Wednesday, October 26, 2005

First Towered Airport (KILG)

I just booked flight time at North Las Vegas (KVGT). Mary and I will be taking the sight seeing tour but I will be flying and logging time. Very Cool! This will be my first time at a towered airport so I will talk things over with Bill prior to my lesson. I meet up with Bill and get 2746C preflighted. No squawks so on to the start up. As always a crosswind today, but not as strong as most days. Bill and I discuss my plans for Vegas and he decides to take me into KILG New Castle Airport for some first hand ATC talk. Off we go, nice and smooth, I really love that first few seconds as you leave the ground what a rush....every time! At 1200 feet I turn crosswind and climb out to 2500 towards wilmington. This is my first time view from a fixed wing over my own neighborhood. I now have the work location in sight, the Delaware Memorial Bridges. At 10 miles out we contact wilmington, "Wilmington Tower, Cessna 2746C". Wilmington responds and we go back with "Cessna 2746C with X-ray, 10 miles from the NW at 2500 for T&G's" Wilmington instructs us to enter right base for 32, report 3 mile. At the 3 mile out mark we again contact wilmington to report 3 miles as instructed with Wilmington following up with a clear to land 32. Reading back the last instruction Cessna 2746C clear to land 32. First time also with a right base onto final for me, it felt strange but I lined up just fine. It was nice to land on 14-32 since it was my project to repave, light and sign it only a couple of years ago. I wish it was dark so I could see the new lights but all in good time. After a series of really nice touch and go's and stacking in behind a few other aircraft along with crossing the end of runway one with
my head on a swivel as a citation II is inbound only 5 miles out. As I turn final for 32 I can see the Citation low and short final for RW 1 no problems, I'm working my way in 30 degrees flaps and lining up. Heck by the time I get in he'll be parked :)

Flaps up, power full, gentle right rudder.....off we go. This time we are departing to the North and advise Wilmington, also passing along a thanks. I can see the
Nuclear towers way off in the distance near KPTW so I line up on them to take me back towards N99. As I get a bit closer I follow Rt 202 off on my right, now spotting the towers that I use for reference in the 27 pattern. I announce my position to brandywine traffic and my intentions of entering at a 45 for downwind rw 27. I clearly see my water tank and the high school as I turn to about 90 degrees for my downwind. Pattern looks clear as I throttle back and add flaps to
10 degrees, one spin of trim nose up and I'm looking good. I turn base, level, add flaps to 20 degrees and trim nose down a half a spin on the wheel. Looking good so far I add the last 10 degrees of flaps, power back looking like I have 27 made. Air speed drops....starting to drop in I apply to much back pressure and now stall horn, touch of power nose own.....THUMP....Grrrrrrr thump again.....CRAP my first bounce and I am off center to the left. Right rudder....more right
rudder...ok brakes.....slowing down and now needing to back taxi. Not the way I wanted to land at home but I know overall it was a good lesson and I was able to learn some valuable info flying into the tower situation. I'm back up saturday !!!!

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