see it from the air - lesson 51
Oct. 28th, 2006 07:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
slipstreamsurfrThe focus on today was to take the Cheetah out, do a round robin between fields that I may not have been to much, if at all before. Up, out, around, down, up again. Nothing very far apart. A lot of time just getting into and out of various airports. I saw it as a way to improve my situational awareness.
The flight today was to go from GKY-FWS-CPT-GDJ-50F-WEA-FTW then back to GKY.
Preflight was done and I was off and down to the run up. I entered the route on the GPS, set my TAC out and pre-folded it for my first couple of stops. Runup was done and I was sitting and waiting to be cleared by the Tower. A few squeezed in ahead of me and I was cleared for take off.
Off I go, holding the centerline and rotate, flying out at 80 knots and trimmed for an easy climb. The tower is sounding a little stressed. Someone is flying their final faster than they like and is clearing me to turn left when I am able. I'd already told him when I called ready for departure that I was expecting to depart the pattern to the west. I started my turn just past his tower and radioed a Roger, turning left. I got a quick thank you and a much more relieved sounding controller as I winged my way along I-20.
Down along I-20, and coming up on I35 and I can already see Spinks. It was so clear this morning when I was flying it was unbelievable. Absolutely beautiful today. Why did I EVER have a problem seeing Spinks from this direction before. It's as plain as the nose on my face. A call to them and they request I tell them when I enter their downwind. I fly along I35 heading towards them, enter their downwind and they are starting to get busy, another plane has been worked into the right pattern for my runway while I'm in the left, a Bonanza is 10 miles out on their way in. I'm #1 to land, the traffic on the right pattern has me in sight, I see him and then am busy worrying about my final. Full flaps are in and the centerline is just to my right, not good enough, push a bit and I'm on the rail, flare and I'm down tracking on the centerline. Flaps back up, check over the shoulder and they are coming up, power in and I'm climbing, a champ has taken off on the grass strip beside me and I'm up and out climbing him today. I tell the tower I'd like to depart to the south west and he asks me to make my turn to the left now and report when clear of them to the south west. I start my turn, the champ is held on their climb 30 seconds more then they are told they can turn out too. It was awfully pretty to watch him climbing off to my right.
I'm off now to my next stop, heading southwest to Cleburne. I've only been there once before. The gps is ticking things off for me, but I'm flying on the TAC, following the freeway to Cleburne, looking for the airport just north of the lake. I see the hangers before I see the airport, but again, a pretty easy spot for today for me. What's up with the airports, they aren't hiding for a change. There's a cherokee 140 up doing pattern work and I enter the pattern on a crosswind. Work the downwind, power out and work in the flaps, full again as the wind is light today. Working hard to get a fairly stabilized speed in the turns, on final. Trying to iron out the nagging tendency to drop a nose in the turn to base and final. A nice final is set up and I am on the centerline when the wind shifts at the last minute and nudges me to the right of it. Correct for the drift but not enough time to get back to the center and I touch down a few feet to the right. No side load though. I can live with it, flaps up, check to make sure they are coming up and power in and I'm off and climbing again. This time radioing a departure to the west.
