Another Cessna that I've based in Santa Monica. I took this brand-new one down to Montgomery Field in San Diego.
The flight went smoothly, but the ATC didn't. When I called for taxi and clearance into the LAX Class B, I got the taxi but not the clearance (from SoCal Approach, which works KSMO on VATSIM when there's no tower controller). At the hold point for runway 21, I got my take-off clearance but no Class B clearance, and since my route would take me immediately into the Class B (I had planned to fly a TEC route that started with direct LIMBO), I asked about it. I was told to contact LAX Tower after departure for my Class B clearance, which made no sense at all. I pointed this out and was told to fly heading 270, so I did.
Once I was clear of the field, though, I though it prudent to switch to a route that would not require any communication with ATC, since what I was getting was a bit confusing. So I circled to the north and then back down to the Santa Monica VOR, lining myself up with the 132 radial. From SMO I continued into the LAX SFRA at 3500, squawking 1201. I figured the controller wouldn't know what I was doing, but as long as I was legal, that was not my problem. Once clear of the SFRA, I headed for the shoreline, and once at the shoreline, I climbed to 5500 to avoid the Orange County Class C and continued on my way.
SoCal Approach signed off soon thereafter, and then there was no ATC for a while. Someone else signed on as SoCal Approach as I was landing at Montgomery Field, and sent me a message, but it was too late for me to contact him for the landing, so I waited until I had cleared the runway to contact him. He gave me instructions to the ramp and I was done.
It's disorienting when ATC does weird things, particularly for a pilot like myself, who goes strictly by the book. Sometimes it's trivial and doesn't matter, but sometimes it's a problem. I can't fly into Class B without a clearance, and tower controllers are not in a position to issue Class B clearances to aircraft on the fringes of the airspace. I submitted feedback to the ARTCC about it. Usually ATC in SoCal is excellent, but there are occasional students who are still learning.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Avalon - Compton - Corona / Cessna 182RG II (N7167V) / VFR
I returned to Compton on my own, and then went on over to Corona—only a few miles from the place where the Martians landed in the original War of the Worlds movie (the good version).
The winds were terrible. They were around 26 knots on the ground and gusting to 10 knots more than that. I kept getting blown back and forth on the taxiways. Take-off wasn't too bad, but landing at Corona was a challenge.
The heavy winds blew me around quite a bit at 3500 feet, and I got disoriented twice, starting my descent prematurely when I misread the DME for the Paradise VOR, and again when I headed towards an airport that I didn't recognize as Chino until I was a few miles away … I made a quick turn to the south and found the correct airport shortly thereafter. I think I probably flew right over the spot where the Martians landed as I mistakenly approached Chino (they landed in Linda Rosa, which was in the Chino Hills).
The clouds and sky were starting to look a bit menacing by the time I landed.
The winds were terrible. They were around 26 knots on the ground and gusting to 10 knots more than that. I kept getting blown back and forth on the taxiways. Take-off wasn't too bad, but landing at Corona was a challenge.
The heavy winds blew me around quite a bit at 3500 feet, and I got disoriented twice, starting my descent prematurely when I misread the DME for the Paradise VOR, and again when I headed towards an airport that I didn't recognize as Chino until I was a few miles away … I made a quick turn to the south and found the correct airport shortly thereafter. I think I probably flew right over the spot where the Martians landed as I mistakenly approached Chino (they landed in Linda Rosa, which was in the Chino Hills).
The clouds and sky were starting to look a bit menacing by the time I landed.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Chicago O'Hare - Lake in the Hills - Milwaukee / Cessna 182RG II (N7067V) / VFR
Two legs: One from O'Hare with some passengers out to Lake in the Hills again, then alone from Lake in the Hills to Milwaukee.
The weather was a little bit misty but still VFR. Lots of turbulence, though, and gusty winds; landing at both LitH and Milwaukee was a challenge.
ATC came online during the second leg but was a bit mystifying, and I ended up landing without ATC help at General Mitchell. I think I might have this Cessna shipped to a different region.
The weather was a little bit misty but still VFR. Lots of turbulence, though, and gusty winds; landing at both LitH and Milwaukee was a challenge.
ATC came online during the second leg but was a bit mystifying, and I ended up landing without ATC help at General Mitchell. I think I might have this Cessna shipped to a different region.
Lansing - Lake in the Hills - Chicago O'Hare / Cessna 182RG II (N7067V) / VFR
I bought still another Cessna and parked it at Lansing, so that I could fly around the Midwest if the desire took me. I took some virtual friends from Lansing to Lake in the Hills, where I dropped them off. I stayed with the airplane, as I was Born to Fly and I never leave the airport in MSFS.
After seeing my passengers off, I started back up and taxied out for a trip to mighty O'Hare. When I had first materialized in Lansing, a nearly full complement of ATC was online, but as Murphy's Law took hold, they disappeared one by one, and by the time I made my turn towards KORD out of Lake in the Hills, they were just about gone. I went to O'Hare with no ATC.
O'Hare is a busy airport even in VATSIM, and when ATC suddenly disappears, things get dicey. A tri-jet airliner passed nearly right in front of my windshield as I headed towards KORD at 2500 feet. I sensed that there were many aircraft in the area, but almost none of them were announcing on the CTAF, so I didn't really know who might be inbound. I originally planned 14L, but the gusting winds were so strong that I had no choice but to switch to 27L, for which I made a right downwind. I saw another jet flitting about the airport at lightspeed as I touched down on 27L, in the way that only Flight Simulator allows. I managed to cross 14L and found my way with some difficulty over to the FBO ramp, and parked near another aircraft.
