From Iowa to Arizona...so far...

[tapioca]

Monday morning the weather was good enough to start the trip. I flew southwest to Brenners Field NE( FNB ), then Newton City KS (EWK) if i had any brains I would have ended the day there but I pressed on to Syracuse KS (3K3).

But that is experience for you, it seems that experience is something that keeps you from doing things that you wish you had the experience to, not experience in the first place.


This leg was the most informative on the limits of not only the pilot but the plane as well. Here is what I did wrong.

1) Flew in the afternoon over Kansas in late spring.
2) Flew a route that was at the extreme range of my plane, a Cessna 150 211 NM (doubled the fuel required for the flight figured with a minimum of 15 knots of headwind, 20 maxium)

Everything was on planned time from Pella to Newton City. I was flying the route low, just under 3,000 AGL as I was on the western edge of the weekend storm. I was finally clear of the clouds and planned on crossing Kansas at 6,500 in hopes of avoiding the thermal activity that I knew was waiting there in the afternoon.

I started out from Newton at about 12:45, climbed up to 6,500 and was on my way about 30 minutes, after passing HUT into the flight I started picking up carburator ice and boy, it is one thing to drill for it but another to experience it first hand, at 6,500 feet, with the nearest airport more than 25 NM away.

It was pretty humid so I dropped down to 4,500 and then the thermals got ahold of me. It took an hour but I finally learned how to minimize the sudden increases and decreases of altitude. I landed at 3K3 around 3:45 and decided to call it a day.

This morning I left 3K3 heading for Dalhart TX DHT left at 6:00 am with a 20 knot headwind I got to about 30 miles from Dalhart and the ceilings were going down fast and the wind was picking up as forecasted so I diverted to Stratford TX (H70) as it was nearest and the ceiling hadn't dropped there yet.

I flew right by it and didn't even see the runway. the runway is 3230X32 my GPS told me that I had passed my destination so I started to turn back and look closer. The runway has no centerline and it was only when I saw the windsock and an AG plane that I finally got the picture.

No time left to look for a more forgiving airport the ceiling were coming down around me so I elected to land here. reached the end of 22 pulled power and dropped flaps to 10 degrees. Made the call that I was on base. Dropped flaps to 20 degrees. It looked like I was awful high so I dropped flaps to 40 degrees. The I realised that I just looked high and I had at least a 10 knot headwind and 5 knot crosswind, probably more. I increased power and pulled back the flaps 10 degrees got the plane stable again and continued to land.

It wasn't my best landing, all things concidered. I started to flare high, caught my self in time and actually set down quite gently to this, I credit the headwinds I had make enough mistakes on final to have had a much harder landing.

So I am in Statford TX until the low pressure system passes on Thursday. When I started this trip I knew that I would learn lots along the way.

I have a day now to correct the rest of the trip based on what I now know, it is not enough to double your fuel requirements. I am thinking of doubling the doubled amount when I am expecting any headwinds.

I ended up in Syracruse with just under an hour of fuel. I had anticipated having an hour and a half of fuel after the flight. I had planned the flight at both 15 and 20, but I still got 25 to gusting 30 knots.

The remainder of the trip will be flown on morning only so I anticipate arriving on Friday, maybe the weather gods will see fit to smile upon me...

 

[tonycondon]

Jim,

sounds like fun! way to get out there and go places. the 150 really is a great cross country airplane if you are patient. my first carb ice was last year in a 150 and it even caught me by surprise. talk is cheap, no doubt. keep us updated!

 

[CJones]

Sounds like fun (in a weird twisted kind of way that only pilots could understand)! We did Iowa to Vegas last March. It, too, was a learning experience. You have learned one of the greatest lessons, though. Go EARLY! We hit SW KS/NE NM at about 3pm and even at 11k, we were still getting rocked around!

Have fun and make sure to post pics! There is some really pretty country in that area that is best viewed from above.

