R
RobertGerace
Guest
Not really, but, metaphorically speaking...it was THAT good!
Yesterday was my first flight after messing around with the temperature indicators to make sure they were not lying to me.
I had planned a flight to Teterboro, NJ (TEB) after many people told me NOT to fly to LGA.
Going by my usual, 20gph, per side...I had planned a stop in Richmond for fuel.
After getting to altitude and letting things stabilize, I sucked in my breath and did....drum roll please...THE BIG PULL! It worked!!!! I peaked out very close to 1,650 TIT and came right back on the lean side of peak. It ran smooth and cool.
I noticed that my fuel flow was only 14.0 gph per side. I did lose some airspeed...so I moved the throttles back up to redline MP and my airspeed came back!
So here I am, at 9,000 feet, indicating about 161, truing 185, ground speed about 200, sipping fuel at 28gph...saving 12gph (that's about $50 an hour!)...with the engines, smooth, cool, and happy!
I had planned lunch with a CPA board member in New York and got off to kind of a late start. So...hmmmm...I wonder if I can make it to TEB with adequate reserves?
TEB was reporting an overcast ceiling of 2,500 and a ground temp above freezing. (Not at all challenging.) 45 minutes reserves would be 'collective wisdom' and 60 minutes would make me comfortable (especially because I might get vectored around up there.)
I was about 30 minutes from Richmond by my GPS and I knew a descent was coming. Having to climb would make my fuel situation worse...so I had to work fast.
I figured out that I could make it! Before LOP there would have been NO WAY I could have made it. I asked to ammend my route to TEB...got a new clearance...and waved at Richmond with a smile on my face as I passed them by!
I got to TEB and weather was worse than forecast. They put me right in the clag and I started to pick up just a hint of ice. I turned and checked the h-stab and it had a pretty good load! I would not have blown the boots had I not seen that...thank's to the FAA and the pilots who tell you to check!
TEB assigned me a vector to intercept the localizer to the ILS 6. I had it programmed in my GNS530 (and therefore had a magenta line to intercept.) I was so far out that neither radio (yes, I did have both tuned this time!) showed anything but flags. Had I not been using GPS I would have flown right through the localizer and been lost in the soup. This is very important! How on Earth do non GPS pilots find the localizer when they get turned that early? I had to track the GPS course inbound for 5 minutes or so before my radios came alive.
I busted out about 1,800...no big deal.
My GTX330 said my flight time was 3:36 from LZU to TEB! That's a 14 hour drive, folks! What a magic carpet that God and man came together to build and allow me to fly!
OK, time to go back. If you've flown up there, you know what is coming: full route clearance.
Check this out:
Teterboro Five Departure, radar vectors to Dixie, Victor 16, RIC, V157 LVL, V155 IRQ, V56 MCN, Direct LZU; expect 6,000 one-zero minutes after departure, departure frequence 126.7, squawk 1117.
So you don't have to look it up: Teterboro Five from runway 1 says:
Climb via heading 040 until leaving 1,500', then turn LEFT direct PNJ; Maintain 2000' until crossing PNJ, then climb and MAINTAIN 3,000. Dixie and White Departures: Expect vectors to COL R-350, then DIXIE via COL R-192.
Phew!
So I took off in the dark, but it was exactly that time where the sun has set on the ground but not quite at altitude. About the time I was crossing PNJ I went IMC. I broke out on top a couple of minutes later, but it was a very weird place up there. I could not yet see all of the Jet traffic as I was in a kind of misty space. There was no horizon. I knew that I had better not try to figure it out visually and stayed on instruments.
Side note: Isn't it cool how you reach a point where you don't get disoriented or the 'leans?' That view could be extremely disorienting, but I was comfortable that my instruments were saying that nothing was wrong with the attitude of the airplane...just leave it alone and don't touch anything unless the instruments tell you that you need to.
Once I broke out on the 'real' top there was a hint of orange to the west...just beautiful.
