovery."
|
||||
|
||||
The exercise means I'm to keep the foggles on, close my eyes, and put my head
|
||||
down. Meanwhile, the right seat puts the plane into an unusual attitude and
|
||||
says "recover," at which point I'm to look back up to my instruments and put
|
||||
the airplane back in a proper straight and level flight attitude.
|
||||
|
||||
The first attitude was a steep nose down attitude, I immediately pull the
|
||||
power back and gingerly pull on the yoke. Airspeed is increasing. I continue
|
||||
to pull back gently, worried about the excess speed on the airplane and doing
|
||||
something unsafe on my first set of manuevers.
|
||||
|
||||
Speed increases to midway into the yellow arc before I get it heading back in
|
||||
the right direction. My head is warm with anger, frustration and worry that
|
||||
he's going to ask me to take him back to Santa Rosa right then and there.
|
||||
|
||||
The next unusual attitude results in a nose-high attitude, I'm quicker to
|
||||
correct the attitude but it's not great, certainly not to the standards I have
|
||||
for myself.
|
||||
|
||||
Approaching Healdsburg, there's an X at the base of the runway. Runway's
|
||||
closed, we continue on towards
|
||||
[Cloverdale](http://www.airnav.com/airport/O60).
|
||||
|
||||
Overflying the field, I'm still tense, but setting up for a pattern entry for
|
||||
runway 32. The wind sock however, indicates that runway 14 (opposite
|
||||
direction) should be used for landing. I turn around, and start making my
|
||||
radio calls about entering the "left pattern for 14", which is correct.
|
||||
|
||||
What I started to do however, was enter the right pattern for 14, which
|
||||
doesn't exist, and is incorrect. The fog of anxiety made my mouth say the
|
||||
right things, but my actions didn't keep pace. He waited patiently for me to
|
||||
see my mistake and correct it, but it just wasn't happening, so he assumed
|
||||
controls and put the airplane on the correct side of the field.
|
||||
|
||||
I breathed deeply into the headset. I broke one of the four rules of the
|
||||
checkride: don't do anything illegal.
|
||||
|
||||
Just can't do that buddy.
|
||||
|
||||
He asks if I want to continue. I do, so we continue to perform our landing
|
||||
work at Cloverdale. The first approach I'm wrangling the airplane into
|
||||
position, tense about the final approach, we descend within 30 feet of the
|
||||
runway, and I go around. My airspeed wasn't where I wanted, I didn't feel
|
||||
comfortable with the approach, so I used my get-out-of-jail-free card.
|
||||
|
||||
When I'm flying by myself, I've got as many go-arounds as I have gas, but on a
|
||||
checkride, you get your one card, and then the examiner wants to see you land
|
||||
properly.
|
||||
|
||||
Next circuit is for a soft-field landing which I execute correctly and the
|
||||
stress starts to melt away. A successful landing generally makes me feel
|
||||
better, but as we taxi off the runway, I start to loosen up and start thinking
|
||||
with my entire brain again.
|
||||
|
||||
Holding short of the runway, I clear the area (spin in a circle on the ground)
|
||||
like i've been taught before re-taking the runway for a soft-field takeoff.
|
||||
|
||||
That executed correctly, we come around the pattern again for a short-field
|
||||
landing. On final approach, I throw in the final bit of flaps, approaching the
|
||||
runway my glideslope is sinking below 3 degrees so I add some power, then a
|
||||
little more power, then a little more, then I remove it and stop on the runway
|
||||
properly. I later realized this need for power was because I just threw in 40
|
||||
degrees of flaps instead of the 30 degrees that I really wanted.
|
||||
|
||||
A stop-and-go into a short-field later and we depart the area to go perform
|
||||
manuevers.
|
||||
|
||||
At this stage of the game I was feeling confident, I knew I wasn't flying home
|
||||
a certificated pilot, but I was still flying, so that's something. The
|
||||
objective became to knock off as many tasks from the test as possible to
|
||||
redure the number of manuevers required for my follow-up checkride.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
First I enter slow flight, followed by a straight-ahead power-off stall
|
||||
recovery. Both of those went well. Next I performed a power-on stall, he gave
|
||||
me the option of to the right or to the left, and like a doofus, I decided to
|
||||
perform my power-on stall to the right, which is a little more challenging
|
||||
than to the left. We turned probably 200 degrees before I was able to reach
|
||||
the stall buffet and recover.
