flyingcheesehead
Touchdown! Greaser!
OK, enough posting about political crap and various ponderings about flying... Time to post about some actual flights!
And, for this one, actual was the word. 1.5 hours of it!
I'm trying to get some actual whenever possible now that I have the IR so that 1) I can keep the skills up and 2) so I can enjoy flying IFR without a squawking CFII in the right seat. 
This was only my second flight in actual since getting my IR, and the last one was kind of a "just-to-get-the-ticket-wet" effort, since I had to climb to 7,000 feet to get in the tiny layer. This one, however, was the real deal. Madison wasn't too bad yet, but KSTE was looking like it might get pretty gloomy. I filed to KSTE at 4,000 with KCWA as my alternate, did the usual preflight dance, and launched into the wild gray yonder off runway 21 with a healthy crosswind.
After being vectored to the west of the airport to avoid all the arrivals on 18 during my climb, I was initially given a vector to intercept the airway, but almost immediately thereafter MSN warned me of some Level 2 returns in my path and offered vectors around it. I gratefully accepted.
The silence in the cockpit was pierced by the voice of my CFII... But it was through the radio, he was in N3421E with another student.
I had busted through a couple of clouds during the climb, but broke out long enough to watch the ominous dark gray monster I was being vectored around for a little bit before going into the muck for good.
After the lenghty departure (all the vectors probably took me on a 45nm or so path just to make the first 20nm of the trip), Madison advised me that they showed no further weather in my path and handed me off to Chicago Center.
At this point, I tuned the AWOS for STE: 3 miles, scattered layers at 800 and 1900, broken at 4300. I missed the temp/dp the first time through so I listened again. This time, the 1900 foot layer was broken. I knew I was expecting it to be even worse, but I also knew I was at 4000 MSL a ways out and still in solid IMC.
After a short time I was handed off to Minneapolis Center. It sounded like a quiet day, and they cleared me for "The approach" to STE almost right away. I'd never been given such a vague clearance before, so after I read it back I informed them that I'd be doing the VOR 21 approach.
Speaking of the approach, time to set up for it:
P - about 32 miles from STE
A - Got it already
I - Compass checks, altimeter 29.94
N - STE already tuned on both navs... But we want AUW on Nav2 in case of DME failure. Tune, Identify, Twist to the radial for the first intersection we'll use.
C - Talking to Center on #1, monitoring CTAF on #2.
A - OK, we're going to cross the VOR, fly outbound on the 025 radial to PESTY at 5 DME, start the timer, begin the descent to 2800, fly two minutes, procedure turn to the right, twist to 205, intercept the FAC, down to 2600, wait for PESTY at 5 DME, 5 T's and descent to 1600 until 2.1 DME. Non-DME mins 1600, DME mins 1580 circling, 1500 straight in. Miss straight ahead to 2800, then back to the VOR. Piece of cake (well, after briefing it about 3 times anyway...)
L - Pump on, switch tanks, landing light on.
L - Already got the clearance.
"Minnie Center" gave me a descent to 2800 and asked for a report inbound on the FAC. I thought, based on the earlier weather observation, that I might end up below the clouds at that point, but I lucked out - Nothing but gray.
After crossing STE, Center asked where I was. "Outbound to PESTY." They reiterated the call for a report inbound on the FAC. I almost forgot to twist the OBS to 205 from 025, but caught it in the last half of the 180 part of the procedure turn. Minnie center asked for another position report. (C'mon guys, I'm flying a slow plane here...)
Finally, the needle came alive and I turned inbound and reported to Center. They turned me loose. I switched to transmitting on CTAF and monitoring Center and gave a position report on CTAF.
Cross the fix, and down I go (Still in IMC too)... But not before double-checking, after my checkride incident! OK, 5 DME... I'm OK to descend... Really, I am! But only down to 1600 until I hit 2.1 DME!
I finally broke out at about 1800-1900 MSL (700-800 AGL). Ground contact, anyway. Still no sign of the airport. As I approached 2.1 DME, I began to wonder if I'd make it in. The weather had been deteriorating the entire time I was flying the approach. I finally saw the approach lights and the VASI after I was already a bit above it. A moment later, most of runway 21 and all of the intersecting 12/30 were in view, and I broke off to circle. Hey, those trees are big!
