The floaties are off and today I moved from the shallow end to the deep end of the pool. I flew my first solo cross country! I will explain again here that a cross-country flight is 50+ nautical miles from your home airport to another airport and back again. That's right, by myself. Just me and my trusty Cessna 172, N5204A, making the trek to the San Joaquin Valley and Modesto where the Gallo wine company is headquartered. If I didn't have to fly back I would be very tempted to go over and have a tumbler or two of some of that lip smackingly good Hearty Burgundy or perhaps a coppa of Carlo Rossi. I will tell you that Ernest & Julio were some of the first to put wine in a bottle with a screw cap. Now some high-end wineries are doing the same and extolling the virtues of screw cap or Stelvin enclosures as they are now called. Bosh mate, those crazy-ass brothers may have been on to something. I digress.....
The instructor debacle continues.
If you have read my previous entries you will note that I have been playing musical instructors with Stan & Dan (not their real names). Stan's wife was in the hospital recently for some major surgery and then lengthy recovery. They have three little girls so he has been pretty much out of circulation these last several months. He turned me over to Dan for my cross-country lessons and this guy was/is really an excellent instructor. I have mentioned in previous posts that while I really respect Stan and his skills as a pilot his approach to instruction sometimes fell a little short of supportive. I don't need my hand held here but his critiques were sometimes a little de-spiriting. 'Your landings sucked today', ouch!
So Dan, YES, Dan! And then No, NOT Dan. His wife was pregnant and giving birth any day. She gives birth and it happens on the day I was supposed to do my first solo x-country. I WAS happy for Jill (wife) and Dan and was also hoping to finish up with him. His baby is now having some post-natal issues and so now Dan is completely out of the mix. I was an orphaned student pilot with a few more ticks on the engine clock until I get my private pilot cert. What to do??
Enter Bob - real name, what the hell I can't keep all of the aliases straight anyway. Bob is a great guy and he is a new instructor as in 'newly minted' and MY new instructor. New, you say, c'mon Russ, a new instructor? Bob has been flying single engine planes since the late 60's and he now has several hundred hours in small single engine planes. I don't care if you flew F-16's if you can't instruct well you are useless! He is a retired United Airlines flight attendant and has ALL the time, energy and enthusiasm. He has recently been through the very rigorous process to become a certified flight instructor. At this point I need an instructor to fine tune my skills and get me ready for the final FAA check ride. So Bob was there - checked out my flight plan and grilled me on every aspect from headings to fuel burn to the 'gotchas' along my route. It was a beautiful Indian Summer day in the San Francisco Bay Area with some light winds coming out of the Northwest. The temperature was 65-70 degrees and I was relaxed.
My flight plan to Modesto was about 62 miles from San Carlos. I used ground references to plan my flight and then cranked on the GPS for the actual flight. I also used the auto pilot function and had fun looking out at the scenery rolling beneath me. Not to worry though, I still keep my scan going outside the plane and a close eye on those needles. I called up Norcal Approach when I got across the bay and then onto the radar screen of a controller who lets me know about other aircraft and their activities in my vicinity. I made it over to Modesto with a perfect decent into the traffic pattern. Having never flown into this airport it was truly a new experience. My radio calls were flawless... almost. When calling up Approach Control they sometimes hand you over to another controller after a period of time and tell you a new radio frequency to do so. When I got handed off mid flight the guy had to repeat the new frequency 3 times!! Damn it was embarrassing but he was saying it really fast and my radio seemed to be cutting out during the critical time he was telling me the new frequency. The last time he said it he did so a little exaggeratedly - 'ooone twooo threee point eeiighht fiiiiiive'. I actually chuckled a little when I repeated the numbers back to him. I don't feel too bad because the commercial pilots are on these same frequencies and I hear them blow it every now and then. I'm a bonafide rookie student pilot! No worries.
When I arrived back at San Carlos Bob was there to meet me on the ramp and shake my hand, what a guy!
The flight was a success and some of the best flying I have done to date. I was ready to do the flight and felt pretty confident I would do well as I was over-prepared. Flying with your tanks topped off applies to more than just fuel. Having as much knowledge and experience as you can get helps keep you out of the trees. It is constantly a work in progress and there is a lot to learn. Even after I get my FAA stamp of approval.