West I head towards Granbury. I pretty quickly see the dam on Lake Granbury and see that Pecan Plantation is just south of it. I've looked for it before, but been too busy dealing with cockpit overload to take the time to really look around. Today it's just me though and there is a lot of time to look for it, and there it is, coming out from what I can only assume is a plantation of Pecan trees. Nice looking strip, there's a V tail bonanza taxing down the runway. I'll have to come back one day when they are doing their breakfast thing. I'm looking at the map, counting the bends in the lake, looking for Granbury, I've never been here before. I see it and make the call, overflying the field and then turning into the downwind on a teardrop entry. Those are getting better, but still needs a lot of work. There are a couple of planes ahead of me and they land before I do, and I'm into the base turn, working the numbers, the flaps, the centerline. A 172 decides they just have to depart before I do. I'm still far enough back on my final that they shouldn't be a problem. Watching them closely I continue, they are off the ground and have a good climb established, no longer a factor for me, I continue on to my landing. Not bad, the flaps start up, power goes in and I'm off and climbing again, this time turning to the north east. On my takeoff roll I see what looks like a 182 taxiing up to the runway, the passenger door is missing, a momentary thought at the time was why, then I was busy with my own climb. About 5 minutes after I was on my way north I heard why, the plane is now off the ground and circling the field altitude for a parachute drop. ah! that's why there looked to be so many folks sitting in it. Makes sense now that it's in context. ;)
Along I fly the road to town of Cresson and just to the north of them is Bourland. This one threw me. I knew it should be there, but I couldn't see it. It was hiding to me. I finally saw it and there was no one around. I entered on a base for the runway and tried to make it work. I had seen it late, I was still too fast, by the time I got the speed down enough to run in the flaps I'm setting up very high on my final. I fly it for a few moments and there is no way I can make it without doing a very large, long front slip with full flaps, and even then I'm going to eat up the runway underneath me before I'm going to be down where I want to be. I declare a go around. Power in, nurse the flaps up and I'm climbing back to pattern altitude. A normal pattern is flown, the flaps run in when I should and an okay landing is turned in. Not great, but not bad. Flaps up, check over the shoulder (always check on a cheetah), power in and I'm off. Heading almost due north now.
I'm heading towards Parker now, grab the AFD that's on the seat next to me to double check the runways and notice a note that I had missed before, Airport CLOSED to transient student training. Hrmm. Missed that on the flight planning. No matter, on I continue, looking for, then finally seeing the field. It's runway is very light and was hard for me to pick out. The north end of the field seems to almost abut the freeway there. Maybe that's why they don't like student traffic. I overfly the field, catching glimpses of planes in the open hangers as I pass over. To the east I now turn along I-20.
I fade south a bit over Benbrook lake to avoid the Class D around the Reserve Base then call Meacham for a touch and go. They let me come in to their class D and work me in to their flow. A quick touch and go and I'm out and requesting to transition out of their airspace along 35 going south. I'm approved and I'm fairly quickly out of their hair. Watching bizjets moving in and out, Meacham is pretty busy this afternoon with jet traffic. In fact, it's been such a nice day that almost everywhere there has been someone up and flying today. It's been a day to really keep the head on a swivel and watch for other folks.
I turn out along I20 just at the south end of Lake Arlington and call the Arlington Tower, inbound. They ask me to report entering left downwind and I'm on my way. I'm in the downwind and calling them. They have me in sight. I'm number 2 behind a bonanza on a 6 mile final. Let the tower know when I have them in sight. I'm watching for the Bonanza now, wondering, idly, if it could be the same one I saw taxing an hour or so ago at Pecan Plantation, probably not, but curious. I often have a hard time seeing folks who come in on those extended finals but today I see the V tail. I call the tower and let them know I've got the traffic and I'm cleared number 2. They ask my intention and I tell them it's full stop and they roger that, telling me the V tail is full stop as well. He's past me now and I start my turn to base. Interesting, it could be the same plane, the color is right, no way I'll ever know though. I pay attention to my job and roll in the flaps. My speed is already pulled back because I HATE flying miles away from the airport on downwind just because of someone on a huge long final. Full flaps are in on my turn to final and a nice set up is coming along. The bonanza is down and is dawdling on the runway, being instructed to turn off at the next taxiway. I'm cleared for my landing and I see the V tail turn off and out of my way. Time to commit to rolling it on as a short field, I'm just over the threshold and the tires chirp on the numbers. I can end on that. I have to smile. I make the earliest taxiway turn of and am instructed to taxi back to parking on their frequency.
I wait for a piper to taxi past after I've cleaned up my plane and I'm soon trundling down the taxiway back to parking. I spin it into its spot and shut her down. I can't help but smile as I pack up my stuff in the plane. It had been a fun flight, seeing places I've never seen before by myself. Working out where I was in relation to the airport and the runway I wanted to use. Setting up lots of radios along the way, lots of calls. A good mix of traffic here and there. I also did a LOT of just flying looking out the windows, making things match the TAC, finding new places I want to go back to some day, enjoying the beautiful sky today.