I did the BIG PULL again, and spent the next hour and 30 minutes flying the old-fashioned way...vor to vor via victor-airways. I knew that once I got past DC things would ease up...and they did. I asked for (and I had to ask really nice) direct LZU and got it....but it didn't stick.
Soon after, I got: Twin Cessna 310RG, I have an ammendment to your routing, report when ready to copy.
And this is the part I love. I absoulely LOVE to do this. This is better than a cold beer and Chineese food! I said, "Approach...310RG...STAND BY!"
I could have copied it right then and there...but I just love to say that!
30 seconds later: Approach, Twin Cessna 310RG...ready to copy.
Sure enough, I got the: Direct ELW, V311, CORCE intersection, V222, Logen, Direct LZU. I knew this would add about 10 minutes to my trip, and I was starting to get a little concerned about fuel.
I knew I had 60 minutes at touchdown and it really made me mad that I was going to land with 50. If they jerked me around I would either land with less than 45 (NOT)...or have to make a fuel stop.
I accepted the clearance and started looking at it on the MX20. They were going to take me right over the top of KCLT at 6,000! No, not Charlotte! Anywhere but Charlotte! That's where the mean controllers are!
I called back approach and asked him if he realized what was about to happen, and told him that, "I'm not minimum fuel...yet...and will land with legal reserves...but if we could come at CLT from an angle that will avoid vectors when I get there I would really appreciate it."
A few minutes later, he called back and said that if I win the Georgia Lotto to remember him because he got me cleared RIGHT THROUGH THE APPROACH COURSE OF CHARLOTTE AT 6,000!
It was extremely cool seeing those runways as I flew by them! As soon as I cleared them I got a handoff. I made sure to thank him for letting me fly right though his busy Class-B. He said, "You're welcome! Direct LZU!"
So I have to take back what I've said about the Charlotte controllers.
It was late landing at LZU; so it was downgraded (no tower). I landed with an hour of fuel...about 3:40 after I took off!
I shut down and just sat there in the 'afterglow' listening to the gyro's spinning down...remembering when I was a 17 year old kid...working as a lineboy and I would hear those gyro's wondering what it was like to actually get to fly...
Man! This is great stuff!
Yesterday was my first flight after messing around with the temperature indicators to make sure they were not lying to me.
I had planned a flight to Teterboro, NJ (TEB) after many people told me NOT to fly to LGA.
Going by my usual, 20gph, per side...I had planned a stop in Richmond for fuel.
After getting to altitude and letting things stabilize, I sucked in my breath and did....drum roll please...THE BIG PULL! It worked!!!! I peaked out very close to 1,650 TIT and came right back on the lean side of peak. It ran smooth and cool.
I noticed that my fuel flow was only 14.0 gph per side. I did lose some airspeed...so I moved the throttles back up to redline MP and my airspeed came back!
So here I am, at 9,000 feet, indicating about 161, truing 185, ground speed about 200, sipping fuel at 28gph...saving 12gph (that's about $50 an hour!)...with the engines, smooth, cool, and happy!
I had planned lunch with a CPA board member in New York and got off to kind of a late start. So...hmmmm...I wonder if I can make it to TEB with adequate reserves?
TEB was reporting an overcast ceiling of 2,500 and a ground temp above freezing. (Not at all challenging.) 45 minutes reserves would be 'collective wisdom' and 60 minutes would make me comfortable (especially because I might get vectored around up there.)
I was about 30 minutes from Richmond by my GPS and I knew a descent was coming. Having to climb would make my fuel situation worse...so I had to work fast.
I figured out that I could make it! Before LOP there would have been NO WAY I could have made it. I asked to ammend my route to TEB...got a new clearance...and waved at Richmond with a smile on my face as I passed them by!
I got to TEB and weather was worse than forecast. They put me right in the clag and I started to pick up just a hint of ice. I turned and checked the h-stab and it had a pretty good load! I would not have blown the boots had I not seen that...thank's to the FAA and the pilots who tell you to check!
