ScottK
Pre-takeoff checklist
I did a short breakfast flight yesterday morning with my wife and daughter. Other than having to wait a bit for some fog to burn off, it was pretty much perfect conditions.
Now, my wife hasn't really flown a lot of GA. She doesn't see the point if we're not actually going somewhere. Given that, her experience with other airborne traffic is limited. Mostly, it's been something called out by whoever we have flight following with. Yesterday, that all changed.
In the matter of a 15 minute flight, she got to see a flight school plane doing steep turns in the practice area (thought it looked scary but cool), a helicopter and another Cessna go under us and while landing, there was a tree trimming helicopter working about 1 mile off the approach end. She hadn't seen one of those before and was amazed at the huge blade they use.
After we had breakfast and watched a bunch of planes take off and land, we were ready to head back. This is where my day got weird. We were parked right next to the restuarant in front of a huge glass picture window with a full restaurant watching.
I got my wife and daughter in the plane, then proceeded to do my walk around. As I was about to pull the chocks from the wheel, I remembered that I wanted to switch my daughter's headset to the other side. We were getting some noise and I thought that might fix it. Headset fixed, I climbed in. Yep, you guessed it. Forgot the chocks. After a bit of throttle, I realized what I had done. So I shut down and started to climb out. Well, my foot got caught on my headset cord and I ended up with one foot tangled up in the cockpit, one foot on the step and my hands on the ramp. Classic...and in front of a full restaurant.
The headset cord was torn clean and the tip of the jack was bent. My $70 breakfast cost had been greatly increased...(repair amount unknown). I pulled the chocks, found an extra headset and got us out to the runway. I was particulary careful with the run-up. After waiting for a couple planes to clear, we were off.
As we were departing, I called the tree trimmer to make sure he was still at tree top level as I passed overhead. He responded that "if you're below me, you're having a bad day".
We were about halfway home, when my wife got to see the closest traffic to date. A military C130 (I think) crossed left to right in front of us. It was about a 1/2 mile and a little lower than us. I turned behind it, but she was amazed that we could be that close. She has heard me talk about see and avoid forever, but this seemed to give her a better understanding of that idea. And then, we were extended on our downwind to allow a A320 Spirit jet to land.
Aside from the headset/fall on my face gaffe, it was a good day in the air. We all had fun and my wife got to see a lot from the air she hadn't seen before. Can't wait to do it again.
Now where is that number for Telex?
Now, my wife hasn't really flown a lot of GA. She doesn't see the point if we're not actually going somewhere. Given that, her experience with other airborne traffic is limited. Mostly, it's been something called out by whoever we have flight following with. Yesterday, that all changed.
In the matter of a 15 minute flight, she got to see a flight school plane doing steep turns in the practice area (thought it looked scary but cool), a helicopter and another Cessna go under us and while landing, there was a tree trimming helicopter working about 1 mile off the approach end. She hadn't seen one of those before and was amazed at the huge blade they use.
After we had breakfast and watched a bunch of planes take off and land, we were ready to head back. This is where my day got weird. We were parked right next to the restuarant in front of a huge glass picture window with a full restaurant watching.
I got my wife and daughter in the plane, then proceeded to do my walk around. As I was about to pull the chocks from the wheel, I remembered that I wanted to switch my daughter's headset to the other side. We were getting some noise and I thought that might fix it. Headset fixed, I climbed in. Yep, you guessed it. Forgot the chocks. After a bit of throttle, I realized what I had done. So I shut down and started to climb out. Well, my foot got caught on my headset cord and I ended up with one foot tangled up in the cockpit, one foot on the step and my hands on the ramp. Classic...and in front of a full restaurant.
The headset cord was torn clean and the tip of the jack was bent. My $70 breakfast cost had been greatly increased...(repair amount unknown). I pulled the chocks, found an extra headset and got us out to the runway. I was particulary careful with the run-up. After waiting for a couple planes to clear, we were off.
As we were departing, I called the tree trimmer to make sure he was still at tree top level as I passed overhead. He responded that "if you're below me, you're having a bad day".
We were about halfway home, when my wife got to see the closest traffic to date. A military C130 (I think) crossed left to right in front of us. It was about a 1/2 mile and a little lower than us. I turned behind it, but she was amazed that we could be that close. She has heard me talk about see and avoid forever, but this seemed to give her a better understanding of that idea. And then, we were extended on our downwind to allow a A320 Spirit jet to land.
Aside from the headset/fall on my face gaffe, it was a good day in the air. We all had fun and my wife got to see a lot from the air she hadn't seen before. Can't wait to do it again.
Now where is that number for Telex?
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