Winter's Here

Welcome to winter flying in the Northeast.

The forecast for today looked great and N94006 was open, so late last evening I jumped on the schedule. The snow didn't seem like it had amounted to much so I figured I'd get to the airport early, get the plane preheated while I cleared off the snow that had accumulated, and get some quick time in the air before heading home to attend to housework, school work, etc. Long story short, I never did get to fly.

The snowy/slushy mixture that we'd received last evening had frozen overnight. All of the planes that were outdoors (including 006) were encased in a solid layer of ice. And the runway, which hadn't been plowed overnight, was a gritty icy tundra.

Jake called me at 7:30 and offered to put 006 in the hangar for me. Even with this, the plane was still frozen at 9:30 and with a temp hovering at about 29 degrees, the runway condition hadn't changed much. I walked the runway several times while waiting for things to melt and found it to be sort of a frozen slush. Traction was definitely decreased but it wasn't quite slippery. There was also a moderate crosswind at about 6-8 kts. Made for tough ADM as there was nothing that immediately said not to launch, but having very limited experience on snow/ice there were enough variables to give me pause.

Long story short, after waiting almost two hours I finally scratched the flight. I've got a ton of stuff to do around the house and am in the final weeks of the semester and have hours of schoolwork ahead of me in the coming days. I may try to sneak back to the airport this afternoon, although that seems unlikely.

I just checked the webcam and it looks like the runway has thawed enough for the plow to have done its work. Unfortunately, I was just a few hours too early.

Like I said, welcome to winter flying in the Northeast.

Two flights in one week!

Two flights in one week may not seem like a cause for celebration, but given how busy I've been lately with work, school and the kids, it's nothing short of a miracle.

The flying week started with a Sunday afternoon hop. I'd planned to log a long x-c out to Zerby, until Rob sent me a text on Saturday afternoon saying that a couple of POA guys were working on a lunch meet up at Chester County. So I quickly changed my plans, pulled the right airport kneeboard plates from AOPA, and flew on Sunday to meet the guys. Had a great time. Got to chat with Rob and meet his daughter Ally; finally got to meet Gary Mascelli in person (feel like I've known him for years); and had the pleasure of being introduced to Dave (M35) and Ron Levy. I could have spent all afternoon sitting at the table at The Flying Machine Cafe, but I had the rental "Cinderella Cessna" that I had to have back by 4pm so I had to cut lunch short. Had a nice tailwind on the way home and walked through the gate at DYL at 3:59:56. Would have had the keys on the counter right at 4pm, but somebody who was watching airplanes pulled me aside with a hundred questions and so I was still technically "late." Oh well, nobody was waiting.

Made it back to the airport on Tuesday for the flying portion of my BFR. Was breezy all day but winds were forecast to calm down as the sun set. We taxiied out at 4:25 and, just as predicted, things began to settle. My reservation was moved to 6086G because the landing light in 789'er was inop. Kian had me do a short field takeoff followed by a downwind departure. Once we were a safe distance from the field he had me run through the usual maneuvers... slow flight, power off stall, power on stall. A few turns to headings and then he pulled the engine on me. Field made, we were off to ARD for some VOR work and then into TTN for some pattern work. TTN was busy and I wasn't quite used to 86G, so Kian helped with the radios and pointed out traffic as I set up as #3 in right traffic with #1 and #2 flying a left hand pattern. Finally saw the traffic we were to follow and was able to turn towards the runway. First landing was acceptible, albeit not perfect. I still struggle with the varying sight pictures as I jump between different models of aircraft. My speeds were right on but I was a little early with the flare and dropped it in with modest thump. Made it a touch and go and made left traffic for another attempt. This one was much better... a greaser, in fact. Having demonstrated that I could indeed land, Kian had me track back to ARD and we were on our way home.

It was pitch black by now and I hadn't flown into DYL after dark, so we used the time to play with the REILs and Kian pointed out landmarks to help me find the field after dark. Shot a straight in approach for 23 and was right on the speeds and glideslope the whole way. Just as we came across the road before the threshold, Kian called a go around. Back in the pattern I got a few more minutes to take in the awesome nighttime scenery and full moon. For this one Kian wanted a short field landing. I flew this pattern tight and was high on final, so I slipped it in aggressively to burn off altitute without gaining airspeed. Slip was textbook and I hit the numbers right on speed with a picture perfect landing. Probably could have made the first taxiway but I didn't want to risk smoking the tires, so we slowly made our way down the runway to the far taxiway. Kian congratulated me on being signed off for another two years.

Felt good to get the BFR out of the way. I also really like Kian's teaching style, so I'm relieved to have found another CFI-I since Travis left to go back to Nebraska. My two days of flying, in addition to the hassle of having to get the rental home on time, have also reignited my itch to own. Still no decent leads on partnerships at DYL, though. And, despite recommendations to the contrary, I'm still thinking that I C150 could be the perfect first plane. I know that it won't fit my long term family hauling mission, but I really don't think that I want to pile the family in for trips until I've got at least 300 hours or so. Which means that my near term mission is really just time building. More specifically, cheap time building. With reasonable purchase prices, simple mx, and 6gph, the 150 seems to fit this bill. Useful load is still a concern, but I could deal with that.