At this point it wasn't too much of an effort - When I began the circle-to-land maneuver, I basically just made a 90 degree right turn to enter a left downwind for 12. (The wind was going right down that runway at a pretty good clip.) I flipped the audio panel back to Com1 for a second, canceled IFR, turned base and final and landed. Success!
I walked inside and chatted with some folks for a bit. I was surprised at the number of people hanging around in the FBO in the evening on a crummy gray day, but it turned out there was a CAP meeting that night. I got a signature on my Wisconsin Airport Challenge form and headed back out to the plane.
It began to rain, so I ducked into the plane as quickly as I could. I fired up, taxied to the runway, did my runup, and called for my clearance. I got my clearance at :36 with a void time of :43. I pulled onto the runway at :37 and added power, only to be greeted by some roughness I didn't particularly like. I aborted the takeoff and quickly taxied back for a full-power runup. With the mixture an inch or two back from full rich, the roughness went away. Back onto the runway, and into the air.
This is where I made a scary mistake. Just as I was entering the muck, I realized that I hadn't looked at the Obstacle DP for STE.
Two things led to this: Obstacle DP is on my checklist, but it's handwritten, as I hadn't had it on my checklist the last time I printed out a copy. The other thing is that I let the engine problem distract me, and the approaching void time rush me. If I hadn't been in a hurry and thinking about the engine so much, I probably would have pulled out the checklist one more time.
Luckily, I'm quite familiar with the terrain around STE as I drive through there once or twice a week. Also, being alone and having burned over an hour's fuel on the way up, the plane was climbing quite well. I kept it pointed up until reaching the MEA (only about a minute and a half) and breathed a sigh of relief. I thanked my bag of luck, and added another entry to the "Valuable lessons learned" column.
In the midst of all that, another plane had been looking for me on Minnie Center frequency. I'd been about 100-200 AGL at the time so I ignored the call for the moment, trying them back at a safer altitude. I didn't get either on the first try, but Center answered on the second try. They kept asking for position and altitude reports, and I found out why a couple of minutes later as a freight dog checked in out of STE. Center didn't get radar contact on me until about 3500 MSL.
Underway back to MSN at 5000, I was solidly in the muck and it was mostly smooth... Until about 38 from STE, when there was a sudden lurch and I was stuck in moderate turbulence for about 5 miles. The worst bump put me in a sudden 40-degree bank to the right, and I silently thanked my CFII for all the unusual attitude practice.
As quickly as the bumps came, they went completely away and I was back in smooth air. The rest of the time I spent on Center frequencies was fairly uneventful.
After being handed off to Madison, I was advised to expect vectors to a visual approach to 18. ATIS was reporting 6SM BR FEW028 BKN043 OVC070. However, a minute later I heard them advising a plane on approach into Morey that there was a cell almost on top of Morey. I pulled out the ILS 18 and began briefing it just in case. When I was nearly done, Approach told me that I should expect the ILS to 18 instead of the visual. Kudos again to my CFII for instilling good thought processes!
Eventually I was given a slight vector to line me up with the final approach course, WAY out. I was cleared to intercept the localizer at 5,000 feet and did so somewhere near the service volume limits.
I was also told to keep my speed up - I had two jets chasing me in on the approach! I flew the approach at 115 knots. Normally at MSN, when landing to the south the airlines use the ILS 18 and the bugsmashers, smaller corp jets, etc. use the ILS 21. However, the ILS 21 glideslope was OTS so they were trying to cram all of their traffic onto the same approach. They apparently did an excellent job, as I didn't hear any holds and vectors given were minimal.
I broke out of the clouds at 3500 feet and saw the shimmering lights of De Forest but no sign of the airport. Shortly thereafter, I spotted the PAPI and then the rest of the lights (there are a lot of them - TDZ lights, centerline lights, etc - but they were on low intensity).
I screamed down toward the runway as quickly as possible, then pulled power on about a 1/2 mile final and held the glideslope until the white arc before adding flaps (one... two... three notches). It doesn't take much to dissipate energy on an Archer with its wheel pants off, so I still managed a reasonable speed once I got to the flare, and got the plane off at Charlie.
After shutdown I headed inside for a moment and was about to leave when I noticed our other Archer had taxied up. He'd arrived VFR from the opposite direction (where the weather was better) and just as he shut down, the skies opened up.
We had a good laugh about that together while waiting it out in the FBO, and finally it slacked off and another day of flying fun was over as we both got back to the real world.
