2012 In Review

2012 turned out to be a reasonably good year for my aviation adventures.  First, the numbers:

• Time for 2012: 78.0 hours
• Pilot in Command Time: 67.3 hours
• Cross-Country: 57.8 hours (55.8 PIC)
• Simulated instrument time: 1.4 hours.  
• Zero real instrument time (thank goodness)
• Night flying: 0.4 hours (3 laps around the patch at KPWK to be night current/legal for a fly out that never happened. 

• Total time as of 12/31/12: 131.0 hours

Accomplishments major and otherwise:

• Passed Private Pilot SEL checkride on March 25, 2012
• Transitioned from DA-20-C1 to C-172. 
• First trip "going somewhere," which included a landing at the now closed Blue Ash Airport (KISZ).  
• Longest Cross-Country to date: Chicago Dupage (KDPA) -  Burke Lakefront (KBKL) in Cleveland (295.9 nm straight line, although it obviously took a bit longer to avoid nasty airspace problems and flying over open water).  This was a trip I did not write about, but I basically flew a Cessna 172P N62681 to Cleveland to visit my sister and her boyfriend.  Being an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I had to resist the temptation to toss something into Browns' stadium while on approach to 6R.  I also learned some fun facts about how some Cessna's don't exactly drink evenly from both tanks.  This plane also had the least sexy avionics I'd ever flown - no GPS, radios did not allow for swapping frequencies, and it was the first carburated aircraft I'd flown.  
• Gave 3 first flights (Ms. Dr. Flying Shrink, the Banana, and the Boy) and 1 second flight to a person who had not flown with me before.  My children have learned the joys of the $100 ice cream run.  
• Joined Fox Flying Club out at KDPA.  I have to say that I have mixed feelings about this because I really love the folks out at Skill.  However, Fox lets me fly for at least 1/3 less than I was paying there and the planes are very well maintained (as they are at Skill).  I am maintaining currency at both locations for now because sometimes I need another option.  
• My two downsides are that day in September I won't rehash, and December 2012 has been a TERRIBLE month for flying.  I've logged all of 1.7 hours in December, with six (!) weathered-out flights.  Five of these were training/transition flights to our club's Archer, and one was a club fly out to KEYE for dinner.  I was really looking forward to this latter adventure as both a community-building time as well as a chance to do a nice night cross country with a more experienced pilot. 

Goals for 2013

• Fly at least 100 hours (do all GA pilots say this?)
• Fly at least 15 hours at night
• Fly at least 70 cross-country hours
• Complete my instrument rating.  
• On this score, I have already procured the King's ground school offering and Rod Machado's IFR Survival Book for the iPad.  I also met with an instructor for a little ground school to talk about my scan and compass errors.  I'd have already started the training if I could have gotten at least one solid VFR day for that Archer transition so that my instructor would know that I can "follow directions."  Scheduled for a flight tomorrow at 09:00 local, so we'll see.  If we can get this going, it's reasonable to be done by April since the lovely and gracious Ms. Dr. Flying Shrink has agreed to a twice-a-week flying schedule.  Ok, it was more like "negotiated" but still... 

• Complete Complex Endorsement and required transition training in our club's Arrow.  I intend to accomplish this while completing the instrument rating to save [quite] a few bucks.  Beyond the required training for the endorsement, there seems to be no specific requirements other than really being sure you don't land gear up.  Might as well use it to complete my instrument ticket.  

So, that's my year in review and looking toward the future.  I do hope to have more time to post about my adventure.  I have certainly had some fun that I didn't write about, like flying with my son to Watertown, Wisconsin for a Culver's run (like I don't have one five minutes away...).  But it's a lot more fun.  

Happy flying!  

Saying Goodbye To an Old Friend

I recently decided to allow my "club currency" in the Diamond DA-20 to lapse.  The company requires that one fly the plane at least once in the preceding 60 days to be considered current.  Yet I realized that I was only really flying this plane in order to maintain said currency.

Although it is not the plane in which I had my first flight (that was a Skyhawk), I completed virtually all of my training for the private pilot certificate in this plane.  Even still I have flown this type more than any other as of this writing (77.9 of 120.0 hours).  It's the plane in which I gave the Banana her first flight (shown above) as well as her first taste of stalls, steep turns and ground reference maneuvers. 

I confess to feeling a bit sad about this.  I've created many memories in this aircraft - most of them good: my first solo and solo cross country, my check ride, landings sweet and otherwise, and of course my first shots of the Chicago skyline came from the left seat of this plane. I also prefer not to think about a solo where I darn near killed myself (at least it seemed that way) when I thought I was going to lose directional control on the runway, or coming ridiculously close to a certain biplane that did not seem to be making radio calls in the pattern at Dixon (C73). 