 

[tapioca]

I will try to get some pictures, been a little ummm busy on the flight so far. Yes it has been fun and a great way to add time under the cross country column of my log book. Now that I know better I think I can get some pics of the rest of the trip.

Thanks for the encouragement Tony and Chris.

 

[Maxmosbey]

That was a great write up. Good luck on Thursday, and keep posting about the trip. It has already caught my interest.

 

[drizzt76]

Sounds like fun...to be really honest, I'm jealous. Keep posting and good luck. I would love to do a solo XC in the clubs 152.....hmmm

 

[wby0nder]

Very interesting and inspiring. I'm planning to do some long trips in my Fly Baby if I ever get the freeking thing done (any day now any day now any day now...) It probably cruises even slower than the 150 and carries less fuel. Should be fun. Keep us posted.

MM

 

[Ghery]

my first carb ice was last year in a 150 and it even caught me by surprise.

Had some this afternoon in IMC in the 182 with my CFII. I had noted a reduction in power and when I pulled the carb heat in anticipation of our approach to OLM the engine really acted up as all that water suddenly went through it. We had to stop and think about what was happening, I hadn't experienced any since the day before my PP checkride in 2001, in that same airplane. Wakes you up, doesn't it?

 

[tapioca]

Had some this afternoon in IMC in the 182 with my CFII. I had noted a reduction in power and when I pulled the carb heat in anticipation of our approach to OLM the engine really acted up as all that water suddenly went through it. We had to stop and think about what was happening, I hadn't experienced any since the day before my PP checkride in 2001, in that same airplane. Wakes you up, doesn't it?

That it does. When the little voice in the back of my head asks:

"When was the last time you checked for a place to land?"

It would be a lot better if I can tell it,

"If it gets worst I will land right over there.", Without having to look around first.

Carb ice really renewed my interest in having a place to set down in an emergency.

 

[tapioca]

Too much down time in a long cross country is a wonderful way to talk yourself out of doing something that you planned to do and looked forward to doing.

You get a good chance to look not only at your flight plan and weather conditions but also yourself as well.

As a result of this period of introspection, I came to the conclusion that I am trying to do too much too soon. It has been a wonderful flight so far and I have gained a lot of experince in a short time plus I still have the flight back to prove that I learned something on the way down.

What ever lessons that the remainder of the flight to Arizona has to teach will be learned at a later date, after I have had some more air time closer to home.

In sort if I have learned nothing else on this trip I have learned that I am a low time pilot with much more to learn before I try to do any more long cross countries.

I really see the results of this trip, not as a failure to reach my destination. But as an oportunity to reach my goal, which is and will always be, to be the safest pilot that I am able to be, to be able to say "No" when I am no longer certain of the outcome.

I haven't flown the plane yet at a higher altitude than 6,500 which was only 1,000 foot higher than I flew it on the way back from the Ames fly in. I do not know for a fact that the plane will reach it's rated ceiling and for that matter I don't have enough experience with the plane at or near it's performance limits.

These things started to hit home on me around 5:30 this morning when I first got up. Seeing that the DA is in the 7,000 with the current temps only being in the low 70's I found myself asking what if next week there was a heat wave, what would the DA be if it even reaches 85. The answer was enough to give me a pause as I was getting too close the the service ceiling of the plane.

So my last hop on this flight will take me to the foot of the mountains, Tucumcari is as far as I am going this trip. From there I will rent a car and meet up with my family near Milan.

I start the return trip on Thursday.

I may have talked myself out of a cool trip, but I am also talking myself out of a potential entry in the logs of the NTSB. I am sure there are enough entries that begin with the words Low Time Pilot...

We are going camping so the next time that I will be able to check in will be around Wednesday afternoon/evening if I find a hotel with wireless in Tucumcari.

 

[Maxmosbey]

Hey, good for you. You've had a good time, and you certainly don't have anything to prove to anyone. There is nothing wrong with thinking smart. Be sure to tell us about the rest of the flight, and the flight home.

