Thanksgiving Trip

forseth11

forseth11

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Sep 30, 2016
Messages
194
Location
Fort Worth, TX
Display Name
Display name:
Forseth11
Fort Worth, Texas to Denver, Colorado
I just finished my three day trip to Colorado to visit family for thanks giving. My way there was my second ifr flight without a flight instructor (but there weren't any imc conditions. I flew there in my Mooney Super 21. On my way there and back, I stopped at Dalhart (KDHT), and they had a nice restaurant in the fbo. They also had fairly cheep gas. This was also my first time flying in mountainous terrain and landing and taking off from high altitude airports. This is definitely a flight to remember. Oh, I also hit my 250 hour mark at the end of this flight; now I just have to study the books.

Did anyone else fly somewhere for Thanksgiving, and if so please share.
 
forseth11 said:
Did anyone else fly somewhere for Thanksgiving, and if so please share.
Click to expand...

Yup, but a bit shorter day trip. Spent Turkey Day with some good friends up outside Sacramento, CA. Usually it is a 2 hour and 15 min drive...two years ago it was a three and a half our drive up and three hours back with all the stupid traffic on Thanksgiving! Screw that!...weather looked good this year so I hopped in the plane and was there in 45 min landing at an airport 10 miles from their house.

Flying there and back looking down at all the four wheelers backed up in traffic on both legs of the trip reminded me why I do this!

Holiday flying note: Be sure to fully swallow the turkey leftovers you may or may not be mackin on before responding to ATC...just a suggestion.
 
Last edited:
No, but I got put through the wringer for an annual CAP Form 5 checkride. Ever done a LOC approach with no AHRS nor flaps? Now I have. Had a helluva time slowing down prior to the FAF.
 
Yep, flew from Reno, NV to Sonoma County, CA and back. Couldn't bring any wine back with me though....:(

Flying across the Sierra's is always pretty spectacular this time of year.

4314634_orig.jpg


6820476_orig.jpg


Cheers,
Brian
 
MAKG1 said:
No, but I got put through the wringer for an annual CAP Form 5 checkride. Ever done a LOC approach with no AHRS nor flaps? Now I have. Had a helluva time slowing down prior to the FAF.
Click to expand...

Yep. Ever done a partial panel NDB approach?

Flight2000.... really great pictures..!!! I love flying mountains in the winter.
 
No flying on Thanksgiving but I did pick up my boys from college and 3 of their friends in San Luis Obispo last weekend and will be returning them tomorrow. 1.5 hours in the air beats 4.5 hours on the ground.
 
Zeldman said:
Yep. Ever done a partial panel NDB approach?

Flight2000.... really great pictures..!!! I love flying mountains in the winter.
Click to expand...
Hehe. That sounds nasty. No NDB approaches are left around here, or I'd try it. One of the CAP 182s has an ADF. And of course the GX60 GPS would blow up (the Garmin 400 already did, and most of us would like to blow up the GX60).

The Sierra are pretty in winter, but please plan for survival if something goes south. There is a lot of additional risk in winter.
 
Zeldman said:
Ever done a partial panel NDB approach?
Click to expand...

Once, in IMC from MEM to GTR. Tracked to the OM using it, LOC outbound, and intercept LOC inbound on ILS in a C172. All that concentration and I popped out at 6-700'! About wore me out. :)
 
MAKG1 said:
Hehe. That sounds nasty. No NDB approaches are left around here, or I'd try it. One of the CAP 182s has an ADF. And of course the GX60 GPS would blow up (the Garmin 400 already did, and most of us would like to blow up the GX60).

The Sierra are pretty in winter, but please plan for survival if something goes south. There is a lot of additional risk in winter.
Click to expand...

If that PSA was directed at me, please refrain from making assumptions. After all, we've never met and you have no idea what my background is...or how I plan my flights, what additional equipment I have, and how I pack the baggage area in the Bo for winter ops.

Oh, and here's a NDB approach (with a GPS overlay) in NorCal near Mount Shasta: http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1612/00882NGA.PDF

Cheers,
Brian
 
flight2000 said:
If that PSA was directed at me, please refrain from making assumptions. After all, we've never met and you have no idea what my background is...or how I plan my flights, what additional equipment I have, and how I pack the baggage area in the Bo for winter ops.

Oh, and here's a NDB approach (with a GPS overlay) in NorCal near Mount Shasta: http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1612/00882NGA.PDF

Cheers,
Brian
Click to expand...
So, if you packed appropriately, there isn't a problem. As long as you dressed appropriately, too. Baggage doesn't do much good if it burns in the fire.

