Add a bunch of uncommitted posts and tag them vfrstudentpilot
This commit is contained in:
R. Tyler Croy
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47130301fe
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f1d3891604
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: Fly until the money runs 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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If you were to ask me whether I wanted to fly when I was younger, I would have
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: Wheels Down, Livermore
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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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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Good Morning Napa County"
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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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Last Saturday my instructor and I decided to head out to
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: Maybe Hayward Isn't So Bad
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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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I've had a good cadence of writing post-flight-lesson blog posts, so how about
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Swimming Laps with the Ugly Duckling"
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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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Due to some scheduling challenges, my instructor and I decided to move up our
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Searching for Centerline in Tracy"
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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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As I creep precariously close to my first solo flight, the only things stopping
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Flying Without Adult Supervision"
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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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I have a lot of respect for both my flight instructor and his judgement, but
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Fuel-injected in Florida"
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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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A family vacation can only entertain me for so long before I need to go flying
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Free Balloon Rides at Half Moon Bay"
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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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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Looking for grease in Hayward"
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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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@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ tags:
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- aviation
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- flying
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- solo
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- vfrstudentpilot
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---
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This past weekend I went flying twice, something I've not yet done. Usually I
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Reports of Quacking over Danville"
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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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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Sweating the Stall Stuff"
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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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Thus far I've never received a dual lesson with my instructor on a Sunday, as
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Landing in Seven Three..uh.. Eight Victor Uniform"
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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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After almost ten days of foggy mornings and scheduling mishaps, I was finally
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Floating over imaginary sod"
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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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Wiping the crud from my sleepy 6am eyes, I shut off my alarm and grab my tablet
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Bouncing over to Concord"
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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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After a completely stressful week filled with project deadlines and a summons
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Climbing through the soup"
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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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With increasingly foggy and overcast weekday mornings, my flight instructor and
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Monterey for almost lunch"
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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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After a brief hiatus, this past Saturday my instructor and I embarked on the
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@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ title: "Morning Exercises at KHWD"
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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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@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
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---
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layout: post
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title: "Caution: Mountain Obscuration due to Foggles"
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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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I've fallen a bit behind on my flight-related writing recently. Believe it or
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not, blogging tends to fall lower on the priority list than things like
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sleeping or eating.
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On the menu for week was some instrument practice, one of the many requirements
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for the VFR pilot. With only low-level clouds this past Tuesday, followed by
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clear skies this past Saturday, I had no option but to put on some "foggles."
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Which make me look about as cool as this guy.
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<center><img
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src="http://agentdero.cachefly.net/unethicalblogger.com/images/foggles.jpg"/></center>
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They're pretty rad.
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---
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Anyways, the point of the foggles are to simulate flying in instrument
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conditions, without needing to actually fly in instrument conditions.
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How this generally plays out in practice is that I put foggles on, my
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instructor plays the role of air traffic control on the intercom, while
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performing a traffic scan and pretending not to make faces at me.
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Saturday, after the usual pre-flighting business, my instructor reviews the
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procedures for recovering from "unusual flight attitudes." We were originally
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going to cover the subject in Tuesday's foggle-session, but with an upset
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stomach in the left seat, neither of us were willing to risk it.
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The lesson would consist of me navigating to the practice area, relinquishing
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control, putting my head down, and closing my eyes. My instructor then would
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disorient me, and put the plane in some unfamiliar attitude and I would
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recover.
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The first time was the most nerve-wracking. With my eyes squeezed shut, I tried
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to discern what manuevers we were performing to make sure I could recover the
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plane as quickly as possible.
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"And, recover."
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My eyes flash open, I orient my head such that the foggles let me see the
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instruments. Airspeed first, then attitude, finally leveling out and bringing
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us back to cruise.
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After a few more exercises, I open my eyes to see the airspeed increasing
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quickly. I pull the throttle back, but the airspeed keeps increasing. Pulling
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the throttle back as far as I could, we brush up on the "caution zone" of the
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airspeed indicator, over the maneuvering speed for the Ugly Duckling. Pulling
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the yoke back further, we finally start to bleed off some speed.
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Annoyed, I ask if there's any better way to mitigate that scenario other than
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being *very* gentle with the controls.
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I remove the foggles and we go through the same exercise again. Instead of
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only being able to see my instruments, this time I'm able to see the
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windscreen fill with green and brown as the ground rushes towards us.
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I preferred not knowing.
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---
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The foggles returned, and I was vectored back to Hayward. One soft-field
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landing later and the lesson was done.
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@ -0,0 +1,211 @@
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---
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layout: post
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title: "Modesto for brunch"
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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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My alarm starts screaming. I stand up out of bed, walk to the dresser to
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turn it off. I've never woken up well with alarms, placing my phone across the
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room forces me out of bed, greatly increasing the probability that I'll wake
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up. It's miserable. My eyes sting from tiredness.
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It's 5:15 am.
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I have to get to the airport early, in order to fly 120 nautical miles round
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trip to [Modesto](http://airnav.com/airport/kmod) and back before work.
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Standing hunched in the shower, I quietly mutter to myself "I'm out of my damned mind."
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---
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Traffic to [Hayward Executive Airport](http://airnav.com/airport/khwd) (KHWD)
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is light, so I arrive at 6:30, earlier than planned. No sense delaying, I drive
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up to the flight line, call to get my weather briefing, and pre-flight the
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[Ugly Duckling](http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/8920019697/).
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/9617279603/"
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title="Flight line at sunrise by agentdero, on Flickr"><img
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src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3710/9617279603_c9901ff5dc.jpg" width="500"
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height="375" alt="Flight line at sunrise"></a></center>
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My instructor arrives, his usual cheery self. My tiredness has worn off,
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replaced with the anticipation for the flight, and a dose of anxiety over the
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review of my flight log and plan. With clouds creeping from the northwest
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towards the field, we head into the
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[FBO's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_base_operator) office to review my
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work from the night before.
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My numbers and route of flight seem sane enough, despite being only the second
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*real* cross-country flight I've planned. Satisfied with our briefing, we head
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out to the flight line, beneath the clouds which have now encroached on the
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north half of the field.
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"Forget I'm here, if you had your PPL, what would you do about these clouds?"
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Well, the entire southern half of the field is clear, bathed in sunshine, while
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the northern half has clouds at 1100ft. "I would request special VFR clearance
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and fly a south downwind departure until we're clear."
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My instructor is the only person I know who has requested SVFR clearance, and I
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only know it because of a cautionary tale he told us in ground school about
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[scud running](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scud_running).
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"Great, let's request special VFR and downwind departure to the south"
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---
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The controllers at Hayward are generally nice and accomodating. I receive my
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SVFR clearance, and we start rolling.
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Initially after takeoff, we're climbing directly at these damned clouds.
