Friday flight to Michigan

Plane: Cessna 172
Route: 40I-OZW
Weather - MGY: Scattered clouds, 78 degrees, wind 350 degrees at 10 knots
Weather - OZW: Few clouds, 70 degrees, wind 320 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 15

My dad has been planning a family weekend for the past couple of months. He invited me, Gina, my sister, her boyfriend, and some aunts and cousins to all spend two days together in Michigan. We're all going on a river cruise on the Detroit Princess riverboat on Sunday afternoon. Since it ends after 5:00 and we need to be home at a decent hour, this became the perfect weekend to fly up and take advantage of the time-saving aspect of GA.

A good portion of our flight to Howell this evening

Gina and I arrived at Stewart roughly an hour prior to takeoff. She helped me load our luggage into the airplane and I got everything mounted, secured, and preflighted. Once the two wing tanks were filled to the top, we turned on the fan and lifted off the grass runway just after 6:00. I called Columbus Approach for flight following when we were abeam Wright Brothers Airport.

Flying over farmland north of Dayton

As you can see, I had a spectacular vantage point

ATC had intermittent problems with our Mode C. Specifically, they weren't consistently receiving our altitude squawk. For the non-pilots out there, that's part of the transponder - the device that basically lets the controllers match the blip on their radar to our specific airplane. Mode C is what replies to the radar with extra data so they can see our altitude next to the blip on their scope. Eventually they identified us with an Ident as we headed north over Dayton.

Gina noticed this colorful train passing the small town of Delta, OH

As pilots, we probably use the term CAVU (ceiling and visibility unrestricted/unlimited) more often than we should. Today, however, was the kind of day you would expect to find if you were to look it up in a dictionary. You can see from the photos below that we could identify objects over 70 miles away. In terms of visibility and scenery, this was truly an exceptional day to fly.

The clouds throughout the flight ranged from few to scattered to broken. I kept checking the AWOS frequencies (another non-pilot note here: those are the automated weather stations we can tune into on the radio to listen to the winds, cloud heights, temperatures, etc.) along our route and they consistently reported cloud bases around 1,500 feet above our cruise altitude of 5,500 feet. My eyeballs said they were lower in some spots but we remained at least 500 feet below them (the legal requirement) as we flew northward.

Detroit skyline, visible through the haze from 73 miles (!!) away

Looking east towards downtown Toledo

Detroit skyline again, now 60 miles away (Detroit Metro Airport is also visible)

Yet another skyline shot - this time it's Ann Arbor

We crossed the invisible state line sometime around 7:00 and shortly thereafter Toledo Approach handed us off to Detroit Approach. They still were having intermittent issues receiving our altitude but the extremely friendly controller had no problem with the situation. She pointed out traffic near Adrian but the frequency was relatively quiet for the most part.

Around 20 miles out, I first spotted Livingston County Airport. Well I actually spotted the nearby outlet mall first; the white buildings reflected the sunlight in a very hard-to-miss fashion. There also turned out to be a guy in an experimental jet making low passes over the runway. If I had any doubts as to the location of the airport, his smoke system thoroughly marked the spot.

Chrysler Proving Grounds just outside of Chelsea, MI

Having grown up in the area - and spent more times than I can count driving out to the airport as a teenager, dreaming of learning to fly - it's always neat to spot landmarks from the air. Even though I've barely done any flying here (I did all my flight training post-college, after moving to Ohio) I've been able to pick out many familiar places on the couple occasions we've flown up. This would be the first time landing at my "childhood airport" so it was a special place to check off my "flown-to" list.

Detroit canceled our flight following as we were descending to pattern altitude. I pointed the nose slightly west of the field to position us for a smooth, 45-degree entry into left traffic for Runway 31. There were numerous airplanes in the pattern including the previously mentioned jet. We sequenced in nicely and were soon on short final.

