Training Day 4

The final day...

Another late start for our last day of flying.  The hope is that we can build on yesterdays afternoon session and keep moving forward.  We will be flying to Delaware Coastal once again, it provides multiple approaches and it's close to home.

Once at the hangar I stuck 3TC's tanks to see how much fuel was on board.  The right tank had 2.5", approximately 19.5 gallons.  The left tank registered just barely a half inch on the fuel stick, leaving maybe 12 gallons.  The JPI displayed a total of  31.4 remaining, we shall see.  I took on 10.7 in the left and 7 in the right, just touching the tabs in each tank.  Tabs should carry 48 gallons, I think it all checks out.

31.4 On board
17.7 Taken today
49.1 Total gallons

With the pre-flight completed we tugged the plane out and climbed aboard. It was starting to get warm but there was a least some breeze blowing. I set up the ActiveOn Gold to view the six pack and the Garmin VIRB in the typical location looking over our shoulders. 

We launched from runway two-zero into a beautiful blue sky, I was ready to get after it.  The Garmin 480 was programmed for KOXB - KGED, easy peasy.  Mike hand flew for a good bit while I was eyes in working on buttonology.  I selected the GPS RWY 22 approach and updated to direct HUVOX, we were on our way.  Now I was flying in HDG mode with the GPSS selected along with capturing my altitude at two thousand five hundred feet.

As we were just about to cross HUVOX and do a teardrop entry Mike called me off and instead directed me to fly vectors. Two reasons, a good training scenario and we had another plane shadowing us at same altitude or within a hundred feet. This is no time to take chances, bug out and return to try the approach again.  

He finally passed us

With this change Mike was back in his element, ATC role play and making me work. I switched off of the GPSS on the Aspen which now made my heading bug come alive to my changes. We flew up the coast and then turned back inland to work our way back to the GPS 22 approach.

As I closed on the inbound track for the approach I switched the GPSS on and selected HDG and NAV simultaneously. In a very short time the HDG display went out and NAV with APP now locked in. Once established the VS lit up and the approach was smooth until I disconnected around five hundred and flew down to minimums. 

I throttled up and followed the Cram, Climb, Clean and Cool to power away from the airport environment. Next up was a return to Ocean City, but, the 480 and I did not communicate. It took me a few tries to get us pointed to OXB direct.  Once the plan was updated on the GPS I selected the LOC RWY 14 approach. Mike once again role played ATC with vectors to final (VTF). I crossed the final approach and made my way back, really giving the GPSS a workout. Once established I disconnected and hand flew up until we had another plane pass below and out front of us, we were out of there.

I made my position calls and entered the pattern, crossing midfield, and turning down wind for runway two zero. Turning final I set 3TC on the runway smooth and soft, a nice ending to the day and the training. 

Sadly the best day of training did not get videoed, yesterday afternoon. I'm ok with that, when nothing goes wrong there isn't much to learn from.

My homework is to work through various scenarios with the Garmin 480 sim and make notes of each attempt until I can make the transition from one flight plan to the next without a snag. I'm also looking forward to more flight time.

Why is there no Aspen cam? Because the screen shattered and out of all the videos it took, only one was corrupted, yep, the flying time.  I should note it was a codec issue so I may be able to save it. Anyone have any ideas???