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Turning right over the golf course, still looking at at these damned clouds.
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One more right turn and we're headed south, still under this damned mat of
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clouds.
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SVFR let's me cuddle up close with the cloud layer, which I do until we're
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south of the field.
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"Hayward Tower, Seven-three-seven Golf-mike, we're clear of those clouds, I'd
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like to climb"
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In recent lessons I've learned that I'm allowed to *ask* for things that I want
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to do in controlled airspace.
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"Seven-three-seven Golf-mike, clear to climb, maintain VFR"
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Gaining some altitude, I'm perplexed. I need to go east, not south, but I was
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told to go south, what do I do? "Ask for an east bound departure" suggests the
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right seat.
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"Hayward Tower, Seven-three-seven Golf-mike, requesting an eastbound departure"
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They clear my departure, I turn towards Livermore and climb to my cruise
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altitude of 3500ft.
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---
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**Now** we're flying cross-country again. I call up Oakland Radio, open my
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flight plan, then switch over to NorCal approach, stumble through my initial
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call-up and request flight following to Modesto and back.
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As we overfly [Livermore Municipal](http://airnav.com/airport/klvk) the "setup
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work" of the flight is done.
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The air is quiet this early, news choppers, commercial flights and a few
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tin cans like mine flying around in the cool late summer air.
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Not one to waste time between checkpoints, my instructor is discussing
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emergency landing options, navigation-worthy ground references and so on.
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Flying over Tracy, we spot a powerplant and some dust devils, which give us an
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idea of the current wind conditions.
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Calm winds, not as strong as the 8 knots forecasted I used for my fuel and time
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estimates in my flight log. We would be traveling slower there, increasing the
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amount of fuel burn, not something to worry much about with a short flight like
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this, but on a longer one it would definitely be more impactful.
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The trip to Modesto is *much* faster than the previous cross-country I had
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[previously flown to Monterey](/2013/08/17/monterey-for-almost-lunch.html).
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This flight there wasn't much time between check points to shoot the shit, all
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business this time around.
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---
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Nearing Modesto, I pick up the current weather and make my initial call-up to
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the tower.
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"Modesto Tower, Skyhawk Seven-three-seven Golf-mike, 9 miles to the northwest
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with information lima"
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"Seven-three-seven Golf-mike, enter traffic downwind, runways 28 left and right
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are active, what's your preference?"
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Uh, I don't have the airport diagram in my lap. I do my best imagining what
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I had studied the night before.
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"Seven-three-seven Golf-mike, uh, I'd like 28L"
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I picked the shorter runway. Landing on mile-long runways doesn't impress my
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instructor, nor will they make me a better pilot.
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Entering the pattern on the downwind, I start slowing down, carb heat on, flaps
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to 10. Turn base, CGUMPS mental check list, flaps to 20. Turn final, line up
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center-ish and push the flaps to 30.
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"Give me a short-field landing"
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In my eagerness, I put the 30 degrees of flaps in maybe 30 seconds too early,
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and needed to carry a bit more power to keep my glideslope correct.
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Just a tad left of center, we cross the numbers, the mains touchdown and I
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apply the brakes slowing us to taxi speed.
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After having trouble during my Sunday morning solo work with short-field
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landings, I was thrilled to have performed a good one while somebody was
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watching.
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We exit the runway, and call tower.
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---
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Idling off of 28L, I request a taxi back to the start of 28L. I don't remember
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what tower said after my request, but I was pretty sure he didn't tell me I was
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clear to taxi. With my feet holding the brakes, I think for a second or two.
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"Modesto Tower, Seven-three-seven Golf-mike, I might have missed it, but did
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you clear me to taxi back to 28L?"
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"Seven-three-seven Golf-mike, yes I cleared you, taxi to 28L via Bravo."
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The exchange scored me big J-points with my instructor, "he's wrong, he never
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cleared you to taxi, I was waiting to see if you just *went*."
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I release the pressure on the brakes, and start rolling.
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Within minutes we're back in the air, on our way back to Hayward.
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---
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On the flight back we took the opportunity to practice emergency procedures,
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VOR navigation and a few other items. The right seat was mostly quiet though.
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I knew I was being watched from the right seat, he was sizing me up to see if
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I would be safe and able to fly the same cross-country on my own this coming
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Saturday.
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Closing in on Hayward, I pick up the weather and contact the tower, get
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clearance to enter the airspace.
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"This time, give me a soft-field landing"
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Damnit. I perform soft-field landings just fine unless he *tells* me to perform
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one.
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I fail to flare enough, and we land flat, on the left (my) side of the runway
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to boot.
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"You owe me a coke."
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Damnit. I'll find that centerline soon enough.
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Cross-country is over for the day, after wrapping up I hustle off to work.
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I'm exhausted from what feels like a full day's work, but that avgas isn't going to pay for itself.
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@ -0,0 +1,273 @@
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---
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layout: post
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title: Sweating it solo to Modesto
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tags:
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- aviation
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- flying
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- solo
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- vfrstudentpilot
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---
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"Check out the photos on the camera" I told my wife as we pulled out of the
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California Airways parking lot.
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"Did Jonathan take these while you two were flying?"
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"Uh, no, I did" ellicited a somewhat puzzled response. After a brief pause, I
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continued "Oh, did I not tell you I was flying solo to Modesto today?"
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Apparently, I neglected to tell my wife that I was actually flight planning, and
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preparing mentally for my first solo cross-country trip this morning.
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Clear communication really is the bedrock of a successful marriage.
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---
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Waking up at 6 am on a Saturday is something I prefer not to do, but in order
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to prepare for this morning's flight, I was willing to make an exception.
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/9637400445/" title="Flight
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planning the morning of by agentdero, on Flickr"><img
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src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5482/9637400445_dabf9d14c8_n.jpg"
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width="320" height="240" align="right" alt="Flight planning the morning of"></a>
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||||
|
||||
Groggily checking the more accurate and current winds aloft forecast for
|
||||
the route of my flight, I'm able to fill in the rest of my flight log.
|
||||
Performing various wind correction computations, with the goal of getting the
|
||||
most accurate time aloft estimate possible. Time is everything to flying cross
|
||||
country, time equals fuel, delays between waypoints have to be tracked
|
||||
meticulously to ensure the fuel in the tanks will get you where you want to go.
|
||||
|
||||
Once everything is put together, double-checked, I look at the weather for
|
||||
[Hayward](http://airnav.com/airport/khwd) (KHWD) and notice that the field is
|
||||
IFR, i.e. clouded in.
|
||||
|
||||
Not unusual for a summer morning in the bay area, hoping it will burn off by my
|
||||
planned departure time, I head to the airport.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
After arriving at the California Airways office, I file my flight plan and get
|
||||
my weather briefing. The voice at the other line knows what I do, but he's
|
||||
unwilling to go on record saying that the clouds will burn off by my departure
|
||||
time.