I was on Barnstormers on Monday and came across an ad for a C150 at Doylestown. I know the plane but there wasn't a sign so I didn't realize that it was for sale. Asking price is $16,500 which, for a short time, got me excited. It's a 1966, however, and it just looked and felt old. The panel was ancient and poorly laid out. Paint was fair to decent (2001) and interior was servicable. It also had an off field landing in 2000 due to engine failure (mud wasps clogged the fuel vents and starved the engine). But for a little more money I can get something with a better panel, more modern look, and NDH. 1968 or so seem to be when they squared the dash (improving the instrument layout) and got rid of those awful rectangular yokes. By my math, assuming a grass tie down and no major repairs, I think I can own for the same cost as renting between 4-5 hours month. Granted there's the gamble of incurring a major repair plus the hassle of caring for a plane, but I've really got the ownership itch... badly. Now, if I could just come up with the money. Kelly wants me to sell the Jeep, but I haven't come to terms with that decision yet.

Here's what a 1966 C150F with 3452TT/756SMOH looks like. The panel shots got a wicked glare but hopefully you can get the gist. I may test the owner's interest in letting me fly it while he tries to sell, but I think I'd outgrow this particular plane pretty quickly and for just a few AMUs more could buy a lot more niceities (is that a word?) Then again, it's very easy to spend money I don't have.

Halfway There

BFR time.

My last Biennial Flight Review was in November of 2007, so I've been trying to get a new one in the log book so that I can continue to exercise my Private Pilot privileges beyond the end of this month. I'd planned to fly it with my friend and CFI Travis, but his unexpected departure from DYL last month negated those plans. I'd also entertained the prospect of getting my tailwheel endorsement up at VanSant and having that count for my BFR, but after discussing it with Jay (the new FBO owner) we decided that it would be better to get the BFR done at DYL and then work on the tailwheel at my own pace. I'm budgeting 6-10 hours for the tailwheel and wasn't sure how quickly I'd be able to get it done, so I didn't want to be grounded with an expired BFR until that occurs. So, I met the new CFI at Leading Edge while on the ramp a few weeks ago and decided to jump on his schedule. We scheduled 10:30am to 1:30pm on Friday 11/20 for ground and airwork in N92789'er.

I woke up Friday morning to bright sunshine, clear skies, and calm winds. It looked like a perfect day to fly but a quick check of the TAF predicted otherwise. Winds were forecast to pick up mid-morning and get quite gusty as the morning progressed. Right on schedule, the wind speeds climbed and I closely watched the METARs as my BFR time neared. I got Doylestown at about 10am and parked near the departure end of Runway 5 to get my stuff together and reassess the weather situation. Automated weather was reporting winds 310 at 16G23!! Ugh. The windsock was pegged with almost a direct crosswind. I called for a formal briefing and was not surprised to hear that Airmet Tango was in effect through 03Z. The briefer repeated the winds for DYL at 310/16G23 and I also asked for our intended destination, TTN, which was reporting 330/13G19. Some quick calculations showed at +/- 22 crosswind component, which is well beyond both my personal and the aircraft limitations. I packed up and headed to the FBO knowing that I may not get to fly today.

Kian was ready and waiting for me. First question out of his mouth was "do you think we should fly today?" I quickly gave him the weather summary, shared my calculcations, and offered my opinion. In short, I told him that I would not launch solo into these condition. He got a big smile and said that I'd just passed the ADM portion of the BFR. Apparently, he too had no intentions of going flying, but was testing me. Off to a good start.

For the next hour and a half he grilled me on flying topics, interspersed with the occasional flying chit chat. Long story short, he's a young guy, recently ex-Piedmont Airlines pilot. Got tired of the schedule and saw furloughs on the horizon and decided to make a change. He's a wealth of information and is eager to share and teach. I think it will be a very good resource for me. I did well on the oral portion of the BFR, brushed off a few cob webs, and learned some new things.

We decided to try to fly again this Friday and booked 789'er from 12 - 3. Long range forecast looks decent. Will be closely watching in the coming days to see how things progress.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I think I'm going to do it...

Tailwheel. Yep. I'm going for it!

This has long been a dream of mine. My non-equity prospects have dried up. I'm in grad school through August so pursuing the IR in earnest right now is probably foolish. And our recent house appraisal was shocking and disappointing so now's not the best time to dive into full share ownership. I think that the tailwheel time might be the perfect way for me to do something new in flying without a huge financial or time commitment. Plus, I'm certain that it will help improve my technical skills.

My BFR expires at the end of November and I'm budgeting 6-10 hours for the tailwheel. While the endorsement would qualify as my BFR, I realize that my schedule, the weather and turf condition (VanSant is grass) may make this a several-week process. I don't want to be grounded if I let my BFR expire, so my plan is to knock that out at DYL in the next few weeks and then get on schedule up at Van Sant.

I was up there this morning and the place just overflows with classic airport charm. Bud was working the FBO desk at the new Vintage Aero and very graciously let me go snoop around the hangar. All I can say is "wow!" I had Delaney with me, and she and I cracked the big metal hangar door and peeked inside. Utterly amazing.

