Sunday, May 28, 2006

Cross Country

Yesterday, the lovely wife and I decided to try and get up to Hemet (HMT) and French Valley to log some more XC PIC and get some dinner. The weekend plan involved a short XC for Saturday and a longer XC for Monday. We wanted to see a few sights and try out the airsickness pills for C before we tried to go further afield (ie North Las Vegas).

A cold front and the marine layer together were playing havoc with the weather here in SOCAL on Saturday. When we went out to the field, they were calling BKN 025 at MYF and SCT 025 at SEE (about 10 miles east of MYF), with SKC further north. We launched out of MYF eastbound in a C172 to try and find the SCT clouds, but couldn't find anything but low ceilings and high terrain. After about ten minutes, I decided that discretion was the better part of valor, so I turned around and headed back to MYF. On the inbound, I carried too much speed into final and was floating like crazy, so I called a go around and tried again. Nailed a nice little landing on 23 at MYF and called it a day.

As I was planning our flight for tomorrow, I pulled down the TAF's (and METARS) for a trip to Chino, CA (CNO). Holy clear skies, Batman! The weather was going to be clear all day long with the marine layer moving back in about midnight (making tomorrow the normal SOCAL crap shoot). I convinced my long-suffering wife to push our CNO trip up to today, and we headed out to MYF. The only plane available for the whole afternoon was the Archer I flew on Thursday, so we booked it and boogied. Preflight, file, and launch. Picked up flight following with a shortcut through the Class B and we flew I-15 all the way to Chino (IFR: I Fly Roads). Chino Tower brought me in on 26R for a short taxi to the FBO.

Once in Chino, we parked at Championship Aviation and went to the Planes of Fame Museum. They have an awesome collection of classic warbirds and civilian craft. Mustangs, Spitfires, a Zero, B-25, and much, much more. Truly a great view of some classic planes.

We then headed down to Flo's Cafe to refuel the PIC and the chief photographer. They had great food and good prices. Big Country had the patty melt, and the chief photographer (also known as my darling wife) had the chicken finger snack plate. I can highly recommend both.

A few hours after arrival, we hopped back in the Archer and got ready to head home (after preflight and weather update). One small issue with the upper door latch (quickly fixed with the handy fuel tester screwdriver), and we were airborne for the return. Picked up SOCAL flight following, then flew the I-15 back to San Diego (I love Interstates). Cleared direct through the Class B to MYF, first pass squeaker, parked the bird and called it a day.

Some highlights:
The airsickness pills for the chief photographer worked well. Even though we hit some turbulence and a few less than smooth maneuvers (that's my fault), she did really well. I think we have hit the jackpot.

If you are looking for someplace to fly for a day trip, go to Chino. Great museum, good food at Flo's, and easy in and out of the airfield (a little Class C overhead to contend with, but it wasn't hard at all).

Park at Championship Aviation. It's on the same side of the airfield as the museum. Although I wasn't taking on fuel, they didn't charge me a nickel to park for a few hours. Chocked the tires, laid a red carpet down by the step, the whole nine yards. The front desk girl wouldn't even take a tip for giving us directions. The line boy guided us in to parking, guided us out, and treated us like we were driving a Gulfstream. Thank goodness he accepted my tip, otherwise I would have felt like a total mooch. All in all, a great experience for a rental flyer.

I hope to post some pictures once the chief photographer finishes photoshopping them.

Cheers,
BC

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Archer

This evening I flew a checkout for the flying club I just joined, Plus One Flyers at KMYF in San Diego. My instructor, J, and I go back a ways, as he was the CFI who soloed me at my other club back in December when I was just beginning my PPL. At his suggestion, since all of my time is in Cessna's, we decided to fly a low wing so I could get checked out in the Pipers. I picked an Archer, PA-28-180, so I could get used to some more horsepower at the same time.

We took some time talking about MYF airspace since I haven't flown there before (and it's right smack dab in the middle of the KSAN Class B). We then took a good bit of time preflighting the plane and discussing the systems and panel. Finally, it was time to launch.

Man, that thing got out of there in a hurry! Compared to the 145 hp Cessna's that I have flown to date, the extra 35 hp really made a difference. I couldn't get it to stop climbing! I'm trimming down, throttling back, and it still want's to climb like a bat out of hell. It took a little while, but I got it settled down. While we flew out to the practice area, he showed me how to work the autopilot (single axis) and the HSI. We did some PPL maneuvers, including stalls and engine out landing, then headed back to MYF where we just beat the marine layer ceiling in.

So what are my likes/dislikes about the Archer:
Like:
Power!
Stall characteristics (very benign in the stall)
Visibility when looking for traffic
Not having to climb the nose to check the fuel levels.

Dislike:
Location of fuel selector and trim wheel. The trim wheel will just take a little getting used to. The fuel selector I just don't like.
Single door access. I don't want to depend on my passenger's motivation when I want to get out of that plane in a hurry.
Having to stoop that low to sump the wings.

Mixed bag:
Flap selector. I like having notched flaps that don't rely on electrical power. However, having a flap selector that I might think is an emergency brake will take a little getting used to.

