Anthony
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2005
- Messages
- 18,478
- Display Name
- Anthony
OK, so I'm jealous ya'll went to Gastons and I didn't. To ease my pain on Saturday I did some mountain flying with a CFI here in the Denver area. The trip happened to coincide with the airshow at my home airport, FTG, and a temporary tower was in effect which soon will transition into a permanent tower and Class D airspace.
We did a pre-flight and pre-flight briefing with a twist. Empty the Tiger of everything that's not nailed down and we don't need. (I had fueled to the tabs only (38 gal) previously, so no worries there) Towbar? Nope won't need it. Now if you ever flown a Grumman you know the towbar is essential, but what the heck I'll play along. That box of oil and cleaning supplies? Get rid of it. Rear seat backs? Take 'em out. My wife's pillow - gone. Propeller? NOPE! (just kidding)
I taxi the plane from my T-Hangar and the CFI asks, aren't you gonna call ground? Ahhhh, yeah, of course the night before I had written down the new freq's and procedures, but in my "enthusiasm" I totally forget. Fortunately we weren't at the area yet to call ground, so I waited then called them up. After all the necessary checks we did a full power static run up and I leaned for best power. (Now here is where Cap'n Ron will have a cow.) The CFI who is also a Grumman owner with a Cheetah says, "OK, put in 1/3 flaps." What did you say? The book says no flaps for short, soft or any other kind of takeoff. Allright, we have 8,000 ft of runway here and this is just to practice, so I lower the flaps to 1/3. Then he tells me to turn off the alternator to get a few more HP. Now this is getting really weird. Next, he tells me to give it full power or as much power as I dare to make the turn from the taxiway to the runway. That's right, we started the takeoff run from the taxiway, make the turn, accelerate to Vx and then yank the plane off, remaining in ground effect until Vy and then climb like a homesick angel. Seems to work OK, but I don't remember to see if we're off before I normally am using standard procedures. I'll have to do more tests, but I think the 1/3 flaps allows earlier rotation, but according to AYA testing it does not ultimately reduce take off performance. My CFI seems to think that it allows us to get into ground effect faster and build up speed to break out of ground effect and climb.
Our desination? Leadville, CO (LXV), the highest airport in North America, 9,927 ft, the mother of all high altitude airports. We've got that 180 HP Lyc. out front with the fixed pitch, cruise prop screaming in climb as we head to 12,500 ft for our entry into the Rockies which are getting to look awful big in the windscreen. As we gain altitude I increase my angle of attack as Vy at 10K ft. is more like 80 knots than 85 at the my airport or 90 at sea level. We head 210 degrees towards 7V1 and start to get into some terrain above 10,5K ft. We're at 12,5K Ft. now and level off. CHT's are fine, fuel flow is 9.0 GPH at 2,600 RPM.
We decide to take a little short cut and head over some terrain and go direct to Leadvile from our position just to the north of 7V1. We approach Leadville from the south and make the appropriate radio calls. We circle around and enter crosswind to 34. The ride has been calm all along as the winds are light. I am thankful of the high overcast keeping the thermals from turning this into an unpleasant experience. The landing was uneventful and I taxied up to the FBO which is just as you'd imagine. Rustic, a little frayed, an old Navion with no prop sitting in front of it. Perfect. We talked to the local A&P/IA and then the airport manager who gave me a certificate for landing there. A woman CFI came in with a student in tow. I asked her if the 172 they'd been flying had the 180 HP conversion. She said, "Nope! its 160 and the other we have is 150." Now that's flying!
We used the same procedures to depart Leadville. Flaps to 1/3, alternator off, start the takeoff run on the taxiway and we were off with plenty of room to spare, heading north to our next destination, Granby (GNB). Up to 13,5K Ft this time. Not that far from the 10K we departed. Passing Dillon reservoir and Copper Mountian and Winter Park ski areas we also notice a mountain climber near the top of one of the peaks. No, I didn't wave. I was too busy looking at all the granite around me.
Granby came into view and we just did a touch and go there, climbing out to the northwest we turned to head east and home. Hmmm, just a little 13K ft. rock to get over and we're at 9K. So the CFI tells me to just do some left 360's towards the big rock which is RIGHT THERE. I returned with "unable". Hey it works with ATC! Plus its my plane and my *ss. He convinced me we are far enough away so I turn the Tiger into a 30 degree bank and climb at 79 knots. We are relatively close to the side of the mountain but as we get closer the VSI swings up to 500 - 600 FPM. Updraft! We're on the windward side and I pitch back a little to take advantage of it. We come around again and now hit a slight downdraft which I accelerate through back to the updraft. The stall horn goes off a few times even at 80 knots, but after three or four 360's we're at 13.5K and proceed over. Its all downhill from here as I give a wave to Boulder (well kind of a wave), make sure there's no gliders around then push the nose over untill we hit 130 KIAS. Now remember we're still at 13,5K and my IAS was just showing 90 knots. At 130 KIAS we peg the VSI needle down at 2,000 FPM and I'm showing about 155 knots groundspeed. There's Jeffco, there's DEN, call up ATC and, oh yeah, the airshow. We've got about 45 minutes until the airport closes and we are getting very close, we call up tower using the published airshow procedures and follow some home built thing to the ground. Planes everywhere. What a great flight! Plus I got to go to hte airshow afterwards.
