1.5 Hours; 2 Landings; KGNV-KCDK-KGNV
Tonights flying adventure was to take my parents from Gainesville, Florida to Cedar Key for dinner. It'd be a nice, quick trip for dinner, and a fun outing.
The flight west took just about half an hour. Cedar Key airport has a 2,300 foot runway, with water on both ends. I overflew the field from the northeast to consult the windsock and inspect the runway. The overflight was lower than standard traffic pattern altitude, and I didn't lose enough altitude turning base to final, and was higher/faster than I felt comfortable with coming over the threshold considering available runway length. I initiated a go around and flew a more standard patten and made a comfortable short-field landing.
While airborne you are supposed to be able to call for a taxi via CTAF, but my request was answered by someone other than the taxi driver advising us she had lost her radio and gave us a phone number. Once on the ground, we called her cell phone several times, but got no answer. We set off on foot for the two mile trek to Dock Street for dinner.
Through the graciousness of the restaurant staff, we were able to get a car ride back to the airport. The runway lights were not the typical elevated type, but were inset into the grass (which needed to be mowed). For best practice, since we would be flying upwind over open water before being able to turn back inbound for land, I executed a textbook short-field takeoff and gained several hundred feet of altitude by the time we crossed the departure threshold and headed out over the water.
Winds aloft were light and variable, so the trip back was about another 30 minutes. About 15 miles west of the field clouds started building in at about 3,000 feet. Winds were calm at the surface and tower cleared us for straight in runway 7. Temperature and dewpoint were forecast to converge at 8 PM but were still five degrees apart, about two hours later the field went IFR due to ceilings.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Flight Reflection - Introduction to the G1000 for IFR
1.2 Hours Dual; 3 Landings; KGNV (Local)
Today I combined a rental checkout at University Air Center with a Garmin G1000 IFR checkout. Overall the whole process was pretty smooth. The instructor and I spent about 30 minutes in their Redbird flight simulator to get a brief introduction to the IFR procedures of the G1000, which surprisingly enough consisted of using the "procedures" key to select, load and activate approaches.
Next we went out to the airplane, which was a 2008 Cessna 172S with a GFC 700 autopilot. After preflighting we took to the air for a little maneuvering. The instructor had me do steep turns in both directions, slow flight to a power-off stall and simulated power failure.
To finish out the day I did two approaches under the hood and three landings for good measure. Both times we did the RNAV (GPS) + LPV 7, but the instructor vectored me into the approach from two different directions. The first approach was hand-flown, the second was fully coupled with vertical guidance. As far as landings were concerned, the high-wing came back no problem, the first was a tad firm, but the second may have been my best landing ever, we didn't even know we were down.
Today I combined a rental checkout at University Air Center with a Garmin G1000 IFR checkout. Overall the whole process was pretty smooth. The instructor and I spent about 30 minutes in their Redbird flight simulator to get a brief introduction to the IFR procedures of the G1000, which surprisingly enough consisted of using the "procedures" key to select, load and activate approaches.
Next we went out to the airplane, which was a 2008 Cessna 172S with a GFC 700 autopilot. After preflighting we took to the air for a little maneuvering. The instructor had me do steep turns in both directions, slow flight to a power-off stall and simulated power failure.
To finish out the day I did two approaches under the hood and three landings for good measure. Both times we did the RNAV (GPS) + LPV 7, but the instructor vectored me into the approach from two different directions. The first approach was hand-flown, the second was fully coupled with vertical guidance. As far as landings were concerned, the high-wing came back no problem, the first was a tad firm, but the second may have been my best landing ever, we didn't even know we were down.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Flight Reflection - First Flight in a LONG Time
2.1 Hours X/C; 6 Landings; KPWA-KSWO-KRCE
In the past 12 months, I have unfortunately only been able to log 6.9 hours of flight time. That's a whole lot of not-flying going on, but it's enough time for a little knowledge to leak out, and a little rust to form.
For my BIG cross-country coming up (Oklahoma to Arkansas, Alabama, Florida & back), I needed an airplane. I needed to rent an airplane, and the one I was getting was in Stillwater, but I had to get there from Oklahoma City. So I met Britton at Wiley Post and we hopped in the Diamond Star (DA40) and headed to Stillwater. On the way up, we shot a couple of instrument approaches. This is when I could feel my in-familiarity with flying, as my stomach was starting to tell me it wasn't having that great of a time. However, with feet planted firmly on the ground in Stillwater, all was right with the world.
