WannFly
Final Approach
for all you impatient folks out there... here is the short version:
did my solo XC today. KFAR - KJMS (5N8 and KBAC as checkpoint). came back following I94 via pilotage and dead reckoning. winds were supposed to be 6kts all day, landed in 12G20 from 220 on rny 18. initially was lined up with 27 since the winds were from 250, it changed when i was on a 3 mile final, requested a rny change and got it. landing was greaser as per my CFI, he was with a different student holding short of 18 (i never saw any plane on the hold short line, guess i was too much focused on landing). tomorrow another one KFAR - KBRD - KPKD - KFAR
Long version and the list of things i messed up
met with CFI and went over plans, i have a personal minimum right now that i won't go to any airport that doesn't have at least 4 runways to account for ever changing winds out here. checked NOTAM and saw rny 13/31 at KJMS is closed. winds are supposed to be 260 at 6-8 kts. no problem. backup, if winds changed, and i cant land, back to KFAR. didn't think what to do when the winds changed after i land and that's exactly what happened.
CFI showed a neat trick and i think will help a lot of other student/new pilots as well. i had the navlog printed from skyvector. CFI asked me to write down all frequencies that i would need in chronological order. that becomes my checklist as well for XC. call FSS, check. tune departure before take-off, check and so on. leave the center frequency blank, but put a placeholder
Off the ground, everything went as planned. destination winds were at 260 @8 kts, no problem. now i am big into tech and that's what i do for a living and i also know that when u need it the most, it won't work. i was keeping an eye on the iPad to see and ensure i plan the downwind entry properly. my MFD shows the rny as well and changes directions as i turn (pretty neat actually). 6 miles out i noticed iPad and MFD are telling two different things (wth runway alignment). Obviously i want to trust the MFD, but trust nothing and verify, circled the airport 600 ft above pattern, checked the windsock, clicked 5 times to turn the friendly PAPI on ... nada PAPI not working and its not in the NOTAM. got pretty bumpy at 3000, but landing went very uneventful.
Right after my landing 2 helo's landed (thought I took a pic, but apparently I didnt). Went to the FBO, grabbed a coffee, waited for the Helo's to do their departure runup (man they take forever, and I thought only student pilots makes long run ups). I have read enough on POA to know a rotorwash is worst than wake. I gave a good 7 mins after they took off before I started my taxi.
Check ASOS - winds are now 10 kts from 300 (per ASOS, but windsock said its 90* direct xw), I have to use rny 22. that’s when I realized I should have stuck to damn plan of sticking to 4 rny airports. Well, I prepared myself for a cross wind take off (its not much, so shouldn’t be a problem). Like a good student announced my intentions of crossing rny 13-31 bla bla bla… at the hold short line called FSS to open flight plan and at that time I realized I made all my ground calls on the FSS frequency (FSS guys.. u could have said something you know) - Lesson - before you open your big mouth, check who you are talking to. This is probably a good advice for whether you are a pilot or not.
Take off went pretty nice, much nicer than I thought it would be. Next 45 mins bumped around quite a lot at 5500, didn’t expect so much thermal on a 70 degree day. DID NOT LIKE IT. But I didn’t have a choice. At one point I told center that I am climbing to 7500, then decided not to because ETE was like 35 mins with GS of 132 kts and more importantly there was a scattered layer at 7000 and no way I am getting stuck up there.
Approaching fargo, approach gave me 27 (winds 10 G14 from 250- so much for a predicted calm day, calm day my arse). First, I couldn’t find the damn airport until I was like 5 miles out. Eventually found it, tower asked me to extend downwind and to find a seneca on opposite downwind. - I couldn’t even see the Seneca (even though ADSB was pointing out where to look). Got turn base your discretion, I was 4 miles out. Wind check on 2.5 mile and found out winds were now from 220 - 12G20. asked for a rnway change (dont fixate on landing, you are coming in for go around), tower gave it and I did one of my best landings in that wind (CFI was at hold short on rny 18, his words, not mine). I will admit, I was task saturated and didnt even see a 172 holding short, but good to know that I can focus on what matters. i did match the DG, Compass and rny number on short final (see i read and try to learn)
Tomorrow another if weather permits.
For the first time felt like real pilot, got curve balls thrown at me and I think I handled them well. Great confidence booster. I don’t like bumping around, not sure if others do, but I just hate it. But good to know I handled the yoke and didn’t gave it to Jesus.
Next called WX Brief to close flight plan, got scolded. They said your flight went for SAR and then they found it in 2 mins by calling KFAR. Next time let us know when you go off-grid. Don’t know what happened, I do add 15 mins to my landing. I should have called them after landing at the hold short line instead of a long taxi to hangar…. Good to know the system works, I will do better next time.
One interesting thing I noticed. As I parked my car in the hangar in Fargo before take off, I could literally hear my heart beating. Not sure what that was all about. Was little tensed holding short of the runway as well. But as soon as I entered the runway, everything disappeared. It’s a weird swing of emotions and cant really explain it.
