Lesson 23 - First night flight

This was my first night flight. A local flight through the Class B over KDFW to Alliance Airport (KAFW) for some stop-and-goes.

KADS 200147Z 15005KT 13SM SCT250 32/23 A2995

I couldn't have picked a better night. Not many clouds, no haze, and a full moon!

However, I started off the preflight by splitting the seam of my pants when climbing up to check the fuel!!! I went ahead and finished the outside preflight since there were no spectators about but I ruled out conducting the flight half-dressed. The breeze felt nice though. Luckily I live close to the airport so I drove home and changed. I know some day I'll look back at this and laugh. OK, I already am!

Now wearing shorts and a tshirt I finish the preflight and C and I sit down to go over the game plan. We're going to request Class B clearance when we call Addison ground and it went something like this ... "Nxxx at Monarch request class bravo direct over dfw to alliance with foxtrot and we're ready to taxi." We'll go to Alliance and do the required landings, w/landing lights, w/o landing lights, w/o panel lights and flaps, w/distractions, and then some regular landings on both runways. Alliance has parallel runways, one with center lights and one without. Then we'll go out to the practice area and do stalls and unusual attitudes. And C also takes a good look at all my flashlights (3) and backup batteries.

... I also got one of those no-battery flashlights. You just shake it vigorously and it charges itself. Definitely not bright enough for a primary use flashlight but it's a fantastic backup light ...

We go out and pull the Skyhawk out to the line and start up the engine. After running the inside checklist C shows me how to operate all the lights. I thought there was only one dimmer for the panel and one for the glareshield, but in the Skyhawk SP you can dim the main instruments and radios separately (including the compass). And then there's the glareshield lights and separate pedestal lights. For safety I wore a red LED light around my neck on a lanyard.

I didn't notice this before but a new heading indicator was installed and it isn't lit like the other instruments. So even with the lights on I can't see it. At first I just tried keeping my red light on and shining it on the HI every now and then. But eventually what we did was turn on my map light under the yoke and that reflected off my kneeboard enough that I could read the numbers.

Ground control cleared us to taxi to runway 15 and told us to standby on the class b clearance. But while we were taxying they came back with it ... "fly runway heading at or below 2000', expect a climb, control frequency 124.3 and squawk 4640." I read everything back while C set the transponder and standby radio frequency.

Climbing out of Addison we were told to contact regional, which we did. And we were instructed to turn to 250 and climb to 3500'. I read back the instructions and started my turn. Before you knew it we were over DFW. C took the controls for a few minutes so I could gawk at the airport. It was pretty quiet. Not many jets at the terminals and only a couple of takeoffs while we passed over. I was surprised to see that the runways and taxiway lights didn't stand out more. Really, all you could make out was the terminal area with those giant powerful orange lights (sodium vapor, I think?). Still, it was impressive.

Dallas at night is spectacular! The lights just stretch forever (otherwise known as sprawl). Alliance seems like it's out in the middle of nowhere when you drive there but from the air it's surrounded by lots of lights and was rather difficult to pick out. I told the controller we had the airport in sight and we were cleared to change frequency and start our descent. The tower cleared us for a left downwind to runway 16L (that's the one with the center lights). Just as we were turning base the tower asked us to switch to 16R (no center lights) and then make right closed traffic for our stop and goes. Turns out there were a string of four or five military trainers coming in to land. T-6, I believe they were.

So I made my first landing at night. Not too bad. I had no trouble with depth perception but the wind gusts got me squirrely during the flare. The next couple we did with the lights on. The pattern was done pretty well except on final were were paralleling the T-6's that were landing on 16L. So I had a habit of turning way early on final and then having to slowly lining up. I really didn't want to get in the way of those other guys. The more we did it the more comfortable it felt though.

The no-landing-light and the no-lights-no-flaps landings were, arguably, my best ever. I couldn't necessarily tell exactly how close to the ground I was but I could tell when I got in ground effect so I just slowly pulled out the power and kept adding back pressure until the wheels touched.

Next, C took the controls and did a low approach down 16L so I could watch the runway lights and see how they change toward the end of the runway.

