I managed to scoot over from Gila Bend back to Phoenix just before a thunderstorm on this flight. When I started out, there was lightning over the Superstitions; by the time I parked on the ramp, there was lightning on all sides. Fortunately, no heavy weather with it, at least at my altitude, and clear skies all the way to touchdown.
This was pilotage, as usual. This time I picked the right highway (on the right, which was right) and followed it to I-10, then into Phoenix. Very smooth, no problems at all, very clear weather, despite the looming clouds to the east and above me. I was worried I might hit some turbulence, but at 5500 feet I felt nothing, and indeed the cloud deck was quite a distance above me.
There were a couple flashes of lightning every second by the time I parked, on all sides. I was unsuccessful at getting a picture of it, though. (Yes, MSFS simulates lightning and thunder very realistically!)
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Phoenix - San Carlos - Phoenix - San Carlos - Gila Bend / Beechcraft Baron 58 (N705TL) / VFR
Rustling up a pretext for a flight, I decided that I had volunteered to transport some vital McGuffin to the San Carlos Apache Reservation. I took one of the Barons I had parked at Cutter Aviation, and made my way VFR to the reservation and back.
The flight was pretty straightforward, conducted mostly by pilotage, using charts and the TAWS in the cockpit. I departed 26 and made a right downwind to intercept the 062 radial from PXR, then over the various lakes on the Salt River, then down along Roosevelt Lake and further on to the San Carlos Airport. I stayed at the airport overnight, then flew back out to Phoenix along the same route the next day. I then transported yet another McGuffin to the reservation, and turned around and flew right back out, this time all the way to Gila Bend.
Everything went very well, no problems at all. The Baron is easy to fly after you've made a couple flights in the 152 or 172. I'll probably doze off the next time I fly one of my 747s.
The flight was pretty straightforward, conducted mostly by pilotage, using charts and the TAWS in the cockpit. I departed 26 and made a right downwind to intercept the 062 radial from PXR, then over the various lakes on the Salt River, then down along Roosevelt Lake and further on to the San Carlos Airport. I stayed at the airport overnight, then flew back out to Phoenix along the same route the next day. I then transported yet another McGuffin to the reservation, and turned around and flew right back out, this time all the way to Gila Bend.
Everything went very well, no problems at all. The Baron is easy to fly after you've made a couple flights in the 152 or 172. I'll probably doze off the next time I fly one of my 747s.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Phoenix - Wickenburg / Cessna 152 (N706YL) / VFR
Well, this flight went perfectly, from start to finish. Not that there was a whole lot that I could mess up, but still, I was happy.
Still parked on the northwest side of Sky Harbor, I started up and asked for my clearance into the Bravo and a taxi to the active runway. I was assigned 26, which is right next to the GA ramp where I was parked, albeit at the opposite end of the runway. I prefer that because it lets me turn north after departure without crossing any other traffic. Instructions were to remain at or below 3500.
Departure went very smoothly. I flew the runway heading until I was past downtown, then turned northwest looking for Grand Avenue, which leads all the way out to Wickenburg. To my surprise, just as I was wondering if I'd spot it, I saw it right in front of me. I followed that all the way out. I asked for and got approval to climb to 4500, as 2500 was a bit tight and 3500 wouldn't be quite right for a northwest heading.
I'm much better than I used to be at trimming my various aircraft, and I managed to hold my altitude with great precision after tweaking the trim for only a short while. There weren't any significant changes of heading, as Grand Avenue just goes all the way up, although it's not always referred to as Grand Avenue. I don't have DME on the 152, and I have only one VOR and an ADF, and no NDB was handing to plot an intersection to help me find the airport, but the weather was clear, and the landmarks on the chart were good enough. I knew that the railway that parallels Grand Avenue would turn west just beyond Wickenburg, and I knew that the city itself was on the avenue, and that the airport was west of that. But in any case, in the clear air just before sunset, I easily spotted the beacon at Wickenburg long before I got there.