Goodbye, old friend.  You've been a trusted companion.  Yet it seems our times in the sky have come to an end at least for now.  I'll always remember our last dance - that beautiful squeaker on 16 at PWK with gusty winds 80 degrees off the runway.  A fitting way to go out. 

Getting Lost in the Cockpit: Adventures in Glass

Today I took my first solo flight in a G1000 equipped C172, which was rather interesting.  I took a brief flight in this same airplane during my primary training so that my instructor and I could fly back a DA-20, and then completed a VFR checkout in it a few weeks ago.  This coupled with several viewings of Sporty's G1000 Checkout videos should have prepared me for today's flight.

Holy crap.  There is just so much going on with these displays, and I was warned that it is easy to get lost inside the cockpit trying to figure out how something works while the plane does all kinds of bad things.  I won't say I totally resisted the temptation to get lost, but I did heed the instructor's advice about using the autopilot and making sure it's doing what you expect it to before going on a pushing, twisting, and cursing mission.

Some advice for transitioning to glass:

1.  Review one of the educational offerings such as from Sporty's or the Kings before trying to take this on.  I confess that this is a blessing and a curse, though.  There were things I was trying to get the system to do that I just could not remember how to accomplish. 

2.  Use that autopilot.  Although the 172s that I fly all have something resembling an autopilot, I tend not to use them to build stick and rudder skills and I find that those systems that only hold a heading or following your GPS track are annoying.  But this keeps you from practicing CFIT if you get distracted, and N97VA has a real autopilot that will maintain course and altitude.

3.  Always know how to go back to the basics.  The instructor who checked me out said that if I can't figure out how to make the system do what I want it to, use the ways that I know.  For example, the Sporty's video says that selecting frequencies from the waypoint menu is the preferred way to enter frequencies, but I still have not figured out how to do that.  Fortunately, there is a method that anyone who is familiar with a 430 or 530 will immediately recognize.

4.  Today, I tried to do everything that a VFR pilot might want to do.  Instead I should have simply reviewed the basics that I had previously mastered and then chosen one or two of the more useful or important things to add on.

5.  Don't totally rely on the MFD to provide you weather.  While on the leg between KVPZ and KARR, I attempted to pull up the METAR for KARR.  I think that I was successful in telling the system what I wanted, but it simply told me that there was no data.  Sigh.  Thank goodness for the old fashion method.

6.  I think that Garmin has a simulator that can be downloaded from its website, and that is probably worth spending some time with before trying to fly the plane while you're at it.

7.  Remember that you may have more than one instrument to adjust.  With any G1000, you have at least two altimeter settings and in my case three (7VA does not have the fancy Garmin flight director, but a  KAP140 that works pretty well but requires a third barometer setting). 

Conclusion: I'm not sure yet that I actually LIKE the G1000.  Yes, it has many very powerful tools and I can see being very useful.  But I did not like how I got away from enjoying the scenery and flying the plane and instead got fascinated with gizmos.  Yet having on-board weather from XM being relatively easily able to access airspace information relative to your position is very handy. 

So, how was the flight?  I departed KUGN and followed the Chicago shoreline to KVPZ where I executed a bouncing go-around and a decent landing that was just a bit longer than I would have preferred it.  I then headed west to KARR and had a go-around (gust just as I was about to touch down made me nervous) and a smooth landing.  Finally, back to KUGN with "calm" winds being defined as direct 5-knot crosswind across runway 5.  While I appreciate a straight in approach as much as the next guy, it would have been easier to take 32.  However, my landing was pretty nice overall and I quit while I was ahead.  Things were fairly bumpy and 5-10 knot gusts were enjoyed at VPZ and ARR.    

I got some pictures of downtown Chicago that I'll post later.  As I headed from VPZ to ARR, I crossed paths with a couple of jets (a Southwest 737 and an RJ) going into Midway (KMDW).  I would have gotten a picture or two, but I was hand flying at this point and a bit worried that I had crossed up some airspace given where I was in relation to where those aircraft were.  By the time I confirmed that I was clear of ORD's Bravo and MDW's Charlie as I believed I was all along the opportunities had passed. 

DuBois... Denied

Tomorrow (Saturday) morning, the kiddoes and I were supposed to fly to DuBois Regional Airport (KDUJ) to visit my parents.  Here is the prog chart for the time we're to be airborne:




As you can see, we're forecast to have a nasty mix of marginal VFR and IFR weather along with some rain between Chicago and Western Pennsylvania.  Grandma is already disappointed and the kids will be in the morning when I don't wake them up at 6 am.

I've been looking forward to this in part because KDUJ was built on my great-grandparent's farm that was commandeered by the federal government because it seemed like a swell place to put an airport.  I also have heard that until recently there was a tree near one end the runway that my father fell out of and broke his arm as a kid. 

