Cleared for the Option

Haven't been flying, have a good excuse!

2011-12-03T20:44:00.001-05:00

About five weeks ago, my wife and I became the proud parents of the baby girl pictured above. Will get back to flying as soon as my schedule allows :D Now its off to change a diaper!

Youngest passenger / first flight

2011-09-02T17:18:00.000-04:00

Last month, Steve over at a mile of runway spoke about his enthusiasm for sharing GA flight with other people. He and I are on the same wavelength on this matter. I recently got to take my niece up for her first flight in a GA aircraft. This was to be a "test the waters" flight to see if she was cool with the concept. She is now officially my youngest passenger! I had to chuckle when her first question was " can we do a loop? " :-D She did enjoy the flight even though we didn't do any loops!

Caught! Cessna 162

2011-07-19T17:31:00.000-04:00

Caught my first Skycatcher! For whatever reason, this one had the doors removed. It was hot that day!? :D

Aviation Art

2011-07-16T15:08:00.000-04:00

Rendered this image of a P-47 Thunderbolt from a picture I had taken at the annual "Thunder Over Michigan" airshow. This is a finger painting of sorts, as I made this using an app called SketchBook Pro using only my iPad and my finger.

Instrument Rated!

2011-06-19T17:33:00.000-04:00

June 18. Instrument Checkride passed with no major hiccups. The oral was not as punishing as some might make it sound, then again I have been studying like crazy even after the written was complete (iPad app with IR test prep comes in very handy here!). The flight portion was a whirlwind of activity, ILS, GPS partial panel - missed to the published hold, Localizer BC circle to land. It was hot, humid, and bumpy from thermals... but everything worked out great and my examiner was throwing out tasty nuggets of knowledge the whole time.

Now its time to set my personal minimums, and start planning some trips!

"The Humbler"

2011-05-13T22:15:00.000-04:00

Tonight's flight was very local, as there were big piles of precipitating clouds lurking in the hazy skies. RNAV GPS 24 approach into Ann Arbor (KARB), then vectors for the ILS 23L at Willow Run (KYIP) this one flown with the attitude indicator "FAILED"... then more vectors for a simulated "NO GYRO" (DG failed) VOR-A approach at Willow to a full stop. Grueling, punishing, rapid fire approaches, but all very worth it and humbling.

Passed my instrument written exam yesterday with a 90% score. Have a cross country planned for Sunday which should take care of my remaining required hours of simulated/actual.

Soon we will be talking oral/flight test!

Passing 200 hours total time, and loving every minute of it

2011-03-27T20:25:00.000-04:00

Went for an instrument training flight with my instructor today. Highlights included [foggled] slow flight, two power off stalls, an unusual attitude recovery, holding pattern entry with two laps, and an LPV GPS approach.

Best part: during my debrief my instructor says "you are officially ahead of the airplane"

2nd best part: passing 200 hours total time.

More buffing and polishing of my technique, and a written in my future!

Video: my recent IFR Long Cross Country

2011-03-26T15:46:00.000-04:00

GoPro HD footage with ATC audio from my Zoom H1. Edited for length.

KHXD ---> KCAE ---> 88J ---> KTBR ---> KHXD = 256nm total distance

Hilton Head Island IFR training - Long IFR Cross Country from Michael Smith on Vimeo.

Super perigee moon night currency cross country

2011-03-20T12:01:00.000-04:00

Picked a great night to book the plane for a nice solo night cross country to regain my night currency. The moon would be full and at super perigee to boot! The plan was to to depart Willow Run and head south right before sunset, using 88G (a grass strip airport) as a waypoint to assure clearance from Detroit's Class Bravo.

Once over 88G, I called Toledo approach and requested flight following down to Findlay, OH. It was dark as I approached Findlay, and it was made darker when I discovered that the landing light (which worked in pre-flight) had in fact taken a dump AGAIN (it does this alot). I don't mind no-landing-light landings, as I seem to get a whole lot of practice performing them in this aircraft :D

After departing Findlay it was up to 4500ft for the short jaunt up to Toledo Express for my second full stop landing of the evening. After departing runway 7 at Toledo and making my turn and climb bound for YIP, Toledo departure handed me off to Detroit approach. I decided to do 2 full stops at Willow Run just to put the icing on the currency cake, and tower approved my request for a stop and go runway 5R. One more trip around the pattern (with an engine at idle from the turn onto base) short approach to practice energy management at night with a slight crosswind just to keep it challenging.

Here are some pics:

Still need to figure out a good way to mount the RAM iPad mount so as not to obstruct critical instruments (for IFR work), in the meantime it works great for VFR situational awareness. With the side switch on my iPad once again acting like a screen rotation lock, navigating between the "maps" and "airports" tabs in ForeFlight is a breeze!

Overflying Toledo Express (KTOL) on the way south towards Findlay (KFDY)

No moon pics, the camera wasn't up to the task. I did snag this shot of the sunset though!

This is the GPS track in Google Earth, thanks to my trusty Garmin Geko.

Shooting PAR - but not playing golf!

2011-03-17T21:43:00.000-04:00

This is a video of the PAR (Precision Approach Radar) approach to runway 28 at Hunter Army Airfield, near Savannah, Georgia. This was the second approach of the day, and was an opportunity for me to practice a unique type of approach, while at the same time allowing the controllers at Hunter to get practice guiding an airplane in. My comments about "micro vectors" you'll see in the video were me being sarcastic about being issued very precise heading vectors on a bumpy day in the air (and were not broadcast over the air). Click on the HD button and full screen to enjoy at max quality!

Hilton Head Island IFR training- PAR approach @ KSVN from Michael Smith on Vimeo.

Hilton Head Island, SC flying adventure

2011-03-13T12:15:00.000-04:00

What to do with a week of vacation, a climate where the clouds don't contain ice, an aircraft available for training that closely matches the one I currently fly, and a CFII instructor.....?...... the post title says it all, make it a flying adventure. 2010 was a flying drought for me, I flew a whopping 12 hours...ugh...not cool. The goal with this trip was to make significant gains in the flying requirements necessary for my instrument rating, evaluate the iPad and ForeFlight HD in the cockpit, and record as many aspects of my flights as possible.

Day 1 Cross Country

KHXD -> KRBW -> 88J -> KHXD

ILS 23 @ RBW w/miss
GPS 35 @ 88J   w/miss and hold
GPS 3 @ HXD

2.4 hours Simulated

Day 2 Cross Country
KHXD -> KBQK -> KHXD

ILS 7 @ BQK w/miss and hold
GPS 3 @ HXD

2.5 hours Simulated

Day 3 Cross Country
KHXD -> KTBR -> KBNL -> KHXD

ILS 32 @ TBR w/miss and hold
GPS 17 @BNL w/miss and hold
GPS 21 @HXD partial panel

2.5 hours Simulated
0.6 hours Actual

Day 4   Long IFR cross country
KHXD -> KCAE -> 88J -> KTBR -> KHXD

LOC 29 @CAE w/miss
VOR-A @88J w/proc turn and miss and hold
ILS 32 @TBR w/miss

1.6 hours Simulated
1.6 hours Actual

Day 5   Local Approach Work
KHXD -> KSVN -> KSAV -> KHXD

ILS 28 @SVN w/miss
PAR 28 @SVN w/miss
GPS 28 @SAV w/touch and go / to miss and hold
VOR/DME-A @KHXD

1.9 hours Simulated

Totals for the week:
Total hours flown: 13.8
Simulated Instrument: 10.9 hours
Actual Instrument: 2.2 hours
Approaches flown: 15

Items for FAR 61.65:
50 hrs minimum cross country flight time: Done!
40 hrs instrument flight time (Need 4.0 more hours)
15 hrs instrument flight training: Done!
3 hrs instrument flight time within 60 days preceding practical (should be taken care of with the 4 hours needed)
Instrument cross country, 3 different approaches, in the ATC system: Done!

Big Thanks to Chuck Copley CFII at Hilton Head Flight Training for accommodating me and giving me a huge boost in confidence and knowledge in instrument flying!

I have GoProHD video footage, Zoom H1 audio, and GPS tracks for 4 of the flights. (Working on putting that together right now)

On the iPad: I tried using it, ended up ditching it because the rotation lock issue (which should be fixed in version 4.3 of iOS) made using the iPad with the RAM yoke mount more of a distraction than anything.

Jet Porn

2011-03-03T20:55:00.000-05:00

From the archives: These aircraft have jet propulsion so they are by definition COOL!

Snapped these on the ramp at John Wayne / Orange County airport KSNA.

I never get tired of looking at jets :D

This one BURNS Jet-A so it is cool too. Who am I kidding, I love anything that flies!

The next light sport aircraft from Icon?

2011-02-22T21:05:00.001-05:00

Okay, okay, this is NOT the next aircraft from the folks at Icon, its me having fun! As we all wait for the release of their first product, the amphibious A5 model, I decided to challenge myself and imagine a new entry in the LSA segment. I am a designer by profession, and so what you see below is an example of what I do in my "day job". I work in the automotive industry, and not with Burt Rutan, so this should be considered a pure flight of fancy!

My concept was to take the trend in avionics, mash it up with the performance and single seat configuration of a monoposto Ducati 848, and then extrapolate the Icon aesthetic with a different wing style. The intended result is a fast and sporty looking single seat aircraft powered by the venerable Rotax 912S, with a simple, inviting, pilot focused cockpit.

I hope you like it!

First, the image board (sometimes called a mood board)

A conceptual sketch of the interior (drawn over a rough 3D model)

The exterior

The interior

Large digital display (ala F-35) with side stick throttle and yoke.

iPad RAM mount - preview

2011-02-18T19:42:00.000-05:00

I jumped over to my old stomping grounds at 1D2 (Mettetal airport) and asked the folks at the FBO if I could sit in the Warrior and try out my new iPad mount.

Here is what it looks like all clamped down.

I have the club Warrior booked for tomorrow, so look for an extended review soon!

Logging my first AATD simulator time / review of Redbird FMX (+video)

2011-02-12T23:34:00.000-05:00

Since the weather and club aircraft have been uncooperative lately, I decided to get some sim time logged. This was my first time using an approved AATD (advanced aviation training device) of any kind. This particular model is called the FMX and it is made by the company Redbird, based in Austin TX. The FMX is a motion platform that can move to simulate flight forces in pitch, roll and yaw. The sim uses a version of Microsoft's Flight Simulator to generate 180 degrees of visuals on LCD displays.

The particular unit that I trained in was located at Northwest Ohio Flight Training Center, located at the Findlay airport (KFDY). It rents for $85 per hour ($50 sim / $35 instructor), and I scheduled a block of 2 hours. The video is an edited version of all the footage I shot that day, as I went through and kept only the most visually interesting bits You can watch the video here.

The mini-review:

The guys at NOFTC were very accommodating of my requests to start off doing some VFR work in the sim, just to get a feel for the motion system and responsiveness of the controls. After one hard reboot of the sim, we were soon climbing into the virtual skies above Ohio. A few minutes were spent getting familiar with the G1000 screens and controls, and having past experience with Microsoft's FSX certainly helped with the transition from the "steam gauges" I am familiar with. The FMX has LCD screens that mimic the PFD, MFD, and back up instruments. An interchangeable "overlay" panel containing some circuitry and the knobs and buttons for the various instruments, allows the FMX to simulate many different aircraft (with cockpit upgrade kits). A great advantage over the PC based version of the G1000 is that you can actually start to learn all the correct "knobology" that seems to be a big part of any Garmin based nav/comm/GPS setup. Flip-flop buttons and soft keys on the bezel were "real" and behaved (except for some extra sensitivity on some of the rotary knobs) just as you would expect them to in the real aircraft.

In terms of the motion aspect of the FMX, I will be completely honest... except for adding an inner ear distraction the motion simulation was not enough of "added value" to make me seek it out the next time. The controls have an OK feel to them, but are not force feedback in any way. The sim is equipped with a real trim wheel, which is nice for building tactile muscle memory for the real thing, but without force feedback you can never trim away control forces like you do in a real aircraft. Despite being warned about a wing low yoke calibration issue, the sim flew pretty straight. It was very sensitive in pitch, but I attribute that to the previously mentioned trim issue.

I discovered after this sim session, with a call to Redbird's office, that the instructor station software needed to be upgraded to a newer version to correct two problems I had with the sim. The first issue had to do with repositioning the aircraft to another, more distant, airport. The second was how IMC was simulated. My sim instructor was doing the best he could with the software he had at the time. Be sure to ask your FMX operator if they have Version 2.2 installed!

From the archives - SkyArrow 650

2011-02-04T22:31:00.000-05:00

In 2001, my wife and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary in San Diego. Back then (remember, this is six years prior to getting my PPL) I was heavy into flight simming. As part of this hobby, I dabbled in working with some fine people to model an aircraft for Terminal Reality's flight sim "Fly!". I modeled the complete interior and exterior of the subject aircraft in 3D using software called TrueSpace.

This shows an exterior of a theoretical amphibious variant.

As part of the trip to San Diego, I coordinated with the distributor of a fun little plane called the SkyArrow 650 to go up for a flight to record the actual sounds of the aircraft. As things sometimes go with projects like these, it was never fully realized. However, I did get some great pics which I wanted to share.

About to overfly KSEE Santee airport on our way up towards Ramona. As you can clearly see, the view is fantastic!

Making sure me and my favorite lady can fit! (The rudder pedals adjust fore/aft for the front seat occupant)

Short final runway 28L at KMYF Montgomery Field. The SkyArrow is powered by a Rotax 912.

The office. Throttle on left (not visible) and side stick controller on the right.

Looks fast, as you might expect from an Italian manufacturer :-D

ForeFlight communicates the situation...

2011-02-01T22:18:00.000-05:00

Big storm as seen on ForeFlight for iPad. I was checking out the METAR (AWOS-3) from Kokomo Indiana at the time I snapped this screen grab. If you look close, you can see a lightning strike recorded somewhere in northern Missouri!

What is your favorite Rule of Thumb?

2011-01-28T20:42:00.000-05:00

Found this little gem for calculating rate of climb necessary to satisfy a particular climb gradient (here)

Let's say you know your ground speed, and assume a "standard climb gradient" of 200ft per nm. Take your GS and divide by 60, multiply the result by your climb gradient, and the answer is your minimum rate of climb in feet per minute. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

A real world example: 90kts groundspeed, 200 ft/nm required gradient gives us:

90/60 = 1.5 * 200 = 300 fpm min ROC

makes sense that the faster guys in the TBM's and Meridian's need a steeper ROC

180/60 = 3 * 200 = 600 fpm min ROC

What is your favorite rule of thumb?

Another video.... this time with Aerobatics!

2011-01-25T22:13:00.000-05:00

Well my flight this past Sunday was scrubbed due to the fact that the engine would not start on my aircraft (the starter is acting up, and it was quite cold). Squawked it in the club aircraft logbook, left a phone message for the maintenance officer, and went home in a sour mood.

Discovered a great blog detailing the journey of a CFI over at (the appropriately titled) My Life as a Flight Instructor

Here is a link to another video from summer of 2010. My wife and I visited Savannah, Georgia for our wedding anniversary and I arranged for a surprise aerobatic flight. Enjoy!

You've all seen the videos...but not THIS video!

2011-01-20T20:17:00.000-05:00

Picture in your mind the most famous locations where aviation has happened. Kill Devil Hills, Huffman Prairie, Edwards Air Force Base, Lucky Lindy at Le Bourget, Reno...surely all famous and well known locations. I'm adding one on the more modern side of this list, and I am sure any aviation enthusiast has heard of it: Maho Beach on the island of St. Maarten.

Haven't heard of it? Go and Google it... I'll wait :D This beach is the flame for the proverbial moths who are attracted to the concept of getting up close to airplanes all while sitting on a lovely stretch of sand next to the ocean. Never had I been to a place where the stunning beauty of everything around you was simply ignored. Instead, a crowd of like minded people all faced west straining to catch the first glimpse of the next big jet coming in for landing.

The "arrival's board:"

Notice the people are not looking out for sea creatures... they are fixated on an incoming Falcon jet!

It was fun watching people run out to grab hold of the fence when any jet (bigger than a bizjet) lined up for takeoff. Our idea of fun was to NOT get sandblasted by the exhaust of a departing Boeing 757 (or 747, or A340, etc)

Here is a link to the video. <737 Arrival>

To paraphrase the great Ferris Bueller "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend going there."

is it dusty in here or is it just my allergies?

2011-01-18T20:19:00.002-05:00

hiatus flyiatus [haɪˈeɪtəs]n pl -tuses, -tus

1. a break or gap in time, where someone has not flown for a long time.

My hiatus from flying has gone on WAY too long. Hopefully with some cooperation from mother nature, I will be current real soon. I've already cleared resumption of instrument training with my CFII, and so regular lessons (and posting) will resume.

Here is a picture snapped on our return flight from our New Year's destination (location to be revealed in a future post of course, aviation minded folks will like it!). The phenomenon in the picture will be of interest to weather nerds young and old :)

Anti-Crepuscular rays! This is the first time I've caught them on film, and to achieve this while flying in an airplane is the icing on the cake.

I have much to share/catch up on, so expect to see at least two new posts per week!

Now its off to continue reading Rod Machado's Instrument Pilot's Handbook.

A few more pics from my last flight

2010-04-15T22:39:00.000-04:00

Wanted to share more pics from my recent flight to Greenville, MI (6D6). The flight path direct put us right over the top of the Lansing airport (KLAN). This is a field I've visited a few times in the past, and it was weird to NOT actually land there. Here is what it looks like from 6500 ft.

This next shot shows the WCA or wind correction angle (aka crab angle) that needed to be flown with the freshening southern breeze on approach to Greenville. This approach was fun, and the air was vey bumpy below 2500 ft. Performed a go around on the first approach to get a sense of the turbulence down low and get a good look at the wind sock.

This last image is a shot of someone burning a field. Snapped this on the way back, flying southeast back towards Willow Run. It's easy to see which way (and how strong) the wind was blowing!

Track day "recon" flight

2010-04-10T16:58:00.001-04:00

Achieved a few things with today's flight:

1 Flew a cross country flight to an airport I'd never been to before.
2 Flight testing my GoPro Hero HD camera with the "head strap" mount
3 Got some practice in gusty, crosswind conditions
4 First flight using new Lightspeed Zulu headset

5 Checked out the race track that I will be visiting again this summer with my motorcycle (they have repaved sections of the track)

Here is the Geko GPS track in Google Earth:

And a photo looking southwest at the track:

and thanks to the internet monkey comment spammers... comment moderation is now on :(

Test post with image + text

2010-03-18T09:24:00.001-04:00

Test post

2010-03-18T09:13:00.001-04:00

Mobile blogging test

Winter flying, in the southern hemisphere.

2010-02-27T11:52:00.000-05:00

It's been a good while since my last blog post, and I've had to come in and clean out some "trash" in the form of spam in the comments area of some of my previous posts. Thanks internet blog comment spammers! While it is true that my absence has been a direct result of less flying, that is not to say that I have done ZERO flying in these past months. My most recent flight was a decidedly unique opportunity which I am excited to share.

Around the New Year holiday my wife and I took our first trip south of the equator. New Year's Eve in Sydney Harbor, a brief jaunt to Melbourne, a five day driving tour of New Zealand's south island, and then a return to Sydney for our return flight home. We saw, and did, a great many things during our travels, but the highlight of the trip for me was the chance to fly with a fellow flying blogger, Julien, the author of the Making Time for Flying blog.

Rewind to many weeks before our arrival. I emailed Julien inquiring about meeting up, and getting a tour of Bankstown airport, his home airfield. In his reply, he said "wouldn't it be a shame to come to the airport, and not go flying?" I must confess, those were the exact words which I had hoped to hear, and so followed various email exchanges narrowing down the where's and the when's.

Julien has posted a great summary of the flight, with more pictures, and a video I shot of his landing (make sure to keep the comments thingy on, he added an extra layer of info to the video, and they are the most fun use of the floating comments I have seen yet in a YouTube video)

Bankstown aerodrome is about 22km (just shy of 14 miles) WSW of downtown Sydney, or roughly 11 miles west of the International airport. On the drive there, we chatted about the local weather patterns, and how I was having a tough time getting used to the idea that everything spins opposite (clockwise around a low, anti-clockwise around a high pressure system).

Our pilot, headed out to start his pre-flight inspection of our trusty steed the venerable Piper Archer. Notice the lack of clouds, it was a beautiful summer day! Back home, a friend was plowing snow from our driveway.

Following our route of flight on the chart. This Sydney/Newcastle Visual Terminal Chart, a Canberra/Albury VTC, two ERC low charts, and hefty ERSA (airport directory) book, were my souvenirs in exchange for some of my charts (as mentioned by Julien in his post)

Approaching the harbor from the northeast, two iconic landmarks: the Opera House, and the Harbor Bridge which we would walk to the top of the next day on the Bridge Climb tour. The U shaped bay to the left of the Opera house is where we had our New Year's Eve dinner and watched the best fireworks display of our lives. Sydney knows how to throw a party!

Flying at near cliff-top height along the coast to the south, looking WNW, Sydney's cluster of buildings (known as the central business district, or CBD). Popcorn cumulus growing to the northwest.

Before the day was over, my wife and I completed the Bondi beach walk which follows the coast south past these two beach areas which (I believe) are Tamarama (on the right) and Bronte (on the left). This shot gives you an idea of the elevation changes, this place ain't flat!

South along the coast staying low to skirt underneath the approach/departure corridor for Sydney International, past Botany Bay where James Cook landed the HMS Endeavour way back in 1770.
This is Garie beach, which is inside the Royal National Park. This is a bit over halfway between Sydney and Wollongong.

Back at Bankstown, and it's thumbs up all around. The clouds in the background are a signal that the daytime heating was in full effect. We had some nice light bumps on our way back to the aerodrome, but our excellent pilot handled it all with aplomb.

I've mentioned before that my greatest joy is sharing flying with others. This was a rare case of being the passenger, and truly appreciating general aviation flying for the unique perspective it offers on the world regardless of the hemisphere, continent, or country :)

Merci beaucoup Julien!

Cha-Cha-Changes...

2009-10-19T21:13:00.000-04:00

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

2009-09-19T20:22:00.000-04:00

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!

2009-09-13T23:40:00.000-04:00

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

2009-08-26T22:23:00.000-04:00

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

2009-08-20T22:37:00.000-04:00

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

2009-08-13T21:43:00.000-04:00

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

2009-08-10T23:07:00.000-04:00

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

2 in 2

2009-08-05T22:18:00.000-04:00

Two flights in two days.

Last night was just me and the plane practicing crosswind technique at dusk. Performed one simulated engine-out to a go-around for practice.

Tonight was more instrument training. My CFII gave me a simulated departure clearance up towards Flint Bishop International (north of Detroit) and had me perform another instrument takeoff. I did something I have never done before and that was settle back onto the runway. When I rotated at 60 mph a buzzing noise started which I took to be the stall warning (it was not) and I relaxed pressure on the yoke. Plunk! there was the runway again, and then I took off for the second time.

He gave me various heading and altitude changes to simulate departure control, and soon I was on my way to intercepting a radial outbound from the DXO VOR. Once near Flint, we called approach and asked for several practice approaches.

Here is my flight path in Google Earth, this is from a point east of the airport, looking west. The red dots overlay the VOR approaches, the green dot marks the RNAV (GPS) runway 27 approach, and the yellow dot is Flint airport. The flight path to the south is me coming back for VOR runway 27 approach #2 and the flight path to the north is me being vectored for the GPS approach.

After Flint we were handed off to Detroit approach, who we asked to vector us for the RNAV Runway 5 approach into Willow Run.

I can't wait to practice more, my serpentine final approach courses show how much improvement is needed, step down altitude control needs work, crosswind correction needs work, setting up for the approach, it all needs work.

Next lesson tentatively scheduled for Saturday!

Time this flight: 2.2
Total Time: 153.3
Simulated Logged: 2.0

Better Beee's

2009-07-21T22:45:00.000-04:00

Today was a near-carbon copy of the last flight, except the air was smooth and things went better this time. We started out with a "simulated Zero-Zero" takeoff, which was fun and scary all at the same time. When the mains broke free of the ground, I experienced a vertigo type sensation as I pitched for best angle climbout speed. Why someone would takeoff on instruments is beyond my current comprehension, but we are "allowed" to do it according to the FAR's.

We flew more pattern B today, this time with the autopilot added in for fun. More review of compass turns, my instructor forgot his suction cups so no partial panel for me this lesson. We finished the lesson with a full VOR-A approach back to Willow Run. Here is a picture of my first procedure turn (the fish hook looking part of my GPS track at the top of the image), the white ruler line is showing the "remain within 10miles radius".

Felt alot better today! Altitudes, headings, VOR radials, speeds, seemed to work together. Got fixated a few times, but for the most part my practice with scanning is helping. Started working on the MARTHA memory aid (Missed Approach, Radios, Time, Heading, Altitude) for setting up and flying an approach.

Next up will be more partial panel practice, filing and flying multiple low approaches to airports in the vicinity (Lansing, Jackson, Flint, Pontiac, or Detroit City). Fun stuff!

Time this flight: 1.4
Total Time: 149.9
Simulated Logged: 1.2

Airplane Photo Series (3) Vintage Wings

2009-07-15T21:38:00.001-04:00

Going old school. A coworker had old newspapers laying around, so I scrounged through them to look for any aviation content. I have enough images for another 2 blog posts, so I will continue the "Airplane Photo Series" using them in the near future.

The photo is from the Detroit Free Press dated Sunday, May 10, 1931 and the caption reads "General Motors provides luxurious aerial transportation in the product of its affiliated company, Fokker Aircraft Corporation of America. At right is shown a compartment of the Fokker F-32 with accomodations for 30 day passengers or 16 sleeping berths. This giant of the air has baggage rooms, lavatory, kitchenette and pilots' control rooms. Below is an exterior view of this four-motored Fokker ready to take off and cruise at the rate of 120 miles an hour."

Let's go find some wiki-info: It has four engines, on two nacelles! The front engine swings a two bladed prop, and the rear engine (in a pusher configuration) swings a three bladed prop. It had problems with cooling as well as inefficient thrust production from the rear engine. Only ten of these aircraft were made in Teterboro, NJ (maybe there were 7 production + 3 prototypes?). It was the first four engined aircraft designed and built in the US, and completed it's maiden flight in 1929

Here is a more illustrative picture from Wikipedia:

Instrument Lesson #4: Pattern B

2009-07-12T21:56:00.000-04:00

"Thanks for getting me frazzled today" I told my instructor. "I'm an instructor, that's what I do" he replied with a grin as he helped me push the Cherokee back into the hangar after today's flight.

Today was a bumpy mess of a flight from where I was sitting. Maybe the continuous turbulence was enhanced by my view limiting devices, it was a challenge enough to keep the wings level with all the available instruments ... and then my CFII starts pulling out these suction cup things to make me "lose my vacuum pump"... yikes!

We flew a short review of the previous lesson, and then we got into Pattern B which is a series of segments flown in series to practice the different components of instrument flight (course reversal, final approach course, missed approach, etc). The big monkey wrench that gets thrown in between Pattern's A and B is the addition of altitude and speed changes.

Next we reviewed the whiskey compass, and its ummm let's call them "quirks". Lag north, lead south, accelerate north, decelerate south. I know all this stuff from book learning. Putting it to good use in the cockpit, is a completely different story. More practice needed here.

Then came the sticky things, my attitude indicator and directional gyro grew suction cups and it was partial panel practice time. This included climbing turns and descending turns and a practice VOR-A approach back to Willow Run.

Basically I feel like I got my ass handed to me. More practice needed in all areas. The one good part was that I pretty much have all my pitch/power combo's memorized. My next goal is to optimize my scan for the different conditions that are asked of me, straight and level I can do no problem, constant speed descending timed turn is not all there yet.

Here is the path of flight, you can pick out the Bravo pattern at the beginning, and the VOR-A approach at the end (crossing Salem VOR).

My instructor wrote something in his notes at the start of the lesson, and told me that everyone says "this" at this point in the training. I ended up not saying "it", so we agreed to save it until the next lesson. If you know what "this" is DON'T TELL ME! I want it to be a surprise :D

I told him I want to practice more, he said "that's not it".

Time this flight: 1.3
Total Time: 148.5
Simulated Logged: 1.1

Life isn't all about flying...redux

2009-07-09T21:34:00.000-04:00

Sulako over on Sulako's Blog had a recent yummy post about his foodie interests that might be considered even more dangerous than aviation.

In that spirit, I will share some pictures from a "hobby" of mine that is both exciting and not without risk. This is a shot of me on my (almost classic/vintage) 1995 CBR 600F3 navigating turn 8 aka "Madness" at Mid-Ohio raceway at a track day in June. This was my third track day (2nd at Mid-Ohio) and I have two more planned for this summer. It is absolutely, without any doubt whatsoever, the most fun you can have on two wheels.
Even though there are not many instruments to scan, I find it a bit like my IR training... set the condition, verify the desired performance. Brake to corner entry speed, get the knee out, establish the turn, make adjustments with throttle (not too much!, scrape your knee puck a bit, look for your exit point, and roll out on your new heading :D
Knee pucks after a good day at Mid-Ohio

In the pit area between sessions.