We left Alliance and headed out to the practice area just north of Lake Lewisville. On the way we spotted three police cars with lights going hauling butt through a residential area. As we passed over they pulled up to a house killing all their lights except those directional beams which they used to light up the front of the house. I felt like I was on an episode of Cops!

Since we were now squawking VFR C took the controls while I consulted the chart to see what our altitude allowance was. Over the lake the Class B floor is at 3000' so we kept going until it went up to 4000'. Then we climbed to 3000', cleared the area and then C gave me the controls and said, "show me a power-on stall". I got confused between power-on and power-off and put the flaps down so C made me do it over. Then I did a power-off stall (only took one try to get it right =;-).

C took the controls again and had me close my eyes and put my head down while he bounced us around. My controls ... we were just slightly nose up and in a left turn and the airspeed was in the green so I just pushed the nose down and trimmed us back to level flight. Next time we ended up in a descending right turn, so I chopped the power and leveled the wings before bringing the nose up. Pretty easy.

C said "take us home" so the first thing I did was turn on my red light and compare the HI and the compass, I only had to make a slight adjustment. C laughed and said something about me checking that right away. I reminded him about when he got me lost during the VOR tracking excercise ... I followed a heading that wasn't really taking me where I wanted to go. So now I know to check the alignment before making any decisions about our position.

Since I knew where the lake was it was pretty easy to figure out where we were. I turned toward Addison and we called up the ATIS and then contacted regional control. Ever had this happen you to? You dial in a radio frequency and listen for a minute to hear what's going on. No one is talking. Mmmm maybe I got the frequency wrong? But it looks right so you transmit, "Regional Approach, Skyhawk XXX is 15 miles north of Addison at two thousand five hundred inbound for full stop with hotel." For a second there's no response and then suddenly the controller comes on and gives this endless string of commands to what seems like 80 other aircraft except you. I don't know what it is? This seems to have happened a couple of times to me. I guess it's just the timing, I happen to tune in during a quiet moment but get lost in everything that follows.

So we call regional approach again and this time they respond with a squawk code and after identifying us they turn us over to Addison Tower. We're cleared for a straight in approach to runway 15. C says "let's do a fast approach" so we share the controls but I'm in charge of the throttle ... keep it just under the redline. We tune in the 15 ILS and follow it to the runway. On close final we chop the power and slow down and I manage to make a pretty decent landing! On the way back C shows me some things to know about the taxiway lighting and markings, like the lead off lines from the runway to the taxiway and the white light at the edge of the turnoff.

What a great flight! The wind was mostly smooth though strong. The view was fantastic. Landings were really no problem at all, that peripheral vision trick works great. Stalls were no problem. The cops probably got their man. But that area beyond the city lights does look awefully dark ... I'll find out about that on my next flight, a night cross-country to Paris, TX.

I can't wait to do this again.

This flight: 2.0 hours
Landings: 9 night
Total: 36.7 hours

Lesson 22

... cue Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle" ...

My last training flight was on 22 June. Since then there's been hmmm 1) weather, 2) family in town, 3) stress at work, 4) 10-day long driving vacation from Texas to Arizona and back, and 5) weather. I could look at it as it's only been a month and a half since my last flight. But I really look at it as it's been 51-freaking-days!!!! since my last lesson.

It felt like a year.

Now, you may be thinking, "Ahh but I'm sure Chester was studying his FARs and the AIM, and taking the Gleim knowledge practice tests and memorizing the information manual for the Skyhawk during that time." But you'd be wrong. Well, mostly wrong. I have been reading and studying this and that. But I haven't hitting the books nearly as hard as I should!

But I will now. I was pretty nervous getting prepared for today's flight. There's a lot of rust on me. But over the last couple of days I've been reviewing my V speeds, the emergency procedures, the diversion procedure (which is the point of this flight), etc. By the time I got out to Monarch and had the dispatch bag in my hand I felt pretty good. Actually, pretty darn excited. It's a pretty day (a bit windy) and not to hot (for August in Texas).

As usual, performing the pre-flight gives me the chance to get familiar with the airplane again and get my nerves under control. I took my time and made darn sure to use the checklists. By the time I was done I'd probably pre-flighted that plane three times.

