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Finally! A reasonable XC
I had an adventure this week and thought all those that have been patiently answering my questions would like to hear your answers were put to good use.
On rare occasions I get sent on a TDY( government’s version of a business trip) that would be a three-four hour drive in a car. In this case I was asked to go to Virginia Beach from DC. An interesting aside – Hank Jarrett patiently answered many of my early questions and I sort of promised that I’d travel down to Suffolk on my first ‘long’ XC. This trip just happened to marry up both the USG’s and my desires, so I began planning.
Do you have any idea how much fun it is to convince the travel office it’s OK to fly your own plane on a TDY? You get the strangest looks until you can give them an example. Fortunately, someone else in our agency had flown TDY and he had an example and the relevant regulations.
I’ve discovered it doesn’t help matters, or even provide much useful input, to begin looking at weather reports a week ahead of time – no matter how good/bad things look, you can wake up on flying day and things will have changed. On the other hand, it does provide something to do; it’s not productive, but it makes you feel you’re doing something useful. The interesting part about the pre-flying week was learning that weather.com has sub-links that will give me hour-by-hour descriptions (including winds) of points along the planned route.
I had to be there for a Monday morning meeting, so I figured I’d plan on leaving on Saturday and if the weather turned sour, I still had Sunday; if Sunday went sour, I could still ‘launch the limo’. Well, Saturday was a bust weather-wise, but Sunday was beautiful. I figured I could do the flight on one tank, but just in case, filled the wing tank; besides, I wanted to see if it worked! So heeding Howard’s advice to have an alternate airport chosen just in case at the 1:30 mark gas wasn’t flowing I’d have someplace to land at 2:00, I opened the valve at 1:30. As some have already mentioned, it’s not immediately apparent fuel is draining. After waiting :20 with no apparent motion (and with a rapidly filling bladder) I picked an airport about 10 mi. away. Just as I was descending and maneuvering to enter the 45 I noticed the wire was now fully extended, so I pulled up and continued eastward. My bladder won about :15 later and I put down quickly at a strip right on my flight path. No problem locating Suffolk and the active runway – taxied in and met Hank at the front desk. We refueled and put the beast away; I had a rental car so I followed Hank to where he was restoring his bird and spent some time admiring his restoration effort.
The TDY went fine, with me keeping one eye on Wednesday’s weather. Unfortunately, the weather channel didn’t give any detailed local weather information; the only way I could get to a computer (except during work) was to go to the local library – well – after the weather played ‘silly little weather tricks’ the evening before, I just figured I’d get up early before any predicted winds built, and if I had to spend the day at the airport… .
Got up at 0400, got lost getting to the airport, but still managed to get there at about 0630 (dawn). Thinking I’d learn from the trip down, I didn’t drink any coffee prior to the flight. It didn’t make any difference. Drove the rental car to the hanger, pulled out the beast, and loaded her up. My plan was to taxi her to the FBO, shut down, walk back to the car and drive it back. The FBO had tie-downs to protect her from the rising winds during my anticipated ‘out processing’ i.e. weather report and key turn-in. At the hanger there was no place to tie down the tailwheel during propping… so I tied the a/c to the car and continued with my plan. Things went well until I discovered the FBO-guy didn’t arrive until 0800; so I left the car key with the cook, did some flight planning and began the trip home. Forecast was for high winds along the coast and low clouds, so I was going to be flying in weather that on a weekend I might pass up. Since no one else was around, I picked the runway most nearly into the wind and made it mine. First mistake was underestimating the effect of the winds. My initial point (for timing) was planned to be about :05 away and easily spotted. Needless to say, I believe I ended up following the wrong road/railroad combo – spotted only because I passed over an airport I hadn’t noticed on the way in, and comparing it with the map, had a striking resemblance to an airport 10 mi. south of where I wanted to be. Thanks to my GPS I was able to work my way back to where I wanted to be. Lesson Learned: Pick an initial timing point a bit further from the airport and pick one REALLY recognizable. Also, have a healthier respect for those strong winds. GPS showed me with a 50kt ground speed at that point. The first part of the trip was following a road/RR combo for some distance, so I established a crab angle and was surprised to find it so great. Also found myself flying at 1500 vice my normal 2900 because of cloud cover. After a bit the ceiling lifted as I got further from the coast. At 1:20 I opened the aux tank and after :20, gently wagged the wings, which was all it took to get the fuel flowing. Did an ungraceful landing at Orange Co. for a pit stop and discovered I hadn’t left the wind gusts behind. Had the line boy hold the rudder while I propped the beast and back into the air. Damn it was cold! Previous experience in cool weather taught me to wear insulated underwear, but I was still cold; no sun warming the cockpit.
FRR runway runs 9/27, which according to the Culpepper AWOS (a nearby airport) was going to be 90* to the wind. Because of its position between two ridges (I guess), the wind was only slightly a problem and I made a good landing. I was so glad to be down, I had to keep reminding myself “she’s still flying, don’t relax until she’s tied down”. I did cheat a bit… when she slowed down to a fast walk I grinned to myself. Tied her down, put on her cover, said hello to the manager and started the drive home. About :15 down the road it began to rain.