Keeping night currency

2009-07-07T23:04:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I scheduled the Warrior from 9pm until 11pm with the intention of getting my required 3 takeoff and landings 1 hour after sunset to remain night current. I ended up flying to Mettetal to pick up my mom-in-law for some nightseeing. She had a hunch about the sky reflecting on the lakes after the sun set, and so we launched into the air at the end of "civil twilight" to test her theory. A Cessna 172 taxied out in front of us and announced "remaining in the pattern". After the Cessna performed a go-around on her first approach we departed to the west. A waxing moon joined us as we chased the fading light, and sure enough the lakes west of Detroit could be picked out easily amongst the rest of the terrain. People were shooting off fireworks, at one location in particular the flashes looked like the strobes on an aircraft, and so I made a heading adjustment for an airplane that wasn't there. We circled around Whitmore Lake and made note of the car traffic on US-23 and more post-July 4th fireworks.

As we returned to Mettetal we could hear the Cessna still in the pattern, the huge expanse of lights that is the Metro Detroit "lightscape" helping to make a task of picking out the rotating beacon at our destination. As I manuevered to join the pattern, and locate the Cessna it got me thinking about how the night currency "thing" works. The pilot in the Cessna was doing it correct according to the rules, and so was I. Hopping in your plane and taking three trips around the pattern may satisfy the FAR requirement, but I gotta believe it won't help you stay a good night time pilot. Actually watching the horizon go away as the sun's last rays were extinguished, was a good reminder about how important your instruments are. Picking out the beacon among city lights was a good challenge, trying to spot traffic at the airport was another. There are more challenges to night flight than just runway illusions right?

It may sound kind of crass, but I'd like to think I got more out of my night time currency practice than the other pilot. Maybe the FAR's should require more from us than just buzzing around the patch a few times? How do you stay night current?

Total time: 147.2
Total night time: 14.8
Total night landings: 35

Instrument Lesson #3: Timing turns and bit of Alpha

2009-06-27T23:24:00.000-04:00

The picture below is my GPS track from tonight's lesson. My direction of flight along the loop is "up" on the track starting in the middle of the picture, and we are headed "down" the part of the track to the right of center. Most of the early part of the flight was trying to test how accurate the turn coordinator is in my aircraft. We would do timed turns using the clock and turn coordinator then check it against how much turn we actually achieved on the directional gyro. From all this we arrived at the bank angles necessary for standard and half standard rate turns.

Once the bank angles were known, we flew elements of the "Alpha" pattern. The alpha pattern is flown at one altitude, and is meant as a practice of the different types of turns a pilot might be asked to perform in the IFR environment: holding patterns, course reversal, and procedure turns for example. Next time, my instructor wants to do the Bravo pattern, which is the same type of thing except with altitude changes to simulate approach type maneuvers.

I recently purchased a set of yoke and rudders by CH Products, to be used for flight sim practice. It is my hope that I can practice on my off days, so that my lessons can be as productive as possible.

I took a friend from work up flying this past week, I am working on getting the HD video he shot during the flight uploaded into a future post.

Time this flight: 1.4
Total Time: 145.7
Simulated Logged: 1.1

EAA pancake breakfast and airplanes

2009-06-21T21:57:00.000-04:00

Went to the annual Father's day fly-in / EAA pancake breakfast at my old stomping grounds. Belly full my wife and I walked the ramp snapping pics of cool planes. My wife commented that the Piper Aerostar pictured below looked like it could "get you where you need to go fast"... indeed.

This particular example is a 1982 Aerostar 602P (fun fact: it is sometimes called the Sequoya). It has two Lycoming 540's, is one of 124 built, and is a mid-wing cantilever monoplane.

Couldn't find too much info about this plane except that it is a kit plane, called the "Express 2000", and it has a Continental 550 out front. Coupled with the sleek shape and composite construction, it's not hard to imagine that this puppy scoots!

My old cell phone is gone, it has been replaced by the new 3GS iPhone. The latest flying related app I picked up is called "Airports" by AOPA (in cooperation with the folks at ForeFlight).

IFR training lesson #2

2009-06-19T19:35:00.000-04:00

The only thing that I can compare the mental game being played while scanning a panel in simulated instrument flight, is to my early days of riding a motorcycle on the street... what is about to happen next?! I can remember then, being mentally exhausted from playing the game "who is trying to kill me now?". I know now that not every person I am sharing the road with is actively trying to kill me, and my mental games are much more tuned to the point that I can enjoy riding. So I think it will be with instrument flying, right now it feels like overload... but with practice I am confident I can relax and "love the scan".

Yesterday's flight was performed entirely hidden from view by "JeppShades" (review forthcoming) from 5 minutes into the flight until on a 1 mile final for landing. My instructor had me perform straight and level, constant rate climbs and descents, constant speed climbs and descents, and permutations of those with turns thrown in for fun. We would stabilize every 15 minutes or so, and he would have me peak at the wet compass to reset the directional gyro (whose accuracy degrades over time, and with turning). We performed standard rate and half standard rate turns. To prove the point about why turns are done at standard rate, he had me do two steep turns ( a left 360, followed by a right 360) to demonstrate that your inner ear sets up a confusing dialogue with your brain after cranking and banking. We also flew slow flight into a power off stall and recovery.

The sensations of flying while wearing a view limiting device can be really weird, but apart from not being able to keep track of where we were (by looking out the window, or on a GPS display) I felt pretty good about how the entire flight went. I will be striving to improve my scan in climbing and descending turns, as these proved to be the most tricky manuever of the day.

On the return to the airport, my instructor set up the radios and had me make the calls while he gave me altitude and heading assignments to simulate ATC calls. "Okay flip your foggles up" and it was reassuring to see the runway straight out in front of the nose.

Time this flight: 1.1
Total Time: 142.8
Simulated Logged: 0.9

Product Review: Piloti Spyder SV "Flying" shoes

2009-06-15T19:56:00.000-04:00

Ok ok, these are not really flying shoes. What they are, is a pair of Spyder SV driving shoes by Piloti, which I have bought to use while flying. I have a soft spot in my heart for this brand of shoe because the company founder is a product designer (like myself) and so I have always wanted to "reward" him for his entreprenuerial spirit. Although he may not have meant this shoe to be used in this particular context, I hope he appreciates the purchase nonetheless.

This model comes in different color schemes, I chose stylistic black. The shoe seems very well put together in terms of stitching and materials, only time will tell about its ultimate durability inside and out of the airplane.

One of the reasons I like this shoe is the rounded heel shape, which helps keep your feet comfortable when resting on the floor, or pressed against the rudder pedals, and the grippy tread (which has a vaguely 1960's Formula 1 race tire tread feel to them) works great when your feet are active on the pedals working a crosswind correction.
A unique feature specifically meant for driving is a patch of the bottom tread than runs up the outside edge of the right shoe (but not the left) which is meant for better "heel & toe" shifting. No telling if this helps making better yaw adjustments to the right!

The shoes have one big stretchy lace than is pulled up through this spring loaded tension device. They slip on very easy with the help of a large heel pull tab. I suspect it might be bad to use these shoes as everyday footwear because of the minimal arch support, but I cannot complain as they are marketed as driving shoes.

Summary: I am glad to now have these shoes in my "flight bag", they work as well in the cockpit as they do in the pre-flight walk around. They are lightweight (every bit of useful load counts right?) as well as stylish, and have plenty of functionality to justify using them over a regular set of tennis shoes. $59.94 shipped from Amazon to your front door.

Foggles optional = logging actual

2009-06-11T21:00:00.000-04:00

Well I got my wish! The cowl latches stayed latched, and the forecast storms stayed well off to the southwest of Fort Wayne (KFWA) which was the destination for my first instrument lesson. I had previously indicated to my CFII that I wanted to do a non-standard first lesson, and actually fly an IFR flight. We did a pre-flight briefing of the clearance, what to expect on the radios, the concept of the instrument scan, and a summary of the syllabus for my instrument training.

After a standard aircraft pre-flight, we taxied out and I prepared to copy my first IFR clearance. Surprise! the route we received was not the route filed, so I took extra care to make sure my readback was correct. I got to hear new things through my headset like "position and hold, awaiting IFR release"... cool!

Soon after switching to Detroit departure on climbout, my CFII had me don the famous "Foggles" view limiting device and I got down to the business of setting up my radial scan. It quickly became evident that the attitude indicator (which goes mostly unused for VFR flight) was going to be unreliable in communicating bank information, so I ended up getting a good intro to instrument cross check and partial panel flying.

Not long after switching over to Toledo approach, my instructor says "why don't you take the foggles off" lo and behold we were in the clouds and I was able to log actual instrument time. Fort Wayne was IFR when we arrived and we were vectored for the ILS runway 5 approach. One touch-and-go later, we were winging our way back to Willow Run with a new clearance and a new cruise altitude. Back into the clouds for some more actual, and it was night by the time we landed back at KYIP.

So ended a truly memorable first instrument flight! Flying in clouds, was both exhilarating and humbling at the same time. So much to learn, new skills to acquire, knowledge to retain. I got home and couldn't sleep for awhile I was so excited.

Time this flight: 2.7
Total Time: 141.7
Actual Logged: 0.8
Simulated Logged: 0.8

My new flying shoes worked very well, pics and a review forthcoming.

First instrument training flight....

2009-06-09T23:28:00.000-04:00

maybe.

The Warrior has a squawk concerning cowl latches. I will have no trouble scrubbing tomorrow's flight if these can't be fixed (prefer cowl latches to stay latched while in flight).

Even if the latches get repaired in time, I may have to scrub due to weather. My instructor and I are going to attempt to get as much "actual" instrument training time, as long as that doesn't mean actually flying in thunderstorms (which are being forecast for my flight path/time).

On a positive note, I got my new "pilot" shoes! As soon as I get to fly with 'em, I will post up a review. Look it says "pilot" right in the name :)

Sharing the love

2009-06-08T22:53:00.000-04:00

Could not have asked for a better day to take a friend from work and his 5 year old son up for a flight around the local area. Blue skies, high clouds, with a light breeze blowing in from the the northeast.

This little guy wants to go flying... like now!

Keeping his eyes peeled for the occasional Fokker Dreidecker, or maybe a Sopwith Camel. We had to settle for a Cessna who was inbound to Willow Run as we scooted to the northwest headed for Howell (OZW).

Sailboats on the lake.

I took it as a compliment that my flying put him to sleep, maybe he was exhausted from trying to spot Rene Fonck in his Spad S XII (I was told my passenger is a big fan of the WWI film "Flyboys") We did three full stop circuits at Livingston County airport, then headed southeast to make one landing at Mettetal (1D2). Back at Willow Run (which is undergoing some hefty pavement changes) I made my 400th landing!

Making the #1 sign in honor of his first GA flight. Something about his smile makes me think this won't be his last ;)

Time this flight: 2.5
Total Time: 139.0
Landings: 400

Does a turkey burger count?

2009-06-03T21:41:00.000-04:00

So if I go flying somewhere new and eat a turkey burger, does that still count as a $100 Hamburger trip? It was yummy for sure. Here look:

Climbing to cruise altitude as we wing our way west towards BEH (Benton Harbor)

This pic shows how the haze can have a defined "top".

Lined up on final approach. This was a straight in, which I usually avoid doing at uncontrolled airports, but on that particular day it made the most sense. If you squint you can see the runway hiding behind the prop blur just below the shoreline.

Here is the old control tower at Benton Harbor airport which operated from 1973 until 1981

Vancouver Redux

2009-04-22T00:18:00.000-04:00

This post is to say thanks to the fine folks at Harbor Air in Vancouver BC, for making our two day outing to Victoria a convenient and pleasant experience.

As we boarded, our pilot (George) said to me "why don't you sit up front, you'll have more legroom. Needless to say, he didn't have to ask twice! Best seat in the house!

Taxiing away from the dock, the PT-6 is purring nicely up front.

We flew a tower-transition-ish flight path directly over the top of Vancouver International. If you look closely, you might be able to pick out the airliner on upwind.

Our flight out to Victoria was a bit dicey, as the winds were blowing pretty strong that day. George was optimistic that conditions would improve and so we pressed on. We are turning to the left, to set up on a 45 degree entry into the right downwind for the harbor in Victoria.

The practiced eye can "read" the winds in this image based what the water is doing. The narrow part of the channel had a funneling effect on the wind, ultimately making for a very short "water roll"

When you visit Victoria, you have to stop by this local favorite "Red Fish, Blue Fish" just up the docks from Harbor Air's building. This re-purposed shipping container servers some very unique and delectable seafood eats. We lucked out, 5 minutes after this photo was taken the line was 15 people long.

My seat for the return flight was not as fun, but still had good leg room!

The captain has just applied takeoff power for the flight back to Vancouver harbor. Note that the ailerons droop along with the flaps for extra lift.

Downtown Vancouver as we fly inbound from the southeast.

Spring fling

2009-03-14T23:46:00.000-04:00

Well that was too much flying hibernation folks! Picked a nice flying day to get back into the air, clear skies (well, some high cirrus) and a light southerly breeze. Flew a short "round robin" from YIP over to Livingston County (OZW), back down to Mettetal (1D2), and returned to YIP. It felt good to be piloting again.

Taken with my new Lumix digicam set on "Aerial Photo" mode.

Went back to Vancouver BC recently, and this is a teaser image for my next blog post.

Book Review: "The Pilot's Air Traffic Control Handbook"

2008-12-28T15:18:00.000-05:00

Picked this book up from the library, figuring it would be good to learn something new while the flying weather is not cooperating. I am very glad I did, as it was not at all what I was expecting based on the title alone. This is the 3rd edition of this book, published in 1999. Any fears of the info contained in the pages not being current are quickly squashed when you realize the scope and purpose of this book. I was surprised to find out that this is not a say this when in this situation type of book (in the vein of "Say Again, Please" which has it's own advantages), but rather its a more holistic view of the air traffic control system and how we as pilots fit in.

The author begins by taking the reader through the parallels of the history of flight in the United States, and how the needs of aviation were met by ATC as it grew into the transportation segment it is today. You will learn where the first control tower was constructed, what an A-N beacon was and how it worked, and the fact that the first "blind landing" by a commercial flight was performed back in 1938.

The rest of the book goes through each facility that a GA pilot can possibly interact with on a flight and gives a "behind the scenes" look. How many people work at a Center facility? The process of becoming a specialist, where people sit, and how your flight strip is generated and moves through the system. Some of the most informative bits resulted from the author asking controllers at the different facilities (APP, TWR, CTR etc) to give advice to the VFR GA pilot.

I came away from this book with new knowledge about the inner workings of the ATC system, how to use it, and how each piece of the puzzle is used to create a complete picture of the weather, traffic flow, emergency situations, etc.

