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Gumby · Guest

OK, chiming in here with my long dual xc report. A little background info.
I have posted a here a few times, the first being after my first solo
flight. Really enjoy some of the discussions and, through Google have
picked up some nice pointers and advice.

I have been training since the end of May 2004. Work travel, scheduling
conflicts, instructor travel and weather have conspired to make this a
pretty lengthy endeavor, but I am getting close. I currently have 51.5
hours total.

We finally got to make the long dual xc on Saturday, 8/27. The route was
HUA-CHA-8A1-HUA. My handheld GPS logged 270 SM total. I am not sure where
the extra 100 miles came from, I guess because I did not fly in a strait
line.

We left at HUA for CHA around 9 Saturday morning, there was a pretty good
bit of haze, but the vis was within the limits and was forecast to improve.
I intercepted the RQZ VOR and headed towards CHA. This leg was pretty
uneventful, some nice scenery to look at. CHA approach gave me vectors to
the airport, which I located with no problem. Made an OK landing, and we
headed into the FBO for me to calculate the next leg to 8A1.

I planned to use the GPS, the one in the plane not my little handheld, to
navigate to 8A1. About 1/3 of the way there I notice my CFI getting into
his flight bag and rummaging around, then he starts hiding instruments. I
have just lost my power! No GPS, no VOR!! OK, no problem. I could see the
lake, and the cooling towers for the nuke plant at Scottsboro, so I know
where I am and I know where 8A1 is supposed to be. This will be easy I
think. Then the CFI throws another curve at me, using his divine CFI vision
he spots tornadoes hovering over 8A1, I must now divert to 8A0, and I still
have no electrical power!! Now I am a little panicked!! Got the plotter
and the map, found 8A0 and figured a course. Unbelievably, I found the
airport!

I needed help getting myself oriented as to which runway to use after
listening to AWOS. I was so turned around I was not sure which way to land
to be into the wind!

The trip from 8A0 back to HUA was uneventful and I used just plain pilotage
to get back. I am real familiar with the area and was able to just follow
the highway back.

So anyway, I made it!! I am glad to have that one behind me. We have been
trying to make this flight for about 5 weeks, the weather never would
co-operate and we had to keep canceling. I have one or two more instruction
flights and then my solo xc flights. I can see the light at the end of the
tunnel.

Some bits of knowledge learned from this flight.

1. Checkpoints along your route need to be spaced at least 15 or 20 miles
apart. Some of mine were just to close together. By the time I calculated
GS, reset my timer, and did anything else I had planned for that check
point, I would miss the next one! This happened twice on the way from HUA
to CHA. Once when I was switching tanks and once when I was trying to
listen to ATIS for CHA.

2. If you get turned around at an airport, slow down. Think about where
you are in relation to the airport. Use the direction gyro dial to try and
orient yourself to the runways and the wind.

3. Be aware of the airports along your route, they do not need to be on your
flight plan, but maybe jot their information down on another sheet of paper
and keep it handy.

4. As always have fun and keep learning!! I know I am!!

John

PS - I forgot this, we were flying a Piper Warrior, P28A-161.

jsstevens@usa.net · Guest

Congratulations. Another milestone. Now you get to do it alone...

And you handled 1) simulated power fail and 2) diversion. Great job!

My instructor didn't "fail" my power, but we did one leg at 1000 AGL to
show me how hard it was to navigate that low. No GPS, can't pick up
VOR's, and that portion of the flight is mostly forest.

John
Solo Student, ~30 hours

Mark Hansen · Guest

On 8/30/2005 07:02, [email]jsstevens (AT) usa (DOT) net[/email] wrote:

jsstevens@usa.net · Guest

I commented to my instrcutor that if the engine quits we're in deep
trouble. He said that he'd put the plane down on that litte road (dirt
road through the forest, fortunately reasonable straight...) and kiss
the wings goodbye. It did make me uncomfortable being that low over
nothing. It was also hard to navigate by pilotiage as the only chart
checkpoints I could ID were long lateral lines at right angles to our
line of flight (train track, powerline right of way, high way etc.).
I'm going to see about planning that part differently when I do my solo
version. I'd at least like to get up where I can get some VORs.

This is one of those judgement things that I wonder about with my
instructor. He's a great pilot (airplane handling skills), and he's
gotten old doing it, so he must be doing something right, but sometimes
he makes me uncomfortable. I've debated multiple times about switching
because of it. I'm still not sure.

John
Solo Student, ~30 hours

Mark Hansen · Guest

On 8/30/2005 07:24, [email]jsstevens (AT) usa (DOT) net[/email] wrote: