Love it when a plan works - or - stuff you can do with an airplane . . .

[comanchepilot]

. . . that you can't easily do with a car.

We are leaving for Australia in about 3 weeks - the wife has been putting off and canceling Global Entry appointments since June for whatever reason - but - she felt she was actively molested the last time she went through TSA and finally - decided to put an end to the BS.

That said, it is impossible to get an appt before March now at any of the major airport locations, but, there generally have them @ the Otay Mesa location outside San Diego, sometimes even next day.

So, I needed to be @ Brown in San Diego by 9a, in Burbank by 1130 so my wife could make a Noon lunch with senior execs at her company, and then Riverside by 1p since I had a 2p conference call. . . . .

You cannot do this by automobile in Southern Calif. It's 7.5 hours to do the loop - at least - it kills an entire day. It's a 2.5 hour drive to Otay Mesa, then 2.5-3 hours to Burbank. Plus the time killed dealing with the government -

So - obviously we flew- and amazingly it all worked out.

POC-SDM - IFR to avoid the SAN Class B basically - sure - they hand out Class B like candy but why deal with the hassle and the possibility of needing plan B? Basically a straight line to PDZ [Paradise VOR then straight to Brown. 7000IFR and then 4000 through the Bravo - thats good to know for next time VFR. Naturally with a 930a appointment we sat there waiting for 45 min until the 8 min long appt at 955. I hate the government.

Thanks for San Diego Jet Center for the use of their crew car - and the cheap gas. . . . wheels up 0808 and land 0851. Traffic looked to be a byotch on the 15/163 near Miramar.

SDM-BUR - this was the first time I've seen and flown the new TEC GPS route over the arrival end of LAX. Vectors to OCN became direct MZB V23 SLI, POPPR SMO SMO310 intercept the localizer for the visual.

This is leg for the photos. The plan was to be on the ground by 1130 and we landed 1138. Total leg time 51 min.

I was slowed down by ATC to 130kts indicated to stay behind a slower Cenurion? Whats up with that? A Centurion indicating 140? Anyway- he was going to LGB and was turned off soon enough so we only lost about 5 min at the slower speed.

Arrived at Atlantic - gave us the Mercedes C280 crew car. Niiiice ride. I've been in a 50 year El Camino with wood for floorboards so this was a nice diversion. Did not buy gas since I taking the airplane to annual - and total cost from Atlantic was $10. GREAT guys at Burbank.

Back to BUR and . . . .

KBUR - KRAL VFR. Depart runway 8 - 4 knot tail wind - direct DARTS intercepted the LOC and just tracked it in VFR and landed 27 @ KRAL. Simple VFR flight.

The excellent staff at Waypoint Maintenance were waiting and 15 min after landing I they had me in one of their airplane and were taking me back to my car at POC and by 145p I'm home.

You simply cannot accomplish all of that with a personal vehicle - I bought almost my entire afternoon of work bringing in about $1500 in revenue when if we did not have an airplane the entire day would have been a bust for someone . . . .

Photos below of our cloudy day in LA are of downtown LA, LAX, the coast line near SMO and then looking back over the wing at Century City on the approach into BUR. . . .

 

[comanchepilot]

and the last two pix -

 

[SCCutler]

Excellent!

Where are you going in Australia?

 

[cathead]

Let's see a picture of the plane.

 

[LJS1993]

Hmmmm........perhaps a run to Australia via the Comanche?

 

[stratobee]

Don't you love it when aviation helps you save money and time?

 

[comanchepilot]

they are time machines - it made me money yesterday - or at least - cost me less~!!

As for down under - fly into SYD, 2-3 nights, then MEL to visit a friend for a couple nights -then we take the train to Darwin through the outback - one night on the train, one at the Rock, the train comes again a day later and we hop on again to Darwin.

Arrive 8a Darwin - spend the day - 7p flight to Cairns and the Reef. a couple nights beaching bumming it on the GBR and then back to SYD, fly to Beijing for 2 nights. Get 5 more custom suits made for myself and the wife. A few shirts and blouses. Show her the Great Wall, a few other close by sights and then a quick am flight to NRT and home.

I think the only first flight dates are out and back - everything else is on a open jaw circle asia ticket on AA's program - its only 135,000 miles for 16000 miles in business class. . . . up to 3 stop overs - we may hit Shanghai or Tokyo - but Tokyo is not much t to see - BTDT and not impressed with the city sights and we don't have time to do much more than the full plate we have - we'll see about how long we spend in PEK.

 

[Ghery]

they are time machines - it made me money yesterday - or at least - cost me less~!!

As for down under - fly into SYD, 2-3 nights, then MEL to visit a friend for a couple nights -then we take the train to Darwin through the outback - one night on the train, one at the Rock, the train comes again a day later and we hop on again to Darwin.

Arrive 8a Darwin - spend the day - 7p flight to Cairns and the Reef. a couple nights beaching bumming it on the GBR and then back to SYD, fly to Beijing for 2 nights. Get 5 more custom suits made for myself and the wife. A few shirts and blouses. Show her the Great Wall, a few other close by sights and then a quick am flight to NRT and home.

I think the only first flight dates are out and back - everything else is on a open jaw circle asia ticket on AA's program - its only 135,000 miles for 16000 miles in business class. . . . up to 3 stop overs - we may hit Shanghai or Tokyo - but Tokyo is not much t to see - BTDT and not impressed with the city sights and we don't have time to do much more than the full plate we have - we'll see about how long we spend in PEK.

Have fun. I've been to Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns. You'll have a good time. Beijing is on my wife's list. I agree about Tokyo. It's a city. BTDT, more than once.