The book was published in 1999 and so it has missed some of the more recent changes like, FSS privatization and consolidation, the Washington D.C. ADIZ, and things like ADS-B. What is great about the book is that once you read it, all the things that have happened since the book's publication have context which allows you to add on new information to your understanding of an issue.

I would certainly recommend this book to other pilot's (or those aspiring to be) as it has given me a better understanding of the wide angle view of air traffic control, and a bit more understanding of the folks we talk to on the radio.

Product Review: Foreflight Checklist

2008-11-23T20:08:00.000-05:00

Back in October I purchased an app for my iPod Touch called "Checklist"from the folks at ForeFlight. I quickly set out to replicate the checklists for the Piper Warrior I fly most frequently. Creating a checklist is relatively easy, start from scratch or tweak an existing one via the provided templates. After inputting the framework of the checklist, I decided to mentally run through a flight while sitting at home to put the app through its paces. I quickly discovered that I would need to change the checklist to better fit the way my brain works, and for the particulars of club flying. This proved to be easy, with only one small snag (that will be discussed in the summary).

Having done enough "chair flying" with the app, I decided to schedule a flight to evaluate the product in the real environment of the cockpit. My wife joined for a sunset-into-night cross country flight to Fitch Beach airport (southwest of Lansing). I made some on the fly changes to my checklist once I began my pre-flight, and this is one huge advantage a digital checklist has over a printed one. The flight went fine, the sunset was spectacular with Lansing approach giving us flight following services until about 10 miles out from our destination. The whole time, my wife was calling challenges and I was doing things and giving responses.

As we taxied back to the active, we found a good use for the bright screen of the iPod. When the item "Trim, set for takeoff" item came up, my wife beamed the screen onto the trim wheel / indicator area between our seats and it made setting the trim very easy! As it was full-on darkness at this point we made note of the brightness of the display as a potential negative (again, to be discussed in the summary). The return flight was uneventful (which is how I like my flights to go), and I jotted some notes down post flight to send on to the developers at ForeFlight.

Summary:
The good: easy to use, easy to edit, simple and elegant in design.
The bad: when adding new items, it would place them at the bottom (forcing the user to drag them up to the desired position in the checklist), and the brightness at night.

The next day I sent my comments to the ForeFlight team along with some feature requests. Early in November I got a response from Adam at ForeFlight, telling me that an updated version of Checklist (with a change to adding items and a night mode) was available at the AppStore on iTunes!

I took another flight last night with the new version of Checklist, this time my wife stayed home (something about the cold temps). The latest version has added abnormal procedures checklists, which I didn't get the chance to try out (thankfully). The night mode works great, and adding items to a checklist is a breeze.

The bottom line:

As the product disclaimer states, Checklist should be used as a companion to a hard copy version, and in that vein it works brilliantly. People are all different and unique, in the cockpit of the Warrior are 3 different paper checklists! What Checklist allows me to do is to synthesize all the best info and procedures from the paper ones into a customized digital version that fits my sensibilities. The way my checklist is set up, everything has a logical flow and I have included extra items that elevate my level of precision in the cockpit. What I learned from the both flights is that (without a mount for my iPod touch) it works best when I have someone next to me to help use the device to greatest effect. I was able to use the app while flying solo, but I could tell that it was a bit distracting to use once airborne (ForeFlight's website includes links to RAM mounts which I have been checking out since last night). I purchased Checklist from the AppStore for one-time charge of $19.99 and I will continue to get free updates until (I presume) version 2 comes out. Having had the developers respond within a months time to suggestions and comments I had about the product makes me feel very confident that I will be taken care of as a customer. Adam also mentioned that version 1.2 will include an even easier way to create / edit your checklists on your computer and upload them to your iPod. When this arrives, I will be testing that feature on the checklists for the other two aircraft in the club.

Time these flights: 3.1 (total for both)
Total time: 128.7
Landings: 382

Airplane Photo Series (2)

2008-10-20T22:37:00.000-04:00

Scaled down this time. This is a series of electric R/C aircraft images, some taken at the local R/C airfield and the rest at the Zen of Neato's aerodrome (yeah, he is all tough with motorcycles but he's a nerd just like me).

A sunset shot of all our backyard flyers. 3 Tiger Moths in the back, a Bearcat, a Gee Bee, and a P-47 "Jug".

My electric R/C Tiger Moth, painted in the scheme of G-ADNV (the letters were added after this photo was taken)

Showing some damage after exceeding Vne. Different from a real airplane, this was fixed with 5 minute epoxy and was flying within one minute of the epoxy kicking.

These are wonderful toys... rudder, elevator, and throttle with the right Li-Po battery you could stay airborne for 30 minutes. I am sure the tech has improved since the time we were dabbling with the hobby (brushless motors, Li-Po batteries and their chargers can drain a wallet right quick).

The serious folks:
Saved my favorite for last. This was the winner.

I have a P-51 park flyer awaiting assembly in the basement, just need some servos and some spare time (a winter project?). G-ADNV is parked on the work bench, with a broken prop.

Airplane Photo Series (1)

2008-10-14T20:57:00.000-04:00

I have a habit of taking pictures any time I am around airplanes. I have resolved to start sharing these images on a more consistent basis. I hope you enjoy checking them out!

This first set are the first shots I took with our (then) new digital camera back in July of 2001. I am reading the instruction manual and taking pictures as we wing our way west towards California on the company plane (Fokker 70). That was the first (and last) time we were able to take advantage of this perk of my employment.

I think this is over Illinois.

I think we are west of the "Mighty Miss" in this shot, the regular grid pattern of roads is being interrupted by terrain.

Kinda makes you want to eat popcorn eh?

Is it a surprise that my favorite color is blue?

My wife is very understanding when we fly, I will stare for hours with my face mashed against the window. Why people don't like window seats, I will never understand!

Sharing the love and Rust Inhibitor

2008-10-13T19:51:00.000-04:00

Two flights since my last post, the first added two more passengers to my total and the second was an attempt to keep the flying cobwebs away.

A co-worker has a teenage daughter who is interested in flying, so we all met at the airport after work one day and went flying. Went through a very thorough weight and balance, as this was the first time I had anyone sitting in the back seat with full fuel. The numbers worked out ok, my passengers are not as (ahem) big-and-tall as I am. It was a nice dusk flight and we did 3 circuits around the pattern, then asked Willow Run Tower if we could head south over Belleville Lake. We got approved, and were told to remain clear of Detroit's Class B airspace (which I avoided in conservative fashion). Back into the pattern, and two more trips around as the sun began to make spectacular colors in the western sky and we made it a full stop. She seemed interested enough, and was only intimidated by the "memorizing alot of information" aspect of aviation. When asked, she said she would like to go flying again, which is a ringing endorsement in my book!

My latest flight was this past Saturday with my wife. The initial plan was to head over to Ann Arbor for pattern work. We headed northwest out of Willow Run and kept it much more simple, just enjoying the sights. Turning back inbound towards Ann Arbor, we heard tower say "TFR becomes active in 3 minutes" and I remember that the Wolverines are playing football at the Big House. We turned direct to Mettetal instead and avoided that particular situation altogether. We joined a relatively busy pattern at Mettetal, which is made even more hectic with poor radios, poor radio etiquette, and the fact that we can hear radio calls from Defiance, Ohio some 75 miles away! We made a non-standard straight out departure from 1D2, and were given a straight in for 23L at YIP.

Coming soon... A review of ForeFlight's new iPod application "Checklist". I've already customized the checklist from the default Archer template to better match up with N33149's procedures and numbers.

Time these flights: 1.8
Total Time: 125.6
Landings: 375

Short solo hop, picture from motorcycle track day.

2008-09-09T21:37:00.000-04:00

Took up 33149 up for 1.5 this afternoon around the local area to practice stalls with different flap settings. Then I jogged over to my old stomping grounds at Mettetal to fly some pattern work.

Time this Flight: 1.5
Total Time: 123.8
Landings: 368

Here is a photo of me at Mid-Ohio (my second track day) this past summer.

And since I don't do any low level flying antics in the Piper, this is currently the BEST way to have fun going fast close to the ground!

Flying to Put-In-Bay (3W2) for Labor Day

2008-09-01T22:49:00.000-04:00

Thanks to a persistent (and most welcome) area of high pressure, my wife and I were able to fly to a family reunion on South Bass Island in the western end of Lake Erie. Initially, the weather on Friday was looking crappy, and I wasn't very optimistic for our departure based on an "outlook" briefing I had obtained Thursday night with flight service. The skies were clear by the time I drove home from work, and after talking to flight service again (this time a standard weather briefing) the only issue was convective activity southeast of my destination that would continue to move south and east as time passed. I called the AWOS/ASOS phone numbers for all the airports along my route, which confirmed that the weather was fine the whole way.

We loaded up the car and departed for the airport with our luggage, my flight bag, a birthday gift for our newest nephew, and 24 ears of corn. After a quick but thorough pre-flight (added 1 qt of oil and stowed some extra wheel chocks) we were soon talking to Willow Run Ground and getting our taxi instructions. We took off on Runway 32 into the northwest wind that was the bringer of the clear skies we were flying in. I planned to stay below Detroit's Class B airspace, and gave Toledo approach a call for flight following as we passed west of Monroe-Custer field (TTF). After confirming that the Restricted airspace near Camp Perry was "inactive" we turned direct Port Clinton (PCW) , traced the coastline of the southern shores of Lake Erie, and climbed up above 3000 feet.

Put-In-Bay doesn't have weather reporting so I used Port Clinton's automated weather to set my altimeter, and about 15 miles out from 3W2, Toledo cut us loose and asked us to squawk VFR. I tried getting airport advisories from PIB Unicom but no-one replied... no matter, as an aircraft about to depart PIB announced he was taxiing to runway 3. I made a call at 10 miles out, 7 miles out, and was planning on entering a right downwind for runway 3 when another inbound aircraft called saying he was 7 miles to the southeast. I announced that I was 2 miles south and would enter a right base for 3. Soon we were on the ground, searching for a spot to park.

We set the parking brake, unloaded our stuff, chocked one of the mains, locked the plane up and headed to the airport office to pay our ramp fee. I did some "ground flying" with my niece and nephew on Saturday, both were genuinely interested in Uncle Monkey's airplane, and both were sad to hear that we would not be flying that day.

Sunday morning was a planned flight with my younger brother, who specifically asked for an airplane ride to celebrate his recent birthday. The weather again was exceptional, and the flight service briefer seemed surprised that I was calling considering the conditions. We departed PIB, and flew down to Mansfield (MFD) which for my purposes was more than 50 miles from 3W2. Turns out Mansfield is a towered Class D airfield with approach and departure control during certain hours. As we taxied back to depart to the northwest, we got our clearance, squawk code, and departure frequency. We waited for two arrivals before we were cleared for takeoff, which was just fine because one of the arriving aircraft is on my top 10 list of "airplanes that I want to fly/own someday".... a yellow Beechcraft Staggerwing.

Soon after takeoff we were talking to departure, cleared on course, and receiving flight following on our way to Sandusky County (S24). At 15 miles out I requested a switch to advisory and cancelled flight following. Ater checking the automated weather, it became clear that we would need a plan to get into left traffic for runway 6 as we approached from the SSE. I decided to stay above the traffic pattern altitude and execute the "procedure turn" style of pattern entry... and announced my intentions on the CTAF. As we turned inbound "on the 45", a Cirrus announced he was on a straight in for runway 6. We kept each other updated on our position as I turned base and final. We saw him turning a 360 on final for spacing (those damn Cirri are too fast!) as we exited the runway.

We refueled 33149, bought and drank some Sprite, visited the boys room, payed the fuel bill, and got a free cookie from the nice folks at Advanced Air Services. S24's runway does not have a full length taxiway so I got some experience in back-taxiing. We climbed out and away from the pattern and up to a safe altitude to do some steep turns, slow flight, and a power off stall. Back to 3W2 at 3500ft and we did a slow orbit of the island so my bro could take pictures. I could tell from monitoring the traffic frequency at PIB that things were heating up and the pattern was getting busy. I decided to fly towards Kelly's Island (to the SE) and descend to set up for an entry into the downwind. My first pattern was too close in to the airport, and so I ended up too high and too fast. One go-around later I was back in the downwind "number 2" following a Saratoga, with two more aircraft calling in as "number 3, and number 4" in the pattern behind me. I followed the Saratoga's lead and made my pattern much wider than the first try, and everything worked out just fine on the approach.

As we rolled out on Runway 3, we heard the aircraft behind us announce that he had "overshot the turn from base to final" and that he was "re-aligning". I called clear of runway 3 and taxied to a parking spot. What happened next will be etched in my memory banks FOREVER. I looked up over the instrument panel, to see the Cessna (who was behind us in the pattern) just touching his wheels down... on the numbers for Runway 21.... 1720ft down the runway. My first thought was 'we are going to see a crash', next thought was 'he's going to hit the fence'. Then the guy absolutely firewalled the throttle and appeared to use every inch of the 600 some feet of the displaced threshold to regain airspeed and cleared the trees 500ft from the end of the runway by maybe 15 feet! Soon after escaping the treeline, and while still low and slow, he started his turn to crosswind. I was actually yelling out loud at this point (not into the mic), less bank, don't turn so steep!. We finished securing the plane, and the near-incident aircraft taxied in and parked right next to us.

Later that evening, my wife and I loaded up 33149 again and departed just before 8pm. Up to 4500ft, in contact with Toledo approach for flight following, we got to watch the sun set after we made our right turn at Toledo.

Upon reflection, our first trip "overnighting" with an airplane was a resounding success. I got some additional cross country experience during our stay, and learned about "lake effect haze" on both the trip out and back. The hour flight time is a dream compared to driving.

Flight time this trip: 4.3
Total Time: 122.3
Landings: 361

Here are the "Geko Tracks" of our trip overlayed onto Google Earth:

Dealing with the remnants of Fay

2008-08-28T20:10:00.000-04:00

Flew a nice cross country to Grand Rapids (GRR) yesterday. The remnants of Fay built up from the southeast as our departure time approached. Visibility was fine, but clouds held us below our desired VFR cruising altitude until just a bit south of Lansing. Grand Rapids approached asked us to fly direct to the VOR (which is south of the airfield) and kept us at 4500 until we were due south of the airfield. One (sort of) slam dunk approach later we were talking to tower on an extended right base for runway 8L.

The FBO we parked at was "Rapid Air" and they were very friendly and accomodating. We got charged 15 bucks to use the ramp, but the facilities there are excellent and the entire FBO interior had been remodeled since the last time we were there. Departing from GRR is always fun because you get treated to the "big airport" atmosphere. After a quick word with Clearance Delivery we had our departure clearance, a squawk code, and we were ready to taxi. We taxied to, and departed from runway 8L with me nailing the correct airspeeds on climb out.