And, for this one, actual was the word. 1.5 hours of it!
I'm trying to get some actual whenever possible now that I have the IR so that 1) I can keep the skills up and 2) so I can enjoy flying IFR without a squawking CFII in the right seat. This was only my second flight in actual since getting my IR, and the last one was kind of a "just-to-get-the-ticket-wet" effort, since I had to climb to 7,000 feet to get in the tiny layer. This one, however, was the real deal. Madison wasn't too bad yet, but KSTE was looking like it might get pretty gloomy. I filed to KSTE at 4,000 with KCWA as my alternate, did the usual preflight dance, and launched into the wild gray yonder off runway 21 with a healthy crosswind.
After being vectored to the west of the airport to avoid all the arrivals on 18 during my climb, I was initially given a vector to intercept the airway, but almost immediately thereafter MSN warned me of some Level 2 returns in my path and offered vectors around it. I gratefully accepted.
The silence in the cockpit was pierced by the voice of my CFII... But it was through the radio, he was in N3421E with another student.
I had busted through a couple of clouds during the climb, but broke out long enough to watch the ominous dark gray monster I was being vectored around for a little bit before going into the muck for good.
After the lenghty departure (all the vectors probably took me on a 45nm or so path just to make the first 20nm of the trip), Madison advised me that they showed no further weather in my path and handed me off to Chicago Center.
At this point, I tuned the AWOS for STE: 3 miles, scattered layers at 800 and 1900, broken at 4300. I missed the temp/dp the first time through so I listened again. This time, the 1900 foot layer was broken. I knew I was expecting it to be even worse, but I also knew I was at 4000 MSL a ways out and still in solid IMC.
After a short time I was handed off to Minneapolis Center. It sounded like a quiet day, and they cleared me for "The approach" to STE almost right away. I'd never been given such a vague clearance before, so after I read it back I informed them that I'd be doing the VOR 21 approach.
Speaking of the approach, time to set up for it:
P - about 32 miles from STE
A - Got it already
I - Compass checks, altimeter 29.94
N - STE already tuned on both navs... But we want AUW on Nav2 in case of DME failure. Tune, Identify, Twist to the radial for the first intersection we'll use.
C - Talking to Center on #1, monitoring CTAF on #2.
A - OK, we're going to cross the VOR, fly outbound on the 025 radial to PESTY at 5 DME, start the timer, begin the descent to 2800, fly two minutes, procedure turn to the right, twist to 205, intercept the FAC, down to 2600, wait for PESTY at 5 DME, 5 T's and descent to 1600 until 2.1 DME. Non-DME mins 1600, DME mins 1580 circling, 1500 straight in. Miss straight ahead to 2800, then back to the VOR. Piece of cake (well, after briefing it about 3 times anyway...)
L - Pump on, switch tanks, landing light on.
L - Already got the clearance.
"Minnie Center" gave me a descent to 2800 and asked for a report inbound on the FAC. I thought, based on the earlier weather observation, that I might end up below the clouds at that point, but I lucked out - Nothing but gray.
After crossing STE, Center asked where I was. "Outbound to PESTY." They reiterated the call for a report inbound on the FAC. I almost forgot to twist the OBS to 205 from 025, but caught it in the last half of the 180 part of the procedure turn. Minnie center asked for another position report. (C'mon guys, I'm flying a slow plane here...)
Finally, the needle came alive and I turned inbound and reported to Center. They turned me loose. I switched to transmitting on CTAF and monitoring Center and gave a position report on CTAF.
Cross the fix, and down I go (Still in IMC too)... But not before double-checking, after my checkride incident! OK, 5 DME... I'm OK to descend... Really, I am! But only down to 1600 until I hit 2.1 DME!
I finally broke out at about 1800-1900 MSL (700-800 AGL). Ground contact, anyway. Still no sign of the airport. As I approached 2.1 DME, I began to wonder if I'd make it in. The weather had been deteriorating the entire time I was flying the approach. I finally saw the approach lights and the VASI after I was already a bit above it. A moment later, most of runway 21 and all of the intersecting 12/30 were in view, and I broke off to circle. Hey, those trees are big!
At this point it wasn't too much of an effort - When I began the circle-to-land maneuver, I basically just made a 90 degree right turn to enter a left downwind for 12. (The wind was going right down that runway at a pretty good clip.) I flipped the audio panel back to Com1 for a second, canceled IFR, turned base and final and landed. Success!