FYI, I do think I recognize where you shot that photo, though much of the high Sierra looks similar. It's not exactly the most conservative crossing. While there is an airport not too far away, if you go down in the wilderness, it will take days to get to you. At least the radar coverage is good there. But emergency landing spots are not. You'll be injured.

We chased a wreck RIGHT there a month or so ago. It took four days. All it takes is a few inches of new snow to hide all traces.
 
MAKG1 said:
So, if you packed appropriately, there isn't a problem. As long as you dressed appropriately, too. Baggage doesn't do much good if it burns in the fire.

FYI, I do think I recognize where you shot that photo, though much of the high Sierra looks similar. It's not exactly the most conservative crossing. While there is an airport not too far away, if you go down in the wilderness, it will take days to get to you. At least the radar coverage is good there. But emergency landing spots are not. You'll be injured.

We chased a wreck RIGHT there a month or so ago. It took four days. All it takes is a few inches of new snow to hide all traces.
Click to expand...

Sigh, making assumptions makes you look like a total tool and someone that THINKS they have all the answers figured out. Get a clue, you don't.

No, you did not "chase" a wreck there a month ago. That would have been West of the South Tahoe area. I was right above I-80 and the lake in the photo is off the left wing and Donner Lake is off to the right. Nice try though...keep working on those awesome terrain recognition skills you seem to think you have. :rolleyes:

Brian
 
View attachment 49462 KEWN to KLNS, First IMC flight with wife and daughter, third for me. Wife calm, Daughter as helpful co-pilot, Me anxious pilot.

Departure from KEWN, 10 min. after departure.

IMG_0270.JPG
IMG_0274.JPG
 
I did KPDK-KRCZ-7W6(3 days there)-KILM-KCHS-KPDK this week. Fun times.
 
Good trip, nice pics... mine always come out hazy.

I really need to get instrument rated, tired of this delayed 24-48 hours for every trip crap...
 
cowman said:
Good trip, nice pics... mine always come out hazy.

I really need to get instrument rated, tired of this delayed 24-48 hours for every trip crap...
Click to expand...

Yep, could not have done this trip 6 months ago. Next acquisition...autopilot.
 
I've tried programming my spousal autopilot but it keeps banking to the right and can't hold altitude at all. Still good enough to snap a couple photos or read a map or something...
 
We had planned a trip to OBX... Michigan weather decided to show it's nasty side, with low ceiling and high tops and worse: icing. We decided to cancel the trip... :(:cryin::cryin::(
 
cowman said:
I've tried programming my spousal autopilot but it keeps banking to the right and can't hold altitude at all. Still good enough to snap a couple photos or read a map or something...
Click to expand...

After initial climb, why would you have to touch the yoke anyway before entering traffic pattern?
 
Skywalker said:
We had planned a trip to OBX... Michigan weather decided to show it's nasty side, with low ceiling and high tops and worse: icing. We decided to cancel the trip... :(:cryin::cryin::(
Click to expand...

That's what I ran into as well. I was scheduled to fly to my parent's place for thanksgiving but the weather just wouldn't work to fly, at least in something without deice. In fact, there was even an accident at my destination airport due to weather Wednesday night. I ended up driving instead.

This weather is pretty normal in my part of the Midwest for this time of year. Out of the six years I've lived in my current location I have had to drive to my parent's place for thanksgiving every single year so far, due to winter storms or the threat of them. Maybe some year I'll get lucky.
 
flight2000 said:
Sigh, making assumptions makes you look like a total tool and someone that THINKS they have all the answers figured out. Get a clue, you don't.

No, you did not "chase" a wreck there a month ago. That would have been West of the South Tahoe area. I was right above I-80 and the lake in the photo is off the left wing and Donner Lake is off to the right. Nice try though...keep working on those awesome terrain recognition skills you seem to think you have. :rolleyes:

Brian
Click to expand...
You're right I know little about you. Yet, it's really obvious you're trying to imply you're some kind of safety professional. Except it's highly unprofessional to treat a safety concern from another as beneath you, even if out of place. So, I'm not buying.

I never said half the things you said I "assumed." And, as I said, much of the high Sierra looks the same.

You don't have to take my concerns. But you protest WAY too much for your implication to work. "I got it covered" would have been a lot more convincing...
 