The photo below does not do justice to the collection of aircraft in the hangar at Van Sant. For the next 20 minutes she and I respectfully gawked at the planes. On this quiet, rainy, windy morning, Delaney and I stood alone in this hangar surrounded by flying time machines. Even she seemed to sense the significance of the moment. It was quite an experience.

We left as quietly as we'd entered, pulling the huge hangar door closed to keep out the howling winds. I am excited to return, hopefully next time behind the controls of the J3.

Beautiful Flying Weekend

Wow! What a perfect flying weekend. Mild temps, light breezes and abundant sunshine. Doesn't get much better than this in the Northeast in November.

Despite a to-do list that is out of control, I managed to squeeze in 0.8 in N94006 on Saturday morning. Had initially planned to fly to PTW and then home via a low approach at Van Sant (no grass in the rental). Saturday morning I thought I'd change the plans and make a stop at N10, but a briefing for busy jump operations made me decide otherwise. In the end, I just decided to sight see. I flew up and over Van Sant at 1000' above TPA and then just took my time coming home across the north end of Lake Nockamixon and then over Lake Galena before joining the pattern at Doylestown.

I knew the weather would bring people out of the woodwork to go flying, and tried to get airborne on the earlier side of the day. I was also exhaused from work and school this week so I didn't do a dawn patrol. I had a reservation from 9:30 - 11am, but got there around 9am. Temps the night prior had dropped to about 28 and there was still frost on the cars when I left, so I drove to the airport fully expecting to have to de-ice. Much to my delight, the sun had worked it's magic and 006 was frost-free when I preflighted. Leading Edge wasn't pre-heating on Saturday so I primed liberally and let her idle for a while before taxiing to the hold short line. Take off and climb were nice and smooth and the old 152 didn't do badly in the cool morning air. Radio was busy and almost immediatley I was looking for traffic. Lots of back and forth with other guys sharing the airspace but everyone's position calls were clear.

On the way home from Nockamixon, I cruised in via Lake Galena with the intent of entering the pattern on an extended crosswind. Just as I made the call, a twin Cessna inbound from the west announced his intent to also enter on the crosswind. Knowing that he further out but much faster, I initiated and called a 360 for spacing, for which he thanked me. This is where it gets interesting. I flew the 360 and re-established the extended crosswind, announcing the whole way. Just then, I see a small high wing (TriPacer, I think) climbing out on the upwind between myself and the twin Cessna. No biggie, I know the plane and believe he flies NORDO. But hot on his tail is a red and white RV. Mind you, the twin Cessna and I have been making clear position calls and the RV called his departure so I know he's on the radio. He takes off and climbs like a bandit aiming right for me! I call my position and ask him to confirm that he has me in sight... no reply. I expedited my turn to downwind and he climbs out behind and below me. By this time there's also a Mooney that is following me on the crosswind, whom this renegade RV cuts between. I call the midfield downwind because now I can't see the RV, and the Mooney gives me a head's up that the RV is very close. "Don't worry" the RV pilot now replies, we're departing to the SE. With that, he passes me from behind off my right wing at the same altitude! I made a sweet landing and probably could have made the first taxiway if I'd really wanted to. Cleaned her up and went around again. Another nice landing wrapped up a nice morning of flying.

Check out this picture. This plane landed gear up at Doylestown on Friday. I was told that is was not a mechanical failure, but simple pilot error. Apparently the guy was flying in for some sort of meeting with the local DPE. Bummer.

On another note, I'm thinking about enrolling in an Instrument Rating ground course at Doylestown in January. It's like $279 and runs two nights a week for a month. I haven't mentioned it to Kelly yet until I decide whether it's a good idea. Any thoughts? Anybody interested in joining me?

Van Sant Airport (9N1)

My plane is back on the rental line but the wx's been IFR for days. I needed some sort of flying fix, so I packed the kids in the car this morning and headed up to Van Sant. I have one landing at 9N1 in my logbook but that was about 5 years ago, so I thought it would be fun to stop by and take a look.

It's a great little grass strip airport, located only about 9nm from KDYL. This little gem is practially in our back yard. It has all the characteristics of a true, classic airport, including a turf strip. I've always wanted to get my tailwheel endorsement and just recently added it to my short flying to-do list.

The kids were sound asleep when I got to Van Sant so I wasn't able to go into the FBO to say hello. Seeing the grass strip in person got me motivated to pursue the tailwheel endorsement, and I called when I get home to get some more info on what would be required. Sadly, I was told that Sport Aviation is going out of business next week and the future of their planes and instruction is in jeopardy. They told me to call after November 1 to see if the J3 would still be available for instruction and rental.

I'm bummed but not totally surprised. I saw a post a few weeks ago on AirNav noting that the owner's retirement was imminent... just didn't imagine that it would happen this quickly. Keeping my fingers crossed that things remain as they are with the new owners. In the meantime, I've rekindled my interest in the grass. I have an upcoming BFR and may seek permission to work on the grass operations and take the plane into 9N1.

