Great day reduced personal minimums

AdamZ

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
14,866
Location
Montgomery County PA
Display Name

Display name:
Adam Zucker
:) This is kind of a two fold post,

First: A big thanks to Gary Shelby. We hooked up today and did a good deal of flying with his Airports pilot group the Quakertown Pilots Assn (QPA) A good group of guys who I have met many a time. Gary knew I hadn't flown since June and handed me the keys for the full 2.3 and was happy to sit right seat. A great flight which really centered me in a zen like way.

Second the flight: UKT-S37-N40-UKT. Over cast at around 8K with light rain at times smooth as a babys behind. The great thing about flying with Gary is I get to forget about instrument flying for a bit and Just fly and often try new things. So today the shortest runway I have flown into or out of was 2900. I got my PPL and IR at a towered field with intersecting 5500 and 7000 foot runways each 150 wide. 3000 was the minimum the FBO let you fly into. I now fly out of a 3700x75' untowered field. So you can see my perspective I think S37 Smoketown was a bit over 2700 so I dropped the minimum down a bit then N40 Sky Manor was 2400 x 50 I think. Landed and took off with pleny of room. Its great to test yourself and reudce your minimms. 2400 may not be a big deal to some but to me it was great. I look at it like I keep gettinng closer to 6Y9er legnth.:)
 
Nice job, Adam. It's great to have personal minimums, but it's even better to used education and technique to stretch your minimums when possible. One thing for landing in 'short' strips -- it's all about energy management.
 
I was always terrified of "short" fields (guess that meant anything shorter than the 5-7,000' fields I was training at), and then my first "short" field was also my first grass field, on (in turn) my first checkout ride in the F33 Bonanza.

2,400', grass, no problem. It's all in your head (as long as you read and obey performance charts).
 
N40 used to be 2439, Adam, but it's 2900 now. We flew the R44 there when they were lengthening the runway (last fall, I think) and the NOTAM read that the runway was closed (as opposed to the airport). The only a/c there were us and a Rotorway...
 
:dunno: boy how'd I mess that up Smoketown is listed at 2400x50 SkyManor is listed at 2900x50. So I kinda got it backwards. Still happy I got the minimums down. Also in June did my first grass strip with Gary that was a blast.
 
Adam, if you want to get them down even further, go to Aeroflex-Andover (12N). The 1981' runway is between two lakes, and it's the most beautiful airport I've ever flown in to! It required some care in my Archer, but was no big deal if you paid attention.
 
Nice going Adam. Gary is a heck of a guy!
 
2400 may not be a big deal to some but to me it was great. I look at it like I keep gettinng closer to 6Y9er legnth.:)


Was a fun day, even with the "firm" landing at Sky Manor!!:D BTW, we really only used a bit more than 1/2 the runway at Sky Manor. Next on the list is Butter Valley (7N8), 1535 x 24, uphill, decending terrain, flying golf balls and power lines at the end!! Actually if you count the turf that surrounds the runway that is part of the golf course you really have 2420 length.

Glad we just beat the rain!

Gary
 
Last edited:
Nice going Adam. Gary is a heck of a guy!

Aww... gee thanks!! Pretty soon Adam will be able to fly a plane with just a compass and a map! Don't tell him, but next time I'm going to "fail" the vacuum system and the GPS! I'm on a mission to convert him from a fully qualified instrument pilot to a "eyes out the window" VFR pilot!

PS - You been back to PA recently?

Gary
 
Back
Top