MDeitch1976
Line Up and Wait
Forces of nature all worked out today, and I was able to complete my final 2.4 hours of XC time. Which also fulfilled the last of my required hours for my private pilots license.
About today's flight:
My Cross Country trip planned was for KGAI to KPTW. This is a 98 NM flight each way. I was flying in one of the flight schools Piper Sports. I had been watching the weather most of the week, hoping things would work out. Come last night, my only worry was there might be an airmet for mod to svr turbulence. There was, but luckily it was high altitude. On Thursday Evening, I worked out my flight plan for the flight school. On Friday night, I reviewed it again. This morning I called the briefer at 9AM filed, for 1030(1430Z). I received my standard briefing. What I had been seeing was now confirmed by the briefer, good to go. I arrived at the airport at 10AM. I met my instructor. I had flown with another instructor a couple of times, so she wanted to take a few laps around the pattern with me before signing me off. Something new we tried. Called into the briefer and amended my DC SFRA flight plan to do a few touch and gos and then depart the pattern. They had no problem with this at all. We pre flight the plane, we are starting to go, do the break check. Right break, nothing. Just resistance from the spring. The other planes are checked out. My instructor texts the flight school owner, and one of the other guys that can fix break. To conserve time, she decides we can go knock out the touch and gos. She will operate the breaks on the ground to steer us around. We knock those out, and land. She is able to negotiate with one of the other instructors to let me use the plane him and his student were going to use. He accepted the trade. The only compromise I had to make was no stopping to hang out in Pottstown. I want to stop and say "Hello" just because, but no big deal. My initial altitude out was 2500 out of the SFRA, and 3500 once out from under Baltimore Bravo. I did have the GPS programmed, however didn't need it. Was able to spot all my check points well in advance. My calculated times were within a minute, a couple almost dead on. My WCA was off a little due to a change in the winds. But, with the ability to see my check points well in advance, pretty easy to stay on course. Also, I am glad I picked PTW(Heritage). I caught the Cooling Towers of the power plant almost 40 miles out. Airport literally just beyond. I went to capture the ASOS pretty early, and turned the squelch down to hear it. Which turned out to be the onyl way I could hear, even when on the ground at PTW. And, yes I was listening to Heritage. They even said it on the ASOS.I did have some traffic I could not communicate with around PTW. We all avoided each other without incident. I flew past the airport about 5NM to the south and entered the 45 for 28 with the winds from 300 at 7. 28 is Right Pattern. The traffic pattern altitude is 1109, and airport elevation was 309. First thing I did wrong was misjudge my downwind, and got closer than I would have liked. About 1/4 mile. Would of liked at least twice that. This is also the first time I had to deal with an 800agl Pattern altitude. I decided I would use a little more power on approach to reduce my descent rate. I probably could have used even a little more, as I saw double red on the PAPI as I was coming over the fence, and there was a displaced threshold. My landing was one of my better ones, and right down the middle. Could have departed the runway first intersection, but a plane was there waiting to cross the runway. I got off the runway, and then reorganized everything, and reprogrammed the GPS for the return trip. Before pulling onto RWY 28 for departure, they had a sign up to turn right after climbing 800'. I imagine this is due to the proximity of the Cooling Towers. I did take a few photos and wish I had snapped one of the towers as I was departing. After taking off, making my right turn, and passing by the towers, I made my turn to the south west to head home. This time the timer on the transponder did not automatically start after taking off. I started it late, and through me off a little bit. I climbed to 4500. Found my first checkpoint and was on my way. I was fine finding my checkpoints up to the Susquehana River. Beyond that, I could not spot one of my checkpoints that was so easy on the way in. I think this was due to the fact that I was bobbing and weaving around some clouds that were supposed to be at 5000. Nope, the bases were at what I would guess being 4700. It was also starting to become lgt turbulence, with a couple fun spots that might be what my inexperienced self will call mod turblence. I ended up using the GPS a little, also to verify I got down at the right time to get under Baltimore Bravo. As before, I tuned in ATIS early, and Read the Mail at GAI. All I had to do now is call Potomac. I called Potomac earlier than usual. Better safe than sorry. Now, at the lower altitude, I was busy keeping things level as well as controlling altitude. I was up, down, left right. As I got closer to GAI, the haze had become pretty thick in spots. In fact Potomac had called me to see if I had GAI in site. I let the controller know I was still looking. She still just treated that as if I had told her in site. It was pretty with VFR traffic when I departed GAI, and arrived back in. By the time I saw GAI, I was 5 miles. I let Potomac know, and switched over to the CTAF. No problems entering the pattern, or my approach in. The pattern had a few planes, but easy to enter. When I was about 1/8 mile from landing, an RV had called final number 2. I was thinking, this guy might have to go around. He was doing touch and gos. After I landed, when I was turning off the RWY, there was that RV touched down on the RWY. When I got past the hold line, he was down the RWY and lifting off again. RWY Incursion? Probably, luckily it worked out.
I made it back just in time for the instructor who needed it next. Good thing I didn't stop. It was a good day of flying. I got a few photos. And now, I can think about preparing for the checkride.