After pre-flighting the Cherokee 180, it was time to go do the checkout. Overall, it was a pretty simple ride, a couple of steep turns, a power-on stall, some aerial maneuvering -- which consisted of releasing a roll of toilet paper and bring the airplane back around for an intercept -- and a couple of touch-and-go's. The end result was an uneventful 0.7 hours of dual, and a feeling that the skills came right back, "like riding a bike".
Once the checkout was done, one of my friends who had flown with me before, and his girlfriend met me in Stillwater, and I took them up for a quick go. For this I did some gentle steep turns, a little toilet paper chasing, and a quick overflight of the stadium. Throw another 0.6 in the logbook, and head off to the local landmark, "Eskimo Joe's" for some dinner.
The final ride of the night was a solo repositioning flight to get the airplane from Stillwater down to Clarence E Page (KRCE) in Yukon, due to the fact that it was close proximity to where I was staying, and tie-downs on the ramp were free. Since the sun had long since set by this point, it was an opportune time todo 3 night landings, and be totally VFR current for the first time in 49 weeks -- what a long year.
In the past 12 months, I have unfortunately only been able to log 6.9 hours of flight time. That's a whole lot of not-flying going on, but it's enough time for a little knowledge to leak out, and a little rust to form.
For my BIG cross-country coming up (Oklahoma to Arkansas, Alabama, Florida & back), I needed an airplane. I needed to rent an airplane, and the one I was getting was in Stillwater, but I had to get there from Oklahoma City. So I met Britton at Wiley Post and we hopped in the Diamond Star (DA40) and headed to Stillwater. On the way up, we shot a couple of instrument approaches. This is when I could feel my in-familiarity with flying, as my stomach was starting to tell me it wasn't having that great of a time. However, with feet planted firmly on the ground in Stillwater, all was right with the world.
After pre-flighting the Cherokee 180, it was time to go do the checkout. Overall, it was a pretty simple ride, a couple of steep turns, a power-on stall, some aerial maneuvering -- which consisted of releasing a roll of toilet paper and bring the airplane back around for an intercept -- and a couple of touch-and-go's. The end result was an uneventful 0.7 hours of dual, and a feeling that the skills came right back, "like riding a bike".
Once the checkout was done, one of my friends who had flown with me before, and his girlfriend met me in Stillwater, and I took them up for a quick go. For this I did some gentle steep turns, a little toilet paper chasing, and a quick overflight of the stadium. Throw another 0.6 in the logbook, and head off to the local landmark, "Eskimo Joe's" for some dinner.
The final ride of the night was a solo repositioning flight to get the airplane from Stillwater down to Clarence E Page (KRCE) in Yukon, due to the fact that it was close proximity to where I was staying, and tie-downs on the ramp were free. Since the sun had long since set by this point, it was an opportune time todo 3 night landings, and be totally VFR current for the first time in 49 weeks -- what a long year.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Offer/Advice to Future Pilots
A future young aviator posted a message online asking for advise on how to get started, this is the advise I shared with them and I offer to everyone else.
I started primary training (that's what they call your private pilot's certificate) last February and passed my check ride in October. I looked a a large number of schools and finally decided to go with a Cessna Pilot center here in Oklahoma. (http://learntofly.com/)
It definitely wasn't the cheapest school around, but there were still a number of reasons I chose it. First off, the curriculum was very structured. On day 1, I knew exactly what I would have to read, study and learn for every single lesson, and I knew exactly what flight tasks we would be performing. It was an extremely accurate timeline. This is referred to as a "Part 141" school, they are held to higher standards by the FAA, and I feel gives a better educational experience for the money.
The next thing you need to do is meet all the instructors for the schools you are looking at. Talk to them, how well do you get along in casual conversation. The instructor you fly with (you should be able to pick your own, and use the same one for every lesson) is probably more important than the course work. You will be spending a LOT of time with this person, and your personalities need to be comfortable enough to allow for easy and casual learning, rather than intimidating and pressured. Make sure they have at least a handful of instructors. If you are flying with one and its just not working out, its OK to switch.
It might also be worth-while to find out what your potential instructors plans are. Are they really dedicated to teaching and their students, or are they going to jump ship as soon as they get their airline minimums. My instructor was working her way up to the airlines, and she had more than enough hours, but she was dedicated to the teaching for the time.
After you think you've found a school and instructor, go on a "Discovery Flight", which will let you get the feel for their airplanes, and how it is to fly with your future instructor. This whole experience should be very relaxed and enjoyable.