As soon as we checked in with departure we were cleared to 5500 ft and we turned direct YIP with the sun starting to set behind us. The cruise portion of our flight back was some of the smoothest flying conditions I have ever flown in, though we noticed the haze starting to build in around us. It was night by the time we landed back at Willow Run, and after a quick trip to the self serve fueling area, we parked the bird back in its nest.

Time this flight: 2.5
Total Time: 118.0
Landings: 356

Archer Checkout

2008-08-27T10:07:00.000-04:00

This flight occurred Monday afternoon/evening.

I am now signed off to fly the Archer despite getting a good reminder about "IMSAFE" and human factors. Everything was going fine, slow flight, steep turns, power off/on stalls, coordinated turns, simulated engine out, and then we headed over to Ann Arbor for the various flavors of takeoff and landings. Well the tower had closed for the night and ARB was now an uncontrolled field, with the sun setting rapidly. I demonstrated Short and Soft takeoff and landing technique with varying degrees of success and got reminded about the importance of "F" and "E" in the aforementioned acronym. Fatigue and Eating (no dinner) found me slow on the controls and behind the airplane until I forced myself to push through the tiredness and focus on the task at hand. Definetly not a place I will put myself in again.

Time this flight: 1.5
Total Time: 115.5
Landings: 354

Later on today its back into the Warrior for a cross-country to Grand Rapids.

Thunder Over Michigan 2008

2008-08-23T17:35:00.001-04:00

I ended up going to this year's event despite the fact that I was disappointed with the show from last year. What can I say... I can't stay away from airplanes. The organizers decided to put the aircraft back on the east ramp at Willow Run and so the show returned to its "classic" layout. In a strange (or maybe purposeful) move, the organizers moved the string of food vendors so that they were between the aircraft and the area set aside for viewing the flying part of the show.

There were some new visitors, I had not seen Tarheel Hal before, so I snapped a pic.

This was one of several Pacific Theater Warbirds present.

The guest that caused the biggest stir was this BF-109 from the Russell Aviation Group. There was a line just to take pictures of the cockpit.

I took a picture of this half-track because it is owned by a friend of mine, and I helped out with the nose art on his vehicle which he named "Mother Duce".

The show was enjoyable, parking and admission prices are still a bit steep until you remind yourself that the you are helping to rebuild the Yankee Air Museum. The US Navy F/A-18 demonstration was cut short by an engine flame-out during his Split-S maneuver. Some very brave paratroopers did a re-enactment by jumping out of a pair of C-47's. The most enjoyable part of the show is simply the sounds that old warbirds make, and I hope they remain flyable for a very long time.

The PPL, one year later.

2008-08-18T21:39:00.000-04:00

Much has happened in the year since I passed my PP-ASEL exam. I've switched from the 172 back in my training days to almost exclusively Piper low wing aircraft. I've taken many people on their first flight in a general aviation aircraft, my 10th passenger was just tonight. I've joined a flying club, and have enjoyed the experience immensely even though I am still checked out in only 1 out of the 3 aircraft I "own". I fly out of a Class D (towered) airport with five long runways, which is a bit of a switch from the single 2300ft runway of my training days. I still like flying into Mettetal and other non-towered fields, and I am comfortable talking to and flying into Class Charlie airports.

My short terms goals are:
1) get checked out in the other two aircraft in the club.
2) set a date for the instrument written
3) get an instrument instructor
4) continue building cross country time
5) continue sharing my love of all things airplane with as many people as possible.

Time this flight: 1.5
Total Time: 114.0
Landings: 348

Flying club plane wash: Cessna draws blood.

2008-08-12T22:29:00.000-04:00

I managed to make it completely through all my flight training in a Cessna 172 without committing the newbiest of newbie mistakes. Then out of the blue at the last club airplane wash I finally did it. I walked into the back of the wing!
Yes it hurt, and yes I shed some blood. Unlucky for me, my head was tilted down as I swung the leaf blower back and forth to clean out the dust from the hangar and blammo!. Lucky for me, my head was tilted down and so the injury was higher up on my head (that distinctive scar will be hidden from view until I lose alot more hair).

I am officially in the club of "those who have done it" now.

Leaving the "nest"

2008-08-08T19:41:00.000-04:00

Cross country flight to Fort Wayne, Indiana (KFWA, Class C) on a hazy Sunday morning.

Downtown Fort Wayne, on our descent lined up for the straight-in approach to Runway 23.

It might look far away, but it isn't... it is just a freaking huge piece of concrete!

Looking down 11,981 ft of runway is impressive, this is the biggest runway I have landed on to date. It was a quiet morning, I was the only aircraft using the airport!

Proof of landing. This was taken on the taxi-back to the active.

Runway 5/23 from another perspective, climbing out on our left downwind departure. The wing tried its best to cover the runway, but ultimately failed.

A small town in Ohio, from 5500 ft.

Listened to Detroit approach as we left YIP, but they sounded way too busy to accept our request for flight following so called up Toledo approach as we passed by Adrian (ADG). We did hear alot of other aircraft getting flight following, the haze was enough to wipe out the horizon but still give you a good view of the ground and sky. Bunches of people were headed to Oshkosh that morning, and I was jealous. Everything went smooth on this flight, despite getting a little rushed at the end. ATC communications went well, as I was prepared with a scratch pad for my clearances, codes, and frequencies. The haze was simultaneously challenging and confidence building. Detroit even cleared me through a bit of the Class B on the return to Willow Run!

Time this flight: 2.5
Total Time: 112.5
Landings: 346

Give an artist a camera...

2008-08-03T13:36:00.000-04:00

And then go flying, the results are shown below.

Had a first time GA flyer on board, and he admitted to being nervous but didn't show it. He took a bunch of great pics, these are just a sample. We flew three trips around the pattern to see how he felt, then departed the pattern and flew north to Mettetal to show him the difference between a tower controlled and an uncontrolled field. One full stop later, and it was back to YIP with another satisfied passenger.

Time this flight: 1.0
Total Time: 110
Landings: 344

Oh, how I miss Oshkosh

2008-07-30T22:52:00.000-04:00

Maybe if i'd never been to Oshkosh / Airventure I wouldn't know what I was missing. Since I have been to the show once before, I need to go back... really badly.

How I arrived the last time, I have my fingers crossed but I don't think that I will enjoy that ride the next time.

Sleek new planes, this one was a prototype then, and is just about to go on sale for real I think.

And lovely old planes, this is a Spartan Executive which would be fun to have in the hangar.

Hot, hazy, summer night flying

2008-07-19T19:00:00.000-04:00

This past week I decided to re-gain my night currency and get some more cross country time by planning a mini-tour of some airports I had been to before, and some that I had not. I also decided to take one of the clubs instructors along for added safety and to get some instruction on proper use of the autopilot.

My plan was to depart Willow Run near/at sunset and fly to Kalamazoo (which I'd visited before on my long solo cross country back in my training days), then fly to Toledo, OH (someplace new), and then back to Willow Run thus giving me my three takeoff and landings required for currency. The weather pattern at night had been consistent for many days, and so I was optimistic that I would enjoy the same clear, star filled sky... but that was not to be. The day before my flight we had some storms come through (knocking the power out from 11pm - 2am for good measure), and some sticky, moist air is what it left in its wake.

I checked the weather first thing after arriving at the airport on the night of my flight, and things were looking bad for my route. Kalamazoo's forecast for my approximate time of arrival was 4 statute miles visibility in haze.... ugh. Everywhere else around Kalamazoo was calling for plus 6 miles and clear, so I figured it must be some geography or terrain coming into play. Plan B was to fly to Grand Rapids, then stop at Lansing on the way back. After a weather situation confirmation briefing from a very courteous employee of Lockheed Martin's Flight Service, we launched into the moonlit murk.

The flight was serene for the most part, the hazy conditions took a bit of adjustment and I was glad to have a CFI in the right seat. We listened to UPS and Fedex aircraft make their trips to hubs south of us, carrying all manner of packages waiting to be delivered to customers. We heard some other aircraft that sounded like they were making instrument training flights, and even a "check delivery" service guy flying into Detroit.

What I learned on this flight was that the autopilot is easy to use, night flying with hazy visibility is manageable with a good plan, and although it's easier to pick out other aircraft lights in the dark it is not always as easy to find airports amongst a sea of city lights.

Time this flight: 2.6
Total Time: 109.0
Landings: 339

What is it about flying?

2008-07-14T23:09:00.000-04:00

That makes it so much fun to share? Took a good friend from work up for a flight today, just to be-bop around and do some sightseeing.

Here is the track of our flight.

And here are some pictures he snapped along the way:
Total Time: 106.4
Time this flight: 1.8
Landings: 336

Passing 100 hours, two wheeling, and checkout flights.

2008-06-25T21:47:00.001-04:00

Despite my lack of blogging, I actually did some flying in May. In the early part of the month I flew my last flight in the venerable 95T out of Mettetal. Here is a pic as I wait in line to depart from runway 36. It was on this "hop" that I finally passed 100 hours. At the end of the month, I flew the first of two checkout flights in the club's Warrior.

Just another day at your typical general aviation airfield.

One of the trade-offs I made to get into flying was to sacrifice a portion of one hobby for another. A good chunk of my flight instruction tab was payed for when I sold two of my motorcycles. Thankfully I held onto the first bike I ever purchased, and I've found a (safer than on the street) way to go fast on two wheels...track days! This is me running Grattan in reverse. On the bike, it sure felt like I was leaned over ALOT more than that.

With the checkout complete for the Warrior, my wife and I took the plane up on Father's day. A quick flight out to Jackson was the order of the day, giving me time to get more familiar with the layout of the panel, and the Garmin 430 Nav/Com. It was a NASCAR race weekend, and the teams fly into JXN and get shuttled over to Michigan International Speedway via helicopter. In the picture below, we have just departed to the southwest on a crosswind for a left downwind departure to the northeast. You can see the ramp is crammed full of all sorts of different aircraft and there were three choppers in the mix.

After leaving Jackson, we flew back to Mettetal for the annual pancake breakfast served up by the local EAA chapter. The pattern was busy, the radio chatter was lively, and there were lots of families watching all the planes come and go. It felt a bit strange flying TO Mettetal, since I had previously always flown FROM there. After filling our bellies with pancakes and sausage, we jumped back in the Warrior and returned to Willow Run. I refueled the plane, which brought back all sorts of memories from years past working at the FBO in Erie, PA.

Next up, more flights in the Warrior and a checkout in the Archer.

My Total Time stands at: 104.6
Landings: 333

Vancouver trip: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2008-06-22T20:16:00.000-04:00

I've been slow in posting up about my latest adventures, the industry in which I work (automotive) has been taking some hits lately which has been a bit of a distraction.

The Good
Around the early part of April (is it really June??) my wife and I took a trip to Vancouver, BC. Thanks to her work, I got to tag along as "carry on luggage" and we enjoyed someplace new together instead of me sitting at home with the cats. We left Detroit in a somewhat spring like weather pattern, and flew to Minneapolis for our connecting flight. The weather at MSP was very un-spring like, but I was excited to see that our flight to Canada would be aboard an Embraer 175.

Vancouver is a wonderful city, and we enjoyed many sights and good eats. Our first day included a walk around the waterfront along the north side of the city. My wife had to drag me away from one particular spot which had this sign out front:

I could have stayed for hours watching the seaplanes land and takeoff.

We continued on our tour of the waterfront by walking 10 miles around Stanley Park.

We got dumped on with rain halfway through, and by the time we had walked to the restaurant with our dinner reservation it was sunny.

The next day we took advantage of many different modes of transport (taxi, bus, water taxi, sea bus, and gondola ride) to see this:

The Bad
Leaving Vancouver was tough, my wife had to stay longer to finish her work, and my visit was all too brief. We ate some spectacular food, saw many cool and interesting things, and I left knowing that someday I will return. If the title change doesn't help, I am going to announce right now, that things get worse from here on out... how's that for foreshadowing?

Our first sign of trouble was an announcement by the flight crew made, not from the cockpit, but from the front of the main cabin before the cabin door had been shut, that we would be (more or less) "racing some bad weather to Minneapolis".

The flight was smooth and comfortable, and I elected to pay extra for a snack box. A bit of apprehension snuck in when the flight crew came on the horn to say that we would be entering a holding pattern just short of MSP because it seemed that the weather was closing in. I started to do some mental calculations in my head as we started standard rate turns to the left. I came up with the magic number of 3 trips in the holding pattern before we would have to divert, and was feeling pretty good as we made the third turn inbound. Right then, the captain comes over the speaker to tell us what we all dreaded, a diversion!

I knew my wife wouldn't believe me so I took a pic for proof, we went to the home airport of Cirrus Aircraft in Duluth. This pic was taken shortly after the flight crew executed a masterful approach and landing in conditions that were the most turbulent and gusty I've experienced on a commercial airliner. We taxied onto a ramp area that wasn't the terminal, and it seemed like we would just wait a bit for an aircraft to move and free up a jetway. We taxied toward the main terminal, and then things got confusing, an aircraft left, another arrived, we taxied away from the main terminal, and then back again. In the meantime I had called my wife, ever the savvy traveler, whose advice was "stop talking to me, and re-confirm on a later flight". I called the reservation number, and confirmed myself on a flight leaving MSP later on in the evening... what could go wrong?

After some time, and many updates from the flight deck, we were refueled, but there would be no timely connection to MSP which was still dealing with weather. Another call to "Airline with major hubs in Detroit and MSP" reservation number, and the full severity of my predicament was becoming clear. "I am sorry sir, we don't have any available seats until 5pm the day after tomorrow" Wha wha what?! The stinky stuff, had truly hit the rotating blades. I reluctantly confirmed on the first available flight, and started to mentally prepare for a hellish night/day. A quick call to my friend back home, explaining my situation and begging a favor to check in our animals.

We launched from Duluth, into low, gray, snow-filled clouds and set a course for MSP. The pilots did an excellent job getting us to our destination, and for a moment I allowed myself to get in a trance watching the wingtip strobes freeze frame snow as it whizzed by my blackened view of the outside world.

The Ugly
The relief at having made it to MSP soon dissolved after arriving in the gate area at the top of the jet way. A scene that I had only previously experienced through a TV set was right there in front of me, people camping, people waiting, people getting angry. The airline rep at the counter asked "final destination?", when I replied "Detroit", he told me to exit the secure zone and reps at check-in would rebook me, and arrange for a hotel. Fantastic, what service! Little did I know, this is a ruse simply to get "you" out of "his" hair and pass the buck down the line.

