U
Unregistered
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I'm very embarrassed and disappointed with myself to admit I recently flew about 100 nm on an easterly heading at 8,500. I'm also surprised no one challenged me on it.
Here's what happened. Over the holidays my student pilot son and I planned a trip to visit relatives. Originally, our destination was about 325 nm on a heading of 002. The day before, we added an intermediate destination to have lunch with my sister and her husband. Our intermediate destination was 170 nm at 340 deg, which made the second leg 180 nm at 020. Using forecast winds in Garmin Pilot, it looked like 4,500 was the best altitude on the first leg, and 7,500 on the second.
The morning of the flight, I checked to see if the preferred altitude had changed. 4,500' was still best for leg 1. Then I made my mistake. I didn't hit the little tab in GP for easterly headings. Still on the westerly headings tab, I decided 8,500' was best.
My son has done a couple of dual X-Cs with his instructor, and is prepping for his first solo X-C, so I asked him if he wanted any help, or if he wanted to do everything himself. Since our intermediate lunch stop was at a Class C airport, he asked me to demo getting in and out of the class C, and that he would do everything else.
After lunch, we got ready to go and he asked what altitude we were going to climb to, and I said 8,500. I called ground (no separate clearance freq at this class C) and said "Bugsmasher 123, VFR departure, 020 heading at 8,500." Ground replied with a squawk code and clearance to taxi. When we were ready to take off, the tower instructions were "clear for takeoff; proceed on course." In the air we were handed off from tower to local approach to center and finally to another approach facility whose airspace we were transiting.
En route I was watching the destination METAR, and when it changed from unlimited to overcast at 4,000, I told my son we'd probably have to begin our descent early because the overcast was coming toward us. In my head I thought "OK, we should probably go down to 3,500. We're at 8,500 so...OH F***!!!"
This mistake is totally mine -- I own it -- but still surprised no one I talked to (1 student pilot and at least 5 controllers) questioned me.
Summary of lessons learned:
1. Be wary of the east/west tabs in GP. From now on I will just leave it on "all," and I think that will make me stop and think about what heading I'm on.
2. Reinforce with my son that he can question anything I say because (contrary to the perception I've tried to create his whole life) I am not perfect.
3. ATC...not sure what the lesson is here...don't know if they did not notice either, or they did and it was OK because no one else was out there (sounded like our FW Center controller was working all low altitude airspace from DFW west to the border with Albuquerque center).
Here's what happened. Over the holidays my student pilot son and I planned a trip to visit relatives. Originally, our destination was about 325 nm on a heading of 002. The day before, we added an intermediate destination to have lunch with my sister and her husband. Our intermediate destination was 170 nm at 340 deg, which made the second leg 180 nm at 020. Using forecast winds in Garmin Pilot, it looked like 4,500 was the best altitude on the first leg, and 7,500 on the second.
The morning of the flight, I checked to see if the preferred altitude had changed. 4,500' was still best for leg 1. Then I made my mistake. I didn't hit the little tab in GP for easterly headings. Still on the westerly headings tab, I decided 8,500' was best.
My son has done a couple of dual X-Cs with his instructor, and is prepping for his first solo X-C, so I asked him if he wanted any help, or if he wanted to do everything himself. Since our intermediate lunch stop was at a Class C airport, he asked me to demo getting in and out of the class C, and that he would do everything else.
After lunch, we got ready to go and he asked what altitude we were going to climb to, and I said 8,500. I called ground (no separate clearance freq at this class C) and said "Bugsmasher 123, VFR departure, 020 heading at 8,500." Ground replied with a squawk code and clearance to taxi. When we were ready to take off, the tower instructions were "clear for takeoff; proceed on course." In the air we were handed off from tower to local approach to center and finally to another approach facility whose airspace we were transiting.
En route I was watching the destination METAR, and when it changed from unlimited to overcast at 4,000, I told my son we'd probably have to begin our descent early because the overcast was coming toward us. In my head I thought "OK, we should probably go down to 3,500. We're at 8,500 so...OH F***!!!"
This mistake is totally mine -- I own it -- but still surprised no one I talked to (1 student pilot and at least 5 controllers) questioned me.
Summary of lessons learned:
1. Be wary of the east/west tabs in GP. From now on I will just leave it on "all," and I think that will make me stop and think about what heading I'm on.
2. Reinforce with my son that he can question anything I say because (contrary to the perception I've tried to create his whole life) I am not perfect.
3. ATC...not sure what the lesson is here...don't know if they did not notice either, or they did and it was OK because no one else was out there (sounded like our FW Center controller was working all low altitude airspace from DFW west to the border with Albuquerque center).