kevin7500
Pre-takeoff checklist
I have been reading quite a bit about new pilots and the apprehension that comes along with getting kicked out of the nest, so to speak. So, I decided to put together a recap of my first hundred hours.
After I got my certificate I logged about 10 hours of instrument training. Not because I was going to immediately pursue the rating, but rather to gain experience with one of the leading killers of low time pilots.....VFR into IMC. I also used this time to experience some things with an instructor in the plane. We flew over lake Michigan on an IFR flight plan at 8,000' that would have been a short transit just a bit north of Chicago's airspace. About 10 miles out we were vectored at 310 which added many miles of open water, in the winter. On the way back we flew over an overcast layer and filed a PIREP, at the request of ATC, regarding the ice we picked up during our descent through it (trace amounts on the fuel caps, overcast layer about 200' thick, etc).
At 70 hours of logged time we (my wife and I) took off from 35D with a final destination of MYCA in the Bahamas. Following is a list of "firsts" experienced during that trip:
-Flight following is just that, following. When I notified ATC that my destination was changing, the response was something like "Are you cancelling flight following", um....."No, change destination to Kxxx"...."Frequency change approved, squawk VFR"...."Squawk VFR, thanks"
-Flying toward a weather front can look really bad!
-Diverting to an alternate fuel stop because of weather is easy.
-It can be very hot in Georgia in June and the inside of a Warrior gets hot fast. Vents in a Warrior work best at cruise speed and altitude.
-Crop dusters may land with the wind and without any radio communication. I learned this as I looked to the departure end of the runway before taxiing out to leave. This was not a crosswind....he landed with a tailwind.
-Not all rural airports have hotels near them. An airplane backseat is a poor substitute but there are fewer bugs than outside.
-The corridor between Orlando and Kennedy Space Center is very busy!
-After 3.5 hours at 9,500', a straight in approach may result in a go-around. Nope, not even close to getting on the ground.
-Taxiing past the FBO sucks.
-Key Air has a tiny sign (see above)
-ATC ground control has a sense of humor (see above)..."left turn in 50 feet"...D'oh...."thank-you"...(giggles from passenger seat)
-Crew cars are a pretty sweet perk. Key Air had a Nissan Altima with about 2,000 miles on it.
-Planes make funny noises as soon as they are over water.
-There are always boats in sight to crash land near should there be a problem.
-Flying into an uncontrolled airport that also has turbo prop and jet traffic is interesting. Parking a 70's Warrior next to a newish Citation jet is intimidating. Corporate jet pilots thought we were the lucky ones...flying into the Bahamas without any schedule to meet.
-The 10,000' runway on Cat Island is big enough to land on sideways. The FBO parking is big enough to land in. Our Warrior looked tiny and alone.
-Big thunderstorms are easy to see from a long distance. Big thunderstorms are difficult to see when closer against a pale background. Thunderstorm tops are really high!
-Head winds suck in slow planes.
-Not all airports have self serve fuel pumps after hours.
-Some mechanics fly to work.
-Being over an overcast layer for a long time leaves you with nothing to do other than compare the GPS position with VORs and sectionals. That and hope that the weather forecast for the destination is right.
-Gusty cross wind landings are not my wife's favorite thing.
-A yorkie will lay in the backseat sleeping until short final. Then it wants to be on your lap looking out the window.
-Everyone involved in general aviation, from line guys to retirees hanging out at the airports to customs at Fort Pierce, is extremely friendly.
After I got my certificate I logged about 10 hours of instrument training. Not because I was going to immediately pursue the rating, but rather to gain experience with one of the leading killers of low time pilots.....VFR into IMC. I also used this time to experience some things with an instructor in the plane. We flew over lake Michigan on an IFR flight plan at 8,000' that would have been a short transit just a bit north of Chicago's airspace. About 10 miles out we were vectored at 310 which added many miles of open water, in the winter. On the way back we flew over an overcast layer and filed a PIREP, at the request of ATC, regarding the ice we picked up during our descent through it (trace amounts on the fuel caps, overcast layer about 200' thick, etc).
At 70 hours of logged time we (my wife and I) took off from 35D with a final destination of MYCA in the Bahamas. Following is a list of "firsts" experienced during that trip:
-Flight following is just that, following. When I notified ATC that my destination was changing, the response was something like "Are you cancelling flight following", um....."No, change destination to Kxxx"...."Frequency change approved, squawk VFR"...."Squawk VFR, thanks"
-Flying toward a weather front can look really bad!
-Diverting to an alternate fuel stop because of weather is easy.
-It can be very hot in Georgia in June and the inside of a Warrior gets hot fast. Vents in a Warrior work best at cruise speed and altitude.
-Crop dusters may land with the wind and without any radio communication. I learned this as I looked to the departure end of the runway before taxiing out to leave. This was not a crosswind....he landed with a tailwind.
-Not all rural airports have hotels near them. An airplane backseat is a poor substitute but there are fewer bugs than outside.
-The corridor between Orlando and Kennedy Space Center is very busy!
-After 3.5 hours at 9,500', a straight in approach may result in a go-around. Nope, not even close to getting on the ground.
-Taxiing past the FBO sucks.
-Key Air has a tiny sign (see above)
-ATC ground control has a sense of humor (see above)..."left turn in 50 feet"...D'oh...."thank-you"...(giggles from passenger seat)
-Crew cars are a pretty sweet perk. Key Air had a Nissan Altima with about 2,000 miles on it.
-Planes make funny noises as soon as they are over water.
-There are always boats in sight to crash land near should there be a problem.
-Flying into an uncontrolled airport that also has turbo prop and jet traffic is interesting. Parking a 70's Warrior next to a newish Citation jet is intimidating. Corporate jet pilots thought we were the lucky ones...flying into the Bahamas without any schedule to meet.
-The 10,000' runway on Cat Island is big enough to land on sideways. The FBO parking is big enough to land in. Our Warrior looked tiny and alone.
-Big thunderstorms are easy to see from a long distance. Big thunderstorms are difficult to see when closer against a pale background. Thunderstorm tops are really high!
-Head winds suck in slow planes.
-Not all airports have self serve fuel pumps after hours.
-Some mechanics fly to work.
-Being over an overcast layer for a long time leaves you with nothing to do other than compare the GPS position with VORs and sectionals. That and hope that the weather forecast for the destination is right.
-Gusty cross wind landings are not my wife's favorite thing.
-A yorkie will lay in the backseat sleeping until short final. Then it wants to be on your lap looking out the window.
-Everyone involved in general aviation, from line guys to retirees hanging out at the airports to customs at Fort Pierce, is extremely friendly.