|
||||
|
||||
Satisfied with those manuevers, I then performed steep turns, first to the
|
||||
left and then to the right, both to standards.
|
||||
|
||||
This wrapped up our manuevers and he asked to go back to Santa Rosa. Picking
|
||||
up the current ATIS, I call up Santa Rosa Tower, inform them of my current
|
||||
position and intentions and receive clearance for a straight-in appraoch.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
Prior to my landings at Cloverdale, I wasn't necessarily "behind the plane" in
|
||||
terms of my workload management. Rather, I was so busy being stressed that I
|
||||
wasn't allowing myself to prove to the examiner what I know I'm capable of.
|
||||
|
||||
"Real soon now" I will return to Santa Rosa to demonstrate the last missing
|
||||
piece of the puzzle to the examiner: that I know which side of the field to
|
||||
fly on. Once that's completed, I'll finally return to Hayward a certificated
|
||||
private pilot.
|
||||
|
||||
By no means is a private pilot certificate the finish line, just the
|
||||
conclusion of this first leg of a life-long journey, burning money and avgas
|
||||
as quickly possible.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
layout: post
|
||||
title: "You start with a bag full of luck"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- aviation
|
||||
- flying
|
||||
- vfrstudentpilot
|
||||
- vfrpilot
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
One of my favorite aviation sayings is "you start with a bag full of luck and
|
||||
an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before
|
||||
you empty the bag of luck."
|
||||
|
||||
Despite all your training and preparation, luck is still plays a role in
|
||||
aviation. I now know this for certain.
|
||||
|
||||
When [we last left off](/2013/10/25/cant-do-that-buddy.html) I had failed a
|
||||
single task on my private pilot's checkride. On the way home from Santa Rosa,
|
||||
I performed a couple landings at [Gnoss Field](http://airnav.com/airport/dvo)
|
||||
for my instructor, proving that I _could_ actually enter a pattern correctly.
|
||||
With that demonstrated he was clear to call and set up my re-take.
|
||||
|
||||
I had made a plane reservation for Saturday morning to fly somewhere and get
|
||||
lunch with a friend, but with my checkride failure that wasn't happening. I
|
||||
decided I still wanted to fly and get some manuevers and pattern work done.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/10523649516/)
|
||||
|
||||
Going through the usual pre-flight, and engine start checklists at a leisurely
|
||||
place, I was in a genuinely good mood. Sure I didn't have my pilot's license,
|
||||
but I _knew_ I could fly. A soft-field take-off later, and I was headed
|
||||
towards Mount Diablo.
|
||||
|
||||
After departing Hayward's airspace, I called up NorCal Approach to receive
|
||||
traffic advisory service while in the practice area. A habit I formed early on
|
||||
in my solo work, without the help of a set of instructor's eyes, I will pick
|
||||
up a squawk code to make sure I don't miss anything in my traffic scan.
|
||||
|
||||
I'm verbalizing the exercises aloud, as if I'm both the instructor and
|
||||
student. "Alright, show me some slow-flight" "Okay, clearing the area" and so
|
||||
on. Accidentally keying the mic or having a stuck mic would be quite
|
||||
embarrassing during my airwork.
|
||||
|
||||
I performed some stall recoveries, steep turns, and then decided that I was
|
||||
bored and wanted to head over to [Livermore](http://airnav.com/airport/klvk).
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
I'm on the 45 to enter the right pattern for 25R, but i'm too high. Reaching
|
||||
into my bag of tricks I start performing S-turns to shed more altitude over a
|
||||
shorter distance. Closing in on the field i have a thousand feet left to go so
|
||||
I transition into a full forward slip, using the plane as a big 40 year old
|
||||
air brake.
|
||||
|
||||
At pattern altitude I key the mic: "Livermore Tower, Seven-three-three Papa-
|
||||
victor, I'd like Two-five Left if possible." Like Hayward, Livermore has two
|
||||
parallel runways, 25R is the big long runway, 25L is the smaller runway for
|
||||
little guys like me.
|
||||
|
||||
"733PV, Livermore Tower, approved as requested, extend downwind for landing
|
||||
traffic, I'll call your base"
|
||||
|
||||
Within a few minutes I'm rolling to a stop on 25L and taxiing off. I taxi back
|
||||
and hold short of 25L. While holding the controller screws up a radio
|
||||
transmission, corrects it and then says "yep, saturday mornings huh?" with a
|
||||
laugh in his voice.