 

[tonycondon]

nothing wrong with that Jim.

I dont think anyone ever claimed that a stock 150 was a decent mountain flying airplane.

 

[t0r0nad0]

Jim,

Way to assess the situation and make the decision that was best for you. As people said in the Gaston's thread WRT weather - none of us will fault you for choosing not to fly. Have a safe drive and keep us posted on your trip home.

 

[gprellwitz]

I'm late to the party, but I'm in wholehearted agreement. You exercised good aeronautical decision making. You assessed the situation and took action by renting a car. Sounds like it is a VERY successful trip!

 

[docmirror]

This is one of the best cases of excellent ADM that I can imagine. Enjoy your time with the family, and have a safe flight home. Well done.

 

[tapioca]

Started off the day at 7:00 in Tucumcari with a route plan of Guymon and a final destination of Dodge City. I started the day a little later than normal as the plane was hangered at Tucumcari and the early morning weather reports suggested that a later arrival to Guymon would be more favorable.

Because there are storms rolling in the region I choose to fly shorter hops thinking that an hour and a half was about the maximum time to let the weather unchecked. I made pretty good time to Guymon, had an average groundspeed of around 120 with an airspeed in around 95. It wasn't too rough just under 3,000 AGL so I flew low.

Lost an hour in flight crossing back to Central Time, arrived in Guymon around 10:30 local time, got some gas and walked around. When in to pay the bill and looked at the weather around Dodge City, it was 15 gusting to 23 with a temporary condition of gusts to 30 around the time I would get there if I left right then.

Used the airport car (Yellow Cadilac) and got lunch, which turned out to be a mistake, once I got food in me all the camping activities and drive back from Blue Lake started to catch up with me.

By 11:30 I realised that I wasn't going to go to Dodge City today, I was feeling too tired to go on. I have the airport car and am holed up in Guymon for the night. I will press on tomorrow.

I had a great time with my family camping up in Blue Lake they brought their kayak and we paddled around the lake, and ATV's and my brother brought his dirt bike, it is an Italian bike a little on the hot side for me as I haven't been biking since I left Az about 12 years ago.

The big question now is if I need floats to land in Iowa or not.

 

[tapioca]

The flight home was good I left Guymon just before the low cloud cover got there and it was pretty calm at just over three thousand above ground level so I never really had to climb higher than that. There was alot of mist on the ground crossing Kansas, and it was pretty bad at Dodge City as I was arriving. Just as I was getting ready to divert of to Pratt, about 15 miles out, it finally started to clear out. I had a good landing at Dodge but the flight in was a little tiring on my eyes and free arm due to having a pretty close to direct flight path towards the sun.

I ended up getting a free hat at Dodge City before heading on out to Newton. When I left, Newton was reporting clear skys and I didn't see any cloud cover heading in that direction. About half way there I did a second check on conditions and they are pretty close to the same. I did one last check when I was about 40 miles off and that was when they were reporting broken clouds at 100 foot above ground. That gave me some pause but since it was broken, which means a couple of clouds not overcast, I felt it was ok to continue on to get a better look at what was there.

When I was about 5 miles out I saw sort of what I expected to see, maybe 5 smallish clouds hanging around the airport just below pattern altitude. I decided that it would be best this time to just do a direct in as I had the wind report (less than 5 knotts) and I was right on track for final on runway 8 where there was a cloud just hanging right in my glide path. I took a really good look around the airport and pattern to assure that it was a good thing to do and called final as I slipped under the cloud and set up for a landing.