A few of the countless lakes you'll see flying over Michigan

The aviation gods must have been smiling down on me finally returning to what is perhaps the place that first inspired me to fly. We touched down in what can only be described as an absolute greaser. I'm talking about one of those landings that's so soft you don't even feel the wheels touch the ground. If it wasn't the best I've ever made in the 172, it's certainly on the very short list. Gina said she did notice when we touched but I'm just going to ignore that. After all, she was looking out the side window and probably saw the wheel contact the asphalt. Cheater.

We had the airplane tied down, our bags unloaded, and were driving away about 10-15 minutes later. It was a little over two hours since we'd taken off from Stewart. In comparison, the drive from there to my dad's would be close to four hours. Yes, I'm ignoring the preflight time and drive to the airport. But even if you skip the time aspect completely, you sure as heck can't beat the view. Especially not tonight.

Editorial note - Sorry it's taken so long to get the posts up about this trip. I've been trying out some new video editing software over the past month. Unfortunately, the software I was using to edit this video has been giving me fits and refusing to fully render/export the video. I think it's finally working as intended; the other posts will follow shortly.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 2.2 hours
Total Time: 230.5 hours

$100 Hamburgdinner

Plane: Cessna 172
Route: 40I-PMH-HOC-40I
Weather: Scattered clouds, 78 degrees, wind 270 degrees at 5 knots

I was volunteering this morning at the Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center and couldn't stop myself from longingly gazing at the clear blue sky. We didn't have any plans to fly today but it was simply too nice not to go somewhere. Crazy as it sounds, it had been over ten (!!) months since I last logged any cross-country time. Gina also liked the idea of an impromptu dinner flight. I reserved the plane for 3:30 and drew up a simple flight plan down to Portsmouth.

It wasn't completely random, mind you. I've had the Skyline Family Restaurant on my To-Fly-To list for quite some time now. We just hadn't managed to make it there for various reasons. Today would finally be the day to add Portsmouth's little airport cafe to my list of $100 Hamburgers!

This might be a first for me - literally our entire flight to and from PMH is captured below

Even though it was gorgeous out, it wasn't completely perfect flying weather. We flew outbound at 3,500 feet and the ride was somewhat bumpy. There was one occasion where a good jolt rocked the plane into a 30 degree bank almost instantaneously. Still, it didn't make much sense to climb to 7,500 feet to get above the clouds for the short, 71-mile flight.

We touched down on Runway 36 around 4:45 pm. It was another reminder of why GA can be a wonderful way to travel. The 45-minute flight would've been a 2:15 drive - at a minimum.

Dinner was unquestionably home-cooked and quite tasty. I had the Sunday special - homemade noodles with beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and a soft roll. Gina had a seriously massive cheeseburger and fries. The service was good, fast, and the whole thing only set us back around $20. Ignoring the airplane rental, of course. Pilots always ignore that part, right? Right.

I had been listening to the CTAF on my handheld radio while I pre-flighted to keep tabs on traffic. With a light wind blowing directly across the runway, it seemed inevitable that airplanes arriving and departing wouldn't be using a consistent orientation. Nobody was around as I started the engine and taxied down to the end of Runway 36. The aforementioned inevitability struck just as I stopped at the hold short line; an arriving airplane called in saying he was entering the pattern for Runway 18.

Thankfully, us pilots tend to be a nice bunch. We sorted it out over the CTAF in short order. He was just crossing midfield and would extend his downwind by a couple miles since I was ready to go. I offered to turn on course directly after takeoff to clear his approach path. Both of us agreed that was a splendid plan. I quickly departed and, once we were a couple hundred feet off the ground, turned on course to the northwest just as I saw him turn base. Yay for teamwork! ;-)

All in all, it was a rather efficient - and scenic - dinner trip

The ride home was surprisingly smooth. Whatever rising air that had made the inbound flight bumpy had subsided in the hour we were on the ground. We enjoyed the rolling hills while cruising at 2,500 feet. I landed at Highland County Airport on the way, taking the opportunity to add another new airport to my map. Our flight path literally took us directly overhead so it was an easy pattern entry, touch-and-go, and climb back on course. Other than the fact that I couldn't spot it until we were nearly on top of the place - oops.