I still get butterflies in my stomach when I get in and strap in for each flight however and hope I always will. A healthy respect for the plane, its capabilities AND yours, are essential to being a good pilot. I'll leave pushing the 'outside of the envelope' to test pilots.
ciao!
russ
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Saturday, August 4, 2007
No-Go on X-Country Solo
When one goes to do a x-country solo you need two things.
They are as follows.....
Your primary instructor must sign off (endorse) your student pilot certificate that you are indeed qualified to fly by yourself more than 50 nautical miles from your primary airport. San Carlos (SQL) in my case.
Once you are at the airport ready to fly your instructor must approve your flight plan and green-light you to go it alone.
I was supposed to do my first x-country solo today however this was not to be.
Instructor #1, Dan, and his lovely wife Jill are in the hospital today as she is going into labor with their first child.
Instructor #2, Stan, is somewhere up in Santa Rosa working on his Lancair plane that he recently bought.
I had EVERYTHING planned and it was a really perfect day for flying. Soooooo very disappointing!
Maybe next Saturday.
later,
russ
They are as follows.....
Your primary instructor must sign off (endorse) your student pilot certificate that you are indeed qualified to fly by yourself more than 50 nautical miles from your primary airport. San Carlos (SQL) in my case.
Once you are at the airport ready to fly your instructor must approve your flight plan and green-light you to go it alone.
I was supposed to do my first x-country solo today however this was not to be.
Instructor #1, Dan, and his lovely wife Jill are in the hospital today as she is going into labor with their first child.
Instructor #2, Stan, is somewhere up in Santa Rosa working on his Lancair plane that he recently bought.
I had EVERYTHING planned and it was a really perfect day for flying. Soooooo very disappointing!
Maybe next Saturday.
later,
russ
Friday, August 3, 2007
Stage II - DONE
As I sit writing this blog I am listening to SF Tower on liveatc.com. Puts me in the mood to write about my aviation endeavors
Tomorrow I make my first solo cross country flight. I will be flying out to lovely Modesto in the Central Valley of California from San Carlos here in the Bay Area. This will be about a 62 nautical mile flight and will take me across the Bay and then over the East Bay hills and then Easterly for a bit. The flight should only take me around 1 1/2 hours round trip with favorable winds. To drive this would take 2 to 2 1/2 hrs one way!!
I was in Italy this last month, July, hanging out on the Amalfi coast with Kristina. Since coming back to SF I have passed my Stage II checks, first with Dan since he has been my primary instructor for my x-countries. Passing your Stage II check-rides means you are endorsed to fly 50 nautical miles, or more, from your primary airport. I like flying with Dan - he makes me feel relaxed and positive about my flying. The second part of my Stage II was with Stan who, while being my primary instructor for the last 6 months, was the final Stage II 'check-ride' instructor. I have to admit I do not like flying with him as much. He says things like, 'that landing sucked' or 'you lallygag on the runway too much'. Definitely things I need to correct but perhaps different language could be used?? My wife has even noticed that I am in a better mood when returning from flying with Dan than with Stan. I may be keeping Dan as my primary instructor until time for the final check-ride.
There was a lot that went into the Stage II check. I had to plan the flight getting weather information with winds aloft for both the SF area and the Sacramento Valley. Then I had to plot the flight with magnetic headings accounting for winds and getting out from under the SF Class B airspace, etc. After I preflight the plane I sit down with Stan and he questions me on the flight plan and any 'gotchas', weather or terrain, that I could expect when flying. He also questioned me on general weather items and flight systems and then finally had me go up to the board and figure the 'weight & balance' of the airplane. This includes the weight of the pilot and passenger, Stan, and then fuel which is 6Ibs per gallon which with a full tank, 56 gallons is 336Ibs. We got our CG or center of gravity and then looked at the graph in the handbook to make sure we were within limits. Everything checked out and we were out to go fly after about an hour of answering questions. Whew!