|
||||
|
||||
After thorough review, my [flight
|
||||
plan](http://skyvector.com/?ll=37.781863855820866,-121.64678442848906&chart=16&zoom=3&plan=A.K2.KHWD:F.K2.VPDUB:F.K2.VPALT:F.K2.MOSSA:A.K2.KMOD) passes muster and my instructor endorses
|
||||
me for the solo cross country, reviews my limitations, and sends me on my way.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Today's chariot of choice, is the venerable Ugly Duckling, the same plane that
|
||||
I first [soloed in](/2013/06/20/flying-without-adult-supervision.html) this
|
||||
past June.
|
||||
|
||||
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/8920019697/"
|
||||
title="Ugly Duckling by agentdero, on Flickr"><img
|
||||
src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3682/8920019697_45c60e952a.jpg" width="500"
|
||||
height="375" alt="Ugly Duckling"></a></center>
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Following a detailed pre-flight inspection, I sit down in the left seat,
|
||||
happily tucking my mess of papers and charts into the vacant right seat.
|
||||
Without an instructor, I won't have to try to keep everything crammed onto my
|
||||
kneeboard or side-pocket.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
"Hayward Ground, Skyhawk Seven-three-seven Golf-mike at the green ramp with
|
||||
Charlie, request taxi to 28R"
|
||||
|
||||
"Skyhawk 737GM, Hayward Ground, taxi via Alpha to 28R"
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
A deep breath, slight opening of the throttle, and I depart the flight line.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
After climbing out of Hayward, I have to fight the habit of flying straight at
|
||||
Mount Diablo as I've done a number of times on training flights. I catch myself
|
||||
pointed right at it, consult my flight log "Zero-six-zero, right-o."
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Over Dublin I start getting into "cross-country setup mode." First by opening
|
||||
my flight plan. That complete, I switch over to NorCal Approach to hear a
|
||||
pretty busy channel. Waiting my turn, I finally get a chance to jump in as I
|
||||
close in on Livermore.
|
||||
|
||||
"NorCal Approach, Skyhawk Seven-three-seven Golf-Mike with a VFR request"
|
||||
|
||||
"Skyhawk 737GM, NorCal Approach, go ahead"
|
||||
|
||||
"737GM, north of Livermore at three thousand five hundred, round-robin to
|
||||
Modesto and back to Hayward, I'd like to request flight following."
|
||||
|
||||
I realize after making the call, that I left some bits of the script out, but
|
||||
Approach doesn't ask for those details, assigns me a squawk code and continues
|
||||
dealing with the plethora of other weekend flyers.
|
||||
|
||||
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/9637405971/"
|
||||
title="Headed towards the Altamont Pass by agentdero, on Flickr"><img
|
||||
src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7323/9637405971_0baf514b11.jpg" width="500"
|
||||
height="375" alt="Headed towards the Altamont Pass"></a></center>
|
||||
|
||||
Heading towards Altamont Pass, I realize I didn't check my watch at my first
|
||||
waypoint (Dublin). Cursing myself, I snap a few photos while I anxiously wait
|
||||
for the Ugly Duckling to putt along over my next waypoint (VPALT) so I can
|
||||
catch up on my time calculations.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Closing in on Modesto, I inform NorCal Approach that I have "Uniform", the
|
||||
current wind and weather at Modesto, and they pass me off to Modesto Tower.
|
||||
|
||||
"Modesto Tower, Skyhawk Seven-three-seven Golf-Mike, 12 miles to the northwest
|
||||
with uniform"
|
||||
|
||||
Just as before, Modesto seems eager to please and asks me what I want to do. I
|
||||
let them know I'm just stopping in for a landing and taxi-back. Again I choose
|
||||
the shorter runway, and enter the traffic pattern on the downwind leg.
|
||||
|
||||
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/9637407815/"
|
||||
title="Left downwind 28L at KMOD by agentdero, on Flickr"><img
|
||||
src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7432/9637407815_6e4869ef97.jpg" width="500"
|
||||
height="375" alt="Left downwind 28L at KMOD"></a></center>
|
||||
|
||||
Lining up on final approach, the wind is bumping me around a little bit, but
|
||||
I'm maintaining "Tyler's centerline" which is within 15ft left or right of the
|
||||
actual painted centerline.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
A slight chirp of the mains, and I'm on the ground, almost four days exactly
|
||||
since I was last here.
|
||||
|
||||
After exiting the runway and cleaning up the plane, I request and am given a
|
||||
taxiback to the start of 28L.
|
||||
|
||||
"Modesto Tower, 737GM, is there a runup area down at the end of Delta?"
|
||||
|
||||
"Seven Golf-mike, yes, off to the right, stay clear for other traffic taxiing"
|
||||
|
||||
There's a Piper Cub behind me as I pull off to the run-up area, depressing the
|
||||
breaks I let the plane idle.
|
||||
|
||||
"Modesto Tower, 7GM, I'm going to do some paper work over here real quick, I'll
|
||||
let you know when I'm ready to go again."
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
I finish all my en route calculations in my flight log, and pull out my log for
|
||||
the leg back to KHWD. I feel so *piloty* going over my work before rolling up
|
||||
to the hold short line.
|
||||
|
||||
"Modesto Tower, Skyhawk 737GM, holding short of 28L, request a straight-out
|
||||
departure."
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Noting my times on the climb out, and then the ground speed on the GPS unit,
|
||||
I'm faster than I thought I would be. After a light tail wind from Livermore to
|
||||
east of Tracy, the wind had shifted and was providing another nice little tail
|
||||
wind.
|
||||
|
||||
Over the Altamont Pass, I look over at the
|
||||
[Hobbs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbs_meter) and notice that I've not
|
||||
been out nearly long enough. I had planned to fly for a couple of hours, and
|
||||
damnit I was going to fly for a couple of hours, tailwind be damned.
|
||||
|
||||
'NorCal Approach, Skyhawk 737GM, I've got some fuel to burn so I'd like to
|
||||
terminate and do some touch-and-go's at Livermore"
|
||||
|
||||
"737GM, roger, confirm you have Whiskey"
|
||||
|
||||
"737GM, affirmative, we have Whiskey"
|
||||
|
||||
"Seven-three-seven Golf-mike, squawk VFR, contact Livermore Tower 118.1"
|
||||
|
||||
I bid NorCal adieu, turn the transponder over to 1200 ("squawk VFR") and hit up
|
||||
Livermore Tower.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
"Livermore Tower, Skyhawk 737GM, about 3 miles north of the field, with
|
||||
Whiskey"
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
At my previous cruise altitude of 4500ft, I've got to shed some altitude before
|
||||
entering pattern altitude at 1400. Over the hills east of San Ramon, I go into
|
||||
a number of descending spiraling turns until I come out somewhere close to
|
||||
2000ft and turn towards Livermore.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Upon entering the busy pattern, Livermore Tower informs me:
|
||||
|
||||
"737GM, extend your downwind, you're number 5 for 25R"
|
||||
|
||||
There are 4 other planes in front of me, this might be the busiest pattern I've
|
||||
ever participated in. After passing abeam the number four aircraft, I turn
|
||||
base, and start my approach.