|
||||
|
||||
I call Tower from my position: "Livermore Tower, Skyhawk 733PV, holding short
|
||||
of 25L, requesting left-crosswind-traffic"
|
||||
|
||||
I sit for a second, then realize I screwed up my radio transmission too.
|
||||
|
||||
"733PV holding short of 25L for left _closed_ traffic, saturday mornings."
|
||||
|
||||
The controller chuckles on his transmission and clears me for take-off.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
I continued to do pattern work at Livermore, on one circuit, a Bonanza was
|
||||
entering a right base for 25R from the south, while i'm in my downwind. Tower
|
||||
informs me of my company, which when I look over, is a mile or so off my 1
|
||||
o'clock.
|
||||
|
||||
I continue through my pre-landing checklist. The Bonanza and I both turn base
|
||||
at just about the same time, then turn final about the same time. After my
|
||||
wheels touch town, turn off carb heat, flaps up, trim set for take-off and
|
||||
execute my touch-and-go.
|
||||
|
||||
At about 500ft above the ground, I key the mic and say "733PV, that's the
|
||||
closest I'm going to get to formation for quite a while!"
|
||||
|
||||
Tower chimes in with "it was pretty though."
|
||||
|
||||
I love friendly controllers, then make things so much more enjoyable.
|
||||
|
||||
Another circuit, and I depart the pattern and head back to Hayward, where I
|
||||
land and shut down the plane.
|
||||
|
||||
Still in a good mood from earlier, I head home for a relaxing Saturday
|
||||
afternoon.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
Later in the day, I get a phone call from my instructor right after I finish
|
||||
mowing the grass.
|
||||
|
||||
"Hey, Steve [examiner] is going to be in Oakland picking up his wife at the
|
||||
airport, how would you like to get your pilot's license today?"
|
||||
|
||||
What a silly question! Of course! I hurry to pack everything up, and book it
|
||||
to Hayward.
|
||||
|
||||
The way the checkride works, is that there is a long list of tasks I need to
|
||||
perform for the examiner, if you fail a task (like I did), the examiner can
|
||||
ask if you'd like to continue. If you continue, you can gain credit for all
|
||||
the tasks you correctly perform.
|
||||
|
||||
I had _one_ task left.
|
||||
|
||||
Upon his arrival at the California Airways office, we both started doing our
|
||||
respective paper work for the re-take. Everything squared away, we head down
|
||||
to the plane. He sits patiently in the plane while I pre-flight.
|
||||
|
||||
Engine started, I call up Hayward Ground and we get moving.
|
||||
|
||||
Unlike last time around, I'm feeling much better, far less stressed. After
|
||||
taking off, I take the liberty of explaining some of the flight plan "So,
|
||||
we're going to climb initially to about 1000ft until we're abeam Lake Chabot"
|
||||
"Why's that?" he asks, in a way to where I can't tell if he knows and is
|
||||
quizzing me, or if he's genuinely curious. "Oakland's Class is at 1500ft until
|
||||
about there"
|
||||
|
||||
"Good man" he responds and then continues silently looking out the window.
|
||||
|
||||
Once I demonstrate to him that I'm not a nitwit, he says "alright, let's go
|
||||
back to Hayward." Not one to complain, I oblige and start preparing for our
|
||||
return. A side effect of having far less stress, I'm feeling more
|
||||
"explanitory." I explain to him the route we're going to take, why it's not
|
||||
direct over the hills, etc.
|
||||
|
||||
I'm treating him more like an inquisitive passenger, than an examiner.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
Heading back into Hayward, the setting sun is directly above the field, making
|
||||
it hard to see. I hold onto some altitude until I can clearly see it, starting
|
||||
my final approach at about 900ft and about 3 miles out.
|
||||
|
||||
"We're a bit high, I kept some altitude until I could see the field. I can fix
|
||||
too high, it's better than too low."
|
||||
|
||||
Over the mall we're at about 60 knots, and I go to full flaps to steepen our
|
||||
descent.
|
||||
|
||||
The sun is setting over Hayward when the mains gently chirp on touch down.
|
||||
|
||||
I taxi back to parking, shut down the plane and shake his hand.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
This will be my last post tagged [vfrstudentpilot](/tag/vfrstudentpilot.html),
|
||||
and the first of many tagged [vfrpilot](/tag/vfrpilot.html).