Thanks for reading… did I overtake Denverpilot? :d:d
did my solo XC today. KFAR - KJMS (5N8 and KBAC as checkpoint). came back following I94 via pilotage and dead reckoning. winds were supposed to be 6kts all day, landed in 12G20 from 220 on rny 18. initially was lined up with 27 since the winds were from 250, it changed when i was on a 3 mile final, requested a rny change and got it. landing was greaser as per my CFI, he was with a different student holding short of 18 (i never saw any plane on the hold short line, guess i was too much focused on landing). tomorrow another one KFAR - KBRD - KPKD - KFAR
Long version and the list of things i messed up
met with CFI and went over plans, i have a personal minimum right now that i won't go to any airport that doesn't have at least 4 runways to account for ever changing winds out here. checked NOTAM and saw rny 13/31 at KJMS is closed. winds are supposed to be 260 at 6-8 kts. no problem. backup, if winds changed, and i cant land, back to KFAR. didn't think what to do when the winds changed after i land and that's exactly what happened.
CFI showed a neat trick and i think will help a lot of other student/new pilots as well. i had the navlog printed from skyvector. CFI asked me to write down all frequencies that i would need in chronological order. that becomes my checklist as well for XC. call FSS, check. tune departure before take-off, check and so on. leave the center frequency blank, but put a placeholder
Off the ground, everything went as planned. destination winds were at 260 @8 kts, no problem. now i am big into tech and that's what i do for a living and i also know that when u need it the most, it won't work. i was keeping an eye on the iPad to see and ensure i plan the downwind entry properly. my MFD shows the rny as well and changes directions as i turn (pretty neat actually). 6 miles out i noticed iPad and MFD are telling two different things (wth runway alignment). Obviously i want to trust the MFD, but trust nothing and verify, circled the airport 600 ft above pattern, checked the windsock, clicked 5 times to turn the friendly PAPI on ... nada PAPI not working and its not in the NOTAM. got pretty bumpy at 3000, but landing went very uneventful.
Right after my landing 2 helo's landed (thought I took a pic, but apparently I didnt). Went to the FBO, grabbed a coffee, waited for the Helo's to do their departure runup (man they take forever, and I thought only student pilots makes long run ups). I have read enough on POA to know a rotorwash is worst than wake. I gave a good 7 mins after they took off before I started my taxi.
Check ASOS - winds are now 10 kts from 300 (per ASOS, but windsock said its 90* direct xw), I have to use rny 22. that’s when I realized I should have stuck to damn plan of sticking to 4 rny airports. Well, I prepared myself for a cross wind take off (its not much, so shouldn’t be a problem). Like a good student announced my intentions of crossing rny 13-31 bla bla bla… at the hold short line called FSS to open flight plan and at that time I realized I made all my ground calls on the FSS frequency (FSS guys.. u could have said something you know) - Lesson - before you open your big mouth, check who you are talking to. This is probably a good advice for whether you are a pilot or not.
Take off went pretty nice, much nicer than I thought it would be. Next 45 mins bumped around quite a lot at 5500, didn’t expect so much thermal on a 70 degree day. DID NOT LIKE IT. But I didn’t have a choice. At one point I told center that I am climbing to 7500, then decided not to because ETE was like 35 mins with GS of 132 kts and more importantly there was a scattered layer at 7000 and no way I am getting stuck up there.
Approaching fargo, approach gave me 27 (winds 10 G14 from 250- so much for a predicted calm day, calm day my arse). First, I couldn’t find the damn airport until I was like 5 miles out. Eventually found it, tower asked me to extend downwind and to find a seneca on opposite downwind. - I couldn’t even see the Seneca (even though ADSB was pointing out where to look). Got turn base your discretion, I was 4 miles out. Wind check on 2.5 mile and found out winds were now from 220 - 12G20. asked for a rnway change (dont fixate on landing, you are coming in for go around), tower gave it and I did one of my best landings in that wind (CFI was at hold short on rny 18, his words, not mine). I will admit, I was task saturated and didnt even see a 172 holding short, but good to know that I can focus on what matters. i did match the DG, Compass and rny number on short final (see i read and try to learn)
Tomorrow another if weather permits.
For the first time felt like real pilot, got curve balls thrown at me and I think I handled them well. Great confidence booster. I don’t like bumping around, not sure if others do, but I just hate it. But good to know I handled the yoke and didn’t gave it to Jesus.
Next called WX Brief to close flight plan, got scolded. They said your flight went for SAR and then they found it in 2 mins by calling KFAR. Next time let us know when you go off-grid. Don’t know what happened, I do add 15 mins to my landing. I should have called them after landing at the hold short line instead of a long taxi to hangar…. Good to know the system works, I will do better next time.
One interesting thing I noticed. As I parked my car in the hangar in Fargo before take off, I could literally hear my heart beating. Not sure what that was all about. Was little tensed holding short of the runway as well. But as soon as I entered the runway, everything disappeared. It’s a weird swing of emotions and cant really explain it.
Thanks for reading… did I overtake Denverpilot? :d:d