N92789

I found this old picture of N92789. This was taken in December of 1994, during a Discovery Flight that I took with my dad.

She's wearing a new paint scheme now but 789er's still working the rental line. This will always been one of those special planes because of this one flight.

Non-equity a No-Go

Dang, I knew I shouldn't have posted the pics and N number. I think I jinxed my non-equity deal.

After waiting almost a month, I called the owner today to follow up to my proposal. Not entirely surprising at this point, he pretty much said that they were still considering the arrangement but it wasn't looking good. I'm not entirely sure why because just a few weeks ago he seemed almost as excited as I did about it. I'm thinking it's probably likely that he expected my contribution to be a bit higher. I spent hours and hours massaging the numbers and solicited the opinions of many owners and pilots. Ultimately, I offered him four different options that involved varying degrees of fixed cost contributions, all of which had a cost to me (with fuel) in the low to mid $60/hour range. I currently pay $75/hour for the 152 so I had to keep my costs in this area because it wouldn't faciliate my path to ownership if I was paying more than the rental line rate, a point which I made clear to him from our first conversation. Plus, much as I'd like the convenience of the availability provided by the non-equity arrangement, I did have concerns about the awkwardness of handling squawks (despite the fact that he was contractually obligated to fix them).

It is what it is. He's still trying to sell and is asking 23AMUs. It's a 1969 C150J with TTAF +/-8000, SMOH +/-1200 with a TBO of 1800. Plane has one Narco Nav/Com, although he did say it was IFR certified when he bought it. It's not a bad plane by any means, but with a VFR panel, high TT, awful paint scheme, and a rental history I think the price is too much.

For comparison, this is the aircraft that I almost bought (and on hindsight, should have bought) last year. N53267 was owned by a long-time family friend so I knew the plane well. My price at the time was also 23AMU. Plane was a 1979 Cessna 152, I think TT was in the low 3000s, NO RENTAL HISTORY, full IFR panel and current cert, engine was nearing TBO but compressions were good. I didn't have my financial ducks in a row and the plane was rushed into a pre-buy and ultimately crated and shipped to India. I think my friend actually got like $27k for it.

So, assuming that the motor mounts get fixed on N94006, it looks like I'll be staying on the rental line for the forseeable future. Could be a good thing, I guess. This may force me to get my finances in order and pursue a purchase in earnest. I'd love to find a partnership, if I could, but I'm just not seeing them out there and especially not at KDYL. There is a 1/2 share in a PA-28-140 asking $15k, but I'm really a high-wing guy and if I'm going to spend this kind of money I think I'd rather have my own C150/152 for about the same price. In many ways, the low useful load of the Cherokee 140 makes it a two-place anyway, so although it would be nice to share costs, I just don't think it's the right plane at the right price for me at this stage.

Two old friends... 80A and Travis

Hello again, 80A. Goodbye, Travis. This pretty much summed up my flying on Friday.

The C152 (94006) has been down for a lengthy maintenance period and, despite the fact that I'm trying to pinch every penny until I see how my non-equity/partnership/ownership saga unfolds, I was starting to feel rusty. Friday morning was open, the local TFRs didn't start until 2:30, and 80A was sitting on the line begging me to take her flying. Need I say more? I jumped on the schedule and hustled over to the airport to take to the skies.

The usual crew was in the FBO when I got there, including my friend and CFI/CFII Travis. My BFR is due in November and I'd been meaning to mention it to Travis. I took the opportunity to mention to him that I wanted to get this knocked out in the coming weeks and, with a straight face, he replied "Didn't you hear? Today's my last day." At first I thought he was joking, but a quick survey of the faces revealed that nobody was smiling. "What?!?" I replied. I'd known for a while that he was getting homesick (he came to DYL from Nebraska) and that his lease was due for renewal, but I never really thought he'd bag it and head back west. I've been busy with school and work and haven't been at the airport much, and this one just snuck up on me.

Travis is one of those unique CFIs who is both a friend and a mentor. He had a really easy going instructing style and was a pleasure to fly with. I'd started my IR with him last year and shot my first approaches with him. Then I got sidetracked with life and didn't make much progress. He was always eager to chat and often joined me during my preflights just to see what was new. We also spent many an hour sitting on the picnic benches just chatting and watching the traffic at DYL. On hindsight, I really wish I'd taken advantage of the opportunity to do my IR rating with him in the right seat. I'm going to miss him.

After coming to my senses, I did manage to b.s. with him a little bit and then guide 80A around the pattern. Logged 0.4 on the Hobbs with 2 decent landings. I'd hoped to say goodbye to Travis when I got back, but he took an early Discovery Flight and our paths didn't cross again that afternoon.

I plan to call him to say thank you and hope that we can get together during one of his return trips to Philly. I owe him a beer.

So, as I was ever so gently reminded this week, it's been a while since I've updated this blog. In the interim, flying has never been far from my mind. But the hecticness of late summer vacation and work projects collided with the back-to-school preparations and Carter's transition to a full time kindergartner. I'm also finishing up grad school and have taken on 16 hours of week of additional "clinical" projects to make up the final credits that I need to earn my MSN. Needless to say, life's been a bit hectic lately. In the end, this treadmill of life makes the time I spend in the air that much sweeter. I just wish there was more of it. To get this blog back on track, here's a summary of my flying activities for the past two months.

