I wanted to choke the SoCal controller at first but then he redeemed himself. Climbing out, heavy, and approaching 100 degrees American, we were getting tossed around pretty good and at times couldn't even get 100 fpm on the climb until we'd hit an updraft and get 1,500 for a second or two. "Climb and maintain niner thousand" said the controller. "We're trying as fast as we can, (bump bounced our heads off the ceiling..unkey...regroup) "Six zero uniform read back altitude assignment." "Six zero uniform, climb and maintain niner thousand." (you overpaid bastard, sitting there in your comfy chair in your air conditioned IFR room with your wolf tee shirt on...YOU try to fly this...I was thinking)
We made the first turn on the departure at barely 3,000' and headed to the PSP vortac; now downwind, we were barely climbing at all. Just before we had to turn back NW to reach 9,000 he cleared us direct BLH when we were only at 5,000'. After finally getting up to 9,000' the controller asked us if we'd like to climb up to 11,000 or descend to 7,000 for traffic. Knowing it would take at least 15 minutes to climb up to 11,000, I opted to descend to 7,000'. Big mistake, bumpy as hell at 7.
I learned a lot on that flight. I learned the airplane knows when you lower you head to look at the charts. I learned it is very easy to get behind the airplane trying to set up instruments for your next way point. I also learned how valuable having GPS must be for those who have it installed.
