AdamZ
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2005
- Messages
- 14,866
- Location
- Montgomery County PA
- Display Name
Display name:
Adam Zucker
I had been planning a trip to visit my Wife's brother and his family in Cape Cod for a little over two months now. This was a pretty big trip for me. Although I have been flying for almost three years and have my IR for about a year I am still a bit of a nervous pilot. I mostly fly with other pilot friends and CFI friends mainly because we are friends and I enjoy flying with them. My wife while a good flyer has no passion for flying and dosen't really care to fly unless we are going to a "Destination". So It is not to often I get to fly with my family thereby making me the only pilot on board.
So here I am planning this flight for Saturday the 28th and all week I'm looking at the weather and I must say it was frustrating the hell out of me. I planned every detail and for every contingency. I know from KLOM in the Philly area ATC will either route you east over Long Island or West then North over the Lake Henry VOR and then east. So I plotted out both route for fuel consumption. I was hoping for the easterly route on V433 over La Guardia then slicing up LI sound to Bridgeport and on along the coast to Providence and then HOPTU and D-> KPVC. I mean if you look at it this route make the most sense. I'd almost be direct and at 7000 I'd be out of everyone's way. Guess again!
I must have check the weather and prog charts 12 times and I kid you not each time they were different AAhhhhhhh! Jim Gratton and I were comparing notes as well b/c he was going to Vermont, but on Friday when it is CAVU in Philly. I am a little skiddish about crossing long Island Sound but especially Cape Cod Bay. But I figure its not the gulf of Mexico and I'll have enough altitude and there ain't know way to beat a fear than to confront it head on. The night before the trip I'm at K-mart and I buy three Type II PFDs. they are nothing fancy just blocks of foam in orange Nylon fabric. You know the rectangles with holes in one end. I figure they will keep us a float long enough for the coasties to buzz out an save our butts. They were cheap and very very light. I intend to get the aviation ones one day. I kept them in the back and prepped my daughter what to do If I needed them.
I planned on leaving by 7 AM Saturday to get a full day in, beat any build ups and avoid a TFR at NAS WillowGrove where the Blue Angels were putting on an Airshow. I wake up Saturday. It is glorious out Blue Blue sky calm wind but w/ possible TS later in the day. I preflight the plane everything looks good. I then go to get a briefing and bleeping bleeeping bleep KPVC is 1/4 mile and 100 bleep bleeping bleep! I call my wife who is packing at home and she says " What that's not good?" Grrrrrr! its now 7AM and her family and friends from the cape are calling and asking are we coming ? I tell her to give them a positive " I don't know yet" Now I'm starting to feel bad because the FBO would't let some other guy who had the plane extend his rental for a few more days because I had the plane reserved. I'm bummed, I'm tired I go home take a nap around 9AM and tell my wife to wake me in 1/2 hour. I check the Metars and see its 10 mi and ceiling unreported I call the FBO in Provincetown and they tell me its CAVU. ( They say if you don't like the weather on Cape cod wait a minute) OH YEAH!! After spending the next 20 min holding for FSS to file we get to the way are on our way Philly actually gave me a choice of the western or eastern route. I took the eastern route. I got Radar Vec ARD V276 DIXIE V16 JFK V229 BDR MAD CARLD V188 GON (formerly TMU) PVD GAILS D-> KPVC. ATC vectored me around the Airshow then Direct RBV. After handoff to McGuire App they vectored me south. Huh! maybe they thought I was going to Cape May not Cape Cod. Then McGuire tells me they need me at 7K within 5 miles. (I'm at 3K) so I tell the nice lady I'm in an Archer with and anemic climb and I'm pedaling as fast as I can.
