Up Up and... over to Tooele... AGAIN

Well… I got the ride done two weeks ago, but it took me until now to actually sit down and write about it. It’s cool, I budget time well.

Starting it off… Flight was Monday March 16 in N978WC with Chandler Jones and Mike Leaver. What a duo.

I think this was Jones’ second flight so the stuff we did was pretty basic. No engine failures or anything like that, but it was beneficial nonetheless. We trucked on out to the Bolinder Field or whatever the hell it’s really called for some basic maneuvers in the twin (stalls, steep turns, cool stuff like that). Steep turns are pretty much exactly the same in the twin as they are in the Arrow, big surprise, and Jones nailed them on the first go around. Now the stalls, they were… interesting. They don’t joke around when they say don’t take it to the full stall. That thing was rocking like a leaf on the wind as we did the maneuver. The landings are pretty much exactly the same as well, except for the slight increase in speed and the necessity for a bit more power all the way to touchdown. The flight went really well.

Big things I took away from it. Stalls are serious... like seriously serious, in the twin. The checklists are a little bit longer now. The autopilot is crappy, so you really have to pay attention to it. Really have to pay attention to altitude as you first get used to the Seminole, it can climb a lot faster than we are used to. Going to have to really be on top of your game in that plane because everything happens faster, and there is double going on.

BTW… I passed my Commercial Checkride on Monday! Woot!

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Ah yes, and so we conclude this chapter in our lives. What have we learned...

1. Obviously I learned how to operate a multi-engine aircraft and the proper procedures for responding to emergency in said airplane. I feel very confident going into the flying stages.

2. I learned group study sessions rock. Getting together with the guys before the test was probably the best decision I could have made. Those study sessions were invaluable.

The class went pretty well, I wouldn't change much. This was the ground school I think I took the most from. I think the small class size really helped. Most westminster classes are small, but I think five was a great number. I would think about limiting the number to something around there if it is possible. No overall complaints. It was sweet...


I end this journey with a lasting question.... You are taking off and experience an engine failure.. to your left is a pissed off Warlock, straight ahead is a colony of Umpa Lumpas, to the right... is Bigfoot... WHAT DO YOU DO!

Aspen' Nearly 3 Weeks Picken' Up That Plane Ya'll

Spoilers, really?

So reading this delightful tale of a Band of Bumbrains, many a thought came to my mind.

1. Slap "the boss" in his face.

Actually that's really all that came to my mind initially but really, what a b-word.

Let us list some of the mistakes.

1. The Notam never made it to the tower controllers, kinda important right?
2. The Pilots' decision to even try the approach was illegal.
3. Who lets a passenger sit in the cockpit when you can't find the runway on a sunny day?
4. Excessive sink rate is bad, so is a 49 degree bank with flaps, gear, and spoilers.

You can really go on and on about the mistakes that were made and contributing factors. Obviously the weather contributed as well as the looming darkness. Although the pilots had been there two times previous, this was their first attempt to land at night.

The first thing I would have done was this. I would have walked right up to "the boss" and said, "Sir, I want you to know that because of the time of departure we are now forced to have I cannot garauntee we will get into Aspen. If we don't get there by X time, due to the current weather reports, we will be going on to rifle no questions asked. So if you want to do that we will, or we will just stay here." Some people say the customer is always right, but when it comes to aviation and safety, the customer can stuff it.

I'm all alone.... all by myself.... it's gettin' kinda cloudy...

Single Pilot IFR?

That is a tricky question. It really comes down to whether or not you are comfortable and proficient. I myself, would rather not fly IFR alone at this point. I might be current, but that by no means makes me able to handle bad IFR conditions with ease. I would feel more comfortable having a second pilot there to help share the work load. The article had lots of good points. I liked the idea of tabbing important things, but then I thought that with all those post its everywhere it might actaully becoming more distracting than helpful.

Who knows?

But, for now... SPIFR is something I will not be participating in.

To be wet... or not to be wet... that is the question...

Today, we delve into the wonderful world of the Wet and Dry Sump Oil Systems.

For the purpose of our tale, the wet sump oil system shall be referred to as "Howard". The dry sump oil system shall be referred to as.... "Dwayne".

Let us commence.

Now, Howard is quite a loner. He likes to do everything by himself. He doesn't need any silly pumps or stupid cranks to hold his oil.. he just likes to let it sit in the bottom of the engine.

On the Other hand, Dwayne is a prissy little bitch (Can I say bitch?). He likes to have lots of little slaves working and doing his bidding. Instead of letting his oil sit in the bottom of the engine, Dwayne finds it necessary to have scavenger pumps move his oil to a separate reservoir where the oil is stored.

Now even though Dwayne is causing more work for his minions, he is actually afforded some advantages in his kingdom. He is able to hold as much oil as he wants in his reservoir because it doesn't affect the placement of his engine. Also, the engine has a lower center of gravity. Oil stays cooler in the separate reservoir which is another bonus.

However, Dwayne is a costly date, and maintenance is more involved. Howard, on the other hand is simple.

Howard and Dwayne are like Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson in Shanghai Knights. They both get the job done (for the most part), but depending on the situation one might do it better than the other...

Questions?

Blog Post #1

Multi Engine, the final ground school of my flying career.

I want to get everything I can out of this class. Obviously I want to learn enough to pass the FAA written test, but anything above that would be just dandy as well. I want to feel confident in the airplane after this ground school is over, as well as safer. I want to be able to answer all of my flight instructors questions with the knowledge I obtain in class.

I WANT TO MAKE JULIE PROUD!