|
||||
|
||||
A little over a year ago I took my instructory flight, where I was lucky
|
||||
enough to get paired with my instructor. Throughout the duration of my flight
|
||||
training, I've also been quite lucky that my wife hasn't scrutinized the
|
||||
amount of money I've spent in pursuit of wings.
|
||||
|
||||
I demonstrated my abilities as a private pilot, late one Saturday afternoon,
|
||||
thanks to a bit of lucky scheduling.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
layout: post
|
||||
title: "The cost of flight"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- aviation
|
||||
- flying
|
||||
- vfrpilot
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
After a week of utterly painful patience, my wife and I were finally able to
|
||||
get up in the air this morning, undertaking our first flight together with my
|
||||
new private pilot's license.
|
||||
|
||||
This flight has been months in the making, paraphrasing one of the first
|
||||
"Jonathan Jokes" he ever made to me in ground school: lift doesn't make a
|
||||
plane go up, money does.
|
||||
|
||||
To get to this point it's taken:
|
||||
|
||||
* Ground school: $300
|
||||
* 53.2 hours of instruction in the plane: $8086.4
|
||||
* 3.5 hours of instruction in the sim: $350
|
||||
* 26.3 hours of solo work: $3997.6
|
||||
* 1.5 checkrides: $525
|
||||
|
||||
Not counting charts, books, or some of the 1-on-1 ground prep work for the
|
||||
checkride: **$13,259**
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
Originally we had planned to fly to [Petaluma](http://airnav.com/airport/o69)
|
||||
to grab some food, but high winds on the field (gusting to 18 knots!) changed
|
||||
our plans and we flew south to [Watsonville](http://airnav.com/airport/kwvi).
|
||||
|
||||
The flight to Watsonville was rather uneventful, with some light turbulence on
|
||||
the way. Demonstrating to myself that I'm _still_ not a nitwit, I even entered
|
||||
the pattern correctly, on the correct side of the airport!
|
||||
|
||||
Once on the ground, we realized we had arrived to early to eat at the on-field
|
||||
restaurant. Instead we went to the bathroom, grabbed a drink, took a picture
|
||||
and departed.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/10655
|
||||
662826/)
|
||||
|
||||
_On the ground before departing Watsonville_
|
||||
|
||||
As I usually do whenever I'm flying somewhere, or when I don't have my
|
||||
instructor's well-trained eyes, I picked up flight following from NorCal on
|
||||
the trip back. NorCal and their fancy radar scopes, workload permitting, would
|
||||
help me look for other traffic in the busy airspace above the bay area.
|
||||
|
||||
For the most part, this means I'm getting a heads up on wake turbulence from
|
||||
the larger jets on approach to San Jose, Oakland, or San Francisco
|
||||
International Airports. Just north of Morgan Hill at 4,500ft, I get the call:
|
||||
|
||||
"_Seven-three-three Papa-victor, traffic at 12 o'clock, 2 miles at 4,300ft.
|
||||
Suggest immediate turn to 250 if you don't have him in sight_"
|
||||
|
||||
You don't have to tell me twice! "Left turn, two five zero." I figure my
|
||||
passenger won't mind a 30 degree banked turn, given the circumstances. We
|
||||
swing over immediately, giving her (apparently) a good view of the on-coming
|
||||
traffic. We weren't "I'm going to have a number for you to call when you land"
|
||||
close (i.e. somebody busted regulations), but we were definitely too close to
|
||||
not have one another in sight.
|
||||
|
||||
We saw a number of other small planes in the air while we were flying, but
|
||||
that was the only plane that I _didn't_ see, but I really wish I would have.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
The remainder of the flight back into Hayward wasn't nearly as eventful, which
|
||||
is by no means a bad thing. Approaching the field, the winds were 10 knots
|
||||
straight down the runway. Descending towards the runway I enter the flare, we
|
||||
float more than I'm happy with. I give it a little more throttle and set the
|
||||
plane down with one of the most gentle landings I've ever made.
|
||||
|
||||
On the ground, I asked my wife how she felt about the flight, and the notion
|
||||
of this expensive hobby I had acquired. Fortunately for both of us, she
|
||||
enjoyed the trip and asked on the drive back home "so where are we flying to
|
||||
next?"
|
||||
|
||||
Some people spend their weekends tail-gating, some go camping or hiking. I'm
|
||||
happy to say that we've joined a small group of people who spend their
|
||||
weekends, just casually flying around, no big deal.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
layout: post
|
||||
title: "Climbing to 6,500ft, bravo!"