Runway 8 is there secondary runway for when the main runway has a crosswind. There was more than enough room to either land or take off but because I did a direct in, I wanted to be at full stop and turning around before crossing the intersection about 1,000 to 1500 feet ahead. I was in a good position to do a short field landing and just running a tad fast so I ditched all power and hit full flaps and reduced my descent to burn off the excessive speed. I touched down really close to the beginning of the runway and once I was fully down started to apply breaks and came to a stop just at the threshold of the intersection of the main runway. Looked both ways down the main runway and turned the plane around to get the the nearest taxiway.
More clouds where heading in from the Northwest and based on the weather reports that I was looking at the night before it was no supprise. I expected that this would be close to as far as I could go today as the clouds would be starting to develop from this point on too bad really as I was hoping to get through an I thought that I would have another hour before it would really start to kick it up.

When I got gas I took a look at the current satelight pictures and what I saw supprised me, it was clear behind this all the way to Nebraska. I saw that there were some clouds forming over the Northeastern portion of Iowa but it didn't look like they would reach the Southern portion of the state till late in the afternoon. That was when I decided to push on to Brenners Field in Falls City. When the clouds finally passed I was ready to do the next leg of the trip. It was supprisingly calm at 3,000 again on the way to Nebraska, either that or the Kansas crossing has given me an new benchmark to measure roughness by. In either case I didn't feel uncomfortable with the current altitude so I held it to Nebraska. I had about a 20 min wait for the manager to get back from lunch so I spent most of that time looking over the could stiuation in Iowa. It looked like if it continued to develop and move the way that it has been it wouldn't make it to Pella till after I got there and landed. So I felt ok with going on but keeping an eye on it to make sure that it would do what I thought it would.

I crossed over the Missuri river at just under 3,000 feet it was still pretty calm and there wasn't much wind at any direction. The clouds where still off in the distance and starting to tower in the front. I realised that I was looking at a thunderstorm in the making and added some power as I knew it was going to be a race to see who got to Pella first.

When I crossed highway 35 I was close enough to the storm to start to feel it, even though it was still some 75 miles off. This was where things started to get a little on the bumpy side. It still wasn't a mature storm as the anivil top was still forming in the front and it didn't look like it was holding much moisture, it was still white with almost no dark color, had it looked differently I would have turned tail and ran to the nearest airport and sat it out.
As it was I just kept on going. As I got closer to Knoxville, I started to realise that things have changed since I was last here. The river was really swollen and much larger than I had ever seen it before Red Rock started to form as a lake much sooner than I had expected it too and behind the dam it still looked like a large river rather than the much smaller stream like body of water that I was accustom to.

The front of the clouds were still a good 15 to 20 miles North of Pella as I got there and the winds, while picking up were still nearly a non-event.
So I landed.

In 7.1 hours of flight time, I passed from the Oklahoma panhandle, over Kansas to Nebraska then breifly touching the northwest corner of Missouri to Iowa and home. In all I covered 1,353.7 nautical miles. Met some new people, learned my limits had a blast camping out in Blue Lake with everyone and finally came home.

Somehow it seems fitting to close with this:

When that I was and a little tiny boy
With a hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
A foolish thing was but a toy,
For the rain it raineth every day.
But when I came to man's estate,
With a hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
'Gainst knaves and thieves men shut there gate,
For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came,alas to wive,
With a hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
By swaggering could I never thrive,
For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came unto my beds,
With a hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
With tosspots still had drunken heads,
For the rain it raineth every day.
A great while ago the world begun,
With a hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
But that's all one, our play is done,
And we'll strive to please you every day.

 

[deafsound]

sounds like a blast. I did a trip from San Diego to Grand Junction and back in a c-150, although it was in the winter, so DA wasn't much of an issue.

Probably one of the smartest things you did was not landing at DHT. that place smells awful!

Nice work.

 

[rottydaddy]

Good job, with the write-up and the flying... that's a long haul in a 150, but then again, it's just more fun-time.

I like that song, too...

 

[tapioca]

Good job, with the write-up and the flying... that's a long haul in a 150, but then again, it's just more fun-time.

I like that song, too...

Thanks, it was alot of fun and the song is the closing of Twelfth night. I thought it was fitting in more ways than one, but mostly because I ended up back home on the twelfth night.