Jaybird180
Final Approach
Well, not really. At least not yet. But I will be in a few days, so says a review of my logbook. It will almost have been 90 days since my 3 qualiflying (yes I spelled that right) night ops.
I thought that I would take care of it this afternoon. I don't do a lot of solo flying and I figure I'm due for some maneuvers, pattern work, idle power landings, stick and rudder stuff....burning AvGas, whatever you wanna call it, I haven't done any in awhile.
Well, I decided to make a mission of it instead, since I have my wife on the phone. I invite her and our toddler on a dinner date across the bay, a quick flight W00-KESN with an extra circuit around the pattern at a daytime arrival at ESN, with 2 after dinner and the trip home (makes 3) and I'm good for another 90 days...or so was the thought.
I arrived at the airport ahead of my wife, quickly got into the preflight. What's this nick on the prop blade? I think it was there before, and it's so tiny, you'd hardly see it.
Open the baggage door, hmmmmm not locked. Cover straps not properly secured....hmmmmmm.....who flew the plane last? I added my name to the list, recorded Hobbs and tach time and made a mental note of the last pilot's name and entry, no squawks noted.
As I continue my preflight, I discover that he put the fuel nearer the tops, above our customary tabs fuel of 35 gals, no idea how much was in there but full is 53, so maybe high 40-ish.
It's a 1600+ DA afternoon and I'm not feeling like cutting it close with the two most important people in the world to me, so I decide to take a trip around the pattern....to gauge the performance first.
SFRA procedures....call up FSS and enter a new flight plan (previous had 3 on board and departing the SFRA) for 1 and remaining in the pattern. Then Call ATC and get my squawk.
CLEAR!
As I taxi to the favored runway 18 (slight downhill and slight breeze out of the south) a Saratoga calls up asking for a runway advisory. I advise him that I'll be using 18 and he replies 36.
I ask if he's planning an instrument approach, to which I'd yield. No response. Saratoga, state intentions. No reply. I proceed to the runup area and he calls distance (unintelligible). I'm now done with runup and hear him declare 8 miles airport in sight. I call out to traffic departing 18, closed pattern. He asks preferred and I state 18 and push the power up, thinking....he's 8 miles out with plenty time to plan his arrival
I haven't done a no flap takeoff in awhile so I decide this is the opportunity. At 300AGL I see him to my left in the distance. 500, I turn cross, call on the radio and lose sight of him. He states he has visual and is turning base for 18. I'm now 100 below pattern altitude and tuning downwind and call again, no visual. I check my lights (wouldn't want Doug Bader getting into a tizzy over me not using ALL my lights:wink2.
I hear him call 5 miles, but my brain doesn't process his location...I'm not happy with not seeing this guy. I'm abeam, call my downwind decent and ask him to remain clear. He states 3 mile final. Still no visual on him.
I depart the pattern. An SFRA no-no. As PIC, I determined that it was safer to disengage, get some separation and then rejoin. I call ATC, while making my 225* turn and tell then I departed the pattern due to traffic conflict. Request to return to advisory freq. Granted.
I rejoin on the 45 and on downwind, I call my position and see the airplane on the ground, looks like he was on the taxiway but he replies that he'll be out of the way by the time I arrive (I'm sure you will). I call my downwind decent again and he states clear of the active.
Oh! In my excitement of typing, I forgot to mention the engine vibration and hesitation during my flying, head swiveling and radio chatter
is this that prop nick? Did I underestimate it? Why is the engine acting like this?
I get back to terra firms sans further drama with the landing, but whats that nose wheel shimmy? Thats new....So I'm definitely heading to parking. Not flying today.
Little Miss is ready to go flying, but daddy has to explain why we're not flying today. Grown Miss saw the other airplane (and my upset with him) but lost sight after he landed.Flightaware told me his tail number. And that's all I have to say about that.
So that's why I'm going to be out of night currency for the first time in over a year.
. I will notify the clubs maintenance officer about the squawks.