All in all, I think I will continue to fly the low wings. They fly well and I should learn to be as comfortable in them as I am in the Cessna.

Fly safe,
Big Country

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Unions

As a general rule, I'm a pretty conservative guy. I vote (mostly) Republican, support the war, pay my taxes, believe in law and order...and I am mostly against unions. All the ALPA/AFL/CIO/Teamsters/etc guys can disagree with me, but I believe that the primary days of unions, where they kept people from working 23.5 hr days in death trap factories for pennies per hour has come and gone.

(several generalizations follow, and anyone can pick one case as the exception that proves the rule, so please don't overload the comments)

For the most part, minumum wages and minimum safe working conditions are now prescribed by law and enforced by Dept of Labor, OSHA, and numerous other alphabet agencies. In many cases, unions exist for one purpose only: to continue the union at the expense of it's members. Look at what the Mechanic's Union did to Eastern Airlines. They were very proud of themselves that they didn't budge an inch and give in to the evil old airline. Now, did it matter to them that all of their members were out of a job and had to figure out how to feed their families?

Note to readers: The Eastern example is just that, an example that happens to be aviation related. I do not want to get into an argument about airline unions. I don't own airline stock, I'm not an ALPA member, and I don't have any direct experience, so please don't start ranting to me about airlines or their unions (pro or con).

I am originally from a right to work state (Georgia), and I believe that people have a right to work whether they are in a union or not. If you want to join a union, go right ahead, it's a free country. People should not be forced to join a union just to get a job (closed shop), nor should they be labelled scabs just because they choose to work instead of strike in order to keep the mortgage paid.

I also believe that a company's primary fiduciary responsibility is to its shareholders. It has a duty to pay its employees a fair wage with safe working conditions. It has a duty to its customers to provide a quality product. But its primary duty is to show a profit to the people who own the company, the shareholders. Not the unions.

So, you say, what does this have to with a blog about Part 91 GA flying? Last night, I sat through an AOPA town hall meeting with Phil Boyer here in San Diego. Along with several luminary guests (including John and Martha King who are based here), Phil got up and told us what the critical issues facing GA were, what we should be concerned about, and what AOPA was using my membership dues to do about it.

Then it struck me: I am in a union. A union of GA pilots trying to keep our airports and airspace open, along with other issues. Lobbying organizations are really unions trying to protect their segment of the population.

So, philisophically, if I am generally anti-union, do I have a problem with this? I had to think about it, but I think not. First, AOPA uses my money to press for causes that are important to me, just as if I were in the AARP (a few more years yet) or the NRA. Second, and more importantly, is that it is an organization of like-minded individuals who choose to freely associate without condemnation of non-members. You don't hear about anyone who is not an AOPA member being called a scab and having the tires of his Cessna slashed. Much as in many right-to-work states, the union (in this case AOPA) works to improve conditions for everyone, then hopes people will join because they like what the union is doing for them, not because they are forced.

I'm okay with that.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Updates, etc.

I am in the process of updating my blog as a whole. I will try to add pictures when I can. Some notes:

The Aviation Mentor, a new blog by our old friend John of Freight Dog Tales is linked. John has rejoined the world of Part 91 (and 61 or 141 as may be), so he will be starting fresh. I think the title is apt as there are many lessons I have learned from reading his blog and I hope to continue learning from his posts.

I have also added Vectors to Final, a blog from my wife's home area of Hampton Roads, VA. I have to get out there and go flying sometime.

Yesterday, I joined Plus One Flyers here in San Diego. My hope is to take advantage of their multiple planes/locations to get some flying in when the weather at NZY is below minimums due to the marine layer. They also only have a 1hr/day cross country minimum, so maybe I will get some long cross countries in. I think I need a little bit more experience before I go coast to coast, so we are going to try shorter trips, like Lost Wages, to get some more experience.

I am also planning on starting my Instrument Rating soon. I spoke with my prospective instructor, J, yesterday about it. He is going to check me out in the Plus One planes on Thursday, so we can talk about it a little more then. I think I am going to try and get my XC PIC hours up to 35-40 or so, then focus on Instrument Training. I do better when I focus on something rather than drag it out, so I am better off this way. For those of you who might recommend one of the 10 day courses for me, I would like to but there is no way I can take 10 days off from work to go flying. Ain't gonna happen.

So, where am I six weeks after getting my PPL:
TT: 51.0 hrs (4.5 since getting my PPL)
XC PIC: 7.5 hrs

Only 4.5 hrs in 6 weeks, but that's not too bad considering I was in Japan for a week and I had to take two weeks off for the broken finger (plus I have a wife, a full time job, and bills to pay other than flying).

Ciao,
BC

Sunday, May 21, 2006

As promised, here are some of the pictures from our flight yesterday. My darling wife took these with a Canon EOS 20D.

Legal note: All pictures copyright Chandra Brooks Photography. www.chandrabrooksphotography.com

First, an overhead shot of a Southwest 737 at Lindbergh Field in San Diego (KSAN).
Altitude: 1000 MSL. and climbing
Airspeed: 75 kts.