|
||||
|
||||
Wheels down, I exit the runway, clean up the plane and taxi back.
|
||||
|
||||
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/9637416805/" title="On
|
||||
the ground at Livermore by agentdero, on Flickr"><img
|
||||
src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2835/9637416805_c58b2ca84e.jpg" width="500"
|
||||
height="375" alt="On the ground at Livermore"></a></center>
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
I decide Livermore is too busy to perform more pattern work, and request a
|
||||
straight-out departure.
|
||||
|
||||
After a clean soft-field take-off, I'm climbing back up to 4000ft.
|
||||
|
||||
At 4000, the Ugly Duckling turns right heads directly towards Mount Diablo
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Holding level at 4000 (a student pilot miracle!) I decide to set up for some
|
||||
practice steep turns. First to the left, little bit of throttle, gently pulling
|
||||
back on the yoke, then I throw the trim wheel downwards twice. The G-forces
|
||||
push me into the seat, the attitude indicator says I'm banked all the way to 45
|
||||
degrees, and the altitude isn't waivering.
|
||||
|
||||
Coming around on Mount Diablo again, I switch it over to the right. I exit the
|
||||
turn on the mountain one more time, almost at 4000 on the button.
|
||||
|
||||
Victorious, I decide to turn back towards Hayward.
|
||||
|
||||
There's not much to say about entering Hayward's airspace, I've now done it
|
||||
enough that I could probably have both sides of the conversation between Tower
|
||||
and Pilot.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Abeam Cal State, I ask for the options for 28R. I'm not done flying just yet.
|
||||
|
||||
A few touch and go's later, I terminate, deciding that I'm approaching the
|
||||
threshold of when my love of food wins out over my love of flying.
|
||||
|
||||
It's lunch time, my shirt is damp with sweat, and I think I've gotten enough
|
||||
air work in for the day.
|
||||
|
||||
My first solo cross-country was over.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
On my list of major milestones, this is one of the last ones to get a
|
||||
strike-through.
|
||||
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li><strong><strike>Ground School</strike></strong></li>
|
||||
<li><strong><strike>Airman Medical Exam</strike></strong></li>
|
||||
<li><strong><strike>FAA Knowledge Test</strike></strong></li>
|
||||
<li><strong><strike>Solo Flight</strike></strong></li>
|
||||
<li><strong><strike>Solo Cross-Country Flight</strike></strong></li>
|
||||
<li><strong>FAA Checkride for License</strong></li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/9637422095/" title="A
|
||||
successful solo cross-country by agentdero, on Flickr"><img
|
||||
src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2812/9637422095_2d945f63f5.jpg" width="500"
|
||||
height="375" alt="A successful solo cross-country"></a></center>
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Weather permitting, I head back up for another, longer solo cross-country
|
||||
tomorrow. This time to Santa Rosa, Sacramento and back.
|
||||
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,315 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
layout: post
|
||||
title: Solo into unfamiliar territory
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- aviation
|
||||
- flying
|
||||
- vfrstudentpilot
|
||||
- solo
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
I'm killing time in the California Airways office, re-re-re-reviewing my
|
||||
charts, going over the visual checkpoints I can expect to see today. After
|
||||
[yesterday's](/2013/08/31/solo-to-modesto.html) successful solo cross-country
|
||||
to Modesto, I had arranged to fly a longer solo cross-country today. This time
|
||||
around, [Hayward](http://airnav.com/airport/khwd) to [Santa
|
||||
Rosa](http://airnav.com/airport/ksts), on to [Sacramento
|
||||
Executive](http://airnav.com/airport/ksac) then returning home to Hayward.
|
||||
|
||||
My [planned route of
|
||||
flight](http://skyvector.com/?ll=38.13740839254426,-122.39366843406093&chart=16&zoom=3&plan=A.K2.KHWD:F.K2.VPDUB:V.K2.SGD:A.K2.KSTS:F.K2.AYSON:A.K2.KSAC:A.K2.O88:V.K2.CCR:F.K2.VPDUB:A.K2.KHWD)
|
||||
was over 200 nautical miles, and close to 3 hours of flight time, the longest
|
||||
duration I've flown to date. The length aside, I had also never been to either
|
||||
airport, adding another layer of challenge onto the mission.
|
||||
|
||||
I hear the door open outside the office, shortly thereafter my instructor
|
||||
strolls in, literally wearing his Sunday best. I somehow had managed to trick
|
||||
him into reviewing my flight logs before heading to church, making this flight
|
||||
possible today.
|
||||
|
||||
Everything checks out, but he highlights that my initial leg up to the Scaggs
|
||||
Island VOR, at my planned altitude, is a little too close to the San Francisco
|
||||
Class Bravo airspace shelf. Entering Bravo unauthorized is a no-no for any
|
||||
pilot, but even with authorization, student pilots aren't allowed to solo in
|
||||
the airspace (without an endorsement).
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
In my normal planning process, I usually pick my route first, then some time
|
||||
later I decide on cruising altitudes, turns out that might not be the best
|
||||
idea.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Before leaving, he gives me an endorsement authorizing the today's flight, I
|
||||
hit the bathroom one more time, then walk out to the airport.
|
||||
|
||||
Since I was dropped off this morning, I'm vehicle-less and there's nobody to
|
||||
hitch-hike down to the green ramp with like I did yesterday.
|
||||
|
||||
My big 200+ mile solo cross-country trip was going to start with a mile long
|
||||
walk.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Pre-flight complete, I lock my seat in it's position, and start going through
|
||||
the engine start checklist.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Prime, one, two, three, four, primer locked. Throttle open a half inch,
|
||||
breakers in, avionics master off, master switch on. The gyros in the panel
|
||||
start spinning up, I shout "clear prop!" out the window, count to three, then
|
||||
turn the key.
|
||||
|
||||
The Ugly Duckling can be a tempermental bird in the mornings. Today was going
|
||||
to be one of those mornings.
|
||||
|
||||
I hear the engine start to catch, push the throttle in a little and in my
|
||||
eagerness I let the key switch from "start" to "both" before I'm supposed to.
|
||||
As if to say "well, what the hell do you want me to do with that?!" the engine
|
||||
quits.