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- aviation
|
||||
- flying
|
||||
- vfrpilot
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Santa Rosa's current conditions are overcast with plenty of fog. The forecast
|
||||
and the weather brief confirm that it should start to clear up around 10-11am.
|
||||
|
||||
Our planned time of departure is 10am.
|
||||
|
||||
On the drive down to Hayward, the clouds hang low over Oakland. I reiterate to
|
||||
my wife that we might get weathered out, and that we might not make it to
|
||||
Santa Rosa. I'm telling myself this as much as I'm telling her. While I had
|
||||
gone on a good 2 hour flight the day prior with my friend
|
||||
[Dave](https://twitter.com/stuffonfire), I was anxious to get back into the
|
||||
air again today.
|
||||
|
||||
"If we can fly, the worst case scenario is that we fly east over the hills,
|
||||
and then north to Santa Rosa, okay?"
|
||||
|
||||
We exit the highway in Hayward at 9:26, a lack of any Sunday morning traffic
|
||||
gave us a 20 minute commute and time to kill before we went to the airport.
|
||||
|
||||
After refilling our coffee cups, we mosey over to California Airways to pick
|
||||
up the keys.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
The weather in Santa Rosa is still prohibitively cloudy while I pre-flight the
|
||||
plane. I decide to forge ahead, if the airport is still clouded over when we
|
||||
arrive, we can fly north to Healdsburg or simply return to Hayward.
|
||||
|
||||
Preflight complete, I brief my wife on how to use her seatbelt again, start
|
||||
the engine and we taxi towards the runway.
|
||||
|
||||
With a run-up complete, I decide to show my wife what a soft-field takeoff
|
||||
looks like.
|
||||
|
||||
Clearance received, Flaps to 10, mixture rich, transponder to "alt", yoke all
|
||||
the way back. We start to roll onto the runway. Slowly advancing the throttle
|
||||
forward, the nose pops up. Pushing it down a bit, we climb off the runway.
|
||||
Flying 10ft over the runway, we accelerate to the necessary speed to climb
|
||||
(and then some). I pull the yoke back gently and we _spring_ from the runway
|
||||
before resuming a normal 75 knot climb.
|
||||
|
||||
Turning right over the golf course, we fly towards Mount Diablo and clear
|
||||
skies.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
Over Danville I ring up NorCal Approach, who at the moment is too busy for me.
|
||||
Patiently I wait for the frequency to mellow out, and ring them up again.
|
||||
|
||||
"NorCal Approach, Seven-three-three Papa-victor 6 miles east of the Hayward
|
||||
Airport at two thousand seven hundred, climbing to four thousand five hundred,
|
||||
request flight following en route to Santa Rosa"
|
||||
|
||||
I pick up my squawk code, level off at 4,500ft and look at the mat of clouds
|
||||
along the western side of my route at roughly 3,800ft.
|
||||
|
||||
The air over Danville and Walnut Creek is still mostly Echo airspace, but the
|
||||
upside-down wedding cake that is SFO's Bravo airspace still covers it between
|
||||
6000 and 10,000ft. If I want to get any higher, I'll need to pick up
|
||||
clearance.
|
||||
|
||||
"NorCal Approach, 733PV, I'd like to request Bravo clearance to climb up to
|
||||
6,500 to keep clear of this weather."
|
||||
|
||||
"733PV, NorCal Approach, cleared into Bravo to 6,500ft"
|
||||
|
||||
Beginning my climb, I point out to EC that I've never requested or received
|
||||
Bravo clearance. What I don't tell her is that I've never been up past around
|
||||
5,500ft either.
|
||||
|
||||
Leveling off northeast of Richmond, I get the camera out of the back seat and
|
||||
ask/tell her to start taking pictures.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/10914066324/)
|
||||
|
||||
**The Carquinez Bridge**
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
The route up to Santa Rosa is overflying the boundary of clouds on the left
|
||||
(west) and the absolutely clear skies to the right (east). We're making good
|
||||
time, but I'm concerned about the conditions at Santa Rosa the entire time.