My descent and approach went very well, too. When I rolled out of my turn from base to final, not only was I lined up with the runway, but I was on the glide slope as well! Flying in to land was a piece of cake, and I managed to touch down so smoothly that I almost didn't feel it.
Still parked on the northwest side of Sky Harbor, I started up and asked for my clearance into the Bravo and a taxi to the active runway. I was assigned 26, which is right next to the GA ramp where I was parked, albeit at the opposite end of the runway. I prefer that because it lets me turn north after departure without crossing any other traffic. Instructions were to remain at or below 3500.
Departure went very smoothly. I flew the runway heading until I was past downtown, then turned northwest looking for Grand Avenue, which leads all the way out to Wickenburg. To my surprise, just as I was wondering if I'd spot it, I saw it right in front of me. I followed that all the way out. I asked for and got approval to climb to 4500, as 2500 was a bit tight and 3500 wouldn't be quite right for a northwest heading.I'm much better than I used to be at trimming my various aircraft, and I managed to hold my altitude with great precision after tweaking the trim for only a short while. There weren't any significant changes of heading, as Grand Avenue just goes all the way up, although it's not always referred to as Grand Avenue. I don't have DME on the 152, and I have only one VOR and an ADF, and no NDB was handing to plot an intersection to help me find the airport, but the weather was clear, and the landmarks on the chart were good enough. I knew that the railway that parallels Grand Avenue would turn west just beyond Wickenburg, and I knew that the city itself was on the avenue, and that the airport was west of that. But in any case, in the clear air just before sunset, I easily spotted the beacon at Wickenburg long before I got there.
My descent and approach went very well, too. When I rolled out of my turn from base to final, not only was I lined up with the runway, but I was on the glide slope as well! Flying in to land was a piece of cake, and I managed to touch down so smoothly that I almost didn't feel it.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Gila Bend - Phoenix / Cessna 152 (N706YL) / VFR
For some reason, I keep messing up when flying from Gila Bend to Phoenix. I confuse Highway 80 with Highway 85, and usually only after checking my heading and radial from GBN do I figure out that I'm going the wrong way. I'd get to I-10 eventually either way, but Highway 80 is the long way, and it's harder to follow. (In the sim, Highway 80 is a bit more obvious than Highway 85; in real life, they are very similar but 85 is busier.)
I eventually found my way, and from then on things went okay. Landing straight in on runway 8 was uneventful and extremely smooth, and I parked under one of those nice shady ramadas.
I eventually found my way, and from then on things went okay. Landing straight in on runway 8 was uneventful and extremely smooth, and I parked under one of those nice shady ramadas.
Phoenix - Gila Bend / Cessna 152 (N706YL) / VFR
I just can't resist flying the same routes over and over. They're like a comfortable old blanket or something. This flight was no exception, being from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to the tiny Gila Bend Municipal Airport.
It was hot, as always, but the weather was very clear. I had my Cessna 152 parked on the Cutter ramp on the south side of the field. Departures were on 25L, so I just called in to taxi and was sent to H7 via Hotel. From there I departed, climbing to 2500 (I was cleared for VFR at or below 3500). This being a totally VFR flight, I turned slightly north after passing downtown, and picked out Grand Avenue below me, and then Interstate 10, my standard path out of the city. I later realized that at 2500 I was busting the Goodyear Class D—oops!
I asked for flight following, but I got a trainee Center controller who didn't seem to understand. His voice also tended to trail off into a mumble at the end of a transmission, so I wasn't sure if I had FF or not, even after asking several times for a repeat. He had not given me a squawk, so I figured I didn't. As I approached Gila Bend and started my descent, I canceled the request for flight following, but Center acknowledged it as a cancellation of flight following, so I don't really know what the situation was.
I know this route well enough that I don't feel too nervous flying it at night, even in a 152. I followed I-10 out past Avondale and Goodyear Airport, then out of the city until I came to “the bend in the road,” a little crook in the interstate towards the south where it joins Highway 85. Then it was left on Highway 85, and then south along the highway to Gila Bend.
