Archive for the ‘Flying’ Category

VFR into IMC, always a bad choice!

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nm8pNgqBAk

Watch closely in this video and you will see something that very few pilots will ever see and live to talk about.  A film crew departs out of Van Nuys for a local formation flight with an L-39 Jet.  The Pilot, while flying up a valley under a solid overcast happens to enter IMC.  What would you do? (Here is what I did).    The rules say 180 degree turn and climb.  He has the newest and greatest Garmin 696 with all the doo dads, why would he need to follow silly rules?  You’ll see clearly why at 1:28 in the video.

Not convinced?  AOPA’s ASF has an online course that allows you to live a typical VFR into IMC scenario from your own computer.  It is informative and chilling at the same time.   What would you have done?  Would you fly with this pilot ever?   I often thought how cool it would be to fly with the new Garmin 696 but wonder if it’s gives one a little too much confidence causing them to lose judgment.  Maybe.

Lachute at Last!

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Aircraft: C172
Registration: C-GQQV
Dual Time: 0.0 Total: 53.9
PIC Time: 1.5 Total: 26.0
Total Time:   79.9

Rica and I finally made it to Lachute and back!  We had breakfast there, it was great.  Flying back we had to keep low but the scenery was good and my landing was okay, well the first one was anyways…..


Paper Anniversary

Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Glassy Ottawa River Water

Glassy Ottawa River Water

Aircraft: C172
Registration: C-GYWN
Dual Time: 0.0 Total: 53.9
PIC Time: 0.6 Total: 24.5
Total Time:   78.4

METAR CYND 181100Z CCA 26003KT 15SM FEW250 M06/M09 A3027

Today is a very special day in the history of flight.  My flight history that is.  Today marks our One Year Anniversary!   Since Rica and I have had all aviation related events surrounding our wedding, I found it only fitting that we book a flight for 8:00 this morning.  (I originally had something much cooler planned, that never worked out)

I did not feel great getting up at 6:30 to check the weather.  Soon things cheered me up as I realized how gorgeous this morning would be for flying.  It was. You can see how still the air was by the glassy water photo above.
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Chandler’s First Flight

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

 

Chandler Goes Flying!

Chandler Goes Flying!

 

 

Aircraft: C172
Registration: C-GYWN
Dual Time: 0.0 Total: 53.9
PIC Time: 0.5 Total: 23.9
Total Time:   77.8

Today was an excellent day to take up a first timer.  In this case it’s our 2 year old Shih-Tzu who has been around aircraft but never above 3 feet.  He would manage to ride along up to 2000′ without so much as a whimper.  He really likes being inside the plane.  He does not like being shown the outside thru the window however!  
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Flying with Mom and Dad

Sunday, October 11th, 2009

 

Flying with Mom and Dad 10/11/2009

Flying with Mom and Dad 10/11/2009

Aircraft: C172

Registration: C-GYWN
Dual Time: 0.0 Total: 53.9
PIC Time: 0.6 Total: 23.4
Total Time:   76.6

 

METAR CYND 111400Z 25011KT 15SM FEW028 06/M02 A3011 RMK CF1 SLP198= 
 
METAR CYND 111300Z 26006KT 15SM SKC 04/M02 A3010 RMK SLP196=  

METAR CYND 111400Z 25011KT 15SM FEW028 06/M02 A3011 RMK CF1 SLP198= 
METAR CYND 111300Z 26006KT 15SM SKC 04/M02 A3010 RMK SLP196=  

Our flight today was a special one as it would be the first time I flew with my parents on Rica’s side.  They are seasoned travelers of the jumbo jet series but never have flown in a “little plane”.  I wanted the weather to be smooth with little crosswind.  Our flight took place at approx 13:00Z with a slight wind coming directly down the runway.

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New Bird to MME

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

 

Gatineau Park In Fall Color

Gatineau Park In Fall Color

 

 

Aircraft: C172
Registration: C-GMME
Dual Time: 0.0 Total: 53.9
PIC Time: 0.7 Total: 22.8
Total Time:   76.0

Today Rica and I would be flying on a mission.  I had read about Pontiac Airpark and wanted to overfly it as a visitor to the ourairports page had in the past.  A second part of the mission is to enjoy the fall colors that are abundant now.  I had to book online ad the only aircraft available to me was one that is new to the club.  Mike,Mike,Echo.  MME is a C172M model (another Mike) and although I have been flying only the N models I figured it can’t be too tough.  While getting ready to preflight Louis at the club reminded me that this aircraft’s ASI is calibrated in MPH instead of KT.  There IS a subscale but you can’t read it at all.  So I had to quickly memorize a new set of performance numbers.  
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Long Time No Flight

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

 

Water in Fuel sample from a Cessna 172

Water in Fuel sample from a Cessna 172

 

METAR CYND 011300Z 27005KT 15SM -SHRA BKN017 OVC035 04/01 A2996

Aircraft: C172
Registration: C-GYWN
Dual Time: 0.7 Total: 53.9
PIC Time: 0.0 Total: 22.1
Total Time:   75.3

Today’s flight began early in the week with an email I sent to Steven asking if he had a standard “rust remover” type of flight he liked to use for someone who has not flown in over 90 days!  I wanted to ask for stalls and oddly enough he came back with just that suggestion, stalls, a diversion and some hood time to go towards my night training.  I was excited and nervous thinking of whether I remembered to fly or not!   As it turned out we would fly but the lesson was completely different due to weather.  The real secret in aviation?  Always be flexible!
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Dead Stick

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z985xdXW-3w 

Watch this video, then never ever again say a word about forced landings.  I sure will see them in a new light.  The pilot actually takes off (downhill) with the engine off and flies the aircraft for a couple of minutes before landing.  Amazing.

Noorduyn Norseman visits CYRO

Saturday, June 13th, 2009
Noorduyn Norseman CF-LZO at Rockliffe 

 

Noorduyn Norseman CF-LZO at Rockliffe

 

Aircraft: C172
Registration: C-GBRI
Dual Time: 0.0 Total: 53.2
PIC Time: 0.6 Total: 22.1
Total Time:   75.3

Today I was planning to fly to Lachute with my bride on a repeat attempt of our inaugural x/c flight.  The weather was perfect but I still had that niggling feeling of nervousness  as we approached the club.   Driving up to the ramp I noticed the aircraft that I had booked (QQV) was sitting there with it’s wings off!  That’s not a good sign.  The replacement bird assigned to me was BRI.  I love BRI but not necessarily as the greatest X/C machine.  We decided that a quick hop out to the practice area could do no harm and so we pre flighted together and took off for a lap around the circuit.  
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Birds Flap, Cessnas Don’t Need Them

Sunday, June 7th, 2009

Aircraft: C172
Registration: C-GQQV
Dual Time: 0.4 Total: 53.2
PIC Time: 0.0 Total: 21.5
Total Time:   74.7

If you have been paying attention you’ll see that I haver not flown in almost 2 months.  Far more than the 30 day recency requirements of my club.  This was due in part to a tornado that ripped thru our small airport during the Wings appreciation dinner.  That whirlwind took out two of the club’s aircraft leaving me with only 4 to select from.  Since flight training trumps the PPL holders I have been at the end of the queue.  That is until I managed to score a booking for Ryan this morning.

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