EdFred
Taxi to Parking
I hadn't flown at night for a while. In a long enough while that I was no longer night current. So, I decided to head out to the airport and do a little night flying and get night current. I get to the airport just about the time the sun is going down - perfect timing. I fill up the tanks and talk to the mgr/ap/ia and his wife for a bit, and settle up my bill from annual. Head back out to the plane and it is now officially night. Get the plane all ready and taxi on over to runway 30. Run up is very smooth, and with the cold air I can really get a good RPM drop when I open up the carb heat. Roll out onto 30, and push the throttle all the way forward. Sorry vernier guys, the throttle quadrant is just *way* cooler when you pour on the coals.
Ok, it's just me in the plane and full tanks, which is how I usually fly, so lets see what sort of climb I get today. Trimmed out for an 85 knot climb, I'm getting 1500fpm. Yikes, and I'm in a shallower climb than Vy. Ok, now I'm convinced, those mods are helping my climb rate big time. I make 3500' in no time, and turn a couple of 360s in each direction, just wandering about wondering where I should go, or what I should do. Sometimes, not having a plan is so relaxing. Then I remember that I need 3 more night takeoffs and landings at towered fields to satisfy commercial requirements. So I tune in the Grand Rapids ATIS, get information X-ray, and make the radio call. I turn towards Grand Rapids after getting my squawk, and hear "Cherokee 12R, radar contact 3 north of Hastings, expect the option for 26L." Sweet, the big runway. I still don't know why I think landing on the big runway (10,000') is so cool, because I don't even use 1/10th of it to land, but nonetheless I got it. I report the airport and runway in sight, and get handed off to tower.
No one behind me, and just as I make the turn at KNOBS/LOM to final a Northwest Jet requests taxi to 26L. That was it for 26L, myself and a single 121 jet. Since my commercial isn't inthe too distant future I am really trying to nail my landings with the nose wheel touching the centerline, and hitting within 200' of the numbers. I kept about 100kts to 1.5 miles out, and then slowed down and made her dirty to drop some speed. 60kts on approach, over the threshold and a touchdown just past the numbers. Perfect. Nose on the center line, no floating, and right about where I wanted to touch. I come to a full stop. (well, a California stop) I was slower than taxi speed, but I have the jet waiting for me so I don't want to dawdle too long. Full throttle and off we go. I didn't pay attention to my climb rate from Grand Rapids, but I was at nearly 3000' before I left the airport environment. (790' MSL field elevation).
I fly direct to Muskegon, and get handed off from GRR to MKG. Muskegon seems surprised to hear from me, so I am guessing Grand Rapids didn't tell him of the hand off. Weird. I let them know I just got handed off and don't have ATIS, but would like to land. 'm told to make left base for 24, and then told I have traffic following me. All I know is that it is a Cessna, so I'm keeping 110+ IAS at 3000, and ask what base they want, 1 mile or 2 miles? Aproach lets me know one mile. I fly a couple more minutes and then am asked if I'm on base for 24. "Affirmative, 12R." "Contact tower." It was just way too relaxing tonight, for everyone it seems. I'm told I'm cleared to land, and then tower lets the Cessna behind me know they are cleared to land. not number 2, but cleared to land. He then corrects himself, and all is well. I land at Musekgon as well as I did at Grand Rapids and taxi back to 24. Ok, would have been nice to know that was a 172 that was following me, because when they were 2.5 miles behind me on my base leg, I thought I would need to hurry it in. I land and as I m taxiing off the runway I tell tower I'm going to stay in the pattern, and I'm given my choice of left or right pattern, stay VFR under 2000, and told to squawk 1200 when in the pattern.
"Verify squawk 1200 when in the pattern?"
"Affirmative."
Again, weird. This is a D field with a TRSA, and I have NEVER gotten a squawk 1200 when inside their airspace when talking to them. The D proper or the TRSA when on flight following. Relaxed tonight, indeed!I watch the 172 on about a 5 miles final. *sigh*. Then my phone rings. Out of habit I answer it. (I said it was a relaxing night!)
"Hey Ed it's Dad. I'm at the office and I have a question about e-mail."
"Ok, what's going on?"
"Ok, well you know that fishing video?"
"Yeah."
"Ok, well I got another copy of that from Steve, and I'm trying to send it to Mark and...."
(conversation continues for a bit and I keep trying to say hey I have to go)
"...and anyway It woudln't send, and-"
The Cessna crosses the threshold at this point.
"Hey, I'm waiting at Runway 24 in Muskegon, and tower is about to talk to me I gotta go."
"Oh, I didn't know you were in your plane!"
Evidently, the O-360 is pretty quiet at idle.
Tower asks if I am ready, I say yes, and roll out onto 24 and give her the go juice. I check the climb rate after normal rotation and I'm getting 2000 fpm! This was a normal takeoff, not a scream to the end of the runway and pull back. Normal trim, normal take off, everything. I choose a right pattern, and as I make my turn at 2000' I see that I am just off the end of the runway. Hmmm, I climbed ~1500' over a ground distance of 6500, and the wind is under 5kts. Wow! I looove these new mods. I do a stop and go on 24 and then inform tower I will be departing south along the lakeshore, and do not need flight following. Again, I get 2000fpm up through 2500' then it slides to 1300fpm up to about 3500-4000, and then tapers off to 900fpm up to 7500.