Since I had to abandon my wife at F70 and get the plane back to NZY, she stuck around and took pictures while I was gone.
Here's me leaving her behind to fly off into the sunset.

Here's a nifty little plane zipping over the runway at F70.

Another Cessna on climb out from F70.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

$100 Hamburgers make my day.

The gloom over SOCAL finally broke up today, so my darling wife and I went to try and get a $100 Hamburger. We had 50F reserved for a few hours this afternoon, so we were wheels up around 1530 PDT. We got clearance from NZY overhead Lindbergh Field through the Class B. Our route was NZY direct SAN direct MZB direct Del Mar, own navigation to French Valley. I like to fly to French Valley (F70), because it is 52.7 nm from NZY, so I get to log some XC PIC towards my instrument rating.

As we were coming into French Valley, we hit a bit of turbulence. After 1 Touch and Go, we made a full stop and went in to the cafe at French Valley Airport (F70) at about 1615. Unfortunately, the turbulence had made my darling wife a bit airsick.

The cafe had great food!!! I highly recommend it. It's a nice little cafe right on the transient line, with patio seating that overlooks the airfield. We had some cheese sticks for starters, and then I had a burger and my wife had a club sandwich. At the end of the meal, she was still feeling a few butterflies, so we made the decision for me to fly home and then come back and pick her up (about an hour drive one way).

After dinner, I was wheels up at 1730, then picked up flight following south of Temecula. The controller cleared me for "follow the 15 (I-15) at or above 3500," so I took the interstate home. The flight home was smooth as silk, and I did some of the best flying holding heading/altitude/airspeed that I have ever done. Once again, I was given the Lindbergh overhead transition for a direct to NZY. As I was on downwind, the knob for the carb heat came off and fell on the floorboard. Luckily, carb heat was already on, so I didn't have to worry about it. I landed, put the plane to bed, then hopped in the car to drive back to F70 to get my wife.

Should have been about an hour drive, so I would have been there by 1930. When I was almost there, traffic on the 15 (yes, the same 15) came to a crawl because someone's Winnebago was on fire. I finally made it to F70 and picked up my wife around 2000. She had enjoyed herself taking pictures while I was gone (maybe I'll post some later), but she was glad to be heading home.

On the way home, I remembered that I had forgotten to find the carb heat knob and put it back on. Oh, well, nobody was scheduled to take the plane tonight, so I'll just drive back and put it back on.

When I get back to the club, the plane is gone. I waited a few minutes, and the crew that had taken it out brought it back. They had found and reinstalled the carb heat knob prior to departure. After I made some very profuse apologies, the said it was no big deal. They had originally planned to take a different plane, but the landing light was burnt out, so they took 50F instead. They actually thanked me for remembering to come back and fix it.

So, after one airsick passenger, one carb heat knob, two trips to the club, and a drive back and forth to Temecula, was my $100 hamburger worth it? You bet your ass!

Monday, May 15, 2006

In the air again!!!

Alright, I finally made it up again! The finger is good enough to fly, so I booked a plane for my lovely wife and I to fly up to French Valley (F70) to have a $100 hamburger. Unfortunately, the May Gray didn't cooperate. Low ceilings all over the place. They cleared enough for us to make it out for some local sightseeing, but I wasn't willing to tempt the weather gods by flying cross country and not being able to make it back due to ceiling.

We flew the coop to Proctor Valley, then flew down to Barret Lake, up over Loveland Reservoir, then down over the Southeast Practice area. I showed my wife a few ground reference maneuvers, then flew over to SDM to do 2 touch and go's (which, when combined with my landing at home base, would reset my proficiency counter). The T&G's were okay, but while we were on downwind and putting in the first notch of flaps for the second one, my wife told me she was getting airsick. I guess she wasn't ready for the previous ground maneuvers. She told me I could finish the 2nd T&G, so we hit it then made a beeline for home. One nice soft landing later, we shut the plane down and she got out. Luckily, she was only queasy and not truly sick. From now on I will treat her to nice gentle slow turns whenever possible.

For those of you who don't fly in Southern California, the May Gray (and June Gloom) is a thick marine layer of low clouds and fog that hangs right along the coast (due to winds and water temperature). If you look at a satellite picture of SOCAL, you will see a large cloud formation right along the coast that hangs around for most of this time of year. Some days it moves far inshore, so everyone in this area is stuck with low ceilings. Other days, it will retreat to just offshore and you have clear skies. It's a little frustrating to have 1200 ft ceilings at my home field (NZY, right on the water), while SAN two miles away is reporting clear skies. Our club has a 1500ft ceiling limit for day VFR, so if the marine layer is overhead, you're sitting on the ground, no matter what it looks like two miles away. Better safe than sorry, though. When the marine layer decides to close in hard (which can happen while you're in the training area for a short hop), the field can go from clear to 0/0 in about ten minutes.

I have another plane booked for Saturday to try and get back to French Valley for my first $100 burger, and my wife and I are planning our first "long" cross country, to Las Vegas in early June.

Keep the shiny side up!

Country