Recent content by timfountain

Flying in the mountainous PNW, I've been asked a few times on IFR flights out or Portland to Central and South Oregon to report certain points due to RADAR coverage and mountains, but when I lived in TX I never had a single request.....

I used to fly a Saratoga with A/C - it was always cr@pping out.... I was was only useful when taxiing (couldn't be used for T/O due to power reduction and the tray sticking out the bottom) and wasn't all that effective in flight. I also used to rent a warrior that the A/C had been disabled, as...

Price is one aspect but IMHO it certainly is not the most important thing. What matters (to me, having been to many different FBO's) is the quality of instruction, aircraft availability and a less quantifiable gut feeling of whether I like the staff and facilities.

"Cessna 234, suggest an immediate turn to 090 unless you are wanting to enter the R-1032 airspace, which is currently active". Overheard on Gray Approach to another aircraft whilst en-route from DAL to GTU. Other plane had VFR flight-following. Heard this one once- Center - "Cessna 123...

Never had any problems going into DAL. I always used to enjoy the challenge of single pilot IFR into the DFW bravo and landing at DAL. Approach and tower were very accommodating, no vectoring, in fact one time they slotted me neatly between two SWA's on final and all I was asked for was best...

It's even more fun when you passenger uses the 'footrest' without you realizing! Pre landing checklist with passengers now include "feet off the pedals" check....

I stand corrected. I got lucky as the ADF was placarded and written up as INOP....

I use the flaps when I need them. One thing a very high time CFI and glider pilot taught me was that adding flaps in the turn will increase the rate of turn without increasing bank angle (as you create more lift in the early stages of flap deployment and you are banked so decreasing turn...

I think the issue with the DPE failing prior candidates for using the GPS is that he was asking the candidates to demonstrate a non-precision approach and GPS is not required. During my IR CR my DPE switched off the GPS completely for the VOR and ILS approaches. He wanted to see that I knew how...

Thank you. Heads were up and locked but the airport wasn't visible given the slant angle to it in the dense urban surroundings. I was coming from the south and at that low alt and 3-4 miles out, neither I84 or the river were particularly visible. Gadgets weren't the problem, not sure why you...

Oh yeah, versions of that were said many times. Tower were telling me it was 12:00 3-4 miles but I just couldn't see it. Problem was really the slant angle, you just couldn't see the wood for the trees at that altitude....

One of my most difficult situations was where I was inside PDX (Portland) airspace going to TTD (Troutdale) and they were keeping be "at or below 1,200 ft" for spacing to the heavy metal going into PDX and although I was only 2 miles away and had the airport on the GPS, I still had no visual on...

This discussion cracks me up. We spend a lot of money on flying but yet when it comes to a revolutionary device and app, we can't fork out ~0.5 AMU every 3-4 years for a device that gives you access to a bunch of new features. That's a ~$125 per year, assuming the old device is worthless at the...

Personally, I think the market is saturated and you have missed the boat. No app is perfect but FF is darn close IMHO and although Android's are cheaper, I am sure that over time Apple will address the issue....q

I don't understand all this creeping around trying to get on the airport. Why don't they just buy and load up a plane with all that they need for a repo (they always seem to be borrowing tools, bolt cutters, fuses etc.) and fly into the darn airport where they are trying to repo a plane? Fly...