Cha-Cha-Changes...

As mentioned in a previous post, the configuration of runways/taxiways has changed recently at Willow Run. I was able to snap a decent picture of the airport from a higher altitude, on our climb out departing DTW on a recent vacation to Maui (pics in another post).

Check out the Willow Run "master plan" dated 2005. From what I understand (which arguably may not be much on the subject) is that the FAA wants to see Willow Run have fewer runways. By eliminating the southern east/west runway (9R/27L) it gains a taxiway, and they have adjusted the western end so that you can't possibly taxi straight onto runway 5R (thus eliminating a previously existing runway incursion danger zone). I have not heard any word on the airport closing runway 32/14, which differs from the master plan version.

By eliminating the runway on the southern end of the field, it also frees up some of the airport property to be developed by on-airport businesses. This is mentioned in the master plan document. As to the various proposals for lengthening runways, I have no idea which one they are shooting for, they are all already plenty long enough for me!

This picture is shot from slightly southwest of the field looking approximately east-northeast. For those not compass-minded readers that means north is to the left ;)


I haven't flown in over a month! The vacation was a nice break from the punishing mental game which is instrument training. I hope to jump back into the Warrior with my instructor soon. I will include (mostly) aviation themed pics from Hawaii in my next post.

IFR lesson 10: 4 approaches, 1 blown tire

NOTAM. please note the runway/taxiway changes at Willow Run (Runway 9L/27R is not called 27 Right anymore, the image above shows the new configuration at YIP (taken southwest, looking northeast) runway 9R/27L has been turned into Taxiway Hotel, and the ends of runway 5L and 5R have been reworked. The northern east/west runway is now called runway 9/27)

The lesson started off fine, we departed runway 27 and headed northwest before calling Detroit approach. Detroit then vectored me for the first of two runway 27L Localizer Back Course approaches at Pontiac international. Soon after I was cleared for the approach and handed off to Pontiac tower. My instructor and I were discussing the setup for the approach, the reverse sensing of the CDI, and I watched as I blew right through the final approach course (didn't we just talk about reverse sensing?! forehead smack). Right then tower came over the radio to give me my missed approach instructions, which further task saturated me. I asked them to repeat the last transmission as I adjusted my course to correct back onto the localizer. Not a great start.

My second approach was much improved, with the mantra "the needle is the plane!" drumming in my head. Next it was north to Flint to fly two ASR (airport surveillance radar) approaches. It took some time to get these setup, not on my part but rather Flint had to set aside a scope and a frequency just for me (they need to practice these anyway, so don't think this was special treatment!). My job as a pilot in an ASR approach is pretty simple, know the MDA (minimum descent altitude) for the approach, hold assigned headings and be able to descend and maintain altitudes. The controller has the much more complex job of tracking my path in relation to the extended center line, adjust that track by requesting heading changes, and provide vertical approach guidance via step down altitudes.

Both ASR approaches went well, and were actually fun for a change. It's different to hear a running commentary of your approach as you fly towards the airport... "Cherokee 14niner, you are 2.0 miles from the airport slightly right of course correcting slowly, turn left heading 268"

On the return to Willow Run my vacuum pump failed (simulated) and so I continued partial panel. After completing a VOR alpha approach my vacuum pump fixed itself, and I was allowed to continue visually for landing on runway 23L which is when things got REAL interesting.

On short final we noticed the landing light was inop even though it had been squawked as fixed, so I turned the switch off and prepared myself mentally for a no-landing light landing (which I had already practiced earlier in the month). Flying into ground effect, I had full flaps extended and I didn't want to develop too much of a sink rate as it it a bit more difficult to judge height above ground without the landing light so I added a smidge of power. After touchdown, I was rolling out on center line and tower called "Cherokee 14niner, turn left runway 32/14 taxi Hotel to the ramp"... which is exactly the moment I felt the start of an uncommanded yaw to the right.