After you have decided that "yes, I want to do this", the school feels right, and the instructor feels right, you need to dedicate yourself to it, and keep the motivation up. On the same day you take your discovery flight, go ahead and purchase your books and anything else you'll need, and start learning that very same night. Make it a part of your schedule to read every day, even if it is for just a few minutes. Also, get with your instructor and book the next 30 day's worth of lessons (be it once or twice a week). Also, get your instructor to help you set a rough goal for a solo date, and a finish date (ie: I will solo in May and finish by September).
Keeping the commitment and energy is the hard part, reading and flying are easy. Find a network to keep you going. Get with other students at the school, find people here on Facebook, or sign up for AOPA Project Pilot (http://www.beapilot.com/).
I would love to help you as much as I can, please let me know if I can answer any more questions or give you and more advise. Best of luck, and hope to see you in the skies soon!
I started primary training (that's what they call your private pilot's certificate) last February and passed my check ride in October. I looked a a large number of schools and finally decided to go with a Cessna Pilot center here in Oklahoma. (http://learntofly.com/)
It definitely wasn't the cheapest school around, but there were still a number of reasons I chose it. First off, the curriculum was very structured. On day 1, I knew exactly what I would have to read, study and learn for every single lesson, and I knew exactly what flight tasks we would be performing. It was an extremely accurate timeline. This is referred to as a "Part 141" school, they are held to higher standards by the FAA, and I feel gives a better educational experience for the money.
The next thing you need to do is meet all the instructors for the schools you are looking at. Talk to them, how well do you get along in casual conversation. The instructor you fly with (you should be able to pick your own, and use the same one for every lesson) is probably more important than the course work. You will be spending a LOT of time with this person, and your personalities need to be comfortable enough to allow for easy and casual learning, rather than intimidating and pressured. Make sure they have at least a handful of instructors. If you are flying with one and its just not working out, its OK to switch.
It might also be worth-while to find out what your potential instructors plans are. Are they really dedicated to teaching and their students, or are they going to jump ship as soon as they get their airline minimums. My instructor was working her way up to the airlines, and she had more than enough hours, but she was dedicated to the teaching for the time.
After you think you've found a school and instructor, go on a "Discovery Flight", which will let you get the feel for their airplanes, and how it is to fly with your future instructor. This whole experience should be very relaxed and enjoyable.
After you have decided that "yes, I want to do this", the school feels right, and the instructor feels right, you need to dedicate yourself to it, and keep the motivation up. On the same day you take your discovery flight, go ahead and purchase your books and anything else you'll need, and start learning that very same night. Make it a part of your schedule to read every day, even if it is for just a few minutes. Also, get with your instructor and book the next 30 day's worth of lessons (be it once or twice a week). Also, get your instructor to help you set a rough goal for a solo date, and a finish date (ie: I will solo in May and finish by September).
Keeping the commitment and energy is the hard part, reading and flying are easy. Find a network to keep you going. Get with other students at the school, find people here on Facebook, or sign up for AOPA Project Pilot (http://www.beapilot.com/).
I would love to help you as much as I can, please let me know if I can answer any more questions or give you and more advise. Best of luck, and hope to see you in the skies soon!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Flight Reflection - Kansas City Pick Up
5.4 Hours X/C; 2 Landings; KOUN-KIXD-KOUN
The Good - Engine pre-heat led to a good start and smooth run-up. Arrival at KIXD landing runway 36, wind was 300 at 21kts gusting 30kts; used localizer to maintain a stabilized approach, maintained positive aircraft control and great coordination to landing. On return flight to KOUN Mode C altitude was reporting over 2000 feet difference, causing ATC to terminate Mode C squawk, was able to provide manual reports and continue to receive flight following. Developing clouds along flight path resulted in needing to change cruise altitude, used appropriate phraseology so that controller's response was "roger" rather than "roger, maintain VFR".
The Bad - On take-off from KIXD, failed to recognize during before take-off check that door was not fully latched, was able to correct once airborne.
The Good - Engine pre-heat led to a good start and smooth run-up. Arrival at KIXD landing runway 36, wind was 300 at 21kts gusting 30kts; used localizer to maintain a stabilized approach, maintained positive aircraft control and great coordination to landing. On return flight to KOUN Mode C altitude was reporting over 2000 feet difference, causing ATC to terminate Mode C squawk, was able to provide manual reports and continue to receive flight following. Developing clouds along flight path resulted in needing to change cruise altitude, used appropriate phraseology so that controller's response was "roger" rather than "roger, maintain VFR".