|
||||
|
||||
Pumping the throttle three or four times, I shout "clear prop!" one more time,
|
||||
and try to start the plane. Nothing, this time around it's coughing like it's
|
||||
got the black lung, probably flooded the damned engine.
|
||||
|
||||
With one or two expletives in the direction of the panel in front of me, I pull
|
||||
out the handbook and re-read the procedure for starting a flooded engine.
|
||||
|
||||
This time around the Duckling screams alive, forcing me to quickly yank the
|
||||
throttle back to 1000rpm before continuing my checklist.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
With clearance from ground, I taxi to 28L. Normally I have no problem with 28R,
|
||||
but the VOR test spot at Hayward is in the 28L run-up area. Since I'll be
|
||||
practicing a lot of VOR-mode navigation today, I better make sure the thing
|
||||
works before I get in the air.
|
||||
|
||||
Right cross-wind departure approved, I take the runway, breath in deeply, and
|
||||
cram the throttle to the panel. Our previous disagreements behind us, the Ugly
|
||||
Duckling and I leap from the runway and head towards Dublin.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
En route to Dublin, I request to change from Hayward Tower's frequency early to
|
||||
open my flight plan. Over Dublin I get my flight plan opened, then jump over to
|
||||
NorCal Approach to request flight following. The frequency is so busy I don't
|
||||
get a chance to jump into the flow of things until I'm already at 4500, my
|
||||
cruising altitude for this leg, and over Danville.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Flight following activated, I get the Scaggs Island VOR tuned and start
|
||||
tracking it northward. As I write this, I'm realizing that I didn't identify
|
||||
any of my VORs today. I plead student pilot, license to learn, etc.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/9650782482/"
|
||||
title="Hello Buchanan Field! by agentdero, on Flickr"><img
|
||||
src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5335/9650782482_7ae882179b.jpg" width="500"
|
||||
height="375" alt="Hello Buchanan Field!"></a></center>
|
||||
|
||||
As I pass abeam [Buchanan Field](http://www.airnav.com/airport/KCCR) in
|
||||
Concord, and look at my watch. Only one minute faster than estimated in my
|
||||
flight log. "Hot dog!" I exclaim, the Ugly Duckling is non-plussed and
|
||||
continues putting northwest-bound.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Approaching Santa Rosa, I pick up the weather, and something doesn't match up.
|
||||
|
||||
"Oakland Center, Seven-three-seven Golf-mike with a question"
|
||||
|
||||
"737GM, Oakland Center, go ahead"
|
||||
|
||||
"Do you happen to have more current weather than India for Santa Rosa? Their
|
||||
ATIS says 'Broken at one thousand one hundred' but I'm not seeing any clouds"
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Oakland Center doesn't have any better information, but he does clear me to
|
||||
change frequencies to Santa Rosa to clear things up for my approach. I'm fairly
|
||||
certain I'm looking *at* Santa Rosa, and I don't think my VOR, my pilotage, or
|
||||
my GPS unit is incorrect, but I might as well ask.
|
||||
|
||||
"Santa Rosa Tower, Seven-three-seven Golf-Mike"
|
||||
|
||||
"737GM, Santa Rosa Tower, go ahead"
|
||||
|
||||
"Is the field IFR right now? 7GM"
|
||||
|
||||
"737GM, the field is VFR"
|
||||
|
||||
"Santa Rosa Tower, alright then, the ATIS said broken at 1 thousand one
|
||||
hundred, just checking. 7GM"
|
||||
|
||||
Tower called in some time later letting me know they corrected the error, the
|
||||
ceiling was broken at one-one (eleven) thousand. As I neared the field, I asked
|
||||
for permission to fly over the field to check it out before entering the
|
||||
pattern. Just east of the field at 2200ft, I called Tower back.
|
||||
|
||||
"Santa Rosa Tower, 737GM, that's a nice field you got there, I'm ready to land"
|
||||
|
||||
"737GM, enter right base for runway 14"
|
||||
|
||||
As I make my turn to enter the pattern, I try to make sure i keep an eye on the
|
||||
runway. There's another plane landing ahead of me, and I want to make sure I
|
||||
line this approach up correctly. Descending towards the runway, lined up with
|
||||
"Tyler's Centerline", I throw the flaps to 30 at about 300 ft. Descending
|
||||
further, the sporadic winds jostle me around just before entering ground
|
||||
effect.
|
||||
|
||||
Floating while I disappate the 5-8 extra knots I carried to the runway, I
|
||||
manage to keep the attitude correct and the mains bump as I touch down. I'm too
|
||||
far down to make the Bravo taxiway, but the runway could fit a whole damn fleet
|
||||
of 172s on it, so I call up Tower.
|
||||
|
||||
"Santa Rosa Tower, 737GM, I'd like to do a 180 to to turn off at Bravo"
|
||||
|
||||
"737GM, approved as requested."
|
||||
|
||||
A tight turn later, I'm off the runway and taxiing to the Sonoma Jet
|
||||
Center, home of free cookies and a bathroom, only one of which concerned me at
|
||||
this point.
|
||||
|
||||
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/9647555617/" title="On
|
||||
the ground at KSTS by agentdero, on Flickr"><img
|
||||
src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3714/9647555617_fd267400a1.jpg" width="500"
|
||||
height="375" alt="On the ground at KSTS"></a></center>
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Bladder emptied, I walk my piloty-walk back out to the plane and start prepping
|
||||
for the next leg, straight to Sacramento Executive. I've successfully
|
||||
navigating and landed at one unfamiliar airport, but now I need to do it again,
|
||||
flying over big hills and small mountains to get there.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
I go through my engine start checklist, except the priming part, and the Ugly
|
||||
Duckling roars alive again. Ground clears me to taxi behind another plane to 14.
|
||||
Playing follow-the-leader to the runup area, I figure since I stopped, I should
|
||||
go through a full run-up again.
|
||||
|
||||
Cleared for takeoff, the Ugly Duckling and I jump back up into the air,
|
||||
climbing to abound 800ft before turning left and getting on course for
|
||||
Sacramento.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
"Santa Rosa Tower, 737GM, I can't seem to find the last frequency I had for
|
||||
Oakland Center, do you happen to have it?"
|
||||
|
||||
Tower Obliges, clears my frequency change and wishes me well along my way. I
|
||||
continue climbing to 5500ft, looking every now and again at my watch en route.
|
||||
Last time around I was a few minutes slow, I was anxious to see how things
|
||||
would turn out for this leg.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
At the top of climb checkpoint, I was a minute early. I'll take it.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Over unfamiliar territory, I start lining up landmarks on the ground that I
|
||||
expect to see. St. Helena is fairly easy to spot, followed by Lake Hennessey
|
||||
and finally a landmark so big I couldn't possibly miss it, Lake Berryessa.