When I realized that another passenger (a nice old lady) on my flight was trying to return to Detroit, I suggested that we attempt to wade through the process together. I was trying to keep a good attitude going, as I talked to the guy at the check-in counter. He proceeded to tell me things I already knew (like how there were no seats available), and things I didn't know (how a hotel stay was not provided, but vouchers for a discount hotel miles from the airport were). My positive attitude went into the trash, when I overheard the nice old lady one ticket agent over get booked on a flight to Detroit THE NEXT MORNING!!! I quickly ended my conversation with the lazy agent and slid down to the other agent. "Excuse me, I wonder if you could help, I couldn't help but overhear how you got the nice lady on a flight out in the morning, and was wondering if you might do the same for me.... you are clearly the person who knows how to get things done."

She grabbed the phone, dialed some magic number, that the other guy didn't know or refused to call, and within 5 minutes had me confirmed on a flight leaving 11am the next day! Crazy.

We walked back through the security line, and got re-cleared into the terminal. We both headed to the gate area where the Detroit bound flights would leave from and attempted to settle in for the night. The remaining hours from that point, until I sat down in my assigned seat for the flight back to DTW the next day, was a blur of exhaustion, thirst, delirium, hunger, semi-sleep, anger, boredom, comedy, and nausea. Here are some pics:

This one, just about sums it up:

I can't say enough good things about the professionalism and courtesy of our flight crew. They kept us informed of the entire situation as it unfolded, and displayed excellent stick-and-rudder skills when we needed it the most.

In a rare moment of Internet convergence, I discovered that my flight had been blogged by a member of the flight crew, so if you want to experience Vancouver-Duluth-MSP from the "pointy end" of the airplane click here.

I can't say enough bad things about the "airline with major hubs in Detroit and MSP", for dropping the ball on the customer service end of things.

Super Mini MEGA product review: Garmin Geko 201

2008-04-23T20:19:00.000-04:00

Most "included as a free gift!" products are of dubious value or are soon placed in a box, on a shelf, in a closet some time after receiving them. Such is not the case with the Garmin Geko 201 that was included with my purchase of a Bose headset when I started my flying lessons last year. I knew from researching it beforehand that it would allow me to track my flights, and I would be able to import those tracks into GoogleEarth for later review. What I didn't realize was that it would come in handy as a training tool, a nifty back-up navigation tool, and an information resource as well. Any pilot would agree, it's better to have more information about your location than less information!

I did purchase two accessories necessary to use this diminutive GPS device to its fullest. The first was the cable that connects the Geko to my PC (a pricey cable, which I give a wag of my finger to Garmin for gouging, as it only works with this device). The second was a suction cup mount, which does a good job (though it needs some babysitting, which I will explain later).

Let's get to some pics!

Here is the unit (attached to suction cup mount, folded up) in its powered OFF state.

Press the power button (flush mounted to prevent inadvertent activation) and you are soon greeted with a welcome screen which you can customize... mine says "If found call this PHONE #"
After a short delay, the unit switches to the GPS satellite status screen. shown below:

You can choose between two different "skyviews" from this page. I prefer this look, which is called the "Advanced Skyview" as it shows the various satellites in the GPS constellation overhead and highlights which ones the unit is receiving and shows a signal strength bar for each. Once the unit is talking to enough of the GPS satellites it reports the estimated accuracy in feet, and shows the letters "3D" in between the battery life indicator and the satellite icon at the bottom of the screen if the unit has linked to 4 or more satellites.

Pressing the PAGE button (to the right of the big OK button), begins cycling through the different pages in this order: MAP page

The NAVIGATION page.

The TRIP COMPUTER page

and the MENU page

From the MENU page you can select the top item on the list "MARK" and start creating your database of waypoints.

Hitting MARK brings up this screen, which identifies your current location and stores it as "001" in your waypoint list. Creating a database of waypoints is as easy as marking your current location, going to the waypoint list, searching for "nearest", picking 001, and editing the numbers to match a known location. Granted, it could be considered tedious to mark points, search Airnav.com for GPS coordinates of airports and VORs, but the end result is worth it. You can create 500 waypoints in this manner. I haven't added up all the ones I've entered, but I don't think I am anywhere close to the limit.

Once you have a waypoint stored, flying to it is simple... use the arrow buttons to scroll to WAYPOINTS from the MENU page, find the waypoint in your list:

Select the waypoint, select GOTO, and the page automatically changes to the NAVIGATION page with waypoint name at the top, your distance from it, a compass type face, an arrow pointing to your waypoint and box at the bottom which can show a bunch of different data.

Speed in knots (units are changeable in the OPTIONS menu)

A trip odometer

Current heading

Your bearing (heading required to get TO the waypoint)

Time enroute to waypoint

Time of Arrival at waypoint

Distance to waypoint

Altitude in feet above MSL

LAT / LON coordinates

Time and Date (I have my unit set to ZULU time)

The other useful page is the TRIP COMPUTER page, which can be customized to show whatever data fields you prefer. Mine is set to display speed in knots, elevation, bearing and time of day.

Here is the MAP page again, just wanted to talk about the waypoint icons... I chose airplanes for airports (crazy I know), and the tee pee icon for VOR's. Of all the pages, this one is the least useful because of the small screen size. Zooming out to see all my waypoints just mashes all the icons together in a big jumbled mess, clearly I need to fly to places farther away!

Here is the unit, with the suction cup mount extended out.

This is a pic of the back of the unit, the suction cup mount screw can be turned with a coin, and the 4 circles is the location where the data cable attaches (it is hidden under a rubber grommet)

Here is the unit on the 2007 FAR/AIM for size comparison.

All in all, the Geko 201 has been a nifty companion in the cockpit. As a flight training aid, I found it be helpful in many situations. Learning how to judge distances when spotting airports was huge, also being able to report exact distances in relation to an airfield increases safety. Being able to review a flight in GoogleEarth is not only fun, but instructive...especially when evaluating S-turns along a road. There are many more functions that I could have discussed, creating and flying routes (up to 20 of them), creating a projected waypoint, and all the different data fields that can be displayed.

The suction cup can be tricky as it cycles through different temperatures, warm on the ground, cold aloft, warm on the ground.. pop! it's in your lap. Not the way you want to practice "realistic cockpit distractions", the game is to find the right spot to attach the mount on a per airplane basis.

As a teaching tool, I could see a unit like this being useful for the CFI who wants to introduce a student to the basics of GPS technology. The club airplanes I will be flying all have Garmin 430 Nav/Com GPS units, but unless there is an easy way to download my flight path info... I think you might catch me with this little green Geko in the cockpit for some time to come.

I've purchased 3 airplanes!

2008-04-20T12:10:00.000-04:00

Well.... technically 1/55th of three airplanes. Yesterday, I completed the steps to joining a flying club based at (KYIP) Willow Run airport. I am very excited, and look forward to getting checked-out soon in the Warrior, Archer, and 172. The last remaining roadblock is taking security training for access to the airport itself.

Bring on the summer flying season!

Almost 100 hours total flight time...I sit at 99.9 exactly

2008-04-02T21:03:00.000-04:00

Time this flight: 2.3
Landings: 314
Total Time: 99.9

I have been trying to take a longer flight for awhile now, but the weather hasn't cooperated. Last weekend the weather stayed nice long enough to allow me to start earning more of the cross country time I will need in preparation for the instrument rating. I wanted ATC communications, so I picked a flight path that angled right between Flint and Lansing's airspace. My destination was Mount Pleasant (KMOP) which sits west of Saginaw, MI.

The flight up and back was scenic, fun, and for the most part, uneventful. Except for a few clouds hanging around between Flint and Lansing, I cruised along at my VFR altitudes the whole way. Flint and Saginaw Approach both gave fine service as I motored along, and by the congestion on the radio for a good bit of the trip, it was evident many other pilots were taking advantage of the early "Spring" flying weather.

Mount Pleasant's AWOS weather is transmitted over the MOP VOR, and winds at the time favored landing to the east (runway 9). Since I was approaching from the southeast, I reported on the CTAF that I would be overflying the field above traffic pattern altitude (TPA). I then performed the recommended entry, by turning to the NE, flying for 2+ miles descending to TPA and turning back inbound.. then I made my inbound radio call "on the 45 entry to left downwind runway 9 Mount Pleasant". This is different than the (non-standard) procedure at Mettetal, so it was fun to actually fly the whole thing.

The winds were calm by the time I was ready to depart back towards home, and several aircraft had used runway 27. After a quick check of the noise abatement procedures for that runway, I departed to the west and made my climb back up to a cruise altitude of 5500 feet. I gave Saginaw approach another call for traffic advisories, and soon I had a new transponder squawk and a request to report any change in altitude. Again the clouds between Flint and Lansing changed my plan, at first I could maneuver around them (adhering to the cloud clearance minimums) then they became more numerous so I elected to descend underneath them and fly at 3700 feet (which was well within the 3000 AGL rule). You might be able to make out my turns on the GPS track for the return leg.

Garmin Geko track, overlayed in GoogleEarth with Sectional Map overlays overlayed on top.

When I added up my logbook after paying for the flight I couldn't believe I had missed reaching the magic 100 hour mark by 0.1 hours. The nice lady at the desk said I could take another plane and taxi around for a bit, which I politely declined. I'll pass 100 on my next flight!

An update on the flying club, I got word this week that someone has left the club... which means my membership induction process will start soon... woohoo!

Next post will be a "Super Mini Mega Pilot Product Review: Garmin Geko" I have all the pictures formatted and uploaded, I just need to compose it.

Flying Club: Holding Pattern

2008-03-17T21:54:00.000-04:00

Well, my name is first on the "waiting list" with the flying club I am trying to join, so I am in a holding pattern of sorts until someone leaves (which is hopefully soon). I will keep flying 95T in the mean time, unless someone has an Arrow, Mooney, or A-36 Bonanza they want to share!

I wanted to get my wife used to some more ATC communications, so she agreed to join me on a simple flight down to Monroe-Custer (KTTF). We departed Mettetal to the north, and waited to pass the downtown area before turning out of the pattern per the noise abatement procedures. Up to 2200 ft, and snag Willow Run's (KYIP) ATIS weather info... more fiddling with the radios and make the call "Willow Run tower, Cherokee 4595T is 8 miles north, would like to transition to the south, 2200 with Yankee". Tower calls back with "...95T transition approved, altimeter 30.28".

We overflew the western edge of Willow Run airport, and headed roughly southwest bound to assure our staying clear of Detroit's Class B airspace. I explained the basics of pilotage to my wife and had her confirm (on the chart in her lap) the landmarks that I was using to navigate by. The drag strip at Milan slipped under the left wing as I made the turn the southeast towards Monroe, and picked up the River Raisin (the curving line of trees that follow the banks of the river make it easy to pick out from the rest of the farm fields).

Garmin Geko track imported into Google Earth.

One full stop landing later, we were lined up on runway 03 and we departed to the north. I tuned the Carleton VOR and did a bad job of navigating directly to it (something about Detroit's Class B airspace makes me want to keep to the left). Another listen to YIP's ATIS, and a quick call to tower, we were approved for a transition to the north. Once clear of Willow Run's airspace, I tuned Mettetal's frequency on the radio. We sequenced ourselves #2 entering the pattern behind a Civil Air Patrol flight, and I was able to demonstrate both crosswind correction techniques on final for runway 36.

My wife is working her way through the book "Say Again, Please", so I think next time she will be ready for the radio work.

95T squawks this flight (attitude indicator slow to align (vacuum pump about to die?), passenger headset plugs are loose (need to be replaced), radios still mis-labeled (need a label))

Time this flight: 1.2

Landings: 312

Total Time: 97.6

"Don't bug me, I am scanning for traffic"

Passing over the west side of Willow Run on our transition to the north.

Cool as a cucumber.

NASA's "Earth Observatory" serves up some storm clouds

2008-03-10T13:35:00.001-04:00

NASA's "Earth Observatory" is a daily visit for me, and today's image is aviation appropriate even though it is a picture taken from the International Space Station. HERE is a shot of a fully formed CB over Africa, be sure to click on the full resolution image. The only thing that might be cooler is a time lapse sequence of a monster storm as it is forming (shot from low earth orbit of course). Hello... NASA are you listening?

Desaturated. When will spring arrive?

2008-03-07T00:08:00.000-05:00

If there is anything that is painfully obvious from these shots is that everything around here could use a little color. Faded paint on the aircraft, brown grass, grey scenery, heck even the PAPI could use a boost. Thanks to Rich for taking these shots on our last flight (I had to scale them all down, as their original resolution was huge)

Turning downwind for Runway 18

On short final, looking west

Approach looks good, that lump on the horizon in the distance is
another trash dump, which means visibility was 7 miles.

NinerFiveTango

People out on the ice at Whitmore Lake

I-275 traffic

I-275 Looking north

Scenery with a wingtip

Hopefully, spring will be here soon!

Mark your Calendar! Red Bull Air Race in Detroit 2008

2008-02-28T22:48:00.000-05:00

It's never too early to start planning right? Or maybe it's that I am getting tired of shoveling snow. In any case, you'll want to mark your calendar to remind yourself that the Red Bull Air Race is scheduled to arrive in Detroit, MI on May 31st and June 1st. This will be one of two stops in the United States, and I am planning to attend. This would make a great "Fly-In" event for all you aviation bloggers!

Tickets and Hospitality Packages go on sale April 1st.

1-800 How's My Reporting?

2008-02-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to a news story about a guy in Indiana who made an emergency landing on I-70, after having a problem with (what sounds like) carb icing. Watch the video embedded in the story.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/15395833/detail.html#

The reporting is actually fairly good compared to others, the only hiccup for me was a strange emphasis on "his only engine". I guess the general public needs to be spoon fed info (to an airplane nut, it is not shocking that this single engine aircraft has only one engine).

The only problem with spoon feeding the non-flying public info is when that information is wrong. Here is a link to an LA Times story about the Corona crash several months ago where two aircraft collided in/around the traffic pattern.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-planes22jan22,1,1200341.story?page=2&track=rss

There is an error in the story that I felt was worth correcting, the part about "A lack of air traffic control is common for small airports like Corona Municipal, which has two runways but no tower." I contacted one of the authors of the story to ask about their math error with respect to the number of runways. The response I got made me wonder what else the "media" is just throwing together as fact. The guy from the newspaper wrote me back to say something to the effect that "Corona has a runway 7 and a runway 25, that's two runways". I gave him a short tutorial on how a runway is numbered, and he wrote back to say that a correction would be issued. Even though this is the year 2008, and the Internet is quite mature as a medium, the LA Times has still not corrected this error in the story. Would it be too difficult to change some HTML? Why is this a big deal you might ask, I think that saying this airport has more runways than it really has is misleading and makes Corona sound like a big airport that is dangerous because it has no control tower.

