SDFCVOH's Flight training thread.

Enjoying your post.

What school are you training with?

Ohhh....always remember.....just cuz it has 4 seats doesnt mean you can fly safely with 4 people especially with density altitude factors. Just visit the NTSB for those who thought pushing the barrier was a smart choice but ultimately failed. As our friend Martha Stuart would say...'not a good thing'

:)
 
bunghole said:
Enjoying your post.
What school are you training with?
Ohhh....always remember.....just cuz it has 4 seats doesnt mean you can fly safely with 4 people especially with density altitude factors. Just visit the NTSB for those who thought pushing the barrier was a smart choice but ultimately failed. As our friend Martha Stuart would say...'not a good thing'
:)
Click to expand...

yup - don't mess around with that w/b thing!
(pm sent...)
 
Took off this morning with great aspirations of a flight with my wife up over the GC, then a fillup at PGA, and onto Monument Valley. Mother nature speaks.....

After taking a look at the weather we were starting to get into up near Sedona, I decided to sit down and figure out a new gameplan. There was no way with the low ceiling that we were going to be able to make it VFR across the 11500 corridor over the GC.

Plotted a new course direct to Monument Valley, and after a quick stop at Flagstaff we were off. Mother nature again!

We made it about 20 miles SW of Monument Valley, and landed at a small field called Kayenta (0V7). We both needed a quick pitsop, and I could tell the weather wasn't going to cooperate. Plus, the deviation calls over Center Radio were nutz. When all I hear on the radio where I'm heading are deviations, I take that as a hint + 1/2 for my butt.

The takeoff from Kayenta was actually scary. We got about 50 feet up and WHACK, insane gusts hit us from behind! I had full rudder in, and we were still flying very uncoordinated, and I mean scary uncoordinated. I said screw the golden 500ft clime rule and turned directly with the wind. We crossed over the highway at about 150 feet (close to the airport). BTW - what would you, dear reader, have done in my shoes? I'm sure there's another technique.

Later I asked my wife if she noticed, and she just said she thought we were pretty sideways, but it didn't seem strange to her. So, she can fly with me again!

Flew around some wicked stuff on the way home, here's a pretty cool video from about 60 miles WNW of PHX. Thanks for reading!
[yt]trRj3c1Vccc[/yt]
 
Tomorrow I get to fly my first RG, high performance plane! Just found out about an hour ago. I'll be flying with the instructor from my PPL up to Vegas to trade it for another plane. Yeah!
 
Hey i just started my ground training today at tus, I start my flight training in two week. I'm so excited for you about your flight training. I cannot wait to get my PPL so I can take my wife up.
 
First flight today on a complex. 172 Cutlass with RG. Nice plane! Didn't climb very well, but it was more fun to fly than the normal 172. Also, the whole adjustable pitch/manifold pressure deal is awesome. I don't want to fly the skyhawk anymore!

Flew over to North Vegas VGT to drop off the plane, then another timebuilder took us back to RYN. Amazingly McCarren didn't tell me to avoid class B, so I got to really fly the approach. Pretty fun, and slightly overwhelming, but I didn't miss any calls and it all went smoothly. Even had a chance to snap a photo from my phone over the strip!

Also, I remembered to put the gear down for landing. I felt like that was slightly important:D.
 
Re: Sedona

sdfcvoh said:
Finally - made it to Sedona. What a beautiful setting. Got there at the perfect time, too. Just in time to activate the runway lights. If you've never been to Sedona - and you have a chance - do it!

My only complaint: I could smell bread baking from the restaurant on approach. No Kidding! Jeez - it smelled like heaven. I guess its a great place to take a dinner stop. from what I've heard - and now from what my nose told me - I believe it!

Another 4 hours... Only 700Billion to go:crazy:
Click to expand...

Sedona is hands down the best airport I have ever been to. Standing on the ramp, it's almost as if the red rocks are painted onto the sky. It's so amazing.

And I know what you mean about the smells from the restaurant. The food there is very good! But be sure to bring your AMEX because it ain't cheap. I recommend the Chipotle Chicken and the Brownie Fudge Sundae. Just not all at the same time if there are a lot of thermals.
 
Word out to TUS ATC

Flying into TUS today, the second time I ended up being on Base about to turn Final when the wind sheer warnings came. It was my first experience actually being in line with it. Tower kept me informed of the situation (cool to hear the sirens going off in the background of their mics). Decided that I was best (duh) to avoid it. I flew around the little cell (looked like a couple mile long swath of virgo) and then landed on the backside of it, opposite runway. My "real" base leg was insanely bumpy and windy, too. Interesting too was that I floated probably halfway down the super long TUS runway b/c of the back end wind. Loved it. Nice and gusty crosswind landing.

Word out to the ATC guys at TUS. :rawk:
 
Its been forever since I last posted in this thread. Wow - its like I have to keep up with family here or something:D.