Of course, if I had that instrument rating this would all be of little consequence.  Well, there is that freezing level and turbulence... but the latter clears out by the next chart. 

Confessions....

Confessions... 

First, before you read this you really should find Tim Minchin's "Confessions" on YouTube and hear the chorus going through your head before your read this.   It seems only appropriate.  This is a very hard post to write so a bit of humor helps.

September 29, 2012 will forever live as a day of infamy in my logbook.  It was the first time both of my children flew with me, and they actually did fairly well.  We departed KPWK in an unnamed Skyhawk and enjoyed the changing foliage as we headed for Janesville, Wisconsin (KJVL).  The plan was the enjoy some lunch at Kealy's and then depart to KDPA to check out the Pilot Shop on the field.

All was going well, and my straight in approach to Runway 30 was very nice.  Despite having to isolate myself from the rest of what was going on in the cockpit, my landing was on center line, smooth, and almost gentle even.  I was quite pleased with myself as we taxied over to the ramp.  Very nice.  Of course, my celebration was about to be overshadowed.

As we taxied to the ramp, there was a fair amount going on.  The Banana and the Boy had both decided that they wanted to take off their headsets, which was fine.  I was looking for where I was "supposed" to park the plane (mistake #1), and became tunnel visioned (mistake #2) as I found a place where the paint was conveniently painted on the ramp.  There was just one problem. The pilot forgot about these silly long things hanging off the side of the plane called wings (mistake #3).  All this coupled with forgetting that there was a temporary fence in place for construction (mistake #4) led to a very unceremonious stop... and a loud "what the hell!?!?!?!?!   Teaching my children new vocabulary was not part of the mission today.  What just happened? 

I looked out the right side of the plane to see that my wing just got into a fight with a pole and lost.  Pole 1 - Wing 0.  (insert Tim Minchin tune here).  Dammit.  (Note: this is about how it reads in my logbook, too). 

As you might imagine, I have been licking my wounds over this one.  A phone call and a picture to the flight school was executed, and the Banana, the Boy and I walked into Kealy's for some fare.  They enjoyed their fries and whatever else they ate.  I had a couple of pancakes, which were actually huge and pretty tasty.  It was really hard to enjoy them. 

So, after an hour I sent my instructor an email message and asked him if it was normal to feel like you should tear up your certificate after such an incident.  His response was priceless, "If you did that while taxiing, you might want to give up your driver's license instead."  Thanks, Jason. I needed that. I've also gotten encouragement from several other folks at the school, including the man who administered my check ride. 

So, they brought up another plane and a few instructors (which cost me a mint, you betcha).  One of them flew the wounded machine back to the hanger while I flew with the other instructor and my children in the other plane.  I was pleased that he was an instructor and we were in another Skyhawk.  I flew the plane back to KPWK and dealt with some squirrley winds and my shaken confidence.  My first go at RWY 34 was long because of the interesting tower instructions of "extend your downwind" and "turn base now" along with a tailwind.  So, I went around and the winds had just shifted and were favoring 12.  Managed to have a reasonable landing there that was on center line and about where I wanted it.  It was a good flight, and it did increase my confidence a little. 

Since then, I did a G1000 checkout in another Skyhawk (that's a whole other post!) and on another day flew from KUGN to Monroe, Wisconsin (KUES) where I did three nice landings.  My landing back at UGN was also reasonable - long because I was a bit too serious about avoiding wake turbulence but with significant crosswinds. 

I guess the good news here is that my landings are much improved in the Skyhawk.  So much for shredding the certificate. 

.... F**** I love.....  (you really gotta play the YouTube video.  Just so you know, there are some potty words here). 

Link: Fox News and the Grumbling Airline CEO

Fox News posted the following opinion piece today about the state of affairs in the airline industry.  I found myself chuckling, amused and frightened thinking about how many laws of business are getting violated, and thankful that I can fly myself wherever I want to go in these continental United States.... though I might pay mightily for it in time and money.  It's more fun though! 

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/10/03/if-given-chance-what-would-say-to-airline-ceo/?intcmp=features

The Banana and The Bomber

On Friday, August 31 my children were both off and had not yet started school.  Of course, the Banana had been bugging me to go flying again and this seemed like the perfect excuse.  We had a fun day in store.

We arrived at KPWK and as usual did a diligent pre-flight of the DA-20 that would serve as our flying carpet for the day.  During the rituals, the Banana discovered the stall horn and was amused as she made it squeak a number of times.  "Don't suck in any bugs!" I warned her, but she was undeterred.  "If you want, I'll show you what that does while we fly."  Intrigued, she helped remove chalks and plug in her headset in order to expedite our process.