--1.8 solo
--6 landings
The flight today was to go from GKY-FWS-CPT-GDJ-50F-WEA-FTW then back to GKY.
Preflight was done and I was off and down to the run up. I entered the route on the GPS, set my TAC out and pre-folded it for my first couple of stops. Runup was done and I was sitting and waiting to be cleared by the Tower. A few squeezed in ahead of me and I was cleared for take off.
Off I go, holding the centerline and rotate, flying out at 80 knots and trimmed for an easy climb. The tower is sounding a little stressed. Someone is flying their final faster than they like and is clearing me to turn left when I am able. I'd already told him when I called ready for departure that I was expecting to depart the pattern to the west. I started my turn just past his tower and radioed a Roger, turning left. I got a quick thank you and a much more relieved sounding controller as I winged my way along I-20.
Down along I-20, and coming up on I35 and I can already see Spinks. It was so clear this morning when I was flying it was unbelievable. Absolutely beautiful today. Why did I EVER have a problem seeing Spinks from this direction before. It's as plain as the nose on my face. A call to them and they request I tell them when I enter their downwind. I fly along I35 heading towards them, enter their downwind and they are starting to get busy, another plane has been worked into the right pattern for my runway while I'm in the left, a Bonanza is 10 miles out on their way in. I'm #1 to land, the traffic on the right pattern has me in sight, I see him and then am busy worrying about my final. Full flaps are in and the centerline is just to my right, not good enough, push a bit and I'm on the rail, flare and I'm down tracking on the centerline. Flaps back up, check over the shoulder and they are coming up, power in and I'm climbing, a champ has taken off on the grass strip beside me and I'm up and out climbing him today. I tell the tower I'd like to depart to the south west and he asks me to make my turn to the left now and report when clear of them to the south west. I start my turn, the champ is held on their climb 30 seconds more then they are told they can turn out too. It was awfully pretty to watch him climbing off to my right.
I'm off now to my next stop, heading southwest to Cleburne. I've only been there once before. The gps is ticking things off for me, but I'm flying on the TAC, following the freeway to Cleburne, looking for the airport just north of the lake. I see the hangers before I see the airport, but again, a pretty easy spot for today for me. What's up with the airports, they aren't hiding for a change. There's a cherokee 140 up doing pattern work and I enter the pattern on a crosswind. Work the downwind, power out and work in the flaps, full again as the wind is light today. Working hard to get a fairly stabilized speed in the turns, on final. Trying to iron out the nagging tendency to drop a nose in the turn to base and final. A nice final is set up and I am on the centerline when the wind shifts at the last minute and nudges me to the right of it. Correct for the drift but not enough time to get back to the center and I touch down a few feet to the right. No side load though. I can live with it, flaps up, check to make sure they are coming up and power in and I'm off and climbing again. This time radioing a departure to the west.