|
||||
|
||||
Within 15 miles of the airport, Oakland Center asks me what my conditions are.
|
||||
A subtle way to ask "hey nitwit, you're not thinking of landing at an airport
|
||||
that's still IFR are you?" I inform the controller that it's 100% clear up at
|
||||
6,500, but Santa Rosa is still looking cloudy, and we'll be evaluating our
|
||||
options. Satisfied with this answer, he lets out a quick "roger" before
|
||||
tending to other aircraft.
|
||||
|
||||
Within 10 miles I ask to terminate services, and switch over to Santa Rosa
|
||||
tower. Jumping frequencies I start out with:
|
||||
|
||||
"Santa Rosa Tower, Skyhawk Seven-three-three Papa-victor at 6,500ft 10 miles
|
||||
to the southeast with Kilo. What are the current conditions on the field?"
|
||||
|
||||
"733PV, Santa Rosa Tower, the field is currently IFR but we should be going
|
||||
VFR soon."
|
||||
|
||||
With the airport in sight, the north end of the field is clear, the east of
|
||||
the field is clear, and some of the west is clear. I inform Santa Rosa that
|
||||
we'll be circling to the east for a little bit until the rest of the clouds
|
||||
burn off. Not 5 minutes later, Tower informs me that the field is now VFR and
|
||||
I'm cleared to enter left closed traffic.
|
||||
|
||||
Pattern altitude is 1100ft, we're at 6,500ft, we need to get down. The _quick_
|
||||
way is to execute an emergency descent, the way that ensures my wife will
|
||||
continue to fly with me, is to perform a good 500fpm spiraling descent. A
|
||||
couple circles and we're down to about 5000ft and my patience starts to wear.
|
||||
Gently I increase the bank angle of the plane, increasing our rate of descent
|
||||
from 500fpm, to just over 1000fpm.
|
||||
|
||||
Around 2200ft, we've made another revolution and are pointing at the airport.
|
||||
I decide to demonstrate a forward slip for my dear unsuspecting wife, pushing
|
||||
our descent rate close to 2000fpm, causing a "wooahhhhh" to come from the
|
||||
right seat.
|
||||
|
||||
Entering the pattern, we're cleared to land. I inform the passengers that I
|
||||
will need to concentrate so the tour guide portion of the flight is over.
|
||||
|
||||
My landing flare is slightly fast at 65 knots, the float was inevitable but
|
||||
not cause for concern. With a light jolt the mains touch down and we exit the
|
||||
runway.
|
||||
|
||||
The family we're meeting for brunch are suitably impressed with my piloting
|
||||
skills, having witnessed nothing but my landing. I'm willing to accept the
|
||||
compliment while the wheels turn in my head on what to improve upon.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
The post-brunch flight back to Hayward is rather uneventful. After punching a
|
||||
"direct-to" course to Hayward into the GPS, I practice my pilotage skills and
|
||||
point out the various wine country airports along our route.
|
||||
|
||||
The skies are clear, the wind is calm and the sun is shining. Approaching the
|
||||
San Pablo Bay I pick up clearance through Oakland's Charlie airspace to
|
||||
transition towards Hayward. Allowing us to overfly both Berkeley and Oakland.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/10913967815/)
|
||||
|
||||
**Berkeley and Mount Diablo**
|
||||
|
||||
I warn the passengers that the flight might get a little bumpy, as the mid-
|
||||
afternoon air over the cities tends to provide some turbulence.
|
||||
|
||||
The Skyhawk isn't bounced around too much on the way over Oakland.
|
||||
|
||||
Entering the pattern for Hayward, I start getting set up again for the
|
||||
landing, Turning final for 28R, the 6 knot headwind changes the descent
|
||||
profile a bit, requiring a little more throttle.
|
||||
|
||||
Overflying the California Airways office, we plant our feet squarely on 28R
|
||||
and exit the runway.
|
||||
|
||||
* * *
|
||||
|
||||
In the three weeks that I've had my pilot's license, I've flown at least one
|
||||
cross-country trip every single weekend. So long as the weather cooperates,
|
||||
I'll keep it up. As soon as the weather stops cooperating, then I suppose
|
||||
it'll be time to begin my work as an
|
||||
[IFR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrument_flight_rules) student pilot.
|
||||
|
||||
I wonder where I'll fly next weekend?
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Loading…
Reference in New Issue