Am I being too critical? Let me know.

Oh, and I hope the Dad in the first story never treats his daughter to another airplane ride...

Out of Hibernation

2008-02-25T21:39:00.000-05:00

Time for these flights: 3.0
Total Time: 96.4
Landings: 310

(This post is two flights)

Nature served me up a great day for flying, thankfully, it coincided with my PIC currency date. My wife joined for a simple flight over to Ann Arbor, to make two of the required three landings. The pattern was chocked full of other pilots out enjoying the sunshine and blue skies, Tower asked me to make an "S" turn on final for spacing (a first for me). On the next trip around the pattern, I got an extended downwind re-extended to fit a fast twin engine airplane in front of us. Back to Mettetal to complete the third required landing. Currency, check!

The winter weather has delayed my joining a flying club, and so I am still learning the little "details" of 95T that give it *ahem* character. Comm 1 is labeled Comm 2 and Comm 2 is labeled Comm 1.

On my most recent flight, a friend from work joined for some pattern work and a local sightseeing flight. Initially, I had planned a cross country to Smith Field in Indiana(just north of Fort Wayne). The weather forecast seemed great the night before, a check of the area forecast the morning of started to tell a different story, and I was glad to have scrubbed when I saw METARs talking about 3 miles visibility, clouds at 500 ft, and freezing fog.

It was fun to treat my passenger like a student and explain everything that was happening and why. I even tried to get him to do a radio call, which he declined. He was a good sport, running through checklists, spotting traffic, and seemed to be having as much fun as me.

My passenger tally is currently at 7, and I hope to increase that number now that I am out of hibernation.

Winter flying, 300 landings and counting....

2007-12-08T14:41:00.000-05:00

Time this flight: 1.3
Total Time: 93.4
Landings: 300

(These totals take into account a flight which I took in the middle of November which I didn't submit as a blog entry.)

Today was my first winter flight, and it was just as it should be. No blowing snow, clean runways, blue skies and calm winds. A friend from work joined for what was intended to be a cross country flight up to Lansing and back. When we arrived over Howell (KOZW Livingston County airport) I tried to pick up Lansing's ATIS (weather info) with no luck. Tried calling approach on the radio, no luck. Started a left 360 to remain clear of their airspace while I diagnosed the radio issues. Switched to radio #2, nothing. Stayed on COM2 which seemed to work better than radio #1, and landed at Howell.

Decided to call it a day and headed back to Mettetal where I landed for the 300th time. The landing was good, but I will remember it more for the approach which my passenger remarked that it reminded him of the "Space Shuttle" landing. Let's just say the 152 in front of me was slow, which forced me to adjust my pattern. This resulted in a steep, full flap, side slipping approach to short final. All while juggling radio calls through the "Mr. Microphone" having long since abandoned the push to talk switch on the yoke.

The continued lack of maintenance on the aircraft at Mettetal (and other factors) has made it easy to decide to join a flying club. Stay tuned.

Flying garden hose.

2007-10-28T22:43:00.000-04:00

Time this flight: 1.8
Total Time: 91.5
Landings: 295

My flight this evening found me in the pattern at Mettetal, trying to keep my flying knife "blade" sharpened. Once again, it's been a couple weeks since I've last flown and I find myself getting depressed. If flight training was a flood, I am down to a trickle lately and it doesn't feel right. I told myself (and others) that I wouldn't jump right into instrument training right after getting my PPL, instead I would take some time and build experience with my newly acquired privileges. The pendulum has swung too far the other way.

I enjoyed tonight's flight very much. It started in daylight and lasted well past sunset, which allowed me to participate in the "evening rush". This is the small airport equivalent of a Class B airport "push", except it's not about connecting flights it's about the amount of available sunlight. There are a slew of arrivals and several departures right around that magical time that the sun gets low in the sky. Not only do you hear it in the radio for your airport, but for all the airports on your common frequency.

I think what I am after is the middle ground between the flood and the trickle... sort of the flying equivalent of a garden hose. A nice steady stream of challenges, learning experiences, gaining knowledge and putting it to good use.

Rust Inhibitor

2007-10-13T18:51:00.000-04:00

Haven't flown lately, so I decided to correct the situation. Flew around the pattern six times in 95T and took advantage of a 9 knot wind out of the west-northwest to get some crosswind practice. I feel like I am starting to get the hang of this low wing flying machine.

Flying is fun!

Time this flight: .9
Total Time: 89.7
Landings: 285

First (non-family) passenger..

2007-09-30T00:29:00.001-04:00

But he's close to being family. This evening I took my best friend from high school up for his first flight in a small aircraft.

Soon after we rotated and were climbing up into the sky, he uttered a memorable quote: "Does the air blowing on my leg mean this door is going to fly open?" To which I answered, "No, but you can adjust the flow of air from the air vent next to your ankle with the silver lever". Note to self about another item to be discussed in the passenger briefing!

He was an excellent passenger, helping me with checklists, spotting landmarks, and asking very good questions. We flew from Mettetal, northeast bound towards St. Clair County / Port Huron International (KPHN). By the time we arrived at 15 miles out, the tower had closed for the day, so I explained how it became an "uncontrolled field" and we discussed radio announcements and pattern entry procedures.

My passenger snapped some pictures on the flight segment going back to Mettetal, and I told him that we would be performing a "no landing light" landing. I assured him that I had practiced just such a thing during my training to become a pilot, and he seemed only mildly alarmed :)

Pilot controlled lighting finally clicked on as we rolled out on final, and my right seat friend exclaimed "cool!" To which he quickly added "doesn't that runway look small?" I gave a chuckle and reminded him that I land here "all the time".

He was very excited about the flight, and expressed interest in going again... which is how I want all my flights (with people who have never been in a small plane) to end.

Time this flight: 1.5
Total Time: 88.8

Called in sick...

2007-09-24T19:29:00.000-04:00

Had a bad case of the "flying flu". Cross country out to Grand Rapids and back, and now I feel much better. :)

Time this flight: 2.8
Total Time: 87.3

Almost caught the sunset...

2007-09-16T20:52:00.000-04:00

Instead we returned prior to the sun setting and turned in a squawk sheet for inoperative nav lights. Just like in boating, the red / green / white lights help others to tell your orientation in space and therefore your relative bearing to other aircraft flying around you which is kinda necessary.

The best part of today's flight was getting my wife used to flying, helping with checklists, traffic spotting (we saw several hot air balloons off in the distance), and picking out landmarks (and obstacles) from the air.

Here is what our flight looked like when imported into Google Earth:

We departed runway 18 (towards the left in this picture) and you can see the noise abatement turn that cuts the corner off what should be two 90 degree turns.

Our path trails out to the west (upper left of the image) where we did some simple maneuvers. We then headed north and set up for a landing at Livingston County / Howell airport (OZW) in the upper right part of the image. After departing straight out from Livingston, we headed directly back to Mettetal and crossed midfield to turn downwind for runway 18, then base and final.

A simple, fun flight! Now to get those nav lights working....

Time this flight: 1.3
Total time: 84.5
Landings 275

Circuits

2007-09-16T02:27:00.000-04:00

Time logged this flight: 1.4
Landings this flight: 9

Total Time: 83.2
Total Landings: 273

Today's flight was to get more familiar with the "handling" of the Piper Cherokee 180, so I spent my time in the pattern. 9 circuits were flown in total, for 2 of them my AOPA project pilot mentor Tom joined me. The Cherokee has many traits that make it different from the Cessna 172's I am used to. I will need to get used to a much more picky and delicate starting procedure, as well as remembering to switch fuel tanks on a consistent basis.

95T (the abbreviated tail number) has alot more jump than the high wings and climbs like crazy. At Mettetal, the noise abatement procedures when taking off to the north ask that you fly an extended upwind (about 2 miles) to fly past the city of Plymouth, before turning cross and downwind in the traffic pattern. In most of the Cessna aircraft I would be reaching pattern altitude around the time I was turning downwind... with 95T I was at pattern altitude on my upwind leg BEFORE turning crosswind.

I experimented with different pattern sizes and flap amounts, deciding quickly that a tighter pattern versus the high wing aircraft was necessary and I found that 2 notches of flaps worked very nicely. A good day of practice on a clear, crisp (summer is truly over here) fall day in Michigan.

Aircraft checkout: Somebody installed the wings on low!

2007-09-03T21:12:00.000-04:00

The outside.

The office.

As the pictures might indicate, today's flight was to get checked out in the FBO's only Piper "low winger". My FI and I spent 1.5 on the Hobbs getting me used to seeing the wings in a different location. Basic manuevers, slow flight, and a trip to an airport I've flown past but never to before: Livingston County / Howell airport (KOZW). It will take a few more flights to fully get used to the added weight, and added zip of "Cherokee 95T" as well as the subtle changes in the checklist (fuel pump) but it should be fun.

Total Time: 81.8
Landings: 264

First Flight as a PP-SEL

2007-08-26T19:58:00.000-04:00

Today's flight to Put-In-Bay (3W2) was a symbolic "coming home" of sorts for me, as I can remember many hours spent as a kid watching airplanes from outside the fence there. Being able to fly with my first passenger (my lovely wife), and take my parents up for a quick sightseeing flight made it even more memorable.

On the return, I got my first Class B experience (they were not busy) flying through Detroit's airspace.

Here is 35V with the Perry Monument in the background. More pics added (Sep 3rd).

Entering downwind on the 45, runway 3 Put-in-Bay

Traffic scan

Miller Boat Line ferry docks.

Miller Boat Line ferry making the "18 minute" trip between South Bass and Catawba. If you can't fly to Put-in-Bay, this ferry is the next best option!

Turning base to final.

On final.

Short final runway 3 at Put-in-Bay airport (3W2)

Total Time: 80.3
PIC CC time logged this flight: 2.2

PPL Check Ride: Passed!

2007-08-18T19:07:00.000-04:00

There were areas I wished I would have done better, some questions I shouldn't have missed. I suppose these feelings are natural. Overall, I am extremely happy with how the entire test went, because now I am a "certificated" Private Pilot Single Engine Land!

PIC time logged this flight: 2.5
Total Time: 77.4
Landings: 258

Solo 20, Solo 21, Lesson 18: Sticking a Fork in Part 61.109

2007-08-14T20:50:00.000-04:00

Solo 20: Pontiac Practice
PIC time logged this flight: 2.4

Another fun "jam session" up at Pontiac, as in "traffic jam". I flew up to see what I might expect next Saturday in terms of traffic levels. Jets, helicopters, and plenty of training aircraft all buzzing around enjoying the great flying weather. After a whole bunch of short field landings (some full stops, some touch and goes to just practice aiming points and touchdown zones) I departed the area to the west. I practiced S-turns, and steep turns before returning to Mettetal.

Solo 21: Soft Field Landing Practice
PIC time logged this flight: 1.3

I decided to keep it simple for this practice session. The emphasis was soft field landing technique, which means touchdown as soft as possible and keep the nosewheel in the air and set it down soft. The trick to holding the "wheelie" is carrying just a bit of power in the flare and keep it in until just after you set the nosewheel down. I had fun with these. The demo I received from the Chief FI has really helped me with airspeed control on final approach.

Flight Debrief: Lesson 18 Sticking a fork in Part 61.109
Dual time logged this flight: 2.0
Total Time: 73.9
Landings: 253

As the title suggests, this flight has tied up all the loose ends on my "Aeronautical Experience" requirements, specifically the simulated instrument and night landings. This lesson immediately followed my solo stint from above, and is the first time that I have flown twice in one day.

The image below shows our path of flight, departing Mettetal where I donned my foggles once clear of Mettetal's traffic area. Navigated direct to the Salem VOR, performed a quasi-procedure turn to return to the VOR and fly the 180 radial outbound. Gave a call to Willow Run tower asking for the transition to the south, which they approved. I highly recommend doing simulated instrument at night, you don't get the sun to give you hints as to your direction of flight. Continuing south, my FI asked me to stay clear of Detroit's Class B airspace and take us to Grosse Ille Airport (KONZ). I decided to tune the Carleton VOR and intercept the 100 radial inbound and outbound from the VOR. In hindsight, I would have tracked the 080 radial outbound from the VOR, maintaining 2000 ft would have kept us clear of the Class B and put us on a more direct heading to the ONZ. As it worked out, I got us to within 6 miles and my FI had me pull the foggles off and navigate to the airport.

After 3 full stop landings on Runway 35, we headed up the Detroit River visually where I took this picture:

The foggles were soon blocking my view again, and I navigated back to the Plymouth area by intercepting the 280 radial. My FI started quizzing me with check ride style questions right up until we passed over the VOR, where a turn to 150 was requested. Another turn to a heading of 120 was requested, soon followed by "foggles off, you just crossed M-14, find Mettetal, I'll give you a hint (pointing) that's the high school".

I spotted the green and white rotating beacon, and 7 clicks of the mic later, the runway lights were at max intensity. With the landing that followed, I officially put the "fork" in my Part 61 requirements. Phew!

Solo 19: Garmin Geko + Google Earth

2007-08-10T21:43:00.000-04:00

Total Time: 68.2
PIC time logged this flight: 1.8
Landings: 225

More practice flying today, soft and short field technique, ground reference maneuvers, steep turns, and stalls.

Here is what several trips around the pattern looks like in Google Earth. The viewpoint is looking from just NE of Plymouth towards the southwest. I was departing to the north and making left turns in the pattern. The steep angled parts of the track are a bit exaggerated, and are likely a result of the "sampling rate" of the GPS unit.

This track shows my flight path out in the practice area. Steep turns look like figure eights, turns around a point and the one S-turn across a road should be easy to spot. As I did my S-turn, I noticed the radio getting crappy yet again so I headed back to Mettetal to switch batteries on the intercom unit.

Flight Debrief: 17th Lesson Super-Mini-Mock check ride

2007-08-09T19:58:00.000-04:00

Time this lesson: 0.8
Total Time: 66.4
Landings: 218

Today was planned as a morning "mock" checkride with my FBO's Chief Flight Instructor. The weather did not cooperate (low clouds with rain moving in) and so I made the call to scrub. The C-FI offered to make the best of it by evaluating my three types of takeoff and landings (normal, soft, and short) and so we just stayed in the pattern.

My short and soft field landings need work, but it's more about adding some refinement to the maneuvers (his words) which means a bit more practice for me. The best part of today's flight was getting a demonstration from the C-FI, it was very informative.

The C-FI also gave me a bunch of tips and pointers for the checkride.

*Side Note* My suction cup mount and data cable for my Garmin Geko have arrived, they both work great. Pictures and tracks super-imposed on Google Earth soon!

