Stepped in KRAP

[morleyz]

I'm not sure if this is a legit lessons learned or not, but I definitely learned a lesson.

Approaching KRAP from the east, about 4 miles south of field heading roughly due west. Winds are favoring 32, although they're light and I could have probably taken 23 just fine. It's pretty busy, there are 2-3 regionals coming in as well as 2-3 GA aircraft. I make my radio call at 12 out because it was quiet for a minute and I'm thinking adding another GA aircraft might need a little extra time. I planned and assumed from the ASOS that I'd either get a direct to left base for 23 or a direct to right base for 32 based on my position on where everyone else is (I'm now basically directly south east of the field). Tower throws a curve at me and says report midfield right downwind for 32. In retrospect, this was obviously to make me take longer so I could mix in better, but I was surprised. I immediately turned on a 320 heading to parallel the runway and 180 into a midfield right downwind.

This was my first visit to KRAP and I read all the warnings. Don't get mixed up with Ellsworth. Don't land at Ellsworth. Don't bust their airspace. Easy, KRAP has 2 runways. Ellsworth has 1 runway and it's 14 million miles long. Nobody could confuse those.

Back to my flying 320 towards my midfield right downwind, I have a couple of miles left to go before executing my 180 when I hear "MORON (that's my call sign in this post), looks like you're lined up for Ellsworth. Left turn 270 for your right downwind"

I turn 270 and I'm mortified to see KRAP right in front of me and I'd gone nearly to the departure end of 32. Not sure what it is about Ellsworth, but it just shines right there in the distance.

So I guess that's two lessons learned. 1) Don't be surprised when the controller gives you something you weren't expecting, but also 2) Make sure you're approaching the airport you think you're landing at.

I'm surprised by how busy the commercial traffic is at KRAP. I'm now eternally embarrassed that they all had to listen to me fumble the ball.

 

[Jim Rosenow]

Good advice! We landed at KRAP a couple years ago on the way to Yellowstone. Great vis and we saw Ellsworth l-o-n-g b4 KRAP showed up.

Question is, did you get the 'flew thru KRAP' t-shirts? . We did! ;-)

Jim

 

[flyingron]

I did RAP a few years ago on our way out to the Navion convention in Cody. Neat place.

 

[Clip4]

If you have a G5 HSI or similar, this is where that bearing pointer comes in nicely.

 

[morleyz]

If you have a G5 HSI or similar, this is where that bearing pointer comes in nicely.

Funny you mention this. Had I been thinking about it this way, I would have looked down at my G5 HSI and noticed the GPS pointer that was still programmed to my flight plan swinging around to the west and southwest. I had transitioned to completely visual at this point and frankly was just mistaken about which airport I was visually flying to. Thanks for the reminder that I have backup data in the panel.

 

[morleyz]

Good advice! We landed at KRAP a couple years ago on the way to Yellowstone. Great vis and we saw Ellsworth l-o-n-g b4 KRAP showed up.

Question is, did you get the 'flew thru KRAP' t-shirts? . We did! ;-)

Jim

I didn't. I was going to on my way out, but the line staff annoyed me by not having fuel my plane over the 3 days they had it and leaving it out back even though their roster had my requested departure time. I took some pens though. LOL

 

[wayneda40]

I realize that the following will be called out as a "crutch"... but it's a crutch I often shamelessly use and benefit from:

 

[morleyz]

I realize that the following will be called out as a "crutch"... but it's a crutch I often shamelessly use and benefit from:

I'll have to check that out. I'm not a huge fan of pushing buttons in the cockpit when I'm low and approaching a busy airport, but with some practice I could see how this would be very helpful.

 

[40YearDream]

First ride I ever had in a small plane - a friend in the college flying club took me (and 2 others) up in the club 172, out of RAP. Could only dream of having the money to join the club and get trained, back then. All I could (barely) afford was r/c models. At that time, RAP didn't have a control tower. Just imagine - 'big iron' passenger jets making calls on a CTAF!

 

[BillTIZ]

KRAP is south of the interstate, KRCA is north of the interstate. Its hard to see the interstate, its down in the ditch separating the two airports.

 

[francisco collazos]

I like the feature on Foreflight that allows you to select the entry into each runway and will show the diagram on the map. Of course this requires enough time to input it into the EFB.

 

[Z06_Mir]

Good advice! We landed at KRAP a couple years ago on the way to Yellowstone. Great vis and we saw Ellsworth l-o-n-g b4 KRAP showed up.

Question is, did you get the 'flew thru KRAP' t-shirts? . We did! ;-)

Jim

The merch is the best KRAP around

KRAP is south of the interstate, KRCA is north of the interstate. Its hard to see the interstate, its down in the ditch separating the two airports.

If you follow the interstate from the east it is easier but from the west it's a challenge especially with the city and terrain.

Rapid City is one of those airports that if you have an instrument rating it's just best to back-up the approach even if you're on the visual or VFR. It unfortunately happens from time-to-time where either a 172 size airplane lands at Ellsworth, or Delta lands there.