|
||||
|
||||
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/9650799526/"
|
||||
title="Over Lake Berryessa by agentdero, on Flickr"><img
|
||||
src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7432/9650799526_b6d1e28984.jpg" width="500"
|
||||
height="375" alt="Over Lake Berryessa"></a></center>
|
||||
|
||||
My joy isn't that long-lived, somehow I'm two minutes late.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
NorCal Approach asks me if I'm familiar with the area as I close in on the
|
||||
Sacramento metro area. My "negative" response is met with a subtle hint
|
||||
|
||||
"737GM, Sacramento Executive is straight ahead at about zero-seven-five"
|
||||
|
||||
"Zero-seven-five, 7GM"
|
||||
|
||||
I take the hint, make my turn and start my descent.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Looking at my GPS unit, I see that I'm about 3 miles closer than I wanted to be
|
||||
to start my descent. Pulling the throttle back, I start making sweeping
|
||||
descending S-turns to shed my altitude without overflying the airport.
|
||||
Executive Tower clears me for a right base, after confirming that he didn't
|
||||
want me to enter on the 45, he suggests a deepening my base leg.
|
||||
|
||||
Lined up on the centerline, I putt towards runway 20. Throwing the last bit of
|
||||
flaps in fairly late, I manage to land around 500ft beyond the numbers with a
|
||||
slight chirp of the wheels.
|
||||
|
||||
No bladder breaks this time around, I request taxi back, get back onto runway
|
||||
20 and fly my straight out departure.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Leaving Sacramento Executive's airspace, I depart with a "y'all have a good
|
||||
afternoon" instead of the usual "good-day" and bounce back over to NorCal Approach.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
The final leg of my navigation log was the most accurate one. KSAC to Rio Vista
|
||||
(O88) using the 185 radial from the Sacramento VOR. At Rio Vista, I would
|
||||
switch over to the Concord VOR and track the 45 radial in to Concord.
|
||||
|
||||
I was feeling comfortable with my heading, and the airspace was quiet
|
||||
enough that I requested a temporary frequency change to get some in-flight
|
||||
weather from Flight Watch. At this point it had been about 4 hours since my
|
||||
knowledge of the weather was issued, so an update couldn't hurt.
|
||||
|
||||
Current winds aloft for the Sacramento Valley, and San Francisco Bay Area
|
||||
copied down, I bounced back to NorCal Approach just in time to be passed off to
|
||||
Travis Approach, who manages traffic around Travis Air Force Base.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
"Travis Approach, Skyhawk Seven-three-seven Golf-Mike at five thousand five
|
||||
hundred"
|
||||
|
||||
"737GM, Travis Approach, I read your current altitude at four thousand five
|
||||
hundred"
|
||||
|
||||
"Whoops, sorry about that, I misread, we are at 4500, 737GM"
|
||||
|
||||
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/agentdero/9647566839/"
|
||||
title="Over Rio Vista by agentdero, on Flickr"><img
|
||||
src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7418/9647566839_ff054e4747.jpg" width="500"
|
||||
height="375" alt="Over Rio Vista"></a></center>
|
||||
|
||||
It has to happen at least once a flight, I have to be reminded that I'm still a
|
||||
student pilot. and that I will make mistakes. Fortunately there weren't too
|
||||
many folks on the frequency to snicker at my silly mistake.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Passing over Rio Vista, the frequency is really quiet, so I take the
|
||||
opportunity to ask the controller from Travis a couple questions. He kindly
|
||||
answers them, clarifying some of the airspace rules around the base. Shortly
|
||||
thereafter I depart his airspace and am passed back to NorCal approach as I
|
||||
near Concord.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
From Concord in to Hayward was largely uneventful. Just as the day before, I
|
||||
closed my flight plan from the air. Unlike the day before, I committed to a
|
||||
single landing at Hayward, a *soft-field* landing at that.
|
||||
|
||||
As one might expect when nobody is looking, I executed a pretty good soft-field
|
||||
and exited the runway. Rolling into the parking, I call for fuel on the radio,
|
||||
park and shutdown the airplane.
|
||||
|
||||
The Ugly Duckling takes on 17.5 gallons of avgas while I clean up the plane,
|
||||
breathe a deep breath of air and let my shoulders slump. I'm exhausted.
|
||||
Fortunately I'm able to hitch-hike a ride with the lineman back to the south
|
||||
end of the field, saving me a mile long walk in the heat.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
I treat myself to a greasy burger back in Berkeley before heading home. In a
|
||||
combination of shock-exhaustion, I contemplate my day thus far.
|
||||
|
||||
It was only three o'clock, and I had flown over 200 miles to two unfamiliar
|
||||
airports all by myself and back.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
I need a nap.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,301 @@
|
|||
---
|
||||
layout: post
|
||||
title: The Most Expensive Bacon and Eggs
|
||||
tags:
|
||||
- aviation
|
||||
- flying
|
||||
- vfrstudentpilot
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Cell phone, wallet, laptop, helmet, keys; check. My pre-commute checklist
|
||||
that I run through before leaving the house in the morning. I unlocked my bike,
|
||||
bid farewell to the dog in the backyard and pedalled towards the train station.
|
||||
|
||||
The night prior, Thursday, I couldn't keep my eyes open. The tired, dryness
|
||||
stinging my eyes as I poured over my sectional charts, trying to mentally
|
||||
process and digest all the thinly drawn lines, bisecting clusters of tiny
|
||||
glyphs indicating the landmarks of navigational merit to a pilot.
|
||||
|
||||
It was about 8:30 in the morning and I had already been up working for an hour
|
||||
and a half, finishing my flight plan for the night flight planned. My
|
||||
instructor and I needed to fly a night cross-country, and decided to bring our
|
||||
wives along and make a trip out of it.
|
||||
|
||||
This was going to be a long day.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
After leaving work early, EC drove the two of us to
|
||||
[Hayward](http://airnav.com/airport/khwd). From the right car seat I filed my
|
||||
flight plan, got a current weather briefing, and did my final caclulations.
|
||||
|
||||
<img
|
||||
src="http://agentdero.cachefly.net/unethicalblogger.com/images/kwlw.png"
|
||||
alt="KWLW" align="right"/>
|
||||
|
||||
Unlike the [cross-country to Modesto](/2013/08/31/solo-to-modesto.html), or my [solo cross-country to Santa Rosa and
|
||||
Sacramento](/2013/09/01/solo-into-unfamiliar-territory.html). this trip was
|
||||
going to be much further, north to
|
||||
[Willows-Glenn](http://airnav.com/airport/kwlw), and late-night dinner and pie.
|
||||
|
||||
As we drove into Hayward, the clouds hung low over the city, my
|
||||
concern about the feasibility of our flight rose.