The Bad - On take-off from KIXD, failed to recognize during before take-off check that door was not fully latched, was able to correct once airborne.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Flight Reflection - Kansas City Drop Off
5.6 Hours Night, X/C; 2 Landings; KOUN-KIXD-KOUN
The Good - While taxing out for departure from KOUN, I was able to assist another pilot who was unfamiliar with the area activate the lights on the field and assisted in contacting OKC Approach. Night navigation to a distant, unfamiliar airport using VOR and ATC flight following was good, as well as recognition and use of the airport at night. The return approach into KOUN with calm winds was nearly 'textbook perfect', extra close attention was paid to maintain appropriate airspeeds, and the localizer was used to maintain a stable glidepath.
The Bad - Approximately 40 miles south of KIXD, AWOS indicated overcast clouds at 4,900, making a VFR descent impossible from cruise altitude of 11,500; as the skies were clear in my present position, I queried the controller for weather information and asked him to advise a decent profile to maintain VFR; the controller was unable to understand my request despite rephrasing three ways. The approach into KIXD was with calm winds, yet was still slightly unstabilized on final, resulting in a less-than-ideal landing roughness.
Questions - Sometime within the final 30 miles of arriving at KIXD, during the decent below the overcast cloud deck, radio communication was lost with Kansas City Center; should I have squawked lost comm?
The Good - While taxing out for departure from KOUN, I was able to assist another pilot who was unfamiliar with the area activate the lights on the field and assisted in contacting OKC Approach. Night navigation to a distant, unfamiliar airport using VOR and ATC flight following was good, as well as recognition and use of the airport at night. The return approach into KOUN with calm winds was nearly 'textbook perfect', extra close attention was paid to maintain appropriate airspeeds, and the localizer was used to maintain a stable glidepath.
The Bad - Approximately 40 miles south of KIXD, AWOS indicated overcast clouds at 4,900, making a VFR descent impossible from cruise altitude of 11,500; as the skies were clear in my present position, I queried the controller for weather information and asked him to advise a decent profile to maintain VFR; the controller was unable to understand my request despite rephrasing three ways. The approach into KIXD was with calm winds, yet was still slightly unstabilized on final, resulting in a less-than-ideal landing roughness.
Questions - Sometime within the final 30 miles of arriving at KIXD, during the decent below the overcast cloud deck, radio communication was lost with Kansas City Center; should I have squawked lost comm?
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
ATC Employment - Part 1 - Summary of the Current Staffing Situation and the Initial Application Process
My journey to Air Traffic Control starts back in April of 2007. A friend of mine who had just retired from the FAA called me with an announcement that for the first time in many years, the FAA was hiring people from the general public to fill vacancies in Air Traffic Control.
Traditionally, these positions are highly coveted and reserved for people from two different entry routes. One can either gain their training, experience and ratings through the military, or they can attend one of 14 FAA approved CTI (collegiate training initiative) schools.
However, there are currently a couple of unique situations currently that are causing controller vacancies to outnumber controller candidates. In 1981 more than 14,000 members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization went on strike as a result of a break down in the contract bargaining process, which was a violation of federal law. Approximately 11,345 controllers did not return to work and were fired and banned from further federal service by President Reagan on August 5th, 1981. As a result all managers, staff and some military controllers were brought in to fill the space, however, there were thousands of positions that needed to be filled and new controllers were hired in droves.
Air Traffic Controllers are eligible for retirement with 25 years of service. If we take 1981+25 we come up with the year 2006-2007 as the retirement eligibility year of the replacement controllers. Controllers are not mandated to retire until age 56 (or 61 if exceptionally well experienced). Recently though, controllers have been choosing to retire as soon as eligible rather than work longer. These en masse retirements are a result of another breakdown in talks over the latest contract negotiation. Controllers are currently retiring at a rate of 2.35 per day (856 retirements in FY2007) causing yet another shortage in the workforce.
The situation is further compounded by the fact that retirement-eligible are now working longer and harder duty shifts to cover the vacancies left by their now-retired peers until the more slowly-hired controller trainees are certified to work on their own. Not only are the controllers aggravated, but the trainees who are trying to learn are discouraged as well, encountering situations such as receiving outdated training materials upon reporting for duty. In some facilities, trainees account for almost 40% of the total controllers, in locations already staffed at below minimum safe levels.