Thank you for reading!
About today's flight:
My Cross Country trip planned was for KGAI to KPTW. This is a 98 NM flight each way. I was flying in one of the flight schools Piper Sports. I had been watching the weather most of the week, hoping things would work out. Come last night, my only worry was there might be an airmet for mod to svr turbulence. There was, but luckily it was high altitude. On Thursday Evening, I worked out my flight plan for the flight school. On Friday night, I reviewed it again. This morning I called the briefer at 9AM filed, for 1030(1430Z). I received my standard briefing. What I had been seeing was now confirmed by the briefer, good to go. I arrived at the airport at 10AM. I met my instructor. I had flown with another instructor a couple of times, so she wanted to take a few laps around the pattern with me before signing me off. Something new we tried. Called into the briefer and amended my DC SFRA flight plan to do a few touch and gos and then depart the pattern. They had no problem with this at all. We pre flight the plane, we are starting to go, do the break check. Right break, nothing. Just resistance from the spring. The other planes are checked out. My instructor texts the flight school owner, and one of the other guys that can fix break. To conserve time, she decides we can go knock out the touch and gos. She will operate the breaks on the ground to steer us around. We knock those out, and land. She is able to negotiate with one of the other instructors to let me use the plane him and his student were going to use. He accepted the trade. The only compromise I had to make was no stopping to hang out in Pottstown. I want to stop and say "Hello" just because, but no big deal. My initial altitude out was 2500 out of the SFRA, and 3500 once out from under Baltimore Bravo. I did have the GPS programmed, however didn't need it. Was able to spot all my check points well in advance. My calculated times were within a minute, a couple almost dead on. My WCA was off a little due to a change in the winds. But, with the ability to see my check points well in advance, pretty easy to stay on course. Also, I am glad I picked PTW(Heritage). I caught the Cooling Towers of the power plant almost 40 miles out. Airport literally just beyond. I went to capture the ASOS pretty early, and turned the squelch down to hear it. Which turned out to be the onyl way I could hear, even when on the ground at PTW. And, yes I was listening to Heritage. They even said it on the ASOS.I did have some traffic I could not communicate with around PTW. We all avoided each other without incident. I flew past the airport about 5NM to the south and entered the 45 for 28 with the winds from 300 at 7. 28 is Right Pattern. The traffic pattern altitude is 1109, and airport elevation was 309. First thing I did wrong was misjudge my downwind, and got closer than I would have liked. About 1/4 mile. Would of liked at least twice that. This is also the first time I had to deal with an 800agl Pattern altitude. I decided I would use a little more power on approach to reduce my descent rate. I probably could have used even a little more, as I saw double red on the PAPI as I was coming over the fence, and there was a displaced threshold. My landing was one of my better ones, and right down the middle. Could have departed the runway first intersection, but a plane was there waiting to cross the runway. I got off the runway, and then reorganized everything, and reprogrammed the GPS for the return trip. Before pulling onto RWY 28 for departure, they had a sign up to turn right after climbing 800'. I imagine this is due to the proximity of the Cooling Towers. I did take a few photos and wish I had snapped one of the towers as I was departing. After taking off, making my right turn, and passing by the towers, I made my turn to the south west to head home. This time the timer on the transponder did not automatically start after taking off. I started it late, and through me off a little bit. I climbed to 4500. Found my first checkpoint and was on my way. I was fine finding my checkpoints up to the Susquehana River. Beyond that, I could not spot one of my checkpoints that was so easy on the way in. I think this was due to the fact that I was bobbing and weaving around some clouds that were supposed to be at 5000. Nope, the bases were at what I would guess being 4700. It was also starting to become lgt turbulence, with a couple fun spots that might be what my inexperienced self will call mod turblence. I ended up using the GPS a little, also to verify I got down at the right time to get under Baltimore Bravo. As before, I tuned in ATIS early, and Read the Mail at GAI. All I had to do now is call Potomac. I called Potomac earlier than usual. Better safe than sorry. Now, at the lower altitude, I was busy keeping things level as well as controlling altitude. I was up, down, left right. As I got closer to GAI, the haze had become pretty thick in spots. In fact Potomac had called me to see if I had GAI in site. I let the controller know I was still looking. She still just treated that as if I had told her in site. It was pretty with VFR traffic when I departed GAI, and arrived back in. By the time I saw GAI, I was 5 miles. I let Potomac know, and switched over to the CTAF. No problems entering the pattern, or my approach in. The pattern had a few planes, but easy to enter. When I was about 1/8 mile from landing, an RV had called final number 2. I was thinking, this guy might have to go around. He was doing touch and gos. After I landed, when I was turning off the RWY, there was that RV touched down on the RWY. When I got past the hold line, he was down the RWY and lifting off again. RWY Incursion? Probably, luckily it worked out.
I made it back just in time for the instructor who needed it next. Good thing I didn't stop. It was a good day of flying. I got a few photos. And now, I can think about preparing for the checkride.
Thank you for reading!