AUGUST: Had a great month flying, highlighted by my time in the air while vacationing down in Cape May, NJ. I got checked out in their Cessna 172M and loved having an airplane at my disposal during the vacation. All told, I logged about 4 hours of sightseeing while we were there, including an early morning flight along the beach. I also was able to take Andy, my brother in law, for his first ride in a small airplane. He loved it and did great! Carter also tagged along, although he wasn't thrilled to have to ride in the back.

The plane itself was a nice 172. The kicker was that it rented for $120/hour. The day of my checkout found us having to fly north almost to Millville to find high enough ceilings to run through the checkout maneuvers. Finally we found blue sky and ran through an uneventful series to demonstrate my proficiency. We came back to WWD for some landings and this is when the fun started. The CFI had a different technique than I was used to. He likes the high and tight approach to landing, whereas I was trained and more comfortable with a more stabilized and wider pattern. The result was a sight picture that had us diving for the field and, on this day, I just couldn't brake old habits. I was either fast or flaring too soon to brake the dive. WWD's runways are long so that wasn't an issue... things just didn't feel right. The last couple were better but still not greasers. The CFI said he wanted one good one, which I finally delivered, and he signed me off.

Frustrated by my less than perfect performance, I was eager to get 19J back in the air by myself a few days later. A quick trip around the pattern with a textbook landing renewed my confidence and energized my enthusiasm. Unfortunately, I had nearly depleted my vacation flying budget but intended to make the most of what I had left.

For a rental bird, 19J was much nicer than what I usually fly. It was clean and had a nice stack. Most of my flying was simply sightseeing so I didn't get to utilize much of the instrumentation, but this is a plane that I'd love to work on my IR in and/or call my own. Someday.

Early on in our vacation, Kelly and I had the opportunity to get together with my friend Joe Ebert and his family. Joe and I know each other through the Red Board and tried to make plans to get the families together while we were all in Cape May. Ultimately, my kids cashed out early so Kelly and I wound up meeting the Ebert's at their B&B. The deal was that they would provide the hospitality if we provided the beer. So, we loaded the cooler full of malt sodas and ice, threw it in the wagon (we're not driving) and hiked across Cape May! We had a great time! Heather and Kelly really hit it off, while Joe and I talked flying the whole evening. Plus, we all had Rochester NY roots, so we all had lots in common. The evening was over before we knew it, but we established a friendship with another flying family and are looking forward to meeting up with them at a future fly it.

SEPTEMBER: I've been able to log some time here and there, all in the 152. The plane has been down A LOT for mx recently. Not sure what's going on, but it's getting tiresome. This frustration led me to send out another slew of non-equity inquiries and, lo and behold, I actually got a call from an interested owner. In a nutshell, he owns two aircraft and lives primarily out of state. He's trying to sell his Cessna 150 but hasn't had much interest. He appreciated my current flying status and desire to own eventually, and is interested in talking about a non-equity deal and possible sale of the aircraft to me.

At the risk of jinxing myself, I'm posting a picture of the airplane. I sent the owner my proposal last week so it's out of my hands now. The plane is a 1969 Cessna 150J. It's in good shape with a basic VFR panel. I'm not sure if the "raspberry red" would be my first choice of color (and it's not pink, despite how my CFI-I Travis would describe it), but right now I'm just looking for a solid time builder. If the non-equity deal goes through, my plan is to fly as much VFR as I can in it over the next 12 months and then reevaluate. At that point, if it hasn't sold and if I find that the two seater meets my mission, I may buy it. Likewise, if I find that I really need the four seats, I'll start to look for a 172. The owner knows my concern about having a family and the limited useful load of the 150, so I'm now just (EAGERLY) waiting for his reply to see if this can move forward. The suspense is driving me crazy!

Kelly's family is coming this weekend which means that I will have some daycare. I'd hoped to tag along on the POA West Virginia trip but couldn't clear the weekend, so I few hours in 94006 will hopefully satiate my craving to go flying.

Back in the 172 Saddle

I was able to sneak away to KDYL for a few hours early this afternoon for some quality time with N92789. I'm getting checked out next weekend in Big Sky Aviation's 172, and wanted to get a little bit of airtime in 789'er just to get the 172 feel back. I've been predominantly flying either the PA-28s or the C152. In fact, it's been several months since I flew a 172.

I had the airplane beginning at 12:30. As the morning progressed, I watched a strong cell develop and then move across central and upper Bucks County. I dialed up Intellicast radar in one browser window and DYL's webcam in another as the cell moved across the area. Ultimately, the rain stayed north and by 12:15 the cell was well to the east and the air behind was clear. I was going flying!

I got the keys to 789'er at 12:30 and ran through a normal preflight. 789'er has an airspeed indicated calibrated in MPH, so I spent a few minutes reviewing the V speeds and planning my approach. Once I completed the refresher, she started up and we were off. Winds were generally light and variable but everyone was using 23 today, so I taxiied to the departure end. After the run up, I was off to Lake Nockamixon.