We departed KPWK, and maneuvered around the Chicago Bravo airspace to head west toward Rochelle (KRPJ).  Somewhere abeam DeKalb we came across a large open quarry, which served as a great spectacle for our steep turns and some nearby ground reference maneuvers.  These were "cool," I'm told.  On a personal note, my performance was adequate and probably to PTS but frankly I could have done better.  As we climbed back up to altitude I asked the Banana if we should see what that horn was all about.  She agreed, and I talked through a power-off and then power-on stall.  She squealed with delight and amusement.  After all of this play, it was topped off with the Banana getting a chance to keep the plane straight and level as well as making some turns.  She was much more game this time around.

Back on course for RPJ, we made all our appropriate radio calls as I overflew the field to be sure of the wind direction.  Two planes were there to take off; one had back taxied on 25 and the other decided to take it from the junction.  As I was trying to join the left downwind, these two turkeys began arguing about two planes on the runway at the same time.  I got pretty angry as they were causing a safety hazard while they argued over one.  The Banana got scared as she misread my anger for fear, and asked several times if we were going to die.  "No, honey.  It's just that these two guys want to argue about safety but are making our flight unsafe.  When you fly, don't do that."  I was able to get my base-turn call in, and was about to ask them to take it off frequency but they quieted down.
Our landing on 25 was very nice, and we shut down and went hunting for lunch.  Apparently, the restaurant on the field is not exactly open yet; a small fact that one would not have discerned from the website at the time.  Sigh.  Fortunately, the fine gentleman at the airport set us up with a crew car, and we headed over to Eddi's for some decent fair.  The Banana had a hotdog and some fries, and I took care of an Eddi burger.  On a positive note, we saw a group of skydivers returning to the field.  "would you do that, daddy?"  "No... I can't see the point of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane." 

We lit the fires and headed a little further west to circle over Dixon Correctional Center, which is where I completed my post-doctoral residency in order to obtain the required hours to sit for licensure as a clinical psychologist.  It was funny to see the X-house from 5500', and the Banana had lots of questions about the experience.

Turning back toward the east, we set course for Lewis University (KLOT) to see about a bomber.  The Experimental Aircraft Association had their B-17 Bomber "Aluminum Overcast" on display.  Listening to the CTAF I could hear that it was a fairly busy pattern, though it had quieted down as we approached.  The Banana got to fly over top of a cloud, which would have made her day if she had not decided to take a little snooze.  It was fairly breezy at this point, but we had a serviceable landing on 27.  This approach is a little strange for me since there is a pretty big cavern to the east that was dug by the river.  Just like the water hazard in golf... not in play.  But it was a little unnerving.

The B-17 was a BIG success with the Banana.  She was absolutely amazed by this machine and spent quite a bit of time exploring the various aspects of it.  We went through the inside of the plane four times, and she was amused at me squeezing through the bomb bay walk way.  It was tight for us pudgy Americans!  We made sure to look at the cockpit (I'm sure that Garmin 430 was not stock equipment!), the various stations and particularly the gun turrets.  There was a man there who had flown in the flying fortress, and talked about being in the belly turret.  He was tall and it looked tight, which he assured me it was.

On our way back to PWK, I had initially intended to thread the needle between KDPA's class Delta airspace and the limits of the 1900 shelf of the Bravo.  I had the chart open on the iPad, but unfortunately the DA-20's 530 was not showing those boundaries.  BAH!  What's a poor boy to do?!?  I lost altitude to 1700', turned northwest, and called up KDPA tower to request a transition to the north.  This helped me stay out of O'Hare's way (always a grand idea) and to get set up for our arrival to KPWK.

Sigh... winds.  We were getting ready to have a storm, and the winds were letting us know all about it.  The winds were 240@9G17 as I arrived, which was different than the ATIS information.  I was given a straight in for runway 16, which initially freaked me out a bit.  Naughty winds and 80 degrees off the runway.  I took a deep breath and said to myself, "You can always go around and ask for 24."  As you may recall from my last post, I really don't like 6-24 at PWK but it would have been better.

Not necessary.  I had a beautifully stable approach and a nice smooth touchdown on centerline.  I yelled, "OH YEAH!" and Banana protested that I hurt her ears.  Sorry, kiddo but you do know what I mean now when I tell you not to sing in the microphone.  As we were packing up, the DPE who administered by PPL checkride came in.  I had to share this because I needed to tell SOMEONE who'd appreciate this victory.

Ms. Dr. Flying Shrink enjoyed our pictures and hearing about the day... except I got the third degree about these "stalls" that the Banana mentioned.   Tee hee.

Plane: DA-20-C1 N399JA
Time: 2.8 hours.