After seeing my passengers off, I started back up and taxied out for a trip to mighty O'Hare. When I had first materialized in Lansing, a nearly full complement of ATC was online, but as Murphy's Law took hold, they disappeared one by one, and by the time I made my turn towards KORD out of Lake in the Hills, they were just about gone. I went to O'Hare with no ATC.
O'Hare is a busy airport even in VATSIM, and when ATC suddenly disappears, things get dicey. A tri-jet airliner passed nearly right in front of my windshield as I headed towards KORD at 2500 feet. I sensed that there were many aircraft in the area, but almost none of them were announcing on the CTAF, so I didn't really know who might be inbound. I originally planned 14L, but the gusting winds were so strong that I had no choice but to switch to 27L, for which I made a right downwind. I saw another jet flitting about the airport at lightspeed as I touched down on 27L, in the way that only Flight Simulator allows. I managed to cross 14L and found my way with some difficulty over to the FBO ramp, and parked near another aircraft.
Seattle - Tacoma - Bowerman / Cessna 182RG II (N7109V) / VFR
I “bought” a new Cessna that I've decided to base in the great Pacific Northwest (at least initially), and I took it out for a spin today with a couple of passengers. We started at Seattle-Tacoma International airport, the big Class B in the region. The weather was very cloudy and it was raining lightly, which is not unusual for KSEA. We were directed to 16L for an immediate departure and told to stay at or below 1500 feet. After flying the runway heading for a while, I turned to the west and flew over Vashon Island (sounds like a German clothing store!), then turned towards Tacoma Narrows and made straight in for runway 17.
After refueling and changing passengers (three off, two on), I taxied back out to 17 and we were off again, this time to Bowerman on the coast. I headed for the Mason County NDB, then onto V27 to Hoquiam. At about 10 DME, I made my descent straight in to Bowerman.
The clouds were really low; even at 2500 I was too close so I dropped another 500 feet (most of the terrain is nearly at sea level in this area). Very complex weather. For some reason this made me feel cozy inside the aircraft. The light was almost gone from the sky by the time we arrived at Bowerman.
I've also bought still another C182 that I've based at Teterboro, in case I want to fly around New York.
After refueling and changing passengers (three off, two on), I taxied back out to 17 and we were off again, this time to Bowerman on the coast. I headed for the Mason County NDB, then onto V27 to Hoquiam. At about 10 DME, I made my descent straight in to Bowerman.
The clouds were really low; even at 2500 I was too close so I dropped another 500 feet (most of the terrain is nearly at sea level in this area). Very complex weather. For some reason this made me feel cozy inside the aircraft. The light was almost gone from the sky by the time we arrived at Bowerman.
I've also bought still another C182 that I've based at Teterboro, in case I want to fly around New York.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Saint George - Las Vegas / Cessna 182RG II (N7166V) / VFR
Just as the last light of dusk was disappearing from the western sky (I can almost hear music accompanying this), my virtual friends asked me to fly them back to Boulder from Saint George. So I quickly filed VFR using the same route I used to get to Saint George, with a minor change to go to Boulder, and we were off.
Nothing remarkable about this flight, except that we all decided that Las Vegas would be more interesting than Boulder, so we ended up going there instead. Cleared to land on 19R, which was handy because I could turn right off that runway and scoot over to the Signature ramp.
The weather was very clear, which was nice, especially since I had planned to follow the Interstate from Saint George to Mormon Mesa. Most of the rest of the trip was over the lake.
Nothing remarkable about this flight, except that we all decided that Las Vegas would be more interesting than Boulder, so we ended up going there instead. Cleared to land on 19R, which was handy because I could turn right off that runway and scoot over to the Signature ramp.
The weather was very clear, which was nice, especially since I had planned to follow the Interstate from Saint George to Mormon Mesa. Most of the rest of the trip was over the lake.
Friday, November 7, 2008
San Francisco - Los Angeles / Boeing 737-800 (SWA180) / IFR
This was a comfy flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles, a route I've flown many times. I flew as Southwest Flight 180.
I got a late start from KSFO, and for the first time I landed after the real flight, instead of before it. I arrived at the gate 14 minutes late, compared to the schedule. I'm not sure exactly why it took me so long.
There wasn't much ATC along the way, but LAX Tower was online. On my way in, I checked the ATIS, and it said 24R and 25L in use for landing, as usual, so I configured for that. Then, the next time I checked, after intercepting the localizer on my turn to final, there was a new ATIS, and it gave 24L, so I reconfigured for that, and managed to get established on 24L. Then, when I checked in, the tower told me to go for 24R again, so I had to reconfigure again five miles from the threshold—and I just skipped the ILS and flew it by hand. I was not happy. Fortunately the weather was clear, so I could make a last-minute visual approach.
I also had trouble finding the gate. I found gates 1 and 3, but not gate 2, which I presumed would be between them. I'll have to look into that further. I parked at gate 3 (the real flight parked at the elusive gate 2).
I got a late start from KSFO, and for the first time I landed after the real flight, instead of before it. I arrived at the gate 14 minutes late, compared to the schedule. I'm not sure exactly why it took me so long.
There wasn't much ATC along the way, but LAX Tower was online. On my way in, I checked the ATIS, and it said 24R and 25L in use for landing, as usual, so I configured for that. Then, the next time I checked, after intercepting the localizer on my turn to final, there was a new ATIS, and it gave 24L, so I reconfigured for that, and managed to get established on 24L. Then, when I checked in, the tower told me to go for 24R again, so I had to reconfigure again five miles from the threshold—and I just skipped the ILS and flew it by hand. I was not happy. Fortunately the weather was clear, so I could make a last-minute visual approach.
I also had trouble finding the gate. I found gates 1 and 3, but not gate 2, which I presumed would be between them. I'll have to look into that further. I parked at gate 3 (the real flight parked at the elusive gate 2).