|
||||
|
||||
At the [California Airways](http://www.california-airways.com/) office, my
|
||||
instructor and I reviewed my flight log, [route of
|
||||
flight](http://skyvector.com/?ll=38.80261636808747,-122.13500976774763&chart=301&zoom=5&plan=A.K2.KHWD:F.K2.REBAS:F.K2.CROIT:F.K2.RAGGS:G.39.00275062958666,-122.05632019255508:A.K2.CN12:A.K2.8CL6:A.K2.KWLW:A.K2.O41:A.K2.O88:A.K2.KCCR:F.K2.VPDUB:F.K2.VPSUN:A.K2.KHWD)
|
||||
and the weather. Current conditions indicated overcast at 1,100ft, still
|
||||
flyable but I was uneasy about it. Since EC and I drove down from the north, we
|
||||
did know that the clouds hung low over Oakland, and then it was fairly clear
|
||||
further north.
|
||||
|
||||
We decided to proceed with the flight and drove out to the flight line.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
The plane for the evening would be N296ME, the one 172SP in the fleet. A more
|
||||
modern, powerful Cessna 172 with 16 more gallons of fuel, 20 more horsepower,
|
||||
and probably 15 fewer years of service.
|
||||
|
||||
The wives stayed in the car while we preflighted in the dark.
|
||||
|
||||
With that complete, we piled into Mike-Echo under a mat of darkness. The
|
||||
internals of the plane wasn't too unfamiliar to me, I had actually flown a
|
||||
172SP while on my [trip to florida](/2013/06/26/fuel-injected-in-florida.html).
|
||||
Like that plane, this one was fuel-injected and had a different starting
|
||||
procedure then the other 172s.
|
||||
|
||||
Coughing alive, Mike-Echo was ready to go, as were we.
|
||||
|
||||
"*Hayward Ground, Two-Niner-Six Mike-Echo at the green ramp, with Charlie, like
|
||||
to taxi to 28L." After a pause, I chimed back in "Hayward Ground, we'd also
|
||||
like to transition through Oakland to Napa.*"
|
||||
|
||||
My first mistake of the flight, we wanted to fly through Oakland towards Napa,
|
||||
we didn't actually want to stop at Napa. After consulting with the right seat,
|
||||
we cleared up the situation, and taxied off to our runway.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
The engine humming along, we barreled down the runway with 10 degrees of flaps
|
||||
in to assist getting our heavy ass off the ground. Just like the 172SP in
|
||||
florida, the trim take-off setting is **wrong**. We rose from the runway, my
|
||||
instructor calmly commanded "pitch-down", I obliged, and snuck a look at my
|
||||
airspeed indicator which was pointing at around 60 knots.
|
||||
|
||||
The correct trim take-off setting, and by correct I mean "won't put you
|
||||
dangerously close to a departure stall", for a 172SP seems to be about an inch
|
||||
of nose-down trim.
|
||||
|
||||
Pushing the yoke forward, adjusting trim, watching my heading indicator as we
|
||||
ascended towards Oakland and towards that ceiling, my heart rate started to
|
||||
rise.
|
||||
|
||||
Around one thousand feet, the view started to get milky. The taxi and landing
|
||||
lights were highlighting the bottom of the clouds for us. Depressing the yoke
|
||||
with sweaty palms, we remained beneath the clouds, I asked "*Can I skip writing
|
||||
down the times and everything until we're clear of this?*" referring to my
|
||||
flight log for the cross-country. Right seat reassured me that my first
|
||||
priority is flying the plane, and that I shouldn't overwork myself with
|
||||
non-critical activities, like performing calculations or jotting down times.
|
||||
|
||||
A quick run-through of my cruise checklist, while we pass over the Coliseum in
|
||||
south Oakland, and my eyes are back outside.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Nearing downtown, I'm certain I'm high enough to clear the buildings, but I
|
||||
don't want to get in trouble or anything, so I turn to the right of them,
|
||||
offering my wife, who's in the left passenger seat, a great view of downtown lit
|
||||
up.
|
||||
|
||||
In turning, I disoriented myself from the highway I was following north. "*You
|
||||
see the 80? Let's follow that.*" I start following **a** highway, which misled
|
||||
me in the direction of the Bay Bridge. With a nudge to turn right, I see the
|
||||
highway I'm supposed to be following, and some clearer skies to climb up into.
|
||||
|
||||
"That was quick" I think to myself, navigating low over the city is tricky, and
|
||||
it took me less than 30 seconds to get pointed in the wrong direction. Noted.
|
||||
|
||||
Passing abeam Berkeley, the sky is clear, I climb to 2500ft and start picking
|
||||
up more landmarks to navigate northward with.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
North of Concord, I am passed over to Travis Approach, and request a frequency
|
||||
change to open up my flight plan. This is the first time my wife has flown with
|
||||
me since my introductory flight last October, and while she doesn't say
|
||||
anything from the seat behind me, I'm sure she's suitable impressed at all
|
||||
these skills I've spent all our money acquiring.
|
||||
|
||||
Flight plan opened, we climb to are cruising altitude of 6,500ft over
|
||||
Vacaville on Victor Airway 195..
|
||||
|
||||
Leveling off, my instructor shows me how to use the SP's auto-pilot feature.
|
||||
With Robo-Plane maintaining heading and altitude, I'm able to relax a bit and
|
||||
start comparing what I'm seeing outside the cockpit to what's on my chart.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Approaching the city of Willows, I see the airport's beacon, a good sign.
|
||||
Clicking the mic 7 times, I turn on the runway lighting and the right seat says
|
||||
"I have the runway in sight, do you?"
|
||||
|
||||
Uh, no. I see lots of lights, some of them in a line like a runway, but
|
||||
nothing I'm comfortable starting my descent towards. He offers some clues,
|
||||
still nothing. I see the beacon, and I know where the runway probably should
|
||||
be, but I don't see the damned lights.
|
||||
|
||||
We delay our descent, and fly to the right of the field. **There** it is! Time
|
||||
to start coming down. Trying to keep the runway in sight as we descend, while
|
||||
trying to keep my eyes bouncing inside periodically results in a little bit of
|
||||
a roller-coaster descent for the passengers. I would see the runway outside,
|
||||
and let our descent slip from 500 to 1000+ft per minute, look back inside,
|
||||
notice the VSI, pull back to 200-500ft per minute, then look back outside
|
||||
again.
|
||||
|
||||
My wife didn't know any better, but my instructor's wife certainly did, but not
|
||||
a peep was uttered from the passenger seats.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
I had planned to fly in to runway 34, but the "wind T" was telling me to land the
|
||||
opposite direction on 16. Due to some pilot/instructor confusion which side the
|
||||
pattern would be on, we ended up on the wrong side of the field, entering a
|
||||
modified base at 1100ft, **very** high.
