The realization of a boyhood dream... Private Pilot July 17, 2006 - Instrument Rating August 19, 2010
Monday, June 20, 2022
Garmin 480 - Amended Route and Hold
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Breakfast with my Bride
Hangar critter! |
Friday, June 17, 2022
Round-trip and Storms
The weather looked like it would hold out for us to fly, so option three it is. I filed for the flight to Millville, KMIV, departing Ocean City, KOXB, at 2 pm. I had secured a rental car that would be waiting for us at the Big Sky FBO.
I picked up my IFR clearance with Patuxent while on the ground at Ocean City. The TFR does not allow you to pick up in the air, you must have an assigned squawk code prior to take off. On departure I flew a 270° assigned heading while climbing out for five thousand. Once Patuxent ID'ed me they gave me direct LAFLN. Pax handed me off to Dover and Dover handed us off to Atlantic City. The ride was really rough as we crossed the Delaware Bay, to the point Mary actually felt nauseous.
We landed at Millville and taxied to the FBO ramp. The guys working helped me push the plane back and secure it. The rental was waiting for us and the it was running with the ac on. The drive to the event was just ten minutes from the airport.
The Return Flight Home
Once the wedding ceremony was complete we congratulated the happy couple, took some pictures and headed back to the airport. Mary and I had made the decision not to attend the reception. Trying to get the dog and two cats boarded then having to get everyone picked up is a nightmare, especially with the costs going up for everything.
I had filed for the return flight when we landed at Millville. With the rental returned we climbed aboard 3 Tango Charlie and headed for home. Once in the air I picked up my clearance with Atlantic City and punched in my assigned squawk code for the TFR transition. My route was reverse of this morning, until handed off to Dover. Dover amended my route and added an additional leg to the Salisbury VOR. I had filed for four thousand which provided a smoother ride a bit lower then the cloud layer. Cape May was reporting heavy showers and lighting and I had hoped it would not beat us to our destination. I should add a note here that since I didn't grab my flight/video bag I did not have my Sentry with ADSB in. No traffic and no weather today. I had only grabbed my iPad for the flight.Once past LAFLN I asked Dover for direct Ocean City and the controller had me standby. I didn't think they would give me direct instead hand me off and let Patuxent turn me direct. I was wrong, I got direct OXB and contact Patuxent on 127.95.
There was an Embarer Phenom inbound ahead of me so Pax told me to head direct PFAIR, hold instructions would follow. PFAIR is the initial fix for the RNAV GPS 14 approach to Ocean City. I added the fix and pointed 3 Tango Charlie for the potential hold. I also pulled the power back and slowed down hoping to not need the hold. The clouds were moving in and I wanted to get on the ground.I advised Patuxent I had the weather and the airport. Pax gave me a frequency change and advised keep the code, and cancel on the ground. I traded position reports with the jet, they were landing on three-two and I was landing on two-zero. I figured he needed the runway length, I just wanted to land with the winds in the right direction. The Phenom report three mile final and I was about a five mile right base for two zero. I advised the jet I would do a 360 or two until he was clear, then land. It worked out fine, as the jet called clear I was inbound after the second turn. I made a nice landing and taxied for the hangar.
Mary and I secured 3 Tango Charlie then headed home with one stop for a Dairy Queen burger and ice cream. It started to rain as we left the airport and the wind really picked up. As we made our way on to RT50 it began to downpour, I mean rain had enough that you couldn't see very far ahead of us and could not see the shopping centers along the way. As if the heavy rain wasn't enough it started to hail. Marble size hail pelted us the last ten minutes until we turned into the park for home.
I'm glad we got home safely and the plane was safe in the hangar. Ocean Aviation had some serious damage from the storm when it swept across the airport, all the other hangars were untouched.
Thursday, June 16, 2022
Approach Plates 101
History by day .com |
Lets start at the beginning. Since my bride was headed to the beach I decided to finally get in the air, it's been a month. I did a very detailed preflight and fuel sump before climbing aboard. I decided to mount my typical front/panel view video camera and would also add in my iPad screen capture video of my approach.
Fast forward to the RNAV GPS RWY 14 approach I shot yesterday. This time as soon as I got home I opened up my Stec 60-2 Pilots manual and the OXB RNAV RWY 14 approach plate to work through this mental blockade.
Lets take a look at the chart I created after reading through approach plates 101 and the above noted information. I have a WAAS enabled GPS (Garmin 480)so I can shoot LPV and LNAV/VNAV and expect vertical guidance. On an LNAV approach, the pilot flies the final approach lateral course, but does not receive vertical guidance for a controlled descent to the runway.
Wow, did I brain fart. I'm not sure why, I totally briefed the plate, knew what the approach was, and yet expected something different. Obviously I need to get my butt in the air much more often and work at being proficient like I used to be. As with any acquired skill; If you don't use it, you will lose it. That is a true statement especially when it comes to instrument flight.
The positive takeaway is my stick and rudder skills are still sharp and the buttonology was there.
I'm back in the air on Friday for a flight across the Delaware Bay to Millville NJ - KMIV. My long time friend and flying buddy, Vince, is getting married!
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Local Flight & One Approach
Sunday, June 12, 2022
OC Airshow 2022
L-R Kim, Bev, Mary, Me, Frank, Mike |
Mike and Kim |
Wednesday, June 08, 2022
Top Gun Maverick
https://www.topgunmovie.com/ |