We landed back at Stewart less than an hour after taking off in Portsmouth. All told, we covered about 150 miles, two new-to-me airports, and three landings in 2.0 on the Hobbs. I'll take that kind of Sunday any day of the week.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 2.0 hours
Total Time: 228.3 hours

Too nice an evening to not be flying

Plane: Cessna 150
Route: 40I, Local 
Weather: Clear, 83 degrees, wind 290 degrees at 3 knots

Look at that weather listed above. I honestly don't even need to write a post, do I? This was one of those nights any pilot loves - great visibility, comfortable temperatures, and light winds.

Ideally it would've been a Cub night but - if you read what I just said - you might imagine I wasn't the only one with those thoughts. And you would be correct. So even though the fun yellow plane was already reserved I had to figure out some way to take to the sky. Tiny Cessna to the rescue!

By the time I got to the airport, there was only about an hour before sunset. Honestly, I just wanted to get up and enjoy the sunset from the air. With nowhere to go and limited time, I figured I might as well just stay in the pattern and practice a few takeoffs and landings.

So that's what I did. Regular. Short field. Simulated engine-out. Just the basics while enjoying the wonderful view from the air. About the only thing that could've been better is if the winds were out of the east - then I wouldn't have been landing directly into the sun. But who am I to complain? It was a great night to fly.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 0.5 hours
Total Time: 226.3 hours

Jon's first Cub experience

Plane: Cub, 65 hp 
Route: 40I, Local 
Weather: Overcast, 82 degrees, wind 160 degrees at 8 knots

I first took Jon, my boss' son, flying last fall in the 172. Then a couple months ago we grabbed a 150 for a short hop down to Sporty's so he could see how fun it is to actually go somewhere in an airplane. But until tonight he hadn't experienced one of aviation's true joys - flying in a Piper Cub!

We had no real plan, which is possibly the best way to spend time in a J-3. Before we took off I asked if there was anything he'd like to see but there were no special requests. There was a neat little open house going on at Wright Brothers tonight so I figured we could head over there to say hello and then figure out what to do.

If you recall, we can't land the taildraggers anywhere other than Stewart - a rule they have to enforce due to some unfortunate mishaps in the past. That means we were only able to enter the pattern and fly our final approach before going missed and climbing away. Not that it's a problem or any less fun to do so! I had my handheld radio to keep tabs on the traffic; we turned out to be the only plane in the pattern. As I added power and went around, we were able to wave the wings to say hello to the folks setting up outside.

The winds were pretty strong out of the south tonight. You didn't notice it so much on the ground but they were quite noticeable even 1,000 feet up. The difference was more than you usually see in such a small difference in altitude. Point being our groundspeed wasn't anything to write home about (even for a Cub!) as we made our way towards the lake.

Cubs and headwinds can be fun - that yellow's about 22 MPH groundspeed!

While climbing in preparation for a little streamer cutting (usual disclaimer here) I realized just how slowly we were actually moving relative to the farms below. I took the opportunity to show Jon how you can fly a J-3 backwards on a windy day. Ok, so we couldn't actually reverse direction... but I pointed the nose into the wind, maintained about 40 MPH indicated, and - as you can see in the photo above - managed to slow us down to about 20 MPH across the ground.

He enjoyed the fun that is slicing through a little toilet paper (seriously, try it sometime - if Martha Lunken loves it, you know it's a good thing!) and then we headed back towards the airport. I handed over the controls for a little while and he did a pretty good job. Dutch Rolls might take him a few more tries to master, but it takes most pilots a while to get the hang of the rudder/aileron dance required to do so. I sure wasn't perfect the first time I did them.

We steep spiraled down to pattern altitude - perhaps my favorite way to descend quickly - and I pointed the nose at the airport. On short final I noticed the winds were shifting; there was still a crosswind out of the south but now it was creating a slight tailwind component. No reason to land like that. We were the only plane in the pattern so it was easy to climb out, cross midfield, and then enter a left downwind to land in the other direction. I shut the plane down, we hopped out, and Jon can now say he's experienced Cub Yellow. Another successful day in this pilot's book.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 1.3 hours
Total Time: 225.8 hours

Safety Pilot N Paws

Plane: Cessna 182 RG
Route: MGY-4G1-MGY (Approaches at 4G1, MFD, MGY)
Weather: Scattered clouds, 78 degrees, wind variable at 4 knots

Mike and I had a puppy-filled weekend. Seven little guys flew into Wright Brothers on Friday night from North Carolina. I took four of them, who couldn't have been more than 8-10 weeks old, home with me for the night and Mike fostered the other three. They were cute and cuddly, just as you'd expect puppies to be. See below for proof! :)

When we first got home, they were pretty much inseparable

Getting more cuddly...

These two loved to be close to each other

Contained in the tiled part of the house - as if I need to explain why

No sane person can say no to these adorable little faces, right?

Fast-forward to this morning, when we met at Wright Brothers around 8:00. It was time to fly the pups to Greenville Municipal Airport, just across the OH-PA state line. There we would meet another pilot who was flying them the rest of the way to their new home near Buffalo, NY.

It took a little while to load them into the plane but we were underway around 8:45. The weather was absolutely beautiful on the way up - mostly clear skies and smooth, cool air. The dogs pretty much relaxed in their carriers the entire trip and Mike and I chatted much of the way.

One of the reasons I was tagging along on the trip was to act as a Safety Pilot. For those of you who don't know what that means, it's pretty simple. Mike's working on his Instrument Rating, which will allow him to fly in the clouds. In order to practice (and this would be the same for a pilot who is already Instrument Rated) he has to wear a device that prevents him from seeing outside. Since we're flying in Visual conditions, we are responsible for "Seeing and Avoiding" all other aircraft. Long story short, if one pilot is "under the hood" the FAA requires another pilot on board to watch for traffic and monitor everything. So that's where I came in - I kept my eyes outside and made a couple radio calls whenever Mike put the hood on.

As we approached Greenville, Mike called Youngstown Approach and requested the VOR/GPS Approach into the airport. An instrument approach is basically a series of points and altitudes you fly through in order to safely arrive at an airport in low visibility, clouds, etc. So he flew us down from cruise altitude on instruments until about a mile from the airport, at which point he peeked outside again and made a normal landing.

Puppies and airplanes really do play well together

You can barely see them in there - they slept most of the flight up to PA

Charging at me on the ground at Greenville Municipal Airport

Excitedly meeting the pilot who flew them to their new home

Mike and I attempting to say goodbye to all the energetic puppies

Starting to load the dogs into their second 182 of the day

These guys were quite content just relaxing on the ramp

One final goodbye to this cute little dude

All loaded up and ready for the last leg of their journey

The dogs were all happy to get out of their cages and roam around once we landed, as you can see from the above photos. We chatted with the other pilot for a short while as he met the puppies, then loaded them into his own airplane. It was around 11:00 when we took off and headed back towards Dayton. 

Instead of flying directly home, we first headed towards Mansfield. They are known for having great controllers and quite a few pilots around here seem to practice approaches there. Today it was our airplane taking advantage of their hospitality; Mike flew the ILS Runway 32 Approach. We didn't land - just got down close to the runway then continued on our way home.

One of my favorite sights in the air - clouds reflecting off lakes

Final for Runway 32 during a practice ILS approach at Mansfield

It's always fun passing over Wright-Patterson Air Force Base 

USAF Museum - with their new C-17 parked out on the ramp

Passing downtown Dayton on the RNAV GPS Runway 20 approach into MGY

One more view of the city reflecting off the wing

There's not much else to add. I got to log some time in the right seat, which is good for the pilot side of things. And it's always great to tag along on these Pilots N Paws flights and help out their great organization! If you'd like to learn more about them, volunteer, or make a donation be sure to check out their website.

Flight Track: Google Earth KMZ File 
Today's Flight: 0.8 hours (SIC)
Total Time: 224.5 hours