Just south of the lake I did some clearing turns and just worked on getting a feel for the plane. Then into slow flight and some more turns to headings. It was pretty hazy and there was a scattered layer between 4-5k, so I opted not to run through some stalls. After playing around for about 10 minutes, I turned for home with the intention of doing some pattern work.

Still using 23, I entered the pattern behind a DA-20 also doing pattern work. First landing was effective if not pretty. I find the sight picture of the 172 to be much different than the PA-28 planes. In the 172 you sit really high and look down on the nose; on the PA-28 you are practically sitting on the floor and look across the nose cowling. Also, 789'er has 40 degree of flaps.

Second attempt was not as nice. I tried landing with 30 degree of flaps and carried way too much speed over the fence. I started to flare and attempted to hold it off. But I didn't gauge the distance right and touched down with a full head of steam. I hopped back off the pavement and punched it for a go around. It was hot today and the DAs were up, so I knew that in addition to my excess IAS that I was also quickly running out of runway. No sense pushing it. Back to pattern altitude to another try.

Third attempt was better, albeit not a grease. Still carried lots of speed over the fence and got a small hop when the wheels touched down. I'd only planned to log about .7 today but was not content to leave on a less than stellar landing. Back to pattern altitude for one more try.

This time it clicked. Speeds were right on and I was on the glide slope all the way in. Stayed with 30 degrees of flaps again, carried less speed over the fence, and flared just a tad earlier than I had been. A gentle chip let me know that I was back on the ground.

Parked her with .9 on the Hobbs. Stuck around the airport to watch some folks in the pattern. The guys had a charter tonight so I stayed until the King Air departed, and then headed home to attend to the housework.

Felt good to fly the old 172 again. I feel more certain, than ever, that I should focus on flying one type as much as possible. I think that this is the best way for me to maximize my skills and efficiency given the amount that I'm currently flying. So, it'll be high wings for the forseeable future.

Checkout at Big Sky, hopefully next weekend. If all goes well, I'll be punching holes in the Jersey Shore sky for the next few weeks!

Got to go flying last night with Rob in 09L. We met at KLOM at 5pm and, after spending a few minutes trying to deciper some returns around Reading that were showing up on the radar, we decided to get airborne and see how things looked as we progressed East. Intended destination was Zerby/Schuylkill County airport in Pottsville, 61nm from KLOM.

Climbout was unremarkable and, while it was hazy and really just gray, we didn't see any signs of rain or convective activity. So, we dialed in the Pottstown VOR and were off. We decided to fly the VORs so that I could brush off some dust in advance of a couple of rental checkouts that I have the horizon. We flew a radial from Pottstown with cross checks from East Texas and Ravine. Course was good and our positions were confirmed with the GPS. Reading provided Flight Following, although we only heard from them upon our initial request and then again when we cancelled. It was a nice night to be in the air, even with the lackluster visibility.

As we neared Zerby we heard a flight of two military helicopters calling a position at our 11 o'clock (Apaches, maybe?) Rob got a visual and we got a nice view as they passed from our left to right.

Zerby sits up on a litte plateau and was a really pretty approach. Not much activity at the airport and only saw a few planes on tie downs. Runway was in nice shape, though.

A quick taxi back to the departure end and we were airborne again. VOR still dialed in for Pottstown, we were heading home. Overflew the northeastern edge of Reading's Class D and came in over Pottstown/Limerick and then Perkiomen.

Slight headwind on the return trip, as you can see from the cooling towers. Still made decent time. Before we knew it we were in the pattern for Wings.

1.9 on the Hobbs, felt like about 45 minutes. Good night to go flying. Trying to see if I can make the NE Flyers gathering at WWD this weekend. Gary offered to pick me up and I'd love to get the checkout at Big Sky done, but Kelly's working this weekend and I'm not sure if I can get coverage for the kids on Saturday. Stay tuned.

Lollygagging on Wednesday

So I am pleased to report that I was able to get away and log 0.9 in Warrior 9280A. Nothing fancy, just a quick trip over to Pennridge, some sightseeing over Lake Nockamixon and then a couple of landings. My flight track was all over the place, thus the "lollygagging" title. It was nice to just enjoy the view and have no particular place to go. I was jonesing to get in the air and this flight took care of my itch.

Once I can figure out how to upload my Google maps with the flight path (hey Rob, little help here) I'll try to post the flight.

The flight almost didn't happen. After scrubbing a flight Tuesday afternoon due to a change in my babysitter's plans, I scheduled the plane for Wednesday. I've been fighting a cold for the better part of two weeks now (still sick today) and having weighed my IMSAFE criteria. After deciding that I was indeed fit to fly, I headed out to the airport.

My flight actually began on a bit of a sour note. My plan was just to take a quick hop over to Pennridge, which is only 8nm away. A very, very short trip indeed. However, a quick glance on AOPA's site before I left home showed a TFR for Pennsylvania, but no language about it in the details section. I don't know about you, but I don't like to mess with the TFRs. I probably wouldn't have called otherwise, but since there was a bit of doubt in my mind about the possibility of a TFR I decided to get a briefing. The briefer was a super nice guy and, despite the basic nature of my trip, gave me a very courteous, entertaining and detailed briefing. I always enjoy the briefing and like to learn more about the weather, etc. Anyway, I hung up the phone and some guy in the briefing room basically says, "Dude, don't take this the wrong way, but you got a BRIEFING to go to Pennridge???"

