t0r0nad0
Pattern Altitude
So, I alluded to this in another thread, but I figured that rather than continuing to hijack someone else's thread, I'd put the full story in my own thread. Here goes:
So, for Christmas my better half gave me some money to go flying (did I mention that I love that woman?). So, I reserved a plane for 1/5/08, with the intention of heading to La Grange for the monthly EAA BBQ. I got my wx brief (LM is getting much better at that) and it didn't look to good out that direction, so I decided instead to just fly around the Houston area. My friends Nathan & wife Wendy met me at SGR, and I went over the preflight with them. I then gave them the preflight briefing, and helped Wendy climb into the right seat and get buckled in. I then helped Nathan get buckled in and instructed them on use of the seatbelts and the door. I climbed in, started up, and asked SGR ground for a squawk code and a handoff to approach as we were going to go out to the San Jacinto monument and back. He cleared us to taxi to Runway 17 and said that he'd get us the squawk in a second.
Before we had even cleared our parking spot, he came back with the squawk and dep. freq. for me, which I read back and dialed in. I taxied to 17, performed my runup, and called tower that I was ready to go. He cleared me to take off on the runway heading. On climb-out, I heard tower report me as traffic to someone else, so I looked ot the left and saw a chopper, which I reported in sight. Tower told me to maintain visual separation and make my left turn-out. I did so, and then tower called me to verify that I was squawking Mode C, since he wasn't picking me up. I knew that I had the transponder on Alt, so I fiddled with the switch for a second and he told me that he just picked it up and to contact departure.
I called departure, who answered right away and asked my intentions. I said that I wanted to go through the corridor to the monument, then come back through and go up to Hooks. She cleared me into the Class B and instructed me to maintain VFR at 2000'. I requested 2500' to get above the scattered layer at 2000', and my request was approved (God, I'm glad I don't live in Chicago - they wouldn't have even answered me there!). I got to I-10 and 610 interchange (near Ikea) and was handed off to another sector, who asked me to descend to 2000' or below since Hobby was landing on 22. I went down to 1500' to stay below the clouds. As I got closer to downtown, I asked to circle it. ATC coordinated with Hobby Tower and approved my request, asking that I report back on course, which I did. We got out to the monument and circled twice before reporting back to ATC that we were westbound through the corridor.
Coming back westbound, we were instructed to remain north of I-10 and to watch out for opposite direction traffic 200 ft below us. We spotted a Cherokee going by about 1 mile off of our right wing. ATC then told us to fly heading 280, then heading 300 almost until we got to 290 and the Beltway, then told us to proceed direct to Hooks. They handed us off to the tower before I had a chance to get the ATIS, and I informed the tower that I didn't have it. No worries, they told us to make a right downwind for runway 17R and gave us the pertinent info. Winds were 210 at 11G19! I came around the pattern, declared a "Sterile Cockpit" to my passengers, and made a surprisingly smooth (albeit a bit flat) landing. I told the tower we were parking at the Aviator's Grill, and they told me to taxi to parking and monitor ground.
I got over to the transient spots and saw signs on the hangar doors saying that all Piston aircraft were to park on ramp B. I taxied over there and saw that there were no spots left, so I called up ground and asked to reposition back to the transient parking, which they cleared me to do. I parked, installed the wheel chocks, and my friends and I enjoyed some of the best burgers Houston has to offer inside.
After lunch, we went back out to the plane and Nathan and Wendy switched spots. I checked the gas and oil, jumped in, started up, and got clearance to taxi to Ramp A for run-up (when did they get rid of the compass rose over there?). After run up, I was told to hold short of 17 at taxiway C and contact tower. I did so, and was cleared to take off from that spot with a right turnout approved. I flew towards the southwest and finally spotted I-10 ahead of me, with IWS off to my left. I stayed at 1700' or so to stay under the Class B shelf, and I turned more to the west to head for TME. I entered on the 45 for the left downwind to 18, and prepared to battle the crosswind. I got to short final, and the winds dropped off suddenly, which dropped me onto the runway. I bounced once, tried to recover, bounced again, and decided to just pour on the coals and go around, rather than risk injury to us or the airplane. I called my way back around the pattern and made a good touch & go on the next attempt.
I departed TME to the southeast and found my house in Katy and circled around it for a couple of pictures, then I headed back towards SGR and picked up the ASOS. Tower cleared us for a straight in approach, I landed on runway 17 with winds from 220 at 13G22, which was the biggest crosswind I've ever landed in! Aside from the bounce at TME, I'm better at landing with a crosswind than with no wind! I turned off at taxiway C2 and taxied back to the school.