Anyway - things are going very well. I'm about halfway through my time building phase to start Instrument, then Commercial. I think I'm at 115 now. Give or take. Who's counting? I'm so happy. My wife told me a few days ago that I'm re-growing hair on my bald spot. It must be the altitude! I guess it could be that not "guarding" my desk after the last 13 years has given me a new lease on life, too. hmmmm......

Normally I've been heading out, on average, about 25 hours a week. I'm trying to spread it out until my next class begins. I go nutz when I'm not flying (ask my poor wife about labor day weekend - or any weekend for that fact.) I don't want to have a big lull between reaching required amount of hours then waiting for the next CFI slot to open for my training.

I do have a good story about Friday I thought I'd pass along....

I usually take off after looking at the weather to find out the gustiest crosswind places I can head to for practice. Why not practice in the good stuff? But Friday was heaven. I did my normal closed traffic departure from RYN with a couple of TnG's on the docket. But.... welcome to heaven. RYN was landing 24, with winds 33012G20. YES!!!! Why leave the promised land? 3.5 hours and probably 30 Tng's later I felt my numb arms, sweaty (cheesy) "pilot" suit, and possibly bored ATC had been through enough.

No kidding - I stayed in the pattern for 3 1/2 hours of heaven. It was awesome. The bumps just beat me to death. I actually got some humor out of the tower with a couple "request bounce and go" calls. I think one response was "Is it really that bad out there?," I just laughed a little as I keyed the mic. Granted - no one else was in the pattern... Everyone else had called it off with the exception of a few folks I followed into the pattern coming out off the training areas. A couple of them actually scared me - watching them bounce around like ragdolls. Suckers! (Oh - wait... guess I was the real sucker.)

My arms were actually sore on Saturday-no kidding. :yeahthat: What a treat.

thanks for reading.......
 
Awesome stories of flying. I'm getting back into the cockpit after a four year hiatus. Have about 125TT with an ASEL rating. Need to get back in the groove, get my instrument, AMEL and commercial rating. I live in coastal South Carolina. Thinking about banner towing and then getting into instruction. Your posts are motivating!!! All the best and fly safe!
 
I second that motion! This thread is great reading and look forward to more stories of blue sky fun! Keep it up! :)
 
Sorry for the super duper amount of time between posts. Basically, I'm doing a time-building phase right now until I get to 200 hours. Then it'll be right onto the Instrument and Commercial courses. I've been trying to be constructive with my time, making sure that there is a good blend of night, and cross country. As well, I make it a point to land at a class C (+) every flight. It is amazing just how much your communication skills improve by landing at busy airports!

As far as being adventurous, I have taken some time out to pass along the joy of flight - something I swore I would do well before any of this adventure began: I always dreamed of flying when I was a kid - but never really knew anyone with a plane. So in order to correct that for others, I decided to post an ad on craigslist.org activities for free airplane flights for anyone who wanted to come along. It was been quite a joy letting others enjoy what I love. Unfortunately, from the 150+ emails I got in response to my post, I was able to take only about 20 of them for flights. I highly recommend if you are ever in a situation that you can just pass along this gift to others, you do the same. Most of the time it was just a glorified intro flight - but the sounds of excitement from everyone who flew along was just great. The next time you're going up and you see someone staring at the planes, ask them if they want to come along. I dare you!

Of all the people who've come along for the ride, I only had one person get sick. Glad I had a spare bag handy! I learned later that this person was so nervous and excited on the drive to the airport, she almost stopped to spew while she was driving. I think she puked ten times.

Several mornings I've flown directly up to Phoenix to pick up the manager of our location. Again - nothing like flying into busy airspace to build your confidence and skills. Plus - flying the head of school - better motivation to grease landings:D.

Thanks for reading!
 
Last night was a fun and new experience. I rode up to CDC with a couple of folks from the school location up there, and then flew back solo to RYN (one of my favorite regular night flights.) I'm crazy about night flight, it is always a favorite. Nothing but me and the instruments - oh and flight following and my ipod!

I didn't leave CDC for the trip home until about 10PM. The moon was practically full and the sky was clearing almost completely, but the winds were nutz! From SFC-12000 (and worse above) the wind was 190@40-50, and I was heading about 150deg most of the way for about 380 miles. It was fun listening to all the big guys above me talking to LA center, and jockeying for better altitudes because of the bumps. I kept thinking - try it down here in my 172 with a headwind that's half my cruise! But I'm sure they had their hands full, too.
The normal 3:45 hour trip took over 6 hours:crazy:. I ended up stopping at DVT North of Phoenix for a splash to make sure I was safe with fuel. Luckily there was a cool guy still on duty, since their 24hr pump wasn't working. It was so quiet by then that PHX cleared me through Bravo at 7500. That never happens!

The most interesting flight moment of the trip was on the West edge of the GCN corridor right over the middle of the canyon, at 11500, getting into a downdraft that pushed me down about 1000 feet. Its a pretty surreal feeling trying to keep altitude in the 172, and being pushed down so hard that maintaining altitude is impossible unless you want to stall completely - oh - and you are over top of the freakin' Grand Canyon in the middle of the night.

Okay - enough rambling. Thanks for reading!:hiya:
 
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