 

[Wyoav8rntx]

I learned to fly in Northeast Wyoming, and flew into Rapid City a number of times. This was back in the mid-80s, and I have not flown there since. That being said, the only thing that distinguished KRAP from Ellsworth were the B52's lifting off the long runway just to the north. Those birds made it virtually impossible for me to land at the wrong place. That being said, had they not been taking off and landing at the times I flew into Rapid City, it would have been easy to mistake the two fields.

 

[Wild Cat]

I'm not sure if this is a legit lessons learned or not, but I definitely learned a lesson.

Approaching KRAP from the east, about 4 miles south of field heading roughly due west. Winds are favoring 32, although they're light and I could have probably taken 23 just fine. It's pretty busy, there are 2-3 regionals coming in as well as 2-3 GA aircraft. I make my radio call at 12 out because it was quiet for a minute and I'm thinking adding another GA aircraft might need a little extra time. I planned and assumed from the ASOS that I'd either get a direct to left base for 23 or a direct to right base for 32 based on my position on where everyone else is (I'm now basically directly south east of the field). Tower throws a curve at me and says report midfield right downwind for 32. In retrospect, this was obviously to make me take longer so I could mix in better, but I was surprised. I immediately turned on a 320 heading to parallel the runway and 180 into a midfield right downwind.

This was my first visit to KRAP and I read all the warnings. Don't get mixed up with Ellsworth. Don't land at Ellsworth. Don't bust their airspace. Easy, KRAP has 2 runways. Ellsworth has 1 runway and it's 14 million miles long. Nobody could confuse those.

Back to my flying 320 towards my midfield right downwind, I have a couple of miles left to go before executing my 180 when I hear "MORON (that's my call sign in this post), looks like you're lined up for Ellsworth. Left turn 270 for your right downwind"

I turn 270 and I'm mortified to see KRAP right in front of me and I'd gone nearly to the departure end of 32. Not sure what it is about Ellsworth, but it just shines right there in the distance.

So I guess that's two lessons learned. 1) Don't be surprised when the controller gives you something you weren't expecting, but also 2) Make sure you're approaching the airport you think you're landing at.

I'm surprised by how busy the commercial traffic is at KRAP. I'm now eternally embarrassed that they all had to listen to me fumble the ball.

Don't worry about fumbling the ball at KRAP Morley. I can assure you that everybody, including me, has "fumbled the ball" in their recent and/or distant past.

 

[Adventure]

KRAP must be a hard one to spot. My wife and I flew there last week in CAVU skies on an IFR plan. We were descended to 5500 as I recall (2300agl), and asked to expect the visual, advise in sight. Neither of us can see it after at least a couple o'clock and distance call-outs. Eventually the approach controller says on the last one "sorry but if you don't see the field within the next three miles I'm going to have to assign you the ILS 23." Wasn't expecting all that button-pushing on the 650. Lesson learned. Admittedly was a lot of heads-down getting the plate visible and the approach and frequencies loaded while spinning the bug with vectoring calls all at the same time - but I wish I could bottle up that "Aha!" (or, "I'm dumb") moment when you look up to see a big black drag strip filling the windshield that you know was there the whole time.

On departure a few days later the controller was super nice and helpful for us to fly a loop around the needles and past the Rushmore faces before heading out. I had spent a lot of time in the black hills but never from the air so it was really fun to see. Overall a fun weekend. Not KRAPpy at all.

 

[BillTIZ]

The BIG AIR FORCE BASE on the north side of the interstate is easier to see. Not much air traffic to the AF Base right now as the Bones are deployed to Grand Forks ND while they get the runway ready for the new B-21. Once you spy the AF Base, look to the south across the ditch that the interstate hides in. Its on its own bluff to the south.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I'll have to check that out. I'm not a huge fan of pushing buttons in the cockpit when I'm low and approaching a busy airport, but with some practice I could see how this would be very helpful.

You can also bring up the attitude indicator on the map page, which gives you a PFD-style view and includes synthetic vision with airport markers.

You can also bring up the 3D View from an airport and pan around to see what it'll look like arriving there and on final for each runway.

Lots of options.

 

[DM48066]

Hello morleyz, first, thank you for sharing your experience regarding your approach into KRAP. Also know that you are not the first or the last pilot to have this kind of error in situational awareness. I am an instrument pilot so I frequently fly into airports that are not know to me and often do this at night. I fly with a 430 WAAS and have made the practice of loading a approach to the runway I intend to land in the box. If I am VFR during the day I load the transition vectors-to-final and follow the magenta line in. Note I never load vectors-to-final when on a IFR approach because of the loss of all the related way points. At night and in VFR I like to load the approach and intercept just outside of the FAF. This gives me some vertical guidance as well as lateral reference. I too often have trouble finding the airport and using the 430 really help me line up and land on the correct runway at the corrent airport .

By the way, I once landed at the wrong airport at night. Both non-toward airports were within 5 miles of each other and at night with all the city lights I got confused. Anyway that experience started my using the process above.