Progressively more left rudder, left brake, throttle to idle. .. what the hell? ... key the mike "Tower Cherokee 14niner has a flat tire"
Above is a picture from Google Earth of my GPS track showing the end of my flight. The last 80 feet of rollout put me 50 feet right of center line with no way to move off the runway without causing further damage to the aircraft and the airport lighting. I will spare you the details of the next two hours, suffice to say we were able to negotiate with the tower to send a tug out to retrieve the plane, the runway was closed for a few minutes, the tire was fixed the next day, and I didn't scratch my favorite airplane :D I later learned that the valve stem had been completely sheared off, which is why I suffered such a quick loss of tire pressure. Why the valve stem sheared remains a mystery.

I've already flown lesson 11, the landing light still doesn't work, however the new tire does so that is good. That write-up will have to wait for another blog post. Here is a sunset picture a friend from work took as he played co-pilot on a recent cross country flight to Port Huron, MI.

First (and hopefully last) time I close a runway!

81 ft. I checked it on the GPS track. That's the distance I traveled from tracking the center line on roll out to ending up pointed at the grass at the side of the runway with a flat right main tire. Thanks to Willow Run for having a wide runway for me, and thanks to the airport ops folks that came out to lend a hand with my wounded bird. Right now I am exhausted and ready for bed. Full write up soon...

Instrument Lesson #9: Chasing needles

Sunday's flight lesson didn't happen. The aircraft was delayed because of a mechanical problem, so my CFII and I did a nice ground school about all sorts of stuff. We scheduled the next flight for Tuesday evening, which did happen. Here is what transpired.

We departed Willow Run VFR to the northwest, and soon climbed up to 3500 once clear of Detroit's class B shelf. Once level at 3500, we practiced more compass turns. The compass is a funny instrument the way it spins and tilts all around. However, since it works with the earth's magnetic field, it never needs power, which is cool. It just needs to be understood is all.

We moved on to DME arcs next, first flying a simulated 10 dme arc off of the Salem VOR. The red arrows show the turns onto the arc (west) and the exit turn to the south (on the north side of the arc). The green arrows show the 7nm dme arc that we flew next. Both arcs were flown with a nice breeze from the southwest, and the changing crosswind component made for a fun challenge. I had flown dme arcs in flight sim, and so I was reasonably comfortable with the "how" of the procedure. The yellow square in the image below is the Salem VOR.

Next, we gave Detroit approach a call as the sun began to creep below the horizon, and requested vectors to Detroit City (DET) airport for 3 practice approaches (2 ILS runway 15, and 1 NDB runway 15). In the image below, the blue dots represent the approximate position of runway 15 at City. The green arrow shows the direction of travel along the GPS track on our vector for the first approach, the cyan arrows show the turns to the north on the missed approaches, and the turns inbound for the 2nd ILS and the NDB approach. The red arrow is us leaving to go back to Willow Run.
Both ILS approaches found me chasing the needles, the effect of which kept getting more pronounced the closer we got to the runway. My instructor said they were good for my first ones not simulated in FSX, neither ended with a full scale deflection of the needles. The biggest issue was the wind changing on the descent down the glideslope. Just when I would get the correct heading to account for the wind, the wind would change... and the last several hundred feet had some nice turbulence thrown in just for kicks. My instructor repeated 3 times that the needles on the ILS are twice as sensitive than a VOR, but my thick skull was having none of it. More practice needed.

The NDB approach differed from the last one that I flew down at Grosse Ile, because the NDB itself is not located on the airport. At Detroit City, the outer marker is the NDB so you fly to it with the arrow pointed up on the ADF, and once you pass it, you fly with the arrow pointing down on the ADF. The same southwest wind played games with my approach, and you can just make out the large correction I had to make in the image above (we got left of center line and had to correct back to the right). I learned an important lesson on this one, look for the runway! My new timer worked great, it beeped and flashed, I looked up, no airport! I'm thinking "well, sh*t". Just then, my instructor banks the plane to the right and points down, there's the runway, we are right over it! I dinged myself for getting too fast on the approach as well, better speed management would have given more time to look for the runway before my missed approach point timer ran out.

We cancelled flight following after that and my CFII gave me simulated vectors back to home base for a night landing.