WTF.

I felt like saying mind you f'ing business. Instead, I explained that I was uncertain about a possible TFR. Had there been a TFR, it wouldn't have mattered if I was only going to Pennridge. A bust is a bust, and I did what I thought I had to do.

So I walked out to the ramp feeling a combination of pissed and a bit ignorant. I kept telling myself not to let the opinion of another pilot bother me. All was quickly forgotten when I got close to 80A.

She's a great little plane and I had a nice flight in her on that afternoon, but I decided at the end of the flight that I'm going back to the high wings. I've been bouncing between three different aircraft models lately due to funds, availability and training. When funds are tight (as they very much are right now) the C152 is my plane of choice. I tended to prefer the Warrior simply because it was new to me. And our only IR equipped bird is the 172. However, keeping V speeds straight and adjusting to the sight and feel differences has been tough. Not only that, but each plane has its own idiosyncracies. For example, the radios are FUBAR in 80A. I'm not sure what's going on with COM1, but you have to transmit on COM2. Just a minor annoyance, but would be a non-issue if I were flying the same plane day after day.

So since our IR platform is a C172 and I'm on the hunt for a 4-place partnership, I think I should focus my flying in the 172 whenever possible. If I can't get the 172, I'll take the 152 but the feel and speeds aren't different enough to affect my style.

Also, we're heading out to Punxsutawney this weekend. Quick overnight Sat-Sun. My Cessna 172M N61674 was taken off the flight line at DUJ, so I emailed the CFI at N35. I heard that he's got a C152 that he rents. Hopefully I can get a check ride in on Sunday morning and have a plane available again out there. We also have our upcoming two-week pilgrimage to Cape May the first two weeks of August. I may try to run down to Big Sky at WWD and get checked out in their 172 so that I can fly a few days while we're there. Jason, one of my best friends and a ATC'er at NY TRACON will be down. Always nice to fly with him.

What day is the 4th???

I must be losing it.

I was all set and psyched to go flying tomorrow. We have a barbeque at the neighbors in the afternoon and we're hosting some friends on Sunday, so I hatched a great plan. I'd intended to get up with the sun and try to have wheels off the ground by 7am-ish. I really enjoy flying early in the morning and the forecast looked good. I asked Kelly and she hesitated and said, "uh.... I guess that's OK." It wasn't until about 2 hours later that I realized that tomorrow is the 4th. Southampton Parade is at 9am, so there's no way I'm getting in the air.

Oh well. May try again for Sunday, before our friends arrive. If not, Tuesday afternoon may be my next shot.

In the meantime, I've got a bunch of items now trolling on ebay and Craigslist for the airplane fund. Nothing big, but every penny helps. I also hung up a Partnership-Wanted sign at the airport today. Keeping my fingers crossed that something may develop.

Interestingly enough 02S (the plane in which I nearly became a non-equity partner) was flying again today. I didn't recognize the voice of the person at the controls. It definitely was not one of the partners with whom I negotiated back in the Spring. Wonder if they finally sold a slot?

Beautiful Evening

Didn't get in the air tonight, but it sure is a beautiful evening.

Current DYL METAR:

KDYL 292354Z AUTO 25003KT 10SM CLR 25/13 A2951

Perfect night to go flying.

I made a partnership want ad today that I'm going to hang in the FBO. Will see it I get any nibbles. Also listened to an entertaining Uncontrolled Airspace podcast and several great "Finer Points" aviation podcasts during my commute today. Nice way to think about flying during otherwise painfully boring and unproductive time.

The IR...

Need some thoughts on this one.

Nothing pressing, but Kelly's working this weekend so I'm effectively grounded. I do a lot of planning and hangar flying on these types of days. Much easier to accept when the forecast is for low overcast. These CAVU days that I can't fly are torture. Anyway, here are mental musings for the day.

I'm sort of slopping my way through my Instrument Rating. I've got a great CFII at Doylestown who has become as much a friend as a mentor. However, I've come to the conclusion that I really can't commit to it with any consistency right now. My work schedule is going to get ugly this fall with my upcoming clinicals for my Master's being added to the equation. Childcare has been crazy. And my to-do list has been out of control, even on days when I can get away to the airport. It pains me to turn down the opportunity to get this rating with Travis.

Here's where it gets interesting. One of my best friends, Jason, is an ATC guy. He works at NY TRACON directing lots of heavy iron in and around NYC. He's a Private Pilot with a MEL rating, but no IR. We've talked for years about going to an accelerated course in Florida some winter and just banging out our IR in 10 days. We've been talking a lot lately that this idea is getting legs. He and I would have blast, and he really knows his flying so he's be a great partner in this pursuit. My dilemma is that I don't have the cash for the rating and a parnership, towards which I have redirected my savings efforts.