West I head towards Granbury. I pretty quickly see the dam on Lake Granbury and see that Pecan Plantation is just south of it. I've looked for it before, but been too busy dealing with cockpit overload to take the time to really look around. Today it's just me though and there is a lot of time to look for it, and there it is, coming out from what I can only assume is a plantation of Pecan trees. Nice looking strip, there's a V tail bonanza taxing down the runway. I'll have to come back one day when they are doing their breakfast thing. I'm looking at the map, counting the bends in the lake, looking for Granbury, I've never been here before. I see it and make the call, overflying the field and then turning into the downwind on a teardrop entry. Those are getting better, but still needs a lot of work. There are a couple of planes ahead of me and they land before I do, and I'm into the base turn, working the numbers, the flaps, the centerline. A 172 decides they just have to depart before I do. I'm still far enough back on my final that they shouldn't be a problem. Watching them closely I continue, they are off the ground and have a good climb established, no longer a factor for me, I continue on to my landing. Not bad, the flaps start up, power goes in and I'm off and climbing again, this time turning to the north east. On my takeoff roll I see what looks like a 182 taxiing up to the runway, the passenger door is missing, a momentary thought at the time was why, then I was busy with my own climb. About 5 minutes after I was on my way north I heard why, the plane is now off the ground and circling the field altitude for a parachute drop. ah! that's why there looked to be so many folks sitting in it. Makes sense now that it's in context. ;)
Along I fly the road to town of Cresson and just to the north of them is Bourland. This one threw me. I knew it should be there, but I couldn't see it. It was hiding to me. I finally saw it and there was no one around. I entered on a base for the runway and tried to make it work. I had seen it late, I was still too fast, by the time I got the speed down enough to run in the flaps I'm setting up very high on my final. I fly it for a few moments and there is no way I can make it without doing a very large, long front slip with full flaps, and even then I'm going to eat up the runway underneath me before I'm going to be down where I want to be. I declare a go around. Power in, nurse the flaps up and I'm climbing back to pattern altitude. A normal pattern is flown, the flaps run in when I should and an okay landing is turned in. Not great, but not bad. Flaps up, check over the shoulder (always check on a cheetah), power in and I'm off. Heading almost due north now.
I'm heading towards Parker now, grab the AFD that's on the seat next to me to double check the runways and notice a note that I had missed before, Airport CLOSED to transient student training. Hrmm. Missed that on the flight planning. No matter, on I continue, looking for, then finally seeing the field. It's runway is very light and was hard for me to pick out. The north end of the field seems to almost abut the freeway there. Maybe that's why they don't like student traffic. I overfly the field, catching glimpses of planes in the open hangers as I pass over. To the east I now turn along I-20.
I fade south a bit over Benbrook lake to avoid the Class D around the Reserve Base then call Meacham for a touch and go. They let me come in to their class D and work me in to their flow. A quick touch and go and I'm out and requesting to transition out of their airspace along 35 going south. I'm approved and I'm fairly quickly out of their hair. Watching bizjets moving in and out, Meacham is pretty busy this afternoon with jet traffic. In fact, it's been such a nice day that almost everywhere there has been someone up and flying today. It's been a day to really keep the head on a swivel and watch for other folks.
I turn out along I20 just at the south end of Lake Arlington and call the Arlington Tower, inbound. They ask me to report entering left downwind and I'm on my way. I'm in the downwind and calling them. They have me in sight. I'm number 2 behind a bonanza on a 6 mile final. Let the tower know when I have them in sight. I'm watching for the Bonanza now, wondering, idly, if it could be the same one I saw taxing an hour or so ago at Pecan Plantation, probably not, but curious. I often have a hard time seeing folks who come in on those extended finals but today I see the V tail. I call the tower and let them know I've got the traffic and I'm cleared number 2. They ask my intention and I tell them it's full stop and they roger that, telling me the V tail is full stop as well. He's past me now and I start my turn to base. Interesting, it could be the same plane, the color is right, no way I'll ever know though. I pay attention to my job and roll in the flaps. My speed is already pulled back because I HATE flying miles away from the airport on downwind just because of someone on a huge long final. Full flaps are in on my turn to final and a nice set up is coming along. The bonanza is down and is dawdling on the runway, being instructed to turn off at the next taxiway. I'm cleared for my landing and I see the V tail turn off and out of my way. Time to commit to rolling it on as a short field, I'm just over the threshold and the tires chirp on the numbers. I can end on that. I have to smile. I make the earliest taxiway turn of and am instructed to taxi back to parking on their frequency.
I wait for a piper to taxi past after I've cleaned up my plane and I'm soon trundling down the taxiway back to parking. I spin it into its spot and shut her down. I can't help but smile as I pack up my stuff in the plane. It had been a fun flight, seeing places I've never seen before by myself. Working out where I was in relation to the airport and the runway I wanted to use. Setting up lots of radios along the way, lots of calls. A good mix of traffic here and there. I also did a LOT of just flying looking out the windows, making things match the TAC, finding new places I want to go back to some day, enjoying the beautiful sky today.
--1.8 solo
--6 landings