I walked inside and chatted with some folks for a bit. I was surprised at the number of people hanging around in the FBO in the evening on a crummy gray day, but it turned out there was a CAP meeting that night. I got a signature on my Wisconsin Airport Challenge form and headed back out to the plane.
It began to rain, so I ducked into the plane as quickly as I could. I fired up, taxied to the runway, did my runup, and called for my clearance. I got my clearance at :36 with a void time of :43. I pulled onto the runway at :37 and added power, only to be greeted by some roughness I didn't particularly like. I aborted the takeoff and quickly taxied back for a full-power runup. With the mixture an inch or two back from full rich, the roughness went away. Back onto the runway, and into the air.
This is where I made a scary mistake. Just as I was entering the muck, I realized that I hadn't looked at the Obstacle DP for STE.
Two things led to this: Obstacle DP is on my checklist, but it's handwritten, as I hadn't had it on my checklist the last time I printed out a copy. The other thing is that I let the engine problem distract me, and the approaching void time rush me. If I hadn't been in a hurry and thinking about the engine so much, I probably would have pulled out the checklist one more time.Luckily, I'm quite familiar with the terrain around STE as I drive through there once or twice a week. Also, being alone and having burned over an hour's fuel on the way up, the plane was climbing quite well. I kept it pointed up until reaching the MEA (only about a minute and a half) and breathed a sigh of relief. I thanked my bag of luck, and added another entry to the "Valuable lessons learned" column.
In the midst of all that, another plane had been looking for me on Minnie Center frequency. I'd been about 100-200 AGL at the time so I ignored the call for the moment, trying them back at a safer altitude. I didn't get either on the first try, but Center answered on the second try. They kept asking for position and altitude reports, and I found out why a couple of minutes later as a freight dog checked in out of STE. Center didn't get radar contact on me until about 3500 MSL.
Underway back to MSN at 5000, I was solidly in the muck and it was mostly smooth... Until about 38 from STE, when there was a sudden lurch and I was stuck in moderate turbulence for about 5 miles. The worst bump put me in a sudden 40-degree bank to the right, and I silently thanked my CFII for all the unusual attitude practice.
As quickly as the bumps came, they went completely away and I was back in smooth air. The rest of the time I spent on Center frequencies was fairly uneventful.
After being handed off to Madison, I was advised to expect vectors to a visual approach to 18. ATIS was reporting 6SM BR FEW028 BKN043 OVC070. However, a minute later I heard them advising a plane on approach into Morey that there was a cell almost on top of Morey. I pulled out the ILS 18 and began briefing it just in case. When I was nearly done, Approach told me that I should expect the ILS to 18 instead of the visual. Kudos again to my CFII for instilling good thought processes!
Eventually I was given a slight vector to line me up with the final approach course, WAY out. I was cleared to intercept the localizer at 5,000 feet and did so somewhere near the service volume limits.
I was also told to keep my speed up - I had two jets chasing me in on the approach! I flew the approach at 115 knots. Normally at MSN, when landing to the south the airlines use the ILS 18 and the bugsmashers, smaller corp jets, etc. use the ILS 21. However, the ILS 21 glideslope was OTS so they were trying to cram all of their traffic onto the same approach. They apparently did an excellent job, as I didn't hear any holds and vectors given were minimal.
I broke out of the clouds at 3500 feet and saw the shimmering lights of De Forest but no sign of the airport. Shortly thereafter, I spotted the PAPI and then the rest of the lights (there are a lot of them - TDZ lights, centerline lights, etc - but they were on low intensity).
I screamed down toward the runway as quickly as possible, then pulled power on about a 1/2 mile final and held the glideslope until the white arc before adding flaps (one... two... three notches). It doesn't take much to dissipate energy on an Archer with its wheel pants off, so I still managed a reasonable speed once I got to the flare, and got the plane off at Charlie.
After shutdown I headed inside for a moment and was about to leave when I noticed our other Archer had taxied up. He'd arrived VFR from the opposite direction (where the weather was better) and just as he shut down, the skies opened up.
We had a good laugh about that together while waiting it out in the FBO, and finally it slacked off and another day of flying fun was over as we both got back to the real world.
Live and learn, I guess.