In all, I was able to log 2.1 hrs and 3 landings (I didn't count the bounce at TME, just the actual t&g), my friends and I had a great time, and they are looking forward to going flying with me again!
So, for Christmas my better half gave me some money to go flying (did I mention that I love that woman?). So, I reserved a plane for 1/5/08, with the intention of heading to La Grange for the monthly EAA BBQ. I got my wx brief (LM is getting much better at that) and it didn't look to good out that direction, so I decided instead to just fly around the Houston area. My friends Nathan & wife Wendy met me at SGR, and I went over the preflight with them. I then gave them the preflight briefing, and helped Wendy climb into the right seat and get buckled in. I then helped Nathan get buckled in and instructed them on use of the seatbelts and the door. I climbed in, started up, and asked SGR ground for a squawk code and a handoff to approach as we were going to go out to the San Jacinto monument and back. He cleared us to taxi to Runway 17 and said that he'd get us the squawk in a second.
Before we had even cleared our parking spot, he came back with the squawk and dep. freq. for me, which I read back and dialed in. I taxied to 17, performed my runup, and called tower that I was ready to go. He cleared me to take off on the runway heading. On climb-out, I heard tower report me as traffic to someone else, so I looked ot the left and saw a chopper, which I reported in sight. Tower told me to maintain visual separation and make my left turn-out. I did so, and then tower called me to verify that I was squawking Mode C, since he wasn't picking me up. I knew that I had the transponder on Alt, so I fiddled with the switch for a second and he told me that he just picked it up and to contact departure.
I called departure, who answered right away and asked my intentions. I said that I wanted to go through the corridor to the monument, then come back through and go up to Hooks. She cleared me into the Class B and instructed me to maintain VFR at 2000'. I requested 2500' to get above the scattered layer at 2000', and my request was approved (God, I'm glad I don't live in Chicago - they wouldn't have even answered me there!). I got to I-10 and 610 interchange (near Ikea) and was handed off to another sector, who asked me to descend to 2000' or below since Hobby was landing on 22. I went down to 1500' to stay below the clouds. As I got closer to downtown, I asked to circle it. ATC coordinated with Hobby Tower and approved my request, asking that I report back on course, which I did. We got out to the monument and circled twice before reporting back to ATC that we were westbound through the corridor.
Coming back westbound, we were instructed to remain north of I-10 and to watch out for opposite direction traffic 200 ft below us. We spotted a Cherokee going by about 1 mile off of our right wing. ATC then told us to fly heading 280, then heading 300 almost until we got to 290 and the Beltway, then told us to proceed direct to Hooks. They handed us off to the tower before I had a chance to get the ATIS, and I informed the tower that I didn't have it. No worries, they told us to make a right downwind for runway 17R and gave us the pertinent info. Winds were 210 at 11G19! I came around the pattern, declared a "Sterile Cockpit" to my passengers, and made a surprisingly smooth (albeit a bit flat) landing. I told the tower we were parking at the Aviator's Grill, and they told me to taxi to parking and monitor ground.
I got over to the transient spots and saw signs on the hangar doors saying that all Piston aircraft were to park on ramp B. I taxied over there and saw that there were no spots left, so I called up ground and asked to reposition back to the transient parking, which they cleared me to do. I parked, installed the wheel chocks, and my friends and I enjoyed some of the best burgers Houston has to offer inside.
After lunch, we went back out to the plane and Nathan and Wendy switched spots. I checked the gas and oil, jumped in, started up, and got clearance to taxi to Ramp A for run-up (when did they get rid of the compass rose over there?). After run up, I was told to hold short of 17 at taxiway C and contact tower. I did so, and was cleared to take off from that spot with a right turnout approved. I flew towards the southwest and finally spotted I-10 ahead of me, with IWS off to my left. I stayed at 1700' or so to stay under the Class B shelf, and I turned more to the west to head for TME. I entered on the 45 for the left downwind to 18, and prepared to battle the crosswind. I got to short final, and the winds dropped off suddenly, which dropped me onto the runway. I bounced once, tried to recover, bounced again, and decided to just pour on the coals and go around, rather than risk injury to us or the airplane. I called my way back around the pattern and made a good touch & go on the next attempt.
I departed TME to the southeast and found my house in Katy and circled around it for a couple of pictures, then I headed back towards SGR and picked up the ASOS. Tower cleared us for a straight in approach, I landed on runway 17 with winds from 220 at 13G22, which was the biggest crosswind I've ever landed in! Aside from the bounce at TME, I'm better at landing with a crosswind than with no wind! I turned off at taxiway C2 and taxied back to the school.
In all, I was able to log 2.1 hrs and 3 landings (I didn't count the bounce at TME, just the actual t&g), my friends and I had a great time, and they are looking forward to going flying with me again!