Finally I ask to be turned north east again and I'm out over sandy hook NJ and the NY bight to Long Island and JFK with Manhattan off to my left. It was awesome. After JFK I got 1/2 way to PUGGS and they sent me direct HFD yeah baby! I'm off north east across LI sound and on to Hartford. Now I have to tell you JFK has perhaps the most annoying outer marker I have ever heard it is more like a car alarm than a marker. It seemed to go on forever. Anyway around Hartford I start getting into the fluffy stuff. Yes finally some more actual. Granted it wasn't much but it was something. I decided that during this flight I was going to " demystify flying for my wife so she would know something and help out G-d forbid there was ever an emergency. I told her how the radio and ptt worked showed her how to read what was on the GNS 430. I am most happy that she was able to read me vectors off VORs on my low alt jepp IFR charts. I taught her the difference between a frequency and an Identifier. This may seem simple to you but is a major thing in my world. I have a built in compass in my head, my wife on the other had usually can't find her way out of a wet paper bag. I was so proud of her.
Anyway on to providence and Naragansett bay. I love picking out land marks and feel the need to point them out to everyone who is much less interested than I. I requested from Providence approach and got FREDO D->. On the way I filed a pirep. I was amazed at how appreciative flight watch was for the pirep. Once we reached plymouth MA I could see the tip of cape cod across the bay. I had to do a 360 3/4 the way across for a nut in a Skylane who was doing G-d knows what. He was talking on the radio but sure as heck wasn't listening or responding. he was at my 8 O'Clock so I decided its safer to be behind him on the way in.
I made a perfect pattern and approach into KPVC crossing over Race Point beach and Light house and final for 25. I was so HAPPY when I landed. I absolutely LOVE Cape Cod it is so natural and so beautiful. My wife's family had a house here and I spent many happy times there. It was always a dream of mine to fly to this special place. In fact the day I signed up for flying lessons I knew that the Cape and Provincetown would be one of my MUST fly destinations.
While at the Cape. We ate, vegged on the beach and went fishing. My wife and I discussed how this weekend would never have been possible without a pilots license.
The trip back was fun although 30-35 min longer and bumpier we were routed to the south just through buzzards bay D-> FALMA V374 Groton CCC V16 DIXIE V276 ARD D-> KLOM. Once near calverton we go a lot of Vectors and Direct tos I passes just by KHWV and thought of Toby ( Hellooo down there Toby). Cutting across the ocean from JFK to DIXIE, NY Approach vectored a 747 off my nose and around me. It was so cool to here them say Big Boy 248 Heavy, traffic off your 2 O'Clock an Archer @ 5000' the 747 respond that they were looking for me. I sure as heck saw them. That was awesome. almost as soon as I hit the Jersey coast they gave me D-> KLOM how great was that? I did the GPS 24 into KLOM ( not loggable) used the rudders nicely to do a decent x-wind landing and we were home. What a GREAT trip.
Trip out 2:08 7K used 23.8 gal
Trip home: 2:40 6K used 27.8
Total Hobbs 5.5
9.38 GPH at 75% BHP. I'm a leaning machine
Two things I learned on the trip:1) the Auto pilot is a pain in the A$$. Heading worked well but Alt function was screwy. It kept porpusing the plane even after I had the plane perfectly trimmed before setting it. It got so annoying I just hand flew the entire flight. The Auto pilot in the Tiger is a dream compared to this one.
2) I experienced bumps in the clouds but it was always worse on the eastern side of the cloud either after I popped out heading east or just before I popped in heading west. Any one know why?
Heard on radio over LI-
American 238 Heavy: Kennedy gate control American 238 needs pushback
NY Departure: American 238 you are calling NY Departure you need gate control @ 123.45
American 238 Heavy: Sorry Departure! Just wishful thinking.
Dumbest thing said to me when I asked line service to top me off after they fueled me but didn't "top me off"
Line service: We only left out 2.8 gallons
Me: 2.8 gallons short of the runway is as bad as 10 gallons short of the runway.
( Cape Air the FBO is very good they just had a new line guy, they are busy running an airline as well as acting as an FBO. Only real down side is they have a modern terminal and no weather planning facility. But KPVC is beautiful its nestled in the dunes just off the beach.