So a member of the general public wants to become an air traffic controller to help bring relief to the situation. What is the process? It starts with finding an opening when posted at the FAA Job Opportunities website. These announcements are for specific duty stations to which an applicant would be willing to work. For each separate duty location one is interested in, a separate application must be filled out on the ASAP (Automated Staffing and Application Process) web site.
This application is several pages long and very detailed, collecting information on one's background, military experience, education, other qualifications/skills, geographical preferences, conditions of employment, basic qualifications, an extensive biographical assessment, work history and references. Once these applications are submitted to the ASAP system, you wait, sometimes in excess of a year.
Once the FAA chooses a duty station to hire for, they will generate a list of candidates to take a pre-employment exam and send the list to a contractor which administers the AT-SAT (Air Traffic Selection and Training). Although this is a cognitive abilities test for which one cannot study, this doesn't mean it should be walked into completely blind. Just as pilots are to perform preflight planning using 'all available information', there is information available online and in various books that can give an overview of the kinds of material to expect on the exam.
Once the FAA hands the testing list to the contractor for a specific region, the contractor will send initial contact contact via e-mail and a regular mail letter anywhere from a month to a week before the actual test date. This first letter will confirm a region for testing, along with a one-week time frame and will ask for confirmation of availability.
After confirmation of the first letter, an actual testing site and test date/time will be sent in a second e-mail/letter combination. The testing is usually done at hotels in a meeting room, and group rates are arranged with the hotels.
Next up, the test itself.
Traditionally, these positions are highly coveted and reserved for people from two different entry routes. One can either gain their training, experience and ratings through the military, or they can attend one of 14 FAA approved CTI (collegiate training initiative) schools.
However, there are currently a couple of unique situations currently that are causing controller vacancies to outnumber controller candidates. In 1981 more than 14,000 members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization went on strike as a result of a break down in the contract bargaining process, which was a violation of federal law. Approximately 11,345 controllers did not return to work and were fired and banned from further federal service by President Reagan on August 5th, 1981. As a result all managers, staff and some military controllers were brought in to fill the space, however, there were thousands of positions that needed to be filled and new controllers were hired in droves.
Air Traffic Controllers are eligible for retirement with 25 years of service. If we take 1981+25 we come up with the year 2006-2007 as the retirement eligibility year of the replacement controllers. Controllers are not mandated to retire until age 56 (or 61 if exceptionally well experienced). Recently though, controllers have been choosing to retire as soon as eligible rather than work longer. These en masse retirements are a result of another breakdown in talks over the latest contract negotiation. Controllers are currently retiring at a rate of 2.35 per day (856 retirements in FY2007) causing yet another shortage in the workforce.
The situation is further compounded by the fact that retirement-eligible are now working longer and harder duty shifts to cover the vacancies left by their now-retired peers until the more slowly-hired controller trainees are certified to work on their own. Not only are the controllers aggravated, but the trainees who are trying to learn are discouraged as well, encountering situations such as receiving outdated training materials upon reporting for duty. In some facilities, trainees account for almost 40% of the total controllers, in locations already staffed at below minimum safe levels.
So a member of the general public wants to become an air traffic controller to help bring relief to the situation. What is the process? It starts with finding an opening when posted at the FAA Job Opportunities website. These announcements are for specific duty stations to which an applicant would be willing to work. For each separate duty location one is interested in, a separate application must be filled out on the ASAP (Automated Staffing and Application Process) web site.
This application is several pages long and very detailed, collecting information on one's background, military experience, education, other qualifications/skills, geographical preferences, conditions of employment, basic qualifications, an extensive biographical assessment, work history and references. Once these applications are submitted to the ASAP system, you wait, sometimes in excess of a year.
Once the FAA chooses a duty station to hire for, they will generate a list of candidates to take a pre-employment exam and send the list to a contractor which administers the AT-SAT (Air Traffic Selection and Training). Although this is a cognitive abilities test for which one cannot study, this doesn't mean it should be walked into completely blind. Just as pilots are to perform preflight planning using 'all available information', there is information available online and in various books that can give an overview of the kinds of material to expect on the exam.
Once the FAA hands the testing list to the contractor for a specific region, the contractor will send initial contact contact via e-mail and a regular mail letter anywhere from a month to a week before the actual test date. This first letter will confirm a region for testing, along with a one-week time frame and will ask for confirmation of availability.
After confirmation of the first letter, an actual testing site and test date/time will be sent in a second e-mail/letter combination. The testing is usually done at hotels in a meeting room, and group rates are arranged with the hotels.
Next up, the test itself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)