Flying a T-28

Okay, so it only has a 14in wingspan.

Morning fog, and one of the 172’s offline for an upgrade, has made scheduling difficult. Fortunately, ceiling and visibility requirements are considerably less for RC models, and availability means only charged batteries and a mile drive to the park.

With Matti home for holiday break, we made a trip over to Coyote Hobby to browse around a little. Before leaving, I got the go ahead to pick something up for myself.

I’d been thinking of upgrading transmitters for a while, allowing me take advantage of the new Bind-n-Fly parkflyers now available. A Bind-n-Fly means everything is included (minus the transmitter), assembled, and ready to fly. All that is required is binding the transmitter with the receiver installed in the airplane, charging the batteries, and heading to the park. I do really enjoy the process of a complete kit build, but these very small airplanes are great for quick new airplane fix, and something easy to transport and flown in a small space.

This little T-28 caught my eye. All ready with full axis control (throttle, aileron, elevator, and rudder), steerable nose wheel, and all complete. A recommendation from another customer, and the owners of Coyote Hobby whose opinion I trust, sealed the deal on transmitter and miniature T-28.

A stop by home to unbox my purchases and charge some batteries, and we were off to the park with a few planes.

A first flight with a new model airplane always brings up the nerves, even if it’s a little foam parkflyer, you don’t want to turn it into packing peanuts on it first foray into the sky.

Fortunately with a little trim once airborne, I knew this would be a fun little airplane, and Matti and I spent the next hour or so talking and each flying our own imaginary missions around the park grounds. Unfortunately our cameraman (Audrey) forgot her equipment, so we had no photos. Doesn’t really matter.

I sure was a nice way to spend a grey December day.

Next time I’ll need to remember to bring one of the small beginner airplanes for Audrey. She’s beginning to show some interest in learning to fly RC, and has been spending a little time with the RC flight sim.   

Tillamook Warbirds

I'd been promising Josh a flight for some time, and finally our schedules and the fall weather provided the opportunity we needed for a lunchtime flight over to Tillamook.

As we were descending out of the coast range I could see another aircraft performing barrel rolls and loops about our level opposite the airport. Neat to see from level.

As we turned final for 13 I heard a Lockheed P38 announce that it was holding short of 31. I wasn't sure at first if I'd heard correctly, but after clearing the runway, we watched the P38 thunder past and into the air and make a sweeping right turn.

We taxied over to the museum and found several other WWII era aircraft parked on the ramp,including an FM-4 Wildcat, Stearman PT-17, and J2F-6 Duck. Our little C172 looked a bit out of place in this company.

As we walked towards the museum cafe, we watched the P-38 make a few low flybys.

After lunch, we we were able to get a close up look at the P-38 now parked on the ramp, as well as watch a P-51D make a few low flybys.

A fantastic noise made by Allison and Packard engines of 70 years ago.

We taxied out in our little Cessna, past these warbirds from another era, which still hold so much atraction to aviator and non-aviator alike.

As we departed and I could see the P51 making the base to final turn, then landing and roll out as we turned west to overfly the ocean beaches.

  

That was pretty cool.

October

Audrey and I had big plans for a breakfast flight together. Being just the two of us, she would also be able to sit up front, giving her the opportunity for a better view, follow along on the control yoke, participating more in the flight. Unfortunately, the morning's weather briefing reported fog throughout the Willamette valley and down the coast, as well as mountain obscuration. It was still very early (6:00am) and Twin Oaks north almost to Kelso (KLS) was in the clear, so we left for the airport with hopes that the fog would lift as the sun came up, but a short flight north as a likely plan.

Turned out that the fog was going to stick around for a while, so we departed north towards Scappoose (SPB) for a simple out and back.

I had been aware from the briefing that morning that Hillsboro (HIO) was closed for runway maintenance. Being the second busiest airport in Oregon, we talked briefly with the seemingly lonely controller at Hillsboro, not hearing another aircraft as we transitioned his airspace in both directions.

Flying approx 1,000 AGL, we were treated to fall colors occasionally muted by thin wisps' of fog, pumpkin patches filled with bright orange dots, and overhead views of several corn mazes.

No noticeable signs of movement below on an early Sunday morning, and no one else on the radio, gave the impression of just father, daughter, and airplane, with not another other care.

It was cold, as evidenced by Audrey wrapped in her pink blanket...

The last Saturday of October marks the annual Hillsboro Airport open house, and event that Audrey looks forward to weeks in advance.

The open house is mostly an opportunity for the residents of Hillsboro and the surrounding areas to visit the airport, see what type of traffic uses the facility, and money and jobs brought to the community through the services provided through the airport.

There are usually flying clubs, flight schools, pilot associations, customs and border protection, planning commissions, RC flying clubs, and hobby stores in attendance. Also activities for children such as face painting, pumpkin painting, coloring, and aviation related treats, are a big hit. Audrey came home with a small bag of Halloween candy, pencils, stickers, and several balsa gliders.

A bus tour of the airport grounds is available that stops at a small air museum and a hanger with large corporate type jets.

Morning fog effectively prevented fly-ins to the open house, but it was well attended by drive-ins, and certainly worth the 45 minute drive from home for us.

... and, who could pass up an event with airplane shaped cookies?  

An Air Rally

I have been flying a bit since my last post, just more flying than blogging.