MAKG1 said:
You're right I know little about you. Yet, it's really obvious you're trying to imply you're some kind of safety professional. Except it's highly unprofessional to treat a safety concern from another as beneath you, even if out of place. So, I'm not buying.

I never said half the things you said I "assumed." And, as I said, much of the high Sierra looks the same.

You don't have to take my concerns. But you protest WAY too much for your implication to work. "I got it covered" would have been a lot more convincing...
Click to expand...

Whatever, I posted two simple pictures of the Sierra's and you go off on this rant and lecture me like your god's gift to flight and safety. Go back and read your posts. You questioned my flight plan based upon an assumption that you thought I was flying between South Lake Tahoe and Placerville. Give me a break. Good day, I'm done here.
 
Skywalker said:
We had planned a trip to OBX... Michigan weather decided to show it's nasty side, with low ceiling and high tops and worse: icing. We decided to cancel the trip... :(:cryin::cryin::(
Click to expand...
Yeah I had high hopes to fly this weekend but I'm changing my oil instead. Found the source of a little oil leak: loose valve cover screw. Snugged that up and I'll finish recowling her today - looks like a good day to fly & celebrate the Double OT Win! (Sorry, couldn't resist!) ;) :cool:
 
iflyvfr said:
Snugged that up and I'll finish recowling her today - looks like a good day to fly & celebrate the Double OT Win! (Sorry, couldn't resist!) ;) :cool:
Click to expand...

Enjoy the flight. The UoM stadium in Ann Arbor looks gorgeous from the sky. :)
 
It wasn't for thanksgiving but I flew my first Pilots N Paws flight last week. 450nm to Pittsburgh and back. Longest trip I've flown as a pilot so far. Had a real nasty crosswind to land in. Might have been foolish to attempt it but got her down fine. At one point with the tailwind going east I was doing 156 knots in my PA28. The headwind stunk going home though.
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
It wasn't for thanksgiving but I flew my first Pilots N Paws flight last week. 450nm to Pittsburgh and back. Longest trip I've flown as a pilot so far. Had a real nasty crosswind to land in. Might have been foolish to attempt it but got her down fine. At one point with the tailwind going east I was doing 156 knots in my PA28. The headwind stunk going home though.
Click to expand...
Nice. Long distance trips are a lot of fun. Longest I've done was a 950nm flight to Florida in a 150 going 85 GS (no winds)
 
Morgan3820 said:
Unfortunately, I only have the daughter for one more year then off to college, sigh...
Click to expand...

My son is in his 3rd year at college now ... main reason I started flying, so I could see him more often.

Flew El Paso to Carlsbad NM Wednesday evening (son has a girlfriend there) ... dropped him off with her family and returned solo. He video taped the landing, but I'm not sure how to upload it here ... "black hole" effect is an under statement on that landing ... greased it on though:D Visited a little while then departed back to El Paso. Moonless night. I use the Carlsbad and Salt Flats VOR to remain well south of Guadalupe Peak, and have made this run a quite a few times. (3.5 hrs by car vs 1 hour by Tiger one way - better 2 hours round trip vs 7:confused:)

El Paso Class C has lots of new controllers. Frequency quiet until I'm directly over their field and altitude restricted high at 8500 (descended out of 10,500). I get a traffic alert for SWA which has departed and climbing directly under me (not even close), and then the caution wake turbulence call out (none encountered). Finally get squawk VFR directly over the mountain about 10 miles out and about 4400 feet of altitude to get rid of ... sort of the mini-slam dunk. Silky smooth flight despite some 15-20 knot winds aloft.
 
iflyvfr said:
Yeah I had high hopes to fly this weekend but I'm changing my oil instead. Found the source of a little oil leak: loose valve cover screw. Snugged that up and I'll finish recowling her today - looks like a good day to fly & celebrate the Double OT Win! (Sorry, couldn't resist!) ;) :cool:
Click to expand...

No need to apologize! It's Tuesday, Nov 29th, 2016, and ichigan still sucks! LOL!
 
South Florida to California and back. Had 20+ knot tailwinds coming back...wheeeeee! Took southern route obviously, was going go through Vegas but with high winds I avoided the more mountainous terrain. 2 oil changes in 30 days.
 
teejayevans said:
South Florida to California and back. Had 20+ knot tailwinds coming back...wheeeeee! Took southern route obviously, was going go through Vegas but with high winds I avoided the more mountainous terrain. 2 oil changes in 30 days.
Click to expand...
That's a nice tailwind. On my way to Colorado I was getting a 25 kt headwind..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top