Real Flying for Sim Flying

N430AV - P28R - 4.4 hours

Some of you may recall that I outed myself as a nerd a while back, by noting the fact that I grew up using Flight Simulator, and continue to do so as part of my code job. Over the years, I've met quite a number of people through the aviation community, but also as part of the sim community. One of my CFI friends is in the section of that Venn Diagram where the circles overlap, and he had some sim hardware to sell. One of our mutual friends - also in the overlapping segment - was interested in buying it, but all of it was still up in New Jersey. My CFI friend and I flew up to coordinate all of that. Unfortunately, given the weight requirements, and the size of the hardware, our friend had to drive up.

It was an incredibly cold and rather windy morning, which made getting the aircraft ready a chore, to say the least. Luckily, my brother had given me some cycling leg and arm warmers for Christmas, which I wore under a few additional layers of clothing. I was thinking that I would need to be able to strategically pull the warmers off without even messing with the other layers once the heater warmed us up at cruise. I was wrong. I just left them on the whole time.

Since the trip up to Morristown (MMU) would require flying around a whole bunch of busy airspace, we filed and flew IFR. The controllers brought us west of most of the airspace around Dulles (IAD), and then turned us back east toward Philadelphia (PHL), where we followed our route up toward MMU. I know I make that sound simple, and the flying part of it was, but the mental part was not. The cold temperature up at that altitude was tough to handle, even with the heater going full tilt. The heaters in small planes are selectively effective. My upper body was quite warm, but my left foot was pretty close to entirely numb toward the end of the flight. The wind was still pretty strong when we got up to MMU, but it wasn't unmanageable. After we parked, we set off to take care of handing hardware over, and warming ourselves back up.

After getting back, we filed our flight plan to get back home and set back off that way. It wasn't too much warmer, but it was just warm enough that the flight back home wasn't as rough. Closer to HEF, the controllers vectored us right over IAD, which was a pretty cool vantage point. A few large aircraft flew under us on approach there. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures. A few minutes later, we were back on the ground at HEF putting the plane away.

With these 4.4 hours in the books, the complex requirement for the commercial rating is complete. Only 3.4 hours left of the instrument requirement.

Hours:
Pilot in Command Cross Country (PIC XC): 0.0 - 128.8 (of 50)
Actual/Simulated Instrument (Act/Sim): 3.0 - 35.6 (of 40)
Dual Complex: 4.4 - 12.1 (of 10)
Total Time in Aircraft: 4.4 - 203.1 (of 250)

More Performance

N8454Y - PA32 - 1.2 hours

As I'm working my way through my training, I've been trying to figure out ways to use the flight hours to their fullest. Back in November, for example, I logged more simulated instrument time in a complex aircraft. That got me closer to the commercial requirement of the 10 hours in a complex aircraft, but also got me more simulated instrument time toward the instrument requirement.

Today, in order to try to knock out yet another requirement for the type of flying that I want to do, I figured I'd start getting into a high performance aircraft to get that endorsement, while also logging some simulated instrument time. The aircraft today was a Piper Saratoga, and is slightly larger than what I have been typically flying, with a much larger engine.

In order to get used to the aircraft, we took it just over the ridge to Winchester (OKV) to fly the VOR-A approach, land, and then back to Leesburg (JYO) for the ILS, and another landing. It was a simple flight, with nothing too spectacular. One thing I did learn, however, is that a smooth application of power goes a long way. I added power pretty quickly on the first takeoff, which contributed to some torque steer. It wasn't unmanageable, and I corrected for it, but it was a surprise nonetheless.

Since I'm getting to within 10 hours of the 40 required for the instrument rating, it's time to get more serious about getting that over with.

Hours:
Pilot in Command Cross Country (PIC XC): 0.0 - 128.8 (of 50)
Actual/Simulated Instrument (Act/Sim): 0.7 - 32.6 (of 40)
Dual Complex: 0.0 - 7.7 (of 10)
Total Time in Aircraft: 1.2 - 198.7 (of 250)

Flight for Football

N5294W - C172R - 1.7 hours

Since this blog is about flying, I tend to keep references to my personal life to an absolute minimum. In this case, though, I'll make an exception to give the flight some context. My stepdad is the coach of the football team at the high school I went to years ago, and they made it all the way to the state championship this year. Since it was down in Charlottesville - and you know how much I love Charlottesville (CHO) - I figured I'd try and get a flight in. In order to log some instrument time, I invited my friend Woody (of Dodging Traffic fame) to come along, too.

I think I have finally hit my limit on flight narratives for Charlottesville, so I'll keep it short:

• We flew down. I logged instrument time.
• The game went into triple overtime. My stepdad's team won.
• We flew home. I logged more instrument time.

For being December, it was unseasonably warm, which also made the flight pretty pleasant. Today was a good day.

