gprellwitz
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2005
- Messages
- 12,762
- Location
- Romeoville, IL
- Display Name
Display name:
Grant Prellwitz
Well, since Scott's had such beautiful flying weather this Thanksgiving weekend, I figured it was my turn, so I did a Lifeline Pilots flight. The flight was to Osage Beach, MO, to pick up a cancer patient and her husband, and take them to DuPage (KDPA), where they'd take a train downtown to go to Northwestern University Hospital. Of course, had Meigs still been there, it would have been much more convenient for them. 
I launched from Clow and picked up the clearance in the air. There was low scud and it was MVFR at Clow, so I was glad that they could deal with me right away. I filed 4000' to minimize the headwinds, and climbed through a thin layer.
Approaching Peoria, I heard someone shooting approaches, and asking for (and getting) what he needed to do a simulated engine out approach in Cherokee 86J. I could think of only one person who would be doing that so, when Peoria Approach requested I climb to 5200 for a plane doing approaches, I said "Wilco, especially if the other plane is Bruce." And darned if I didn't hear "yes, it is" from our own Dr. Bruce. What's even better, is that he's on the board of Lifeline Pilots! He was doing approaches with a 1000' overcast, with tops around 2000'.
West of the Mississippi, things went IMC for me, and I shot my first approach in actual since June of 2007. Coincidentally, that was also a Lifeline Pilots flight, and I encountered someone else I knew in the air on that flight, too! This time I did the GPS 32 at Grand Glaize/Osage Beach (K15), and things went beautifully. I saw the 3200' runway in plenty of time to make a nice landing. I held the minimum altitude until I was aligned on the PAPI, and things went beautifully. Thanks, John!
I arrived about 15 minutes before my passengers, who were coming in from Oklahoma City. I was actually able to reach Mizzou Approach on the ground there to close my flight plan, which is apparently unusual. I availed myself of the facilities, talked a bit with Jim, who was manning the FBO, and effected the patient transfer after a little bit of paperwork.
The air was slightly turbulent around there, but, since the passengers had just come in through it, they were already aware of that. Actually, once we climbed out, the air was nice and calm. We were in the clouds for a while, but by the time we got to the Mississippi, it was clear enough below us that they could see the River. Soon, however, we were on top of a layer at 4500'. I could actually have climbed to 9000' to get better winds, but opted to stay at 7000', since the OAT was 2*C. That could have been an issue earlier in the flight, when we had a layer above us, too.
They gave me direct PLANO, direct DPA, and then vectored me to intercept the ILS 2L into KDPA, and it went beautifully. Thanks again, John!
Since they were taking the train downtown, I took the crew car (I'd called from MO to make arrangements) and dropped them at the train station. All in all, they had a great flight for their first GA trip. The pilot on the first leg offered them headsets, but they declined. They didn't realize how nice they could make things. I had already put the headsets out for them, so they used them, and really appreciated the benefits, especially because we could hold a conversation and they could listen to the inflight XM radio.
I used fltplan.com from my cell phone while waiting for a freight train to file my return trip, and launched soon after getting back to the plane. A Turbo 182 with just the pilot and minimal fuel takes off like a rocket!
I was getting 1500fpm with no problem. Vectors to the VOR-A approach into Clow, and a third approach in for the flight! Since I was at 3000' with an OAT of -1*C, I was a little concerned about the possibility of icing, so I had pitot heat and prop deice on, but never picked anything up.
Tied down the plane, paid my 1AMU, and headed back home.
All in all, a great flight for a worthwhile cause.
I launched from Clow and picked up the clearance in the air. There was low scud and it was MVFR at Clow, so I was glad that they could deal with me right away. I filed 4000' to minimize the headwinds, and climbed through a thin layer.
Approaching Peoria, I heard someone shooting approaches, and asking for (and getting) what he needed to do a simulated engine out approach in Cherokee 86J. I could think of only one person who would be doing that so, when Peoria Approach requested I climb to 5200 for a plane doing approaches, I said "Wilco, especially if the other plane is Bruce." And darned if I didn't hear "yes, it is" from our own Dr. Bruce. What's even better, is that he's on the board of Lifeline Pilots! He was doing approaches with a 1000' overcast, with tops around 2000'.
West of the Mississippi, things went IMC for me, and I shot my first approach in actual since June of 2007. Coincidentally, that was also a Lifeline Pilots flight, and I encountered someone else I knew in the air on that flight, too! This time I did the GPS 32 at Grand Glaize/Osage Beach (K15), and things went beautifully. I saw the 3200' runway in plenty of time to make a nice landing. I held the minimum altitude until I was aligned on the PAPI, and things went beautifully. Thanks, John!
I arrived about 15 minutes before my passengers, who were coming in from Oklahoma City. I was actually able to reach Mizzou Approach on the ground there to close my flight plan, which is apparently unusual. I availed myself of the facilities, talked a bit with Jim, who was manning the FBO, and effected the patient transfer after a little bit of paperwork.
The air was slightly turbulent around there, but, since the passengers had just come in through it, they were already aware of that. Actually, once we climbed out, the air was nice and calm. We were in the clouds for a while, but by the time we got to the Mississippi, it was clear enough below us that they could see the River. Soon, however, we were on top of a layer at 4500'. I could actually have climbed to 9000' to get better winds, but opted to stay at 7000', since the OAT was 2*C. That could have been an issue earlier in the flight, when we had a layer above us, too.
They gave me direct PLANO, direct DPA, and then vectored me to intercept the ILS 2L into KDPA, and it went beautifully. Thanks again, John!
Since they were taking the train downtown, I took the crew car (I'd called from MO to make arrangements) and dropped them at the train station. All in all, they had a great flight for their first GA trip. The pilot on the first leg offered them headsets, but they declined. They didn't realize how nice they could make things. I had already put the headsets out for them, so they used them, and really appreciated the benefits, especially because we could hold a conversation and they could listen to the inflight XM radio.
I used fltplan.com from my cell phone while waiting for a freight train to file my return trip, and launched soon after getting back to the plane. A Turbo 182 with just the pilot and minimal fuel takes off like a rocket!
I was getting 1500fpm with no problem. Vectors to the VOR-A approach into Clow, and a third approach in for the flight! Since I was at 3000' with an OAT of -1*C, I was a little concerned about the possibility of icing, so I had pitot heat and prop deice on, but never picked anything up.Tied down the plane, paid my 1AMU, and headed back home.
All in all, a great flight for a worthwhile cause.
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