File ASRS about this Saratoga's airline pattern and losing visual
, causing me to deviate from SRFA procedure (my 2nd SFRA issue in only 8 days)
.
I thought that I would take care of it this afternoon. I don't do a lot of solo flying and I figure I'm due for some maneuvers, pattern work, idle power landings, stick and rudder stuff....burning AvGas, whatever you wanna call it, I haven't done any in awhile.
Well, I decided to make a mission of it instead, since I have my wife on the phone. I invite her and our toddler on a dinner date across the bay, a quick flight W00-KESN with an extra circuit around the pattern at a daytime arrival at ESN, with 2 after dinner and the trip home (makes 3) and I'm good for another 90 days...or so was the thought.
I arrived at the airport ahead of my wife, quickly got into the preflight. What's this nick on the prop blade? I think it was there before, and it's so tiny, you'd hardly see it.
Open the baggage door, hmmmmm not locked. Cover straps not properly secured....hmmmmmm.....who flew the plane last? I added my name to the list, recorded Hobbs and tach time and made a mental note of the last pilot's name and entry, no squawks noted.
As I continue my preflight, I discover that he put the fuel nearer the tops, above our customary tabs fuel of 35 gals, no idea how much was in there but full is 53, so maybe high 40-ish.
It's a 1600+ DA afternoon and I'm not feeling like cutting it close with the two most important people in the world to me, so I decide to take a trip around the pattern....to gauge the performance first.
SFRA procedures....call up FSS and enter a new flight plan (previous had 3 on board and departing the SFRA) for 1 and remaining in the pattern. Then Call ATC and get my squawk.
CLEAR!
As I taxi to the favored runway 18 (slight downhill and slight breeze out of the south) a Saratoga calls up asking for a runway advisory. I advise him that I'll be using 18 and he replies 36.
I ask if he's planning an instrument approach, to which I'd yield. No response. Saratoga, state intentions. No reply. I proceed to the runup area and he calls distance (unintelligible). I'm now done with runup and hear him declare 8 miles airport in sight. I call out to traffic departing 18, closed pattern. He asks preferred and I state 18 and push the power up, thinking....he's 8 miles out with plenty time to plan his arrival
I haven't done a no flap takeoff in awhile so I decide this is the opportunity. At 300AGL I see him to my left in the distance. 500, I turn cross, call on the radio and lose sight of him. He states he has visual and is turning base for 18. I'm now 100 below pattern altitude and tuning downwind and call again, no visual. I check my lights (wouldn't want Doug Bader getting into a tizzy over me not using ALL my lights:wink2
.I hear him call 5 miles, but my brain doesn't process his location...I'm not happy with not seeing this guy. I'm abeam, call my downwind decent and ask him to remain clear. He states 3 mile final. Still no visual on him.
I depart the pattern. An SFRA no-no.
As PIC, I determined that it was safer to disengage, get some separation and then rejoin. I call ATC, while making my 225* turn and tell then I departed the pattern due to traffic conflict. Request to return to advisory freq. Granted.I rejoin on the 45 and on downwind, I call my position and see the airplane on the ground, looks like he was on the taxiway but he replies that he'll be out of the way by the time I arrive (I'm sure you will). I call my downwind decent again and he states clear of the active.
Oh! In my excitement of typing, I forgot to mention the engine vibration and hesitation during my flying, head swiveling and radio chatter
is this that prop nick? Did I underestimate it? Why is the engine acting like this?I get back to terra firms sans further drama with the landing, but whats that nose wheel shimmy? Thats new....So I'm definitely heading to parking. Not flying today.
Little Miss is ready to go flying, but daddy has to explain why we're not flying today. Grown Miss saw the other airplane (and my upset with him) but lost sight after he landed.Flightaware told me his tail number. And that's all I have to say about that.
So that's why I'm going to be out of night currency for the first time in over a year.
. I will notify the clubs maintenance officer about the squawks. File ASRS about this Saratoga's airline pattern and losing visual
, causing me to deviate from SRFA procedure (my 2nd SFRA issue in only 8 days).
?