Going out to the plane I got in and buckled up , Stan got in buckled up and I began going over my checklist. I got to the part 'ties and chocks removed' and... STOP. When I went back in to do my oral exam with Stan I tied down just the tail. I had not removed that tie-down. Would have made for a very rocky start and probably would have failed me. Tie-down on tail removed and final walk around complete. Checklists are our friends and we must use them EVERY time, and I do.
We taxied out to the run-up area to bring the engine up to 1800 rpm, checking magnetos and gauges and all that fun stuff. I then programmed in our flight on the GPS. I have become reasonably good at doing this and though I had my flight plan with lovely headings I was going to make liberal use of my GPS coordinates out to Modesto. I plugged in my radio settings on comm 1 and comm 2 for Norcal Approach and the ATIS for Modesto. Better to get as much radio stuff done on the ground as possible.
I taxied up to the hold line of runway 30 (three zero). I called up tower for a right downwind departure for Modesto and was told that I was cleared to take-off 'without delay'. This means you get on the runway and start rolling ASAP. After passing over the Bay we headed over Coyote Hills in the East Bay and I attempted 3 times to call up Norcal App to get 'flight following' to Modesto. This is the great radar service that puts you on the map with a controller who can advise you of other aircraft in the area. Good stuff!
On these check rides you never actually fly to the intended airport, in this case Modesto. Instead Stan notes that I am following my course both with proper altitudes and headings and then mid flight says 'please divert me to Byron Airport'. At this point I start doing a 360, maintaining my altitude of 5,500 ft. While doing this I have my aeronautical chart out and note where I am. Then I get out my plastic plotter and figure distance and use a VOR radial to figure my heading. I then use my E6B flight computer (glorified slide rule) and figure time and fuel to the airport. This is like trying to change clothes in a broom closet. I still have to fly the airplane and maintain altitude and not get disoriented. You return back to the area where you originated the 360 and get on heading from there. When I looked at the VOR radial I noted 035 when it should have been 305. When I looked at the direction I should be heading and my heading indicator I knew I made a mistake. Stan remained silent and then told me that I need to make sure I don't confuse the headings when I had oriented myself. I flew in to Byron and made the calls to land. Byron does not have a tower so you are merely advising other pilots in the area of your intentions. We landed and then he had me do soft / short field landings and take-offs. I do not feel like describing them but they require some coordination and I managed to do them relatively well. We eventually flew out and back toward San Carlos. Stan informed me that I had passed the Stage II and I felt pretty good about it though had a nagging sense that my flying that day was not as good as it could have been. I was happy I passed but really wanted to have a super sharp day of flying and felt I came up a little short. I landed and tied down, came in and Stan signed my logbook with an endorsement I needed for solo x-country. I will need Dan's final endorsement to take off next weekend when I do my actual solo x-country flight.
This is now the period of time where I get in a few solo x-countries, one being more than 150 nautical miles landing at two other airports. My next stage check will be the final sign off to take my check-ride with the FAA examiner who, IF I pass will hand me my private pilot's certificate.
I recently took my FAA written exam and passed with a score of 93 pts. Not too bad.
ciao,
russ
Tomorrow I make my first solo cross country flight. I will be flying out to lovely Modesto in the Central Valley of California from San Carlos here in the Bay Area. This will be about a 62 nautical mile flight and will take me across the Bay and then over the East Bay hills and then Easterly for a bit. The flight should only take me around 1 1/2 hours round trip with favorable winds. To drive this would take 2 to 2 1/2 hrs one way!!
I was in Italy this last month, July, hanging out on the Amalfi coast with Kristina. Since coming back to SF I have passed my Stage II checks, first with Dan since he has been my primary instructor for my x-countries. Passing your Stage II check-rides means you are endorsed to fly 50 nautical miles, or more, from your primary airport. I like flying with Dan - he makes me feel relaxed and positive about my flying. The second part of my Stage II was with Stan who, while being my primary instructor for the last 6 months, was the final Stage II 'check-ride' instructor. I have to admit I do not like flying with him as much. He says things like, 'that landing sucked' or 'you lallygag on the runway too much'. Definitely things I need to correct but perhaps different language could be used?? My wife has even noticed that I am in a better mood when returning from flying with Dan than with Stan. I may be keeping Dan as my primary instructor until time for the final check-ride.