|
||||
|
||||
Since we were so high, the plan changed from landing, to executing a go-around,
|
||||
then entering right traffic, and "doing it right" on the next approach.
|
||||
|
||||
During downwind and base legs, I suffered similar inside/outside disorientation
|
||||
resulting in flying too low at various points of the pattern.
|
||||
|
||||
Turning final, with no glideslope aids (PAPI/VASI) I was relying on the shape
|
||||
of the runway to indicate how close we were, and when I should flare. Pulling
|
||||
the power all the way out over the threshold, I knew we would be longer than I
|
||||
would land during the day, but better too long than too short.
|
||||
|
||||
The landing light faintly illuminated the runway, I maintained the descent
|
||||
attitude and started focusing on the two red dots at the end of the runway to
|
||||
get a sense our height. Approaching the surface, I got suddenly worried about
|
||||
landing flat with an audience and applied some more back-pressure. The stall
|
||||
warning horn started hollering at me, followed by a quiet, gentle chirp of the
|
||||
mains touching down on the runway.
|
||||
|
||||
If my wife wasn't impressed, the right seat certainly was. Unfortunately I
|
||||
couldn't take credit for it, that felt like more luck than skill. I'll still
|
||||
take it.
|
||||
|
||||
We exit the runway, park, and head in to Nancy's Airport Cafe for some food.
|
||||
|
||||
<center><img
|
||||
src="http://agentdero.cachefly.net/unethicalblogger.com/images/nancyscafe.jpeg"
|
||||
alt="Nancy's Airport Cafe" width="400" /></center>
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Bladders empty, bellies full of breakfast and pie, we walked back out to the
|
||||
plane to head home. A full pre-flight and run-up later, we took the runway and
|
||||
ascended into the muggy night-time air.
|
||||
|
||||
The planned return route would take us over highways and between a number of
|
||||
different airports with pilot-controlled lighting. I identified a number of
|
||||
airports from the air, their green and white flashing beacon lights easy to
|
||||
see, the taxiway and runway lights I couldn't make heads or tails of from a
|
||||
distance.
|
||||
|
||||
As we flew south, I caught Travis' distinct military beacon, two whites and a
|
||||
green. For me that would have been enough, but my instructor wanted to light up
|
||||
an airport to positively identify it. [Nut
|
||||
Tree](http://airnav.com/airport/kvcb) near Vacaville was our last chance before
|
||||
we started to enter the bay area. Clicking the mic seven times, I see nothing,
|
||||
again. Our route of flight was close enough to Vacaville that I decided to fly
|
||||
over the airport directly. The stupid airport simply has no runway lights.
|
||||
|
||||
While I'm grumbling over the lack of runway lights, my instructor picks up the
|
||||
weather for Hayward. The field is IFR, our approach is going to be instrument,
|
||||
and challenging.
|
||||
|
||||
If it were just my wife and I, I would be properly pissed off, since it would
|
||||
mean we would be landing at Livermore. My instructor is both instrument rated,
|
||||
and an instrument instructor, which meant I was getting some instrument time
|
||||
tonight.
|
||||
|
||||
A full day of work, a long cross country, capped off with an
|
||||
instrument approach, at night.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
Over Concord we picked up our IFR clearance, and I started focusing just on my
|
||||
instruments. We weren't yet in clouds, but when you're under an IFR clearance,
|
||||
maintaining altitude and heading is very important.
|
||||
|
||||
Southbound over Danville another pilot picks up IFR clearance into Oakland, a
|
||||
Medivac flight, who has obvious priority over our little pleasure flight. The
|
||||
controller vectors us out of the way and puts us in a big box pattern over the
|
||||
east bay, adding another 20-30 minutes onto our flight time.
|
||||
|
||||
Still better than landing in Livermore.
|
||||
|
||||
Making a right turn over south Oakland, the right seat spots the Medivac flight
|
||||
below us, I look down just in time so see him pass under the left wheel-strut.
|
||||
|
||||
Two more right turns and we're lining up for the approach into Hayward. I'm
|
||||
hyper-focused on my instruments when the landing lights make our descent into
|
||||
the clouds **very** obvious at 1500ft (I think). In a sea of white, I'm still
|
||||
focused on my instruments, but not nearly focused enough on the
|
||||
[HSI](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontal_situation_indicator), which is
|
||||
indicating how far right and left of the approach we are. The right seat starts
|
||||
"helping" on the controls, which means I'm largely shadowing his inputs.
|
||||
|
||||
We keep descending through the white abyss. The clouds are thick, my heart rate
|
||||
quickens.
|
||||
|
||||
What was probably all of a minute or two, felt like an eternity.
|
||||
|
||||
I start to notice yellow lights below the wheels out of the corner of my eye,
|
||||
but I push myself to keep my eyes on the instruments until we're fully clear of
|
||||
the clouds.
|
||||
|
||||
At 6 or 700ft, we pop out of the bottom of the clouds on a final approach for
|
||||
28L at Hayward. Without saying a word, my instructor cedes control to me, and I
|
||||
start flying a normal night landing.
|
||||
|
||||
Carb heat..oh wait, the SP is fuel injected, skip that item on the checklist,
|
||||
gas, undercarriage, mixture's rich, prop is there, seatbelts on, clearance
|
||||
received, flaps to 10. I pull the power out further, slow to 80 knots and put
|
||||
the flaps to 20. The wind from the left is beating me up a little bit as I line
|
||||
up on the centerline.
|
||||
|
||||
The last bit of power comes out as we cross the displaced threshhold, and I
|
||||
hyperfocus on the red lights at the end of the runway again. Mike-Echo's stall
|
||||
warning horn starts crying at me again, followed by the mains gentling chirping
|
||||
as we touch the pavement.
|
||||
|
||||
My second greaser of the night, luck was certainly still involved, but I'm
|
||||
going to assert the credit on this one.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
After parking and shutting down, our respective wives retire to the cars while
|
||||
we tie down and go through the usual post-flight procedures. The Hobbs
|
||||
indicates that we flew for 3.7 hours, a new high-score for me.
|
||||
|
||||
Both my instructor and I look and feel exhausted, each working a full day
|
||||
before the flight, then negotiating that thick cloud coverage on the
|
||||
approach into Hayward.
|
||||
|
||||
It's 2 am, there's a slight mist in the air while he logs the entry into my log
|
||||
book and it hits me how much money I just spent for two eggs, bacon,
|
||||
hashbrowns, an english muffin and a slice of chocolate cream pie.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Departing the airport, I caution my wife that we've got a lot of
|
||||
extremely expensive meals like that in our future.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Loading…
Reference in New Issue