Here is a shot of my iPhone in the RAM mount I purchased several months back. The RAM mount works very well in the car and in the airplane. The positives are many, the suction cup is awesome, and the double jointed connector arm provides a great amount of flexibility in positioning the device. My only gripe is the retaining clip thing at the top catches on the SIM card access door when you go to remove the phone, so extra care is required to keep it from scraping.Next is a shot of my yoke clip and ASA timer. As an industrial designer, the yoke clip is begging for some TLC and tweaking of its design. A separate attachment that can be screwed on as a location for the flight timer reduces the amount of travel of the clip itself so it remains un-installed for now. Overall, the sharp edges of most of the metal pieces have not been "knocked down" and so I will attack it with a metal file sometime in the future. As a happy accident, the ASA timer fits onto the clip itself and remained in position and usable for its first test flight. The timer itself, while on the pricey side of the spectrum, performed flawlessly and is packed with all kinds of usable features. I will do a more in-depth review of the clip and timer once I have more flight time with them.

Time this flight: 2.0
Total Time: 159.9 (this includes my recently completed BFR)
Simulated Logged: 1.6

While the plane is away....I will play

My next lesson is on Sunday, and the Cherokee is away on a trip with someone else at the club. Ideally I'd like to keep my skills sharp, so I am doing a bit of practice flying in FSX. Aside from the trim issues I have with FSX, I am able to do some good simming with my CH yoke and RealityXP Garmin 430 add-ons.

I am in the middle of a mega-tour of Michigan. Here is my flight plan, airports are in bold, when I quit for the day I do a full stop landing (everything else ends in a missed approach).

YIP - SVM - LAYNE - FNT - BIRRS - MBS - AILES - APN - PLN - SLH - IROTO - TVC - CEMOB - MBL - MKG - MKG - SINNI - PMM - 35D - BRONZ - LEROY - EKCDO - JXN - CRUXX - YIP

Total distance 625.3 nm (I just landed at KSLH tonight)

Ok, Good, Better, Best

Originally the plan (and what I filed) for this flight was to head up to Pontiac airport (PTK) and fly practice back course approaches. When my instructor arrived at the airport, he announced a change of plans. The new plan was to go to Grosse Ille (ONZ), and shoot practice NDB approaches. The only wrinkle was confirming the amendment with Willow Run ground as part of my clearance. The flight path track starts southwest of the YIP in mid-air as my CFII helped me out by turning on my Geko GPS.

My first approach was just ok, I ended up left of the approach course. On the missed approach we entered the published hold which required a parallel entry. Exiting the hold we flew the complete approach with a procedure turn course reversal (which was good), followed by a vectored approach this time using the GPS "overlay" approach (which was better). The important aspect of each of the approaches was that I improved each time. I also learned that when my task saturation level peaked, my radio work went to hell. Just prior to this flight I had completed the ASF "Say it right" course with a score of 100% and felt like a supreme dork committing errors in technique that I had just been quizzed on.

After the NDB work, it was vectors back to Willow Run and the RNAV GPS 5R approach which was my best approach of the day. I told my instructor that the flight was "grueling" and he said "that's the point" with a wry smile!

Items I ordered to help my cockpit organization: a yoke clip, and an ASA flight timer

Next up is DME arcs and back course approaches.

Time this flight: 1.7
Total Time: 157.0
Simulated Logged: 1.5

IFR Lesson 7: 2 out of 4 = improvement

Today's flight was my first filing of an IFR flight plan. YIP-SVM-ARB-YIP with MPLA in the remarks (which is an acronym for multiple practice low approaches). The plan was simple, get in the system, enter and fly two trips around a holding pattern, then fly two approaches at Ann Arbor, then back to Willow Run for two more. Here is what all of that looks like on the GPS track:

The second VOR approach at Ann Arbor was my best VOR so far, with the voice of my instructor in my headset "keep the scan going, keep the scan going" and a solid crosswind correction angle held. The RNAV 23L approach at Willow Run was fun because Detroit approach gave me a relatively long final approach segment which allowed me to once again tackle the effect of crosswind and my power settings were working as intended to follow the GPS derived glideslope on this LPV approach. The other two approaches were not the best, but mostly ok.

Big time learning today with correcting for drift with a crosswind, and how it changes with altitude. All of my holding patterns were droopy, I expect we will be practicing these some more in the future. Next flight is blocked for Wednesday evening, when we may practice NDB, ILS, and back course approaches.

Time this flight: 2.0
Total Time: 155.3
Simulated Logged: 1.8