Hope this helps.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Hello morleyz, first, thank you for sharing your experience regarding your approach into KRAP. Also know that you are not the first or the last pilot to have this kind of error in situational awareness. I am an instrument pilot so I frequently fly into airports that are not know to me and often do this at night. I fly with a 430 WAAS and have made the practice of loading a approach to the runway I intend to land in the box. If I am VFR during the day I load the transition vectors-to-final and follow the magenta line in. Note I never load vectors-to-final when on a IFR approach because of the loss of all the related way points. At night and in VFR I like to load the approach and intercept just outside of the FAF. This gives me some vertical guidance as well as lateral reference. I too often have trouble finding the airport and using the 430 really help me line up and land on the correct runway at the corrent airport .

This is also what professional flight crews do.

 

[DM48066]

Hello, Flyingcheesehead. I see you fly a Mooney. That is a fantastic little airplane. I have around 200 hours in a J model and about 70 in an M (Johnson Bar). I really miss them.

I am aware that many pilots dislike pressing buttons when approaching the airport for landing. However, I've discovered that you can set up the GPS/boxes well in advance. My habit is to file IFR at all times, and in as many years, I almost always get the transition I put on the flight plan. When working with the center, they see these details recorded in my flight plan. However, Class C approach controls do not see this level of detail, so unless the center tells them, you need to request what you filed. I include, "We are expecting approach (type of approach) starting at (XYZ transition),” when I tag up with approach control. Not to belabor the point, but this method of interception outside the FAF provides adequate time to stabilize the approach. Professional flight crews also use and are require to establish a stabilized approach, and it is a required callout: “Stable, Landing.”

It seems that you already know all of this, but we hope sharing here helps others who might want to explore these procedures.

Thank you for your kind post.

 

[billsgs126]

KRAP is south of the interstate, KRCA is north of the interstate. Its hard to see the interstate, its down in the ditch separating the two airports.

What if you aren't flying IFR (IFI) ?

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Hello, Flyingcheesehead. I see you fly a Mooney. That is a fantastic little airplane. I have around 200 hours in a J model and about 70 in an M (Johnson Bar). I really miss them.

Interesting. I didn't realize the Bravo ever came with a Johnson Bar. Definitely great birds either way. The first one I flew was a J and I was instantly a fan.

I am aware that many pilots dislike pressing buttons when approaching the airport for landing. However, I've discovered that you can set up the GPS/boxes well in advance.

Even before takeoff! I generally wait until I pick up the ATIS/AWOS so I am sure of my runway selection, but that's still 30-40 miles out and I can easily get an approach loaded before things get busy.

Not to belabor the point, but this method of interception outside the FAF provides adequate time to stabilize the approach. Professional flight crews also use and are require to establish a stabilized approach, and it is a required callout: “Stable, Landing.”

It seems that you already know all of this, but we hope sharing here helps others who might want to explore these procedures.

There's a lot of useful things that professional flight crews do that could be useful to GA, if only the FAA were a bit better at sharing both the techniques and the reasons behind them.

 

[DM48066]

Hello FlyingCheeseHead, My experience with MOONEY was in a M20J N5669M 1984 all electric. I cut my teeth in N9215M M20E 1969 which had hydraulic flaps and Johnson Bar landing gear. Thanks for the questions it prompted me to go back to my Log Book. The process was fun because it gave me an opportunity to revisit all the fantastic trips made in those great little airplanes.

 

[DM48066]

Hello Billsgs126, I don't fly a lot of VFR, unfortunately, and even when the WX is VFR I almost always file IFR. I do VFR in the pattern and air work mostly. For me, the first thing to go in currency is the processes used during flight. I do a lot better if I use the same process each time I fly and only deviate during training or as conditions dictate. I had a CFI tell me one time that I should "fly like I train and train like I fly." That seems to work for me. Thank you for the question. How about you? Do you fly a lot of VFR?

 

[billsgs126]

Hello Billsgs126, I don't fly a lot of VFR, unfortunately, and even when the WX is VFR I almost always file IFR. I do VFR in the pattern and air work mostly. For me, the first thing to go in currency is the processes used during flight. I do a lot better if I use the same process each time I fly and only deviate during training or as conditions dictate. I had a CFI tell me one time that I should "fly like I train and train like I fly." That seems to work for me. Thank you for the question. How about you? Do you fly a lot of VFR?

I was making a joke about the "I Follow Roads" form of IFR. And "real" IFR will offer a different Nu for KRAP and Ellsworth.

There is a distinction between flying for fun and money. Which to me is a day spent going nowhere in particular, just seeing how long I can stay aloft, or which wavy line, rough triangle, quadrilateral, or pentagram I can make without an outlanding. (Although there are a few clubs that have cooperative agreements and you can get a trophy and tow to 2-3k if you make it there.) For me, flying for fun is always hands-on VFR. In appropriate weather flying VFR for money can be fun too.

I usually file IFR for work. But the lights around Saginaw Bay, Lake St. Clair, and Lake Erie are very pretty at night.