The photos below are as follows:
87 Sandy Hook NJ flying to JFK
88 Manhattan from Sandy hook
89 Sandy Hook
90 Manhattan from JFK
96 My beach beauties enjoying the cape
97+98 Balston Beach Truro MA ( Worlds most beautiful beach)IMHO
99 Me and my first officer enjoying the beneifts of my license
03 Me the kids and dinner
04 Race Point beach on departure from 25 KPVC
07 South of Plymouth MA
09 Buzzards Bay MA
10 Elizabeth Islands MA
12 Fisher Island w/ Mauntauk LI in back ground
13 Ct shoreline
14 Long Island just below the ceiling.
So here I am planning this flight for Saturday the 28th and all week I'm looking at the weather and I must say it was frustrating the hell out of me. I planned every detail and for every contingency. I know from KLOM in the Philly area ATC will either route you east over Long Island or West then North over the Lake Henry VOR and then east. So I plotted out both route for fuel consumption. I was hoping for the easterly route on V433 over La Guardia then slicing up LI sound to Bridgeport and on along the coast to Providence and then HOPTU and D-> KPVC. I mean if you look at it this route make the most sense. I'd almost be direct and at 7000 I'd be out of everyone's way. Guess again!
I must have check the weather and prog charts 12 times and I kid you not each time they were different AAhhhhhhh! Jim Gratton and I were comparing notes as well b/c he was going to Vermont, but on Friday when it is CAVU in Philly. I am a little skiddish about crossing long Island Sound but especially Cape Cod Bay. But I figure its not the gulf of Mexico and I'll have enough altitude and there ain't know way to beat a fear than to confront it head on. The night before the trip I'm at K-mart and I buy three Type II PFDs. they are nothing fancy just blocks of foam in orange Nylon fabric. You know the rectangles with holes in one end. I figure they will keep us a float long enough for the coasties to buzz out an save our butts. They were cheap and very very light. I intend to get the aviation ones one day. I kept them in the back and prepped my daughter what to do If I needed them.
I planned on leaving by 7 AM Saturday to get a full day in, beat any build ups and avoid a TFR at NAS WillowGrove where the Blue Angels were putting on an Airshow. I wake up Saturday. It is glorious out Blue Blue sky calm wind but w/ possible TS later in the day. I preflight the plane everything looks good. I then go to get a briefing and bleeping bleeeping bleep KPVC is 1/4 mile and 100 bleep bleeping bleep! I call my wife who is packing at home and she says " What that's not good?" Grrrrrr! its now 7AM and her family and friends from the cape are calling and asking are we coming ? I tell her to give them a positive " I don't know yet" Now I'm starting to feel bad because the FBO would't let some other guy who had the plane extend his rental for a few more days because I had the plane reserved. I'm bummed, I'm tired I go home take a nap around 9AM and tell my wife to wake me in 1/2 hour. I check the Metars and see its 10 mi and ceiling unreported I call the FBO in Provincetown and they tell me its CAVU. ( They say if you don't like the weather on Cape cod wait a minute) OH YEAH!! After spending the next 20 min holding for FSS to file we get to the way are on our way Philly actually gave me a choice of the western or eastern route. I took the eastern route. I got Radar Vec ARD V276 DIXIE V16 JFK V229 BDR MAD CARLD V188 GON (formerly TMU) PVD GAILS D-> KPVC. ATC vectored me around the Airshow then Direct RBV. After handoff to McGuire App they vectored me south. Huh! maybe they thought I was going to Cape May not Cape Cod. Then McGuire tells me they need me at 7K within 5 miles. (I'm at 3K) so I tell the nice lady I'm in an Archer with and anemic climb and I'm pedaling as fast as I can.
Finally I ask to be turned north east again and I'm out over sandy hook NJ and the NY bight to Long Island and JFK with Manhattan off to my left. It was awesome. After JFK I got 1/2 way to PUGGS and they sent me direct HFD yeah baby! I'm off north east across LI sound and on to Hartford. Now I have to tell you JFK has perhaps the most annoying outer marker I have ever heard it is more like a car alarm than a marker. It seemed to go on forever. Anyway around Hartford I start getting into the fluffy stuff. Yes finally some more actual. Granted it wasn't much but it was something. I decided that during this flight I was going to " demystify flying for my wife so she would know something and help out G-d forbid there was ever an emergency. I told her how the radio and ptt worked showed her how to read what was on the GNS 430. I am most happy that she was able to read me vectors off VORs on my low alt jepp IFR charts. I taught her the difference between a frequency and an Identifier. This may seem simple to you but is a major thing in my world. I have a built in compass in my head, my wife on the other had usually can't find her way out of a wet paper bag. I was so proud of her.
