Aztec Driver
Line Up and Wait
I finally get a chance to get a breather from the past weeks events.
All started at the end of last week. My wife was getting ready for a two week trip to Ireland and Germany, so we were both scrambling to get last minute things taken care of. As always happens when one or both of us are leaving for some reason, everything falls apart at one time. Managed to get things together at the last minute, although it didn't help that my charter boss went on vacation for the weekend and I ended up having to do two charters before taking her to the airport.
On Tuesday, as the bands of heavy rain were making their way into Pa, I had to do a charter to Williamsburg, Va area. I had to have the customer change to PHF because the weather was forecast to be too low for the approach into JGG, although it wasn't quite as bad as that. Took them home and returned to LNS. Three low instrument approaches in a row.
Upon return, I had to zoom back home, pick up my wife and hop back in the airplane to take her to JFK. My boss was nice enough to let me use the Aerostar, as the weather was not going to be good enough for me to return my airplane to S37.
For those of you who have ever flown into JFK, this trip was no different than one would expect. First, the route there was interesting, to say the least. Northeast to Allentown, then south to New Jersey, then back north to the approach. Approach asks me to keep up the speed, all the way up to160 knots. This is too fast for gear and flaps, so I agree up to a point, which seems to escape them. Vectored to the final approach course and zipping down the glideslope, along about 4 miles out, I bring power out, let out the first notch of flaps, and finally get below gear speed. After all the reconfiguration, I am slowing to around 125-130 knots. At about 2 miles out, tower asks me to increase speed to 160 knots, to which i respond that i can't as that is too fast for gear. Guess what comes next.....
.......
......
"Landing clearance cancelled, fly runway heading, climb and maintain 3000, contact departure on xxx.xx."
Keep in mind that this is all in low weather, with pouring rain. I call departure and they tell me that I either have to accept a 45 minute hold or divert to a different airport. Through clenched teeth, I respond that I need to land at JFK and I will accept whatever they can do for me.
Miraculously, they were able to find space back to the approach right away. I then spent the next several hours meeting my daughter and sending them off on their vacation. And then began the long arduous task of departing JFK. Wow, only 1 hour of ground handling and off I went into the pouring rain and low weather.
Six approaches and several hours of grueling flying and I was back home to deal with the effects of Lee. The next several days were up to my eyeballs in work related to helping people with the flood around here. Another charter two nights ago to Albany area. At least that was a beautiful smooth flight. Took care of all of the work that my wife would normally do at work.
After all week of way too much work, I finally have a day off to regroup and relax. Hopefully I can breathe enough to prepare for next weeks arrival into JFK.
All started at the end of last week. My wife was getting ready for a two week trip to Ireland and Germany, so we were both scrambling to get last minute things taken care of. As always happens when one or both of us are leaving for some reason, everything falls apart at one time. Managed to get things together at the last minute, although it didn't help that my charter boss went on vacation for the weekend and I ended up having to do two charters before taking her to the airport.
On Tuesday, as the bands of heavy rain were making their way into Pa, I had to do a charter to Williamsburg, Va area. I had to have the customer change to PHF because the weather was forecast to be too low for the approach into JGG, although it wasn't quite as bad as that. Took them home and returned to LNS. Three low instrument approaches in a row.
Upon return, I had to zoom back home, pick up my wife and hop back in the airplane to take her to JFK. My boss was nice enough to let me use the Aerostar, as the weather was not going to be good enough for me to return my airplane to S37.
For those of you who have ever flown into JFK, this trip was no different than one would expect. First, the route there was interesting, to say the least. Northeast to Allentown, then south to New Jersey, then back north to the approach. Approach asks me to keep up the speed, all the way up to160 knots. This is too fast for gear and flaps, so I agree up to a point, which seems to escape them. Vectored to the final approach course and zipping down the glideslope, along about 4 miles out, I bring power out, let out the first notch of flaps, and finally get below gear speed. After all the reconfiguration, I am slowing to around 125-130 knots. At about 2 miles out, tower asks me to increase speed to 160 knots, to which i respond that i can't as that is too fast for gear. Guess what comes next.....
.......
......
"Landing clearance cancelled, fly runway heading, climb and maintain 3000, contact departure on xxx.xx."
Keep in mind that this is all in low weather, with pouring rain. I call departure and they tell me that I either have to accept a 45 minute hold or divert to a different airport. Through clenched teeth, I respond that I need to land at JFK and I will accept whatever they can do for me.
Miraculously, they were able to find space back to the approach right away. I then spent the next several hours meeting my daughter and sending them off on their vacation. And then began the long arduous task of departing JFK. Wow, only 1 hour of ground handling and off I went into the pouring rain and low weather.
Six approaches and several hours of grueling flying and I was back home to deal with the effects of Lee. The next several days were up to my eyeballs in work related to helping people with the flood around here. Another charter two nights ago to Albany area. At least that was a beautiful smooth flight. Took care of all of the work that my wife would normally do at work.
After all week of way too much work, I finally have a day off to regroup and relax. Hopefully I can breathe enough to prepare for next weeks arrival into JFK.