There was a lot that went into the Stage II check. I had to plan the flight getting weather information with winds aloft for both the SF area and the Sacramento Valley. Then I had to plot the flight with magnetic headings accounting for winds and getting out from under the SF Class B airspace, etc. After I preflight the plane I sit down with Stan and he questions me on the flight plan and any 'gotchas', weather or terrain, that I could expect when flying. He also questioned me on general weather items and flight systems and then finally had me go up to the board and figure the 'weight & balance' of the airplane. This includes the weight of the pilot and passenger, Stan, and then fuel which is 6Ibs per gallon which with a full tank, 56 gallons is 336Ibs. We got our CG or center of gravity and then looked at the graph in the handbook to make sure we were within limits. Everything checked out and we were out to go fly after about an hour of answering questions. Whew!
Going out to the plane I got in and buckled up , Stan got in buckled up and I began going over my checklist. I got to the part 'ties and chocks removed' and... STOP. When I went back in to do my oral exam with Stan I tied down just the tail. I had not removed that tie-down. Would have made for a very rocky start and probably would have failed me. Tie-down on tail removed and final walk around complete. Checklists are our friends and we must use them EVERY time, and I do.
We taxied out to the run-up area to bring the engine up to 1800 rpm, checking magnetos and gauges and all that fun stuff. I then programmed in our flight on the GPS. I have become reasonably good at doing this and though I had my flight plan with lovely headings I was going to make liberal use of my GPS coordinates out to Modesto. I plugged in my radio settings on comm 1 and comm 2 for Norcal Approach and the ATIS for Modesto. Better to get as much radio stuff done on the ground as possible.
I taxied up to the hold line of runway 30 (three zero). I called up tower for a right downwind departure for Modesto and was told that I was cleared to take-off 'without delay'. This means you get on the runway and start rolling ASAP. After passing over the Bay we headed over Coyote Hills in the East Bay and I attempted 3 times to call up Norcal App to get 'flight following' to Modesto. This is the great radar service that puts you on the map with a controller who can advise you of other aircraft in the area. Good stuff!
On these check rides you never actually fly to the intended airport, in this case Modesto. Instead Stan notes that I am following my course both with proper altitudes and headings and then mid flight says 'please divert me to Byron Airport'. At this point I start doing a 360, maintaining my altitude of 5,500 ft. While doing this I have my aeronautical chart out and note where I am. Then I get out my plastic plotter and figure distance and use a VOR radial to figure my heading. I then use my E6B flight computer (glorified slide rule) and figure time and fuel to the airport. This is like trying to change clothes in a broom closet. I still have to fly the airplane and maintain altitude and not get disoriented. You return back to the area where you originated the 360 and get on heading from there. When I looked at the VOR radial I noted 035 when it should have been 305. When I looked at the direction I should be heading and my heading indicator I knew I made a mistake. Stan remained silent and then told me that I need to make sure I don't confuse the headings when I had oriented myself. I flew in to Byron and made the calls to land. Byron does not have a tower so you are merely advising other pilots in the area of your intentions. We landed and then he had me do soft / short field landings and take-offs. I do not feel like describing them but they require some coordination and I managed to do them relatively well. We eventually flew out and back toward San Carlos. Stan informed me that I had passed the Stage II and I felt pretty good about it though had a nagging sense that my flying that day was not as good as it could have been. I was happy I passed but really wanted to have a super sharp day of flying and felt I came up a little short. I landed and tied down, came in and Stan signed my logbook with an endorsement I needed for solo x-country. I will need Dan's final endorsement to take off next weekend when I do my actual solo x-country flight.
This is now the period of time where I get in a few solo x-countries, one being more than 150 nautical miles landing at two other airports. My next stage check will be the final sign off to take my check-ride with the FAA examiner who, IF I pass will hand me my private pilot's certificate.
I recently took my FAA written exam and passed with a score of 93 pts. Not too bad.
ciao,
russ
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