C had asked me to plan a flight from Addison (KADS) to Bowie Municipal (0F2). BTW, around here that's pronounced boo-wee, not bow-wee. Nearly half the flight would be under the Class B cake so we won't get much higher than 3000' probably before C diverts the flight. My flight log showed that it would take us 42 minutes to get to Bowie (if we actually went).

The ATIS at Addison was reporting 18004KT 10SM FEW075 33/21 A2995. We got our clearance and taxied to runway 15 where the Cavanaugh Museum's Stearman was doing its runup. What a beautiful plan to watch! The takeoff went well ... I stayed on the centerline and nailed the climbout speed. About 500' up I started a turn to the right to take us toward the Lake Lewisville dam and then Denton Municipal. I was feeling pretty good at this point.

We climbed to 2000' and using the checklist I trimmed up the plane and set my throttle and mixture. We made the first checkpoint right on time. Getting close to Denton I made a mistake that I shouldn't have. During my flight planning I realized that I was going to cross the Denton airspace well within the Class D altitude so I needed to notify the tower there of my intentions. But did I write down the frequency? No. And could I find it on the sectional? No. I could find the airport just fine, especially since I had drawn my course line through it, but the frequency I just couldn't make out on the map. So C had to dial them up and notify them of our position and intentions. He wasn't too happy with that. Even if an airport isn't towered and in controled airspace I should still listen to their ATIS or AWOS and get the local altimeter setting and make position reports. I'll be sure to remember this from now on.

After crossing over Denton I turned to head to the town of Decatur and the Decatur Airport (KLUD) but the winds weren't as forecasted and we ended up a few miles south of my course. And we were four minutes off the schedule! Mistake #2. C told me that I can't just blindly fly the heading I noted in my log. I must be completely familiar with the course I have mapped out and stick to it. And if my groundspeed is faster or slower than planned I need to adjust the ETA on my flight log to compensate. Right now that seems like a lot to do when I'm also trying to keep the wings level and watch for other traffic. But, I know I'll get better at multitasking the more comfortable I become in the cockpit, plus I could always use the autopilot to keep those wings horizontal.

It was getting pretty bumpy up there. Clouds were starting to build above us and to the West there was a rather large line of clouds building. So C took the opportunity to say, "hey, those could be thunderstorms, let's divert to Alliance."

So, I noted the time and found Alliance on the sectional and turned us in the general direction. C asked me about the Class B space since we were heading back to it. We were at 3000' which should be a problem unless we go past Alliance, then the ceiling drops to 3000'.

I measured the distance on the sectional from our current location to Alliance (KAFW) and figured out that it would take us 10 minutes to get there from when we turned. So we were coming up on it pretty quick. C asked me how far away we were and I said 6 to 7 miles. He turned on the GPS display and punched in KAFW ... 8.3 miles. So, I tuned in their ATIS and got the altimeter and wind real quick before we called the tower and asked to do touch and goes. No problem ... come on in! Such hospitality! =;-)

Alliance sits on the North side of Fort Worth and houses a large Fedex facility. Besides the light aircraft used for training there are a lot of Fedex heavies coming and going ... except while we were there. We were alone in the pattern for our three touch and goes.

There was a bit of a crosswind and so my landings were rather squirrely. But I didn't reduce C to tears or laughter so I guess they weren't *that* bad. I knocked off a lot of rust but there's still work to do!

After three we headed back to Addison picking up flight following from Alliance. Despite not being happy about my landings I was pretty comfortable by now and I was able to maintain my assigned heading and altitude and handle the radios while getting handed off from controller to controller until we got to Addison. That felt pretty good.

So, of course, I made a few mistakes, but I also had a good flight and I really feel like I'm back in the game now. The next lesson is a local night flight (back to Alliance!) that will include a lot of touch and goes and some unusual attitudes so I'm going to schedule it for during this next week while I'm still fresh.

This flight 1.5 hours
4 landings
Total 34.7 hours

First Post

And ...... go!

Here it is, the new blog. Aviate :: Navigate :: Communicate ... a good rule of thumb for flying and for other situations. Mostly I'll be posting about my flying lessons and, once I have my license, my weekend adventures.

Viva General Aviation!