Who needs Gastons.
Can I come next year?
We did a pre-flight and pre-flight briefing with a twist. Empty the Tiger of everything that's not nailed down and we don't need. (I had fueled to the tabs only (38 gal) previously, so no worries there) Towbar? Nope won't need it. Now if you ever flown a Grumman you know the towbar is essential, but what the heck I'll play along. That box of oil and cleaning supplies? Get rid of it. Rear seat backs? Take 'em out. My wife's pillow - gone. Propeller? NOPE! (just kidding)
I taxi the plane from my T-Hangar and the CFI asks, aren't you gonna call ground? Ahhhh, yeah, of course the night before I had written down the new freq's and procedures, but in my "enthusiasm" I totally forget. Fortunately we weren't at the area yet to call ground, so I waited then called them up. After all the necessary checks we did a full power static run up and I leaned for best power. (Now here is where Cap'n Ron will have a cow.) The CFI who is also a Grumman owner with a Cheetah says, "OK, put in 1/3 flaps." What did you say? The book says no flaps for short, soft or any other kind of takeoff. Allright, we have 8,000 ft of runway here and this is just to practice, so I lower the flaps to 1/3. Then he tells me to turn off the alternator to get a few more HP. Now this is getting really weird. Next, he tells me to give it full power or as much power as I dare to make the turn from the taxiway to the runway. That's right, we started the takeoff run from the taxiway, make the turn, accelerate to Vx and then yank the plane off, remaining in ground effect until Vy and then climb like a homesick angel. Seems to work OK, but I don't remember to see if we're off before I normally am using standard procedures. I'll have to do more tests, but I think the 1/3 flaps allows earlier rotation, but according to AYA testing it does not ultimately reduce take off performance. My CFI seems to think that it allows us to get into ground effect faster and build up speed to break out of ground effect and climb.
Our desination? Leadville, CO (LXV), the highest airport in North America, 9,927 ft, the mother of all high altitude airports. We've got that 180 HP Lyc. out front with the fixed pitch, cruise prop screaming in climb as we head to 12,500 ft for our entry into the Rockies which are getting to look awful big in the windscreen. As we gain altitude I increase my angle of attack as Vy at 10K ft. is more like 80 knots than 85 at the my airport or 90 at sea level. We head 210 degrees towards 7V1 and start to get into some terrain above 10,5K ft. We're at 12,5K Ft. now and level off. CHT's are fine, fuel flow is 9.0 GPH at 2,600 RPM.
We decide to take a little short cut and head over some terrain and go direct to Leadvile from our position just to the north of 7V1. We approach Leadville from the south and make the appropriate radio calls. We circle around and enter crosswind to 34. The ride has been calm all along as the winds are light. I am thankful of the high overcast keeping the thermals from turning this into an unpleasant experience. The landing was uneventful and I taxied up to the FBO which is just as you'd imagine. Rustic, a little frayed, an old Navion with no prop sitting in front of it. Perfect. We talked to the local A&P/IA and then the airport manager who gave me a certificate for landing there. A woman CFI came in with a student in tow. I asked her if the 172 they'd been flying had the 180 HP conversion. She said, "Nope! its 160 and the other we have is 150." Now that's flying!
We used the same procedures to depart Leadville. Flaps to 1/3, alternator off, start the takeoff run on the taxiway and we were off with plenty of room to spare, heading north to our next destination, Granby (GNB). Up to 13,5K Ft this time. Not that far from the 10K we departed. Passing Dillon reservoir and Copper Mountian and Winter Park ski areas we also notice a mountain climber near the top of one of the peaks. No, I didn't wave. I was too busy looking at all the granite around me.
Granby came into view and we just did a touch and go there, climbing out to the northwest we turned to head east and home. Hmmm, just a little 13K ft. rock to get over and we're at 9K. So the CFI tells me to just do some left 360's towards the big rock which is RIGHT THERE. I returned with "unable". Hey it works with ATC! Plus its my plane and my *ss. He convinced me we are far enough away so I turn the Tiger into a 30 degree bank and climb at 79 knots. We are relatively close to the side of the mountain but as we get closer the VSI swings up to 500 - 600 FPM. Updraft! We're on the windward side and I pitch back a little to take advantage of it. We come around again and now hit a slight downdraft which I accelerate through back to the updraft. The stall horn goes off a few times even at 80 knots, but after three or four 360's we're at 13.5K and proceed over. Its all downhill from here as I give a wave to Boulder (well kind of a wave), make sure there's no gliders around then push the nose over untill we hit 130 KIAS. Now remember we're still at 13,5K and my IAS was just showing 90 knots. At 130 KIAS we peg the VSI needle down at 2,000 FPM and I'm showing about 155 knots groundspeed. There's Jeffco, there's DEN, call up ATC and, oh yeah, the airshow. We've got about 45 minutes until the airport closes and we are getting very close, we call up tower using the published airshow procedures and follow some home built thing to the ground. Planes everywhere. What a great flight! Plus I got to go to hte airshow afterwards.
Who needs Gastons.
Can I come next year?
I find all that granite disquieting when I am out there, and am often unwilling to get as close to the hills as I need to get that extra lift.