It was totally black except for the highway. There was a full moon but it was off to the east and didn't seem to illuminate very much. Anyway, I got down to Gila Bend and easily recognized the beacon in the darkness, so I swung around to the east (using the TAC to check that I remained clear of terrain) and made my descent for a very nice landing at Gila Bend.
It was hot, as always, but the weather was very clear. I had my Cessna 152 parked on the Cutter ramp on the south side of the field. Departures were on 25L, so I just called in to taxi and was sent to H7 via Hotel. From there I departed, climbing to 2500 (I was cleared for VFR at or below 3500). This being a totally VFR flight, I turned slightly north after passing downtown, and picked out Grand Avenue below me, and then Interstate 10, my standard path out of the city. I later realized that at 2500 I was busting the Goodyear Class D—oops!
I asked for flight following, but I got a trainee Center controller who didn't seem to understand. His voice also tended to trail off into a mumble at the end of a transmission, so I wasn't sure if I had FF or not, even after asking several times for a repeat. He had not given me a squawk, so I figured I didn't. As I approached Gila Bend and started my descent, I canceled the request for flight following, but Center acknowledged it as a cancellation of flight following, so I don't really know what the situation was.
I know this route well enough that I don't feel too nervous flying it at night, even in a 152. I followed I-10 out past Avondale and Goodyear Airport, then out of the city until I came to “the bend in the road,” a little crook in the interstate towards the south where it joins Highway 85. Then it was left on Highway 85, and then south along the highway to Gila Bend.
It was totally black except for the highway. There was a full moon but it was off to the east and didn't seem to illuminate very much. Anyway, I got down to Gila Bend and easily recognized the beacon in the darkness, so I swung around to the east (using the TAC to check that I remained clear of terrain) and made my descent for a very nice landing at Gila Bend.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Santa Paula - Big Bear / Beechcraft Baron 58 (N3862S) / VFR
Night flight from Santa Paula. Actually, the sun was setting as I left Santa Paula, but it was almost completely dark by the time I reached Big Bear.
I flew via POM, slightly off-airway for a time, as it's shorter than going to PDZ. I stayed at 7500 most of the way, but since it was nighttime, I climbed to 9500 to get into the mountains. This was handy, because even with my TAWS I went a little too wide over the mountains and didn't come in over the lake by crossing the dam; if I had stayed at 7500 I would have hit something. At 9500 I was at least 1000 feet above terrain; at 7500 I would have been 1000 feet below it.
Other than that, nothing remarkable. The landing was very smooth.
I flew via POM, slightly off-airway for a time, as it's shorter than going to PDZ. I stayed at 7500 most of the way, but since it was nighttime, I climbed to 9500 to get into the mountains. This was handy, because even with my TAWS I went a little too wide over the mountains and didn't come in over the lake by crossing the dam; if I had stayed at 7500 I would have hit something. At 9500 I was at least 1000 feet above terrain; at 7500 I would have been 1000 feet below it.
Other than that, nothing remarkable. The landing was very smooth.
Cannes - Nice - Cannes / Cessna 152 (N801YL) / VFR
I made a small round trip just for fun from the little airport at Cannes to the much larger airport in Nice, and back again. I don't often fly outside the U.S. because the regulations change at every border (especially for VFR) and they are extremely hard to look up.
The flight from Cannes to Nice is very short, even in an anemic Cessna 152. Not much in the way of navigation is required; just turn left at the shoreline, fly past a largish mountain, and set up your approach for Nice. I don't even remember if Nice allows VFR traffic in real life, but this was offline so it didn't matter.
Landing at Nice went without incident. A few minutes later, I flew back to Cannes, and that went okay, too.
The flight from Cannes to Nice is very short, even in an anemic Cessna 152. Not much in the way of navigation is required; just turn left at the shoreline, fly past a largish mountain, and set up your approach for Nice. I don't even remember if Nice allows VFR traffic in real life, but this was offline so it didn't matter.
Landing at Nice went without incident. A few minutes later, I flew back to Cannes, and that went okay, too.