I cruise on back to Hastings with a ground speed of 141 knots, and nail another landing just past the numbers with my wheel on the centerline.
Sometimes the best made plans are no plans at all. A well spent 1.2 hours.
Ok, it's just me in the plane and full tanks, which is how I usually fly, so lets see what sort of climb I get today. Trimmed out for an 85 knot climb, I'm getting 1500fpm. Yikes, and I'm in a shallower climb than Vy. Ok, now I'm convinced, those mods are helping my climb rate big time. I make 3500' in no time, and turn a couple of 360s in each direction, just wandering about wondering where I should go, or what I should do. Sometimes, not having a plan is so relaxing. Then I remember that I need 3 more night takeoffs and landings at towered fields to satisfy commercial requirements. So I tune in the Grand Rapids ATIS, get information X-ray, and make the radio call. I turn towards Grand Rapids after getting my squawk, and hear "Cherokee 12R, radar contact 3 north of Hastings, expect the option for 26L." Sweet, the big runway. I still don't know why I think landing on the big runway (10,000') is so cool, because I don't even use 1/10th of it to land, but nonetheless I got it. I report the airport and runway in sight, and get handed off to tower.
No one behind me, and just as I make the turn at KNOBS/LOM to final a Northwest Jet requests taxi to 26L. That was it for 26L, myself and a single 121 jet. Since my commercial isn't inthe too distant future I am really trying to nail my landings with the nose wheel touching the centerline, and hitting within 200' of the numbers. I kept about 100kts to 1.5 miles out, and then slowed down and made her dirty to drop some speed. 60kts on approach, over the threshold and a touchdown just past the numbers. Perfect. Nose on the center line, no floating, and right about where I wanted to touch. I come to a full stop. (well, a California stop) I was slower than taxi speed, but I have the jet waiting for me so I don't want to dawdle too long. Full throttle and off we go. I didn't pay attention to my climb rate from Grand Rapids, but I was at nearly 3000' before I left the airport environment. (790' MSL field elevation).
I fly direct to Muskegon, and get handed off from GRR to MKG. Muskegon seems surprised to hear from me, so I am guessing Grand Rapids didn't tell him of the hand off. Weird. I let them know I just got handed off and don't have ATIS, but would like to land. 'm told to make left base for 24, and then told I have traffic following me. All I know is that it is a Cessna, so I'm keeping 110+ IAS at 3000, and ask what base they want, 1 mile or 2 miles? Aproach lets me know one mile. I fly a couple more minutes and then am asked if I'm on base for 24. "Affirmative, 12R." "Contact tower." It was just way too relaxing tonight, for everyone it seems. I'm told I'm cleared to land, and then tower lets the Cessna behind me know they are cleared to land. not number 2, but cleared to land. He then corrects himself, and all is well. I land at Musekgon as well as I did at Grand Rapids and taxi back to 24. Ok, would have been nice to know that was a 172 that was following me, because when they were 2.5 miles behind me on my base leg, I thought I would need to hurry it in. I land and as I m taxiing off the runway I tell tower I'm going to stay in the pattern, and I'm given my choice of left or right pattern, stay VFR under 2000, and told to squawk 1200 when in the pattern.
"Verify squawk 1200 when in the pattern?"
"Affirmative."
Again, weird. This is a D field with a TRSA, and I have NEVER gotten a squawk 1200 when inside their airspace when talking to them. The D proper or the TRSA when on flight following. Relaxed tonight, indeed!I watch the 172 on about a 5 miles final. *sigh*. Then my phone rings. Out of habit I answer it. (I said it was a relaxing night!)
"Hey Ed it's Dad. I'm at the office and I have a question about e-mail."
"Ok, what's going on?"
"Ok, well you know that fishing video?"
"Yeah."
"Ok, well I got another copy of that from Steve, and I'm trying to send it to Mark and...."
(conversation continues for a bit and I keep trying to say hey I have to go)
"...and anyway It woudln't send, and-"
The Cessna crosses the threshold at this point.
"Hey, I'm waiting at Runway 24 in Muskegon, and tower is about to talk to me I gotta go."
"Oh, I didn't know you were in your plane!"
Evidently, the O-360 is pretty quiet at idle.
Tower asks if I am ready, I say yes, and roll out onto 24 and give her the go juice. I check the climb rate after normal rotation and I'm getting 2000 fpm! This was a normal takeoff, not a scream to the end of the runway and pull back. Normal trim, normal take off, everything. I choose a right pattern, and as I make my turn at 2000' I see that I am just off the end of the runway. Hmmm, I climbed ~1500' over a ground distance of 6500, and the wind is under 5kts. Wow! I looove these new mods. I do a stop and go on 24 and then inform tower I will be departing south along the lakeshore, and do not need flight following. Again, I get 2000fpm up through 2500' then it slides to 1300fpm up to about 3500-4000, and then tapers off to 900fpm up to 7500.
I cruise on back to Hastings with a ground speed of 141 knots, and nail another landing just past the numbers with my wheel on the centerline.
Sometimes the best made plans are no plans at all. A well spent 1.2 hours.