Solo 18: Crosswinds and spare 9V batteries

2007-07-31T20:34:00.000-04:00

Total Time: 65.6
PIC time logged this flight: 1.7
Landings: 214

Today was crosswind practice day. Both airports I flew at today had a direct crosswind component of 4-6 knots. The FBO's policy (and my restriction is) max crosswind component of 8 kts. It felt good to have a more steady breeze blowing, as I was able to practice proper technique in the pattern, establishing crab angles, and using the side slip on short final.

I bugged out of Pontiac airport as my intercom began to take a dump (today I asked for a southwest departure!). I finished the flight using the "Mr. Microphone" and speakers installed in the plane. From now on, I think I will carry a spare set of batteries for the intercom, and use my own for the check ride just to be safe.

"Mettetal Traffic, Skyhawk 00Q is downwind 36, Mettetal"

"(Pontiac tower) cross runway 27R, taxi 27R, advise when ready..." I had just landed on 27L (the runway in the picture) and exited the runway to the right and was holding shy of the other runway (to the left in this picture)

The interesting weather note for today: Mettetal has a north-south runway and had a crosswind out of the west, Pontiac has east-west runways and had a crosswind out of the north.

Solo 17: 200 landings, do I get a prize?

2007-07-30T21:24:00.000-04:00

Total Time: 63.9
PIC time logged this flight: 1.9
Landings: 206

Early on in my training, I overheard another student ask his instructor "I just made 200 landings, do I get a prize?" to which his instructor said "yeah, the prize is you get to make more landings"

I flew up to Pontiac (KPTK) today to scope out where I will meet my DE (designated examiner) for my check ride. I had a sense that my destination was on the far side of the airfield, and so I requested and was approved to "land long" which basically means I used the second half of the runway for my landing. After getting somewhat lost, I fessed up to ground control and they courteously gave me directions to where I needed to go. Having marked the spot on my airport map, I gave ground another call and requested a taxi for some pattern work.

I planned on executing a short field takeoff as I watched a Falcon business jet depart before me. Sure enough, tower responds to my takeoff request with "caution wake turbulence, make left traffic, clear for takeoff 9R". I was in the air WELL before the jet's rotation point so I never felt any wake vortices.

It was good to practice touch and goes at Pontiac because it has two parallel runways, and they land aircraft on both simultaneously. The runways are big, and so I got to mix it up with King Air's (turboprop), and Citations (biz jet), and piston twins. By "mix it up" I mean they were landing on the other runway. The ATC folks at Pontiac are very cool, and clearly enjoy their work. Every time this one controller would read a clearance with the navigation fix "SCORE" the guy would yell "Score!" like it was a sports game.

I made my last landing a full stop so that I could practice a soft field takeoff on my departure. My only flub of the day was requesting a VFR departure "westbound"... when I turned on course heading 230 tower called up to scold me and said that a heading of 230 was "WAY southwest"... ok, sorry about that. Next time I will ask for a departure WAY southwest. :)

After getting well clear of Pontiac's airspace, I climbed up to a safer altitude and did 4 steep turns which were ok, the only thing I need to figure out is why 00Q seems to lose speed turning one direction and not the other. Transitioned to slow flight, did some turns, and then ended with a power off stall.

Back to Mettetal, where the winds had switched directions so I crossed midfield and entered a downwind for runway 18. Around the pattern once more, and ended the flight with my best landing yet.

I told my AOPA mentor Tom, who was hangin out at the field, that something has clicked with my landings. A stabilized approach is the biggest factor... but little things like peripheral vision and not having "dead hands" at the point of touchdown are helping immensely.

Bring on the next 200!

Solo 16: Fun with wake turbulence

2007-07-29T17:03:00.000-04:00

Total Time: 62.0
PIC time logged this flight: 1.7
Landings: 196

Today's weather was a big improvement over yesterday, and so I headed westward out to the practice area after doing 3 circuits around the pattern. 35V has similar flying qualities to the other 172 (Cessna 711) in that the elevator and trim both feel very "numb". Thankfully, I am back in 00Q for my next flight.

Practice consisted of steep turns, slow flight, stalls, and ground reference maneuvers (turns around a point, S-turns across a road). The "fun with wake turbulence" from the post title is referring to bump you feel when practicing steep turns. If you have maintained altitude well, as you complete your 360 degree turn you fly back through your own wake. The principle is the same as when you go boating and turn a complete circle.

Cessna 35V exterior

When bears attack!

Solo 15: My 1.0 of Hobbs time with "35V"

2007-07-28T10:56:00.000-04:00

Total Time: 60.3
PIC time logged this flight: 1.0
Landings: 191

Cessna 35V is a great looking aircraft on the outside, with an interior that looks like a very angry bear got trapped inside. It has a funky radio system that emits a howling feedback type squeal anytime the user pushes on the PTT (push to talk) switch. After I switched my headset jacks to the AUX inputs it worked better, but I had lost the intercom functionality. This was not an issue, since I was flying solo.

I launched into a very hazy atmosphere and planned to head west out to the practice area. I turned around after about 10 miles, it was just too murky.

Arrived back in the pattern at Mettetal, and flew three circuits. The weather conditions degraded further and so I parked 35V for the day.

I think I will stick to 00Q from here on out, I like the feel of that ol' bird the best.

On a side note, my checkride is scheduled for the middle of August!

Solo 14: What is it about Mooney drivers?

2007-07-26T21:28:00.000-04:00

Total Time: 59.3
PIC time logged this flight: 1.4
Landings: 188

Weather and an ill flight instructor have conspired to cancel several recent opportunities to wrap up the rest of my flight requirements. I hadn't flown in five days, and so withdrawal was setting in. I decided to stay in the pattern today and practice short/soft field takeoff and landings. Visibility was down around 6 miles, and rain was in the area thanks to a stubborn upper level low pressure system.

I ended up logging 10 more landings, three of which were greasers (the first time I've managed something close to perfect since my first solo). The pattern was pretty empty, and I was sharing the frequency with two familiar voices at airports many miles from Mettetal. I think some day I will just have to fly to Suburban and Ray Community just to take a trip around the pattern once or twice.

It felt good to get up in the air, and I used the time to experiment with the two most popular methods for descent for landing...

1) carb heat and power reduction abeam the numbers, flaps 10, start descent abeam the numbers (my instructor's technique)

2) maintain pattern altitude until turning base, carb heat, reduce power, flaps 20, turn base (the other technique)

What about the post title? There are plenty of examples I could give of poor radio technique, with people flying all sorts of different aircraft. The guy today happened to be flying a Mooney, and he made all of 2 radio calls from the time he was "4 miles south" (his first radio call) to the time he was "entering downwind" (his second radio call, as he crossed over the field at pattern altitude) and I never heard from him again! Not as I watched him turn base, turn final, and exit the runway. Oh well.

Written Exam: Passed!

2007-07-22T16:54:00.000-04:00

Need to review:

1) Tri-color VASI
2) Flight crewmembers and seatbelt useage (I guess I am used to wearing my seatbelts all the time)
3) a right of way question (in a cruel twist of irony, as I drove up to the testing location, I watched an airship take off from the airport)
4) Minimum visibility outside controlled airspace during the day
5) Block 9 of the VFR flight plan

Scored a 92

A special note about my lovely wife, who puts up with me doing "plane stuff" on our wedding anniversary. Maybe next year we can celebrate by flying to Oshkosh... uhh I mean someplace tropical! :D

Solo 13: Garmin Geko 201 (small form factor - big functionality)

2007-07-21T21:43:00.000-04:00

Total Time: 57.9
PIC time logged this flight: 1.7
Landings: 178

Had a lesson scheduled, instead my FI and I agreed that it would be a shame to waste such perfect weather and so I flew a solo cross country. After reviewing my logbook after my short and long solo cross country, it added up to 4.8 hours (the requirement is for 5 hours total). I chose to fly to Fitch Beach airport (KFPK), which is an uncontrolled field southwest of Lansing.

I decided to call up Lansing approach and request traffic advisories soon after passing my first checkpoint. Here is a picture of that checkpoint, Cackleberry, which is a grass strip with two runways.

The next checkpoint was the city of Mason, and it's airport. The airport is visible a third of the way down from the horizon, slightly left of center.

The navigation planning for this trip was totally reliant on pilotage and deduced reckoning, as there were no navigation aids that corresponded with the path of flight. I did bring my toy along, and I must say that it is a great backup to a map.

I got this Garmin Geko 201 as a "gift" from Bose for buying their Aviation X Headset. The picture shows the "Navigation" page, and that I am tracking direct to KFPK, 18.1 nm east of the field, traveling at 108kts. The window that shows groundspeed, can be cycled to show other info like, bearing, heading, time to destination, etc. The other useful page is the "Trip Computer" which I have customized to show Speed (kts), Elevation (ft), Vertical Speed (feet/min) and Time of day (24 hour clock). Adding waypoints such as airports and navaids is relatively simple... just mark your current location, then edit the GPS coordinates and elevation to match the target and rename it and you are set. The Geko 201 can hold 500 waypoints, store 20 routes, records 10,000 data tracking points, and 10 saved tracks.

The benefits of GPS are well documented, I will add that as a student pilot, being able to put together a distance shown on the GPS and then correlate it to what I see outside is a HUGE learning tool. I hope to have my tracks overlayed onto Google Earth soon.

Another shot of Mason Airport (KTEW)

Here is my view looking westward, lots of sunshine and bug guts.

My proof that I landed at the correct airport.

Birds on or in the vicinity of the airport is no joke. These two cranes(?) were on the taxiway as I was exiting the runway. The sound of the plane made them move just a bit faster, so I called clear of the runway and snapped a picture.

As I was lining up for takeoff for my trip back home, I watched as four young deer ran into a swampy patch about 400 feet to the side of the runway. I lined up for a short field takeoff, applied full brakes and full power... sure enough as soon as I start my takeoff roll, the deer re-appear this time playing tag and one actually knocked another one over. One eye on the airspeed, another on the deer as they run closer to the runway, I begin to contemplate my options. Airspeed is building rapidly to my short field rotate speed, I can abort and risk running into Bambi and friends if they continue on course or hope they stop and continue with my takeoff. I rotated at 60 kts and executed my short field takeoff without a hitch, the deer stopped short of the runway and bolted in the opposite direction as I climbed for altitude.

Solo 12: Couldn't stay on the ground

2007-07-20T23:44:00.000-04:00

Total Time: 56.2
PIC time logged this flight: 1.3
Landings: 175

I told myself I wouldn't do any flying until I passed my written. That lasted until today. It's been 5 days since I last flew, and I just couldn't stay on the ground any longer.

Took 00Q up for a jaunt out to the practice area west of the airport, practiced turns around a point, S-turns, and steep turns after climbing to a higher altitude. Overall I was not happy with my maneuvers, turns around a point seemed to be the best, and S-turns the worst.

Back to Mettetal for some landing practice, as well as soft/short field takeoff's.

Still not happy with how my practice written tests are going, so I will be hitting the books again until I get it right.

I have another lesson scheduled for tomorrow, and we might stay out late to finish up the last of my night time landing requirements.

Flight Debrief: 16th Lesson: The BIG trip

2007-07-16T17:54:00.000-04:00

Time this lesson: 5.4
Dual Long Cross Country (day) 3.4
Dual Long Cross Country (night) 2.0
Total Time: 54.9
Landings: 171

The weather gods opened a window of near perfect VFR conditions, thankfully, it coincided with the planned date of our trip. We decided in planning this trip that we should bring along our better halves (my wife, and my FI's girlfriend) as potential future pilots (and good company). Our goal, to fly from Ann Arbor past Lansing and Grand Rapids to land at Muskegon on the west coast of Michigan. Once refueled, we would fly up the coast to take in the sights and geology of the area on our way to Traverse City. After spending the day in Traverse City, we would hop back in the plane as the sun set and fly back at night to take care of my long, dual, night cross country.

Our flight routing: ARB - Lansing VOR - direct MKG - up the coastline to "Sleeping Bear Dunes" - then direct TVC. On the return: TVC - direct Grayling - direct Houghton Lake - direct Y31 - Direct Saginaw - Direct Flint - direct ARB

Total Trip Distance: 465nm

Squawks for the trip: The pilot's PTT (push to talk) switch went INOP upon arriving at Muskegon, my FI made excellent radio calls for the remainder of the trip. It ended up being a great learning experience in how I am making my calls a bit wordy! The only other issue was a mag that needed clearing during the runup prior to departing Traverse City.

We got excellent service wherever we went, and in the spirit of recognizing good service:

Aviation Center in Ann Arbor (home of C172SP "N857SP")
Executive Air Transport in Muskegon
Harbor Air in Traverse City
and a convenient $20 flat rate shuttle from the airport to downtown Traverse City provided by "ByTheBay" transportation.

We got marginal service from Minneapolis Center on our flight home, but that was the only low point... everyone else was very accommodating and helpful. Lansing FSS helped us file our VFR flight plan in the air, after the one we filed via DUATS mysteriously "vaporized".

Flying home we had a speed boost tailwind for a good portion of route and we recorded 136kt groundspeed as our max. This translates to about 156 mph, not bad for a Cessna 172.

This trip was meant to represent an example of "learn by doing". Part of the allure of flying is going places, and in that sense the trip was a complete success. Navigating to new places, landing at unfamiliar airports, dealing with weather, tackling real issues of weight and balance, calculating and confirming fuel burns, are all things I will be doing with my Private Pilot License. The fact that I was able to tie in the night cross country was a bit of planned "icing on the cake".

My wife thought the trip was alot of fun, so I think I may have signed up my first (post checkride) passenger!

Here are some pictures from the trip:

The plane:

The panel:

These next three images are the Sleeping Bear Dunes, a big sand dune that rises at what looks like a 45 degree angle out of the waters of Lake Michigan. The dark brown stripe on the left side of the first image is a path where you can walk down the sandy slope to the water. My FI said that to get back up you need to crawl on all fours. This is a wilderness preserve area which is why the pictures are taken from a much higher altitude.

The beach, downtown Traverse City

Solo 11: Short trip to prepare for a long trip

2007-07-13T21:42:00.000-04:00

Total Time: 49.5
PIC time logged this flight: 0.9
Landings: 168

Today's flight was a quick "jaunt" over to ARB to take care of some paperwork prior to a big trip we have planned for Sunday.

I planned for the direct crosswind (from the right) that was reported at Ann Arbor, selected 20 degrees of flaps for landing and put together a nice approach and touchdown... ailerons for neutralizing drift and rudders to keep the airplane square to the runway. Right main, left main, nose gear... sure I floated a bit and carried extra speed but it translated directly into more control.

On the return to Mettetal (winds out of the NW), I chose 30 degrees flaps and executed another left main, right main, nose gear landing (though all 3 wheels were touching within the space of 2 seconds or so).

I brought along a new toy for this flight, and I hope to have a technical-type review of it posted up soon.