TEB assigned me a vector to intercept the localizer to the ILS 6. I had it programmed in my GNS530 (and therefore had a magenta line to intercept.) I was so far out that neither radio (yes, I did have both tuned this time!) showed anything but flags. Had I not been using GPS I would have flown right through the localizer and been lost in the soup. This is very important! How on Earth do non GPS pilots find the localizer when they get turned that early? I had to track the GPS course inbound for 5 minutes or so before my radios came alive.
I busted out about 1,800...no big deal.
My GTX330 said my flight time was 3:36 from LZU to TEB! That's a 14 hour drive, folks! What a magic carpet that God and man came together to build and allow me to fly!
OK, time to go back. If you've flown up there, you know what is coming: full route clearance.
Check this out:
Teterboro Five Departure, radar vectors to Dixie, Victor 16, RIC, V157 LVL, V155 IRQ, V56 MCN, Direct LZU; expect 6,000 one-zero minutes after departure, departure frequence 126.7, squawk 1117.
So you don't have to look it up: Teterboro Five from runway 1 says:
Climb via heading 040 until leaving 1,500', then turn LEFT direct PNJ; Maintain 2000' until crossing PNJ, then climb and MAINTAIN 3,000. Dixie and White Departures: Expect vectors to COL R-350, then DIXIE via COL R-192.
Phew!
So I took off in the dark, but it was exactly that time where the sun has set on the ground but not quite at altitude. About the time I was crossing PNJ I went IMC. I broke out on top a couple of minutes later, but it was a very weird place up there. I could not yet see all of the Jet traffic as I was in a kind of misty space. There was no horizon. I knew that I had better not try to figure it out visually and stayed on instruments.
Side note: Isn't it cool how you reach a point where you don't get disoriented or the 'leans?' That view could be extremely disorienting, but I was comfortable that my instruments were saying that nothing was wrong with the attitude of the airplane...just leave it alone and don't touch anything unless the instruments tell you that you need to.
Once I broke out on the 'real' top there was a hint of orange to the west...just beautiful.
I did the BIG PULL again, and spent the next hour and 30 minutes flying the old-fashioned way...vor to vor via victor-airways. I knew that once I got past DC things would ease up...and they did. I asked for (and I had to ask really nice) direct LZU and got it....but it didn't stick.
Soon after, I got: Twin Cessna 310RG, I have an ammendment to your routing, report when ready to copy.
And this is the part I love. I absoulely LOVE to do this. This is better than a cold beer and Chineese food! I said, "Approach...310RG...STAND BY!"
I could have copied it right then and there...but I just love to say that!
30 seconds later: Approach, Twin Cessna 310RG...ready to copy.
Sure enough, I got the: Direct ELW, V311, CORCE intersection, V222, Logen, Direct LZU. I knew this would add about 10 minutes to my trip, and I was starting to get a little concerned about fuel.
I knew I had 60 minutes at touchdown and it really made me mad that I was going to land with 50. If they jerked me around I would either land with less than 45 (NOT)...or have to make a fuel stop.
I accepted the clearance and started looking at it on the MX20. They were going to take me right over the top of KCLT at 6,000! No, not Charlotte! Anywhere but Charlotte! That's where the mean controllers are!
I called back approach and asked him if he realized what was about to happen, and told him that, "I'm not minimum fuel...yet...and will land with legal reserves...but if we could come at CLT from an angle that will avoid vectors when I get there I would really appreciate it."
A few minutes later, he called back and said that if I win the Georgia Lotto to remember him because he got me cleared RIGHT THROUGH THE APPROACH COURSE OF CHARLOTTE AT 6,000!
It was extremely cool seeing those runways as I flew by them! As soon as I cleared them I got a handoff. I made sure to thank him for letting me fly right though his busy Class-B. He said, "You're welcome! Direct LZU!"
So I have to take back what I've said about the Charlotte controllers.
It was late landing at LZU; so it was downgraded (no tower). I landed with an hour of fuel...about 3:40 after I took off!
I shut down and just sat there in the 'afterglow' listening to the gyro's spinning down...remembering when I was a 17 year old kid...working as a lineboy and I would hear those gyro's wondering what it was like to actually get to fly...
Man! This is great stuff!
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