So what would you do???

1. Pursue the rating at the local field with the known CFII, realizing that doing so would preclude a partnership. Also run the risk of family/work commitments impeding the progress and potentially not competing the rating.

2. Go to Florida this winter and get the rating. Stick with the rental line for the forseeable future.

3. Find a partnership and fly like crazy. Become the best VFR pilot that I can be but postpone the IR for the forseeable future.

Thoughts? I may post this one up on the Red Board. I would expect the responses to be interesting, to say the least.

Playing with GPS Track

View flying_june172009 in a larger map
Now that I have *two* followers (thanks Gary and Rob) I'd better make an effort to post here more than every two month.

With Rob's help, I just learned how to import my GPS track into Google Maps. Here's the track from my flight last week. Hope if works. Notice I was too lazy to try to get a clearance to transition through Willow Grove's airspace, so I hugged the Class D all the way around the Wings.

Been a while...

So did you think that I forgot about this blog? Well, I didn't quite forget about it but haven't yet found a way to make updating it a frequent occurrence. Too much else going on I guess.

I attentively follow my flying-buddy Rob's blog. He just landed a sweet deal on a non-equity partnership, so his musing are more entertaining than ever. Maybe once I find a similar opportunity I'll have much more interesting commentary to share.

In the meantime, there are a few new notes from my flying life.

First and foremost, the boat is gone. How is this flying related, you may ask? Well, I've come to the realization that I have far to many hobbies and precious little free time. Something's got to give. When it came down to flying vs. sailing, it's a no-brainer. My beloved Hobie Cat hit craigslist last week. I figured I'd list it at a fair but optimistic price, something I could live with if it sold. Well, the first guy to see the ad came out and took it home at full asking price! It was a sweet set up. The $1500 I got for it won't make or break my flying, but it's another contribution to the "airplane fund." Kelly just kind of laughed. She has agreed not to try to touch my airplane savings so long as the funds are derived from my ebay and craigslist sales, so I can't complain.
I've still got a ton of sailing and Jeep accessories to sell, so hopefully the account will continue to grow. No big ticket items except for the Jeep itself, but that's not going anywhere.

I've been getting in the air about once a week, which isn't too bad considering work, school, babysitting, etc. Last week I took a personal day on Wednesday and flew over the Wings and then home by way of Pottstown/Limerick. I'm trying to save in earnest to I've resorted to the 152. Still a great little plane but seems to anemic and small compared even to the PA-28s that I've been flying lately. But it gets me in the air for $75/hour and that's all that I need. The flight was great. Weather was iffy with a huge front lingering over Lancaster when I departed. I studied the radar loop and spent a good amount of time with the briefer. The front was heading eastward but the ceilings were staying high and visibility reports were good, so I decided to depart and see how things looked when airborne. Climbing out of Doylestown I could see the front but, as briefed, the ceiling was high and vis was great. I began circumnavigating the KNXX airspace keeping an eye to the west. I stopped at Wings and after waiting for landing PennStar chopper, climbed back out. The front hadn't moved so I decided to stop by Pottstown/Limerick. Dialed in the VOR and programmed direct on the GPS, but neither was necessary given the airport's proximity to the cooling towers. Nice landing over the outlets and then followed a Skyhawk who departed from the opposite direction. Back to DYL with 1.1 on the Hobbs and two new airports in the log book.

Kelly was working on Father's Day and the weather was iffy, so I put the kids in the car and we drove up to check out Pennridge Airport. Looks like a nice little field. I think that this will be my next excursion.

I was disappointed to learn last week that that 172M that I rent when we're visiting the inlaws is being taken off the flight line. It was a nice bird. It was a leaseback, so who knows what transpired. But DUJ has a nice, huge runway and 61674 was hangared, so it was always a treat to go flying when we were in the area. There nothing else for rent there so I'll have to explore other options. Punxsutawney, where we stay, has a small field that offers instruction, so I'm going to see if I can check out in their 152.

I think I'm going to create a "Non-equity partnership wanted" sign to hang at the airport. If I can find the right situation, I really think that this could be a win-win situation for myself and the owner.

Just need to make it happen.

Getting Started...

I've been following the blogs of some flying buddies for quite some time now and figure it's about time that I get my own. Not quite sure how to use this yet, but I'm sure it will all make sense soon.

This will be a bit of an experiment for me. I am a flying addict. I think about flying every day, usually all day. It is the most rewarding extracurricular activity that I know of. Flying empowers me and gives me an immeasurable sense of pride and self satisfaction. And yet, it is also a source of great frustration. It is tough to find time to fly even infrequently, let alone as often as I'd like. Weather is always an issue. Safety is never far from my mind. And then there's the cost. How can I balance paying $100/hour to fund a "hobby" when we're watching our grocery budget, saving for home improvements, and hoping to sock away money for the eventual college tuition bills? My justification is that flying is more than a simply hobby like gardening or knitting. It is part of who I am.

I hope that this blog will give me a forum to share my accomplishments and air my frustrations with an audience who understands where I'm coming from. Along the way, I may also throw in thoughts pertaining to my other interests, namely sailing.

Stay tuned...