Anyway on to providence and Naragansett bay. I love picking out land marks and feel the need to point them out to everyone who is much less interested than I. I requested from Providence approach and got FREDO D->. On the way I filed a pirep. I was amazed at how appreciative flight watch was for the pirep. Once we reached plymouth MA I could see the tip of cape cod across the bay. I had to do a 360 3/4 the way across for a nut in a Skylane who was doing G-d knows what. He was talking on the radio but sure as heck wasn't listening or responding. he was at my 8 O'Clock so I decided its safer to be behind him on the way in.
I made a perfect pattern and approach into KPVC crossing over Race Point beach and Light house and final for 25. I was so HAPPY when I landed. I absolutely LOVE Cape Cod it is so natural and so beautiful. My wife's family had a house here and I spent many happy times there. It was always a dream of mine to fly to this special place. In fact the day I signed up for flying lessons I knew that the Cape and Provincetown would be one of my MUST fly destinations.
While at the Cape. We ate, vegged on the beach and went fishing. My wife and I discussed how this weekend would never have been possible without a pilots license.
The trip back was fun although 30-35 min longer and bumpier we were routed to the south just through buzzards bay D-> FALMA V374 Groton CCC V16 DIXIE V276 ARD D-> KLOM. Once near calverton we go a lot of Vectors and Direct tos I passes just by KHWV and thought of Toby ( Hellooo down there Toby). Cutting across the ocean from JFK to DIXIE, NY Approach vectored a 747 off my nose and around me. It was so cool to here them say Big Boy 248 Heavy, traffic off your 2 O'Clock an Archer @ 5000' the 747 respond that they were looking for me. I sure as heck saw them. That was awesome. almost as soon as I hit the Jersey coast they gave me D-> KLOM how great was that? I did the GPS 24 into KLOM ( not loggable) used the rudders nicely to do a decent x-wind landing and we were home. What a GREAT trip.
Trip out 2:08 7K used 23.8 gal
Trip home: 2:40 6K used 27.8
Total Hobbs 5.5
9.38 GPH at 75% BHP. I'm a leaning machine
Two things I learned on the trip:1) the Auto pilot is a pain in the A$$. Heading worked well but Alt function was screwy. It kept porpusing the plane even after I had the plane perfectly trimmed before setting it. It got so annoying I just hand flew the entire flight. The Auto pilot in the Tiger is a dream compared to this one.
2) I experienced bumps in the clouds but it was always worse on the eastern side of the cloud either after I popped out heading east or just before I popped in heading west. Any one know why?
Heard on radio over LI-
American 238 Heavy: Kennedy gate control American 238 needs pushback
NY Departure: American 238 you are calling NY Departure you need gate control @ 123.45
American 238 Heavy: Sorry Departure! Just wishful thinking.
Dumbest thing said to me when I asked line service to top me off after they fueled me but didn't "top me off"
Line service: We only left out 2.8 gallons
Me: 2.8 gallons short of the runway is as bad as 10 gallons short of the runway.
( Cape Air the FBO is very good they just had a new line guy, they are busy running an airline as well as acting as an FBO. Only real down side is they have a modern terminal and no weather planning facility. But KPVC is beautiful its nestled in the dunes just off the beach.
The photos below are as follows:
87 Sandy Hook NJ flying to JFK
88 Manhattan from Sandy hook
89 Sandy Hook
90 Manhattan from JFK
96 My beach beauties enjoying the cape
97+98 Balston Beach Truro MA ( Worlds most beautiful beach)IMHO
99 Me and my first officer enjoying the beneifts of my license
03 Me the kids and dinner
04 Race Point beach on departure from 25 KPVC
07 South of Plymouth MA
09 Buzzards Bay MA
10 Elizabeth Islands MA
12 Fisher Island w/ Mauntauk LI in back ground
13 Ct shoreline
14 Long Island just below the ceiling.
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