On rare occasions I get sent on a TDY( government’s version of a business trip) that would be a three-four hour drive in a car. In this case I was asked to go to Virginia Beach from DC. An interesting aside – Hank Jarrett patiently answered many of my early questions and I sort of promised that I’d travel down to Suffolk on my first ‘long’ XC. This trip just happened to marry up both the USG’s and my desires, so I began planning.
Do you have any idea how much fun it is to convince the travel office it’s OK to fly your own plane on a TDY? You get the strangest looks until you can give them an example. Fortunately, someone else in our agency had flown TDY and he had an example and the relevant regulations.
I’ve discovered it doesn’t help matters, or even provide much useful input, to begin looking at weather reports a week ahead of time – no matter how good/bad things look, you can wake up on flying day and things will have changed. On the other hand, it does provide something to do; it’s not productive, but it makes you feel you’re doing something useful. The interesting part about the pre-flying week was learning that weather.com has sub-links that will give me hour-by-hour descriptions (including winds) of points along the planned route.
I had to be there for a Monday morning meeting, so I figured I’d plan on leaving on Saturday and if the weather turned sour, I still had Sunday; if Sunday went sour, I could still ‘launch the limo’. Well, Saturday was a bust weather-wise, but Sunday was beautiful. I figured I could do the flight on one tank, but just in case, filled the wing tank; besides, I wanted to see if it worked! So heeding Howard’s advice to have an alternate airport chosen just in case at the 1:30 mark gas wasn’t flowing I’d have someplace to land at 2:00, I opened the valve at 1:30. As some have already mentioned, it’s not immediately apparent fuel is draining. After waiting :20 with no apparent motion (and with a rapidly filling bladder) I picked an airport about 10 mi. away. Just as I was descending and maneuvering to enter the 45 I noticed the wire was now fully extended, so I pulled up and continued eastward. My bladder won about :15 later and I put down quickly at a strip right on my flight path. No problem locating Suffolk and the active runway – taxied in and met Hank at the front desk. We refueled and put the beast away; I had a rental car so I followed Hank to where he was restoring his bird and spent some time admiring his restoration effort.
The TDY went fine, with me keeping one eye on Wednesday’s weather. Unfortunately, the weather channel didn’t give any detailed local weather information; the only way I could get to a computer (except during work) was to go to the local library – well – after the weather played ‘silly little weather tricks’ the evening before, I just figured I’d get up early before any predicted winds built, and if I had to spend the day at the airport… .
Got up at 0400, got lost getting to the airport, but still managed to get there at about 0630 (dawn). Thinking I’d learn from the trip down, I didn’t drink any coffee prior to the flight. It didn’t make any difference. Drove the rental car to the hanger, pulled out the beast, and loaded her up. My plan was to taxi her to the FBO, shut down, walk back to the car and drive it back. The FBO had tie-downs to protect her from the rising winds during my anticipated ‘out processing’ i.e. weather report and key turn-in. At the hanger there was no place to tie down the tailwheel during propping… so I tied the a/c to the car and continued with my plan. Things went well until I discovered the FBO-guy didn’t arrive until 0800; so I left the car key with the cook, did some flight planning and began the trip home. Forecast was for high winds along the coast and low clouds, so I was going to be flying in weather that on a weekend I might pass up. Since no one else was around, I picked the runway most nearly into the wind and made it mine. First mistake was underestimating the effect of the winds. My initial point (for timing) was planned to be about :05 away and easily spotted. Needless to say, I believe I ended up following the wrong road/railroad combo – spotted only because I passed over an airport I hadn’t noticed on the way in, and comparing it with the map, had a striking resemblance to an airport 10 mi. south of where I wanted to be. Thanks to my GPS I was able to work my way back to where I wanted to be. Lesson Learned: Pick an initial timing point a bit further from the airport and pick one REALLY recognizable. Also, have a healthier respect for those strong winds. GPS showed me with a 50kt ground speed at that point. The first part of the trip was following a road/RR combo for some distance, so I established a crab angle and was surprised to find it so great. Also found myself flying at 1500 vice my normal 2900 because of cloud cover. After a bit the ceiling lifted as I got further from the coast. At 1:20 I opened the aux tank and after :20, gently wagged the wings, which was all it took to get the fuel flowing. Did an ungraceful landing at Orange Co. for a pit stop and discovered I hadn’t left the wind gusts behind. Had the line boy hold the rudder while I propped the beast and back into the air. Damn it was cold! Previous experience in cool weather taught me to wear insulated underwear, but I was still cold; no sun warming the cockpit.
FRR runway runs 9/27, which according to the Culpepper AWOS (a nearby airport) was going to be 90* to the wind. Because of its position between two ridges (I guess), the wind was only slightly a problem and I made a good landing. I was so glad to be down, I had to keep reminding myself “she’s still flying, don’t relax until she’s tied down”. I did cheat a bit… when she slowed down to a fast walk I grinned to myself. Tied her down, put on her cover, said hello to the manager and started the drive home. About :15 down the road it began to rain.
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