Hours:
Pilot in Command Cross Country (PIC XC): 1.7 - 128.8 (of 50)
Actual/Simulated Instrument (Act/Sim): 1.2 - 31.9 (of 40)
Dual Complex: 0.0 - 7.7 (of 10)
Total Time in Aircraft: 1.7 - 197.5 (of 250)

Taxiway to the Edge of the World

N430AV - P28R - 2.7 hours

As the weekend approached, a flight instructor friend of mine asked if I'd want to split time in an Arrow to enjoy the nice weather. Not one to pass up an opportunity to fly, but also be able to log time toward the instrument rating requirements, I took him up on it. I had been wanting to get out to Hot Springs (HSP) for quite some time. It's a unique airport, being on top of a mountain, and is actually the highest airport east of the Mississippi River. This spot also causes it to be subject to various wind hazards to challenge you on approach. Today, being a windy day, meant that those challenges would be present for my first visit.

Since my friend is based out of Manassas (HEF), I got a break from Leesburg (JYO), and a refresher on the procedures down there. Apart from having to talk to controllers in the tower, and filing a flight plan, it really isn't too different. After departing, we flew directly out to HSP, and I was able to throw the blinders on to log instrument time. Closer to the field, I flew the ILS approach for practice, beginning with a hold for good measure.

Just before landing, the wind started to play games with my approach path and I ended up pretty low. It wasn't the prettiest final approach, but it got the job done. As soon as we exited, we brought the plane back to the runway to head back home. I have been into some pretty unique airports in my years of flying around, but I was not prepared for what I saw as I rolled up to the hold short line. The taxiway comes right up to a sharp drop off, giving you a pretty spectacular view as you prepare yourself to depart.

Once back in the air, I put the blinders back on to log some more time on the way back home. It was a pretty simple flight, but quite a visually memorable one. Of course, it didn't hurt that I was able to log time toward the simulated instrument, and complex requirements.

Hours:
Pilot in Command Cross Country (PIC XC): 2.7 - 127.1 (of 50)
Actual/Simulated Instrument (Act/Sim): 1.9 - 30.7 (of 40)
Dual Complex: 2.7 - 7.7 (of 10)
Total Time in Aircraft: 2.7 - 195.8 (of 250)

Lancaster for Dinner

N172DR - C172R - 2.1 hours

I don't know why, but for some crazy reason, I decided that I needed to take a flight on a Wednesday. What other reason might one need? Any excuse to fly can be a good one.

I'd been told for quite some time that I needed to go to the airport in Lancaster (LNS) to try out the restaurant there, but never ended up going for various reasons. Tonight would be the night that I would do just that, though.

Validation for the "back in my day" speech...

As soon as I got to the plane, I noticed that my night would be made somewhat more difficult by the GPS being inoperative. Never being one to pass up a challenge, I just pulled out my paper maps, stuffed them in the side pocket, and made sure my iPad was readily accessible. The planes that I flew when I first started out had nothing more than VOR or NDB navigation, so the lack of GPS felt somewhat like a homecoming of sorts. As I've mentioned before, the lack of of movable map to show the airspace is somewhat bothersome, but having flown in and out of Leesburg (JYO) for just over 12 years now, I'm familiar enough with the landmarks that the feeling of apprehension is manageable.

After departing, I made my way up toward Frederick (FDK), carefully keeping below the Dulles (IAD) Class B airspace above me, while also making sure to be above the tower airspace at FDK. To navigate up there, I used mostly ground references - cities and towns - in addition to the VORs at FDK and LNS.

Once up at LNS, I landed on Runway 31 and brought the plane over to the ramp near the restaurant. If you haven't been to Fiorentino's, it's worth a stop. Since it's predominantly Italian food, it's a welcomed change to the typically all-American style of most other airport restaurants that I've been to. Some of those others are really good at that fare, but it's pretty standard for most small airports: burgers, sandwiches, chips and fries. If you're good at it, you're good at it, but it's also nice to be able to go somewhere to get something different.

Sunsets: Always better from the air

The flight home was a good one, without too much wind or turbulence. As the sun set and ground references were lost to the darkness, I transitioned mostly VOR navigation. The last moments of the lightness on the horizon had a spectacular orange glow, made more dynamic with the grey of the clouds and darker blue sky showing through them. I snapped a photo, but it truly does not do it justice.

Hours:
Pilot in Command Cross Country (PIC XC): 2.1 - 124.4 (of 50)
Actual/Simulated Instrument (Act/Sim): 0.0 - 28.8 (of 40)
Dual Complex: 0.0 - 5.0 (of 10)
Total Time in Aircraft: 2.1 - 193.1 (of 250)

Commercial Long Solo Cross Country

N571DS - DA40 - 5.1 hours

One of the requirements of the commercial certificate is to fly a 350 nautical mile flight to three points, with one of the points being 250nm or greater from the original point of departure. I work in DC, but since the pope is visiting DC from Vatican City, we were advised to avoid the area since roads and public transit would be packed. What better reason to get as far away as possible, and knock out a requirement in the process?

Back in June, I joined one of the DC-3 crew members on a flight in his Baron down to Elizabethton, TN (0A9). The airport is nestled in between a few ridge lines, with one right under the base turn to 24, making it slightly more challenging to get in and out of. The flight down in the Baron left enough of an impression on me that I figured it would be fun to visit again. Its distance from Leesburg (JYO) being 273nm made it perfect for the long cross country. As if any more reasons were needed, I also remembered that the airport had a pilot shop, and I was in dire need of a replacement mic muff, since the one on my now 12 year old Clarks had all but fallen apart.

I had the tanks topped off as I got myself situated, briefed, and so on. While I'd initially given them a hard time for being slow, ProJet has definitely improved on its timeliness of getting out to fuel planes. In any case, I knew I'd be spending a lot of time in the plane alone today, so I spent a while getting everything situated so that I could reach it - iPad, charts, pen, paper, and various things to take pictures with. Once everything was set, I brought the plane to the runway and headed toward 0A9.

The flight down was a long one, which I helped pass by calling Potomac for flight following around the time I passed by Shenandoah (SHD). Despite being above clusters of scattered clouds, I was still able to pick out several landmarks on the way down: JMU, Virginia Tech, Mountain Lake, and the scenic mountains in general. As I got closer to Britol (TRI), I dropped flight following and brought the plane into 0A9.

After refueling, getting a new mic muff, and expressing shock over the low fuel price they had down there, I set back off toward Pulaski (PSK) and Blacksburg (BCB). To be honest, the stop through PSK was simply to "connect the dots" if you will. Back in college, I'd flown with Phil from PSK to Pineville, WV (I16), so my flight map had a random flight that had been seemingly orphaned from the rest. After an admittedly firm and ugly landing at PSK, I hopped over to BCB to visit Virginia Tech and grab food.

The walk around campus took up a decent amount of time, but it was worth it. Owens dining hall hasn't changed much, and the food was still as good as I remembered it being (not even kidding - it's nationally recognized).

The final leg was relaxing, but also interesting. In order to take advantage of the wind I saw in the forecast, I brought the plane up to 11,500. While I'd been about that high in a Cessna 207 before, I'd never taken the DA40 that high. After a little while, though, I brought it back down to 9500 as the wind was actually stronger there. Closer to JYO, Potomac asked me to drop it a little lower to get under the arrivals for Dulles (IAD), which also set me up to stay below the Class B airspace.

With the plane back in its spot, I had 5.1 hours more time under my belt, along with the long solo cross country requirement of the commercial certificate.

Hours:
Pilot in Command Cross Country (PIC XC): 5.1 - 122.3 (of 50)
Actual/Simulated Instrument (Act/Sim): 0.0 - 28.8 (of 40)
Dual Complex: 0.0 - 5.0 (of 10)
Total Time in Aircraft: 5.1 - 191.0 (of 250)

A Flying Lunch

N728SP - C172S - 2.7 hours

While my parents have, in the past, given me money towards flying for my birthday, they've never joined on one of those flights. This year, though, the present was a flight to one of the local airport food spots for lunch. While my dad has flown with me before, this year also added the opportunity to bring my stepmom along.

It took me a little while to figure out where I wanted to go, since the logistics of getting to spots surrounding an airport can occasionally be tough (or expensive, as Phil and I found out a few years ago), but I eventually settled on Kay's At The Airport. I'd never been, but the DC-3 crew went there a little while back, and they gave it a good review so I thought we should try it out. As the name implies, it's at the airport, which in this case is Cambridge (CGE).

The flight out was a little bumpy in the climb out, but once we got a little altitude we were fine. It was in the climb that I decided against the VFR corridor between DCA and BWI, as that wouldn't have been pleasant. Instead, I asked Potomac for a Class B transition over Baltimore (BWI), which was approved and we were on our way.

Closer to CGE, we had to time our approach in between some jumpers using the landing area adjacent to the runway. I've never had to do that before, so that was new. It added a little stress to the approach, but having my parents tasked with sky watch made things easier.

Lunch took a little while since I hadn't called ahead for reservations, but it was good. Being in Maryland and quite near the Chesapeake Bay, I had to go with crab cakes. I highly recommend them.

After lunch, we jumped back in the plane to head home. This time, though, I decided to take the southern route back home, slipping between Patuxent River airspace and the SFRA. Unlike the VFR corridor, it has no altitude restrictions, and it avoided the alternate attempt to get a Class B clearance during the busy international arrival times for Potomac. It was slightly longer over the ground, but it didn't add to much more time in the air.

So. Much. Airspace.

Definitely a good flight, and a good opportunity to share my enjoyment of flying with the parents.

Hours:
Pilot in Command Cross Country (PIC XC): 2.8 - 114.5 (of 50)
Actual/Simulated Instrument (Act/Sim): 0.0 - 28.8 (of 40)
Dual Complex: 0.0 - 5.0 (of 10)
Total Time in Aircraft: 2.7 - 185.9 (of 250)