Over the summer the four of us took a very bumpy flight over to Mulino (4S9) for an OPA meeting and potluck, a breakfast flights, and a few fights over to the coast.

We spent 25 hrs on commercial flights for a fantastic family trip to Japan. JAL was a great airline to travel, good food, free drink, all the green tea you can hold between trips to the bathroom, movies, and wonderful cabin crew. All things not found in a typical 172. Anyway, this is a story for another blog...

The air rally..

Some years ago, when I was a child, my dad collected and restored Corvairs. We belonged to the local club, the I&I Oilspots (Illinois & Indiana), and a popular weekend event for an auto club at the time was a road rally. You would follow a specified road course, identify landmarks based on clues along the way, and estimate in-route times, in an attempt to win a prize. The rally would end at a restaurant where rally participants could share stories of missed turns, breakdowns and other adventures from the day as the scores were tallied, and prizes awarded. It was a day of camaraderie, family time, or just father-son time... I really hope these are still popular.

I received an email notice a few weeks prior of an inaugural Oregon Air Rally, scheduled for the fist day of October. A specified course would be flown and points would be awarded based on accuracy of planned vs. actual flight times, correctly identifying information at each airport based on clues given at the start, and the quality of your landing at the final destination. The small entrance fee would be split between a charity (Angel Flight West)and the overall points winner. This sounded great! I and my spotters, Heatherle and Audrey, signed up.

October weather can be a bit sketchy, and this October 1st would not be an exception based on the forecasted weather in the days leading up to the rally. Fortunately when the day arrived, we had great visibility, mostly calm wind, and ceilings at 3,000 or better.

We arrived at Twin Oaks just as the sky was beginning to lighten, prepared the plane, and were off for Corvallis (CVO), where we would register, receive our rally number and clues, and have our first piece of information to locate.

Soon it was time for the departures to begin based on rally number at three minute intervals (we were #9 out of 12), and we were soon taking off and turning east towards our Lebanon (S30).

In route, we could hear those with earlier departures enter and make their way through the pattern at Lebanon, still for the most part in order of departure.

We landed at Lebanon, found our key piece of information (what color is the airplane on the Lebonair FBO sign), and were soon ready for departure north for the next destination, Lenhardt (7S9).

In route to Lenhardt, we began to overtake a few of the aircraft with earlier departure times, and slower airspeed. About 10nm out the quiet CTAF at Lenhardt got suddenly lively as several inbound aircraft figured out where each other was, and worked into the pattern for 20.

On the ground at Lenhardt, we taxied off the runway into the grass, following a couple aircraft ahead, and followed by a few behind, in search of our next key piece of info. A man working in his hanger stood watching as we all taxied around the equipment shed looking for a number (the information we needed on this leg).

Having the info we needed in hand, we made a right departure out of Lenhardt, turning west towards McMinnville (MMV), our next destination.

We passed, and were passed by, other participants again during this leg. Looking from one aircraft to another in route to a common destination, seemingly suspended motionless in the air some distance off your wing, is an interesting experience.

We landed at McMinnville, and taxied to the ramp, in search of our next key piece of information. We had to wait several minutes for inbound rally aircraft before we could take the runway for departure, but were soon off and turning southeast towards Salem (SLE), and the finish.

Salem is a class D airport, meaning that it is a towered airport. It's been a while since I last landed at a towered airport, so I had spent a little time studying procedures in advance to freshen up a little. It ended up not being an issue and came naturally, and we were cleared to land on 34.

The final piece to this rally was to call your rally number on short final, so your landing could be scored. As luck would have it, it was not my best of the day, and not the greaser that I'd need to score high, but good enough to not embarrass myself.

We cleared the runway, contacted ground for taxi clearance, and with stomachs growling, shut down at the Flight Deck restaurant.

We had lunch and visited while the scores were being tallied and awards given. Half the entrance fee went to a charity (Angel Flight West), with the remaining half going to the pilot with the high points score, who then donated it to the charity.

We didn't have the high score, but my in-route time was less than 4 minutes off my planned time for the entire course, which I was very happy with.  I had done all the flight planning using a sectional, plotter, and E6B flight computer (think slide rule), found the info at each destination based on the clues, and had a great time.  

With our clearance for a straight out departure to the north, we were headed home. 

We arrived at Twin Oaks to no one around at the moment, refueled and parked the plane, and headed home.

Later in the afternoon, I got a call from Betty at Twin Oaks, just wanting to know if we enjoyed ourselves. I love that about Twin Oaks...

Flight Review

Done!
 
My instructor, and others I had talked to, reminded me that a flight review is not check-ride part II.  Maybe so… I still spent a number of hours studying and practicing maneuvers in the preceding weeks.  
 
As the 31st of May came, and passed, and I was no longer current to act as PIC.  I wanted to get this wrapped up.

We started with the ground portion, covering a few regulations, and moving on to the sectional and airspace.  We also talked about the type of flying I've been doing, challenges, and covered any questions I had.  
 
Satisfied that I had kept up on the technical knowledge, it was time to fly.
 
One simulated engine out in route.  About 300ft AGL it was clear that I’d reach my targeted field with a stabilized approach, and had remembered the correct emergency procedures, transponder code (7700), and the correct frequency to transmit a mayday (also known as Guard - 121.5Mhz).
 
Because there was no significant wind to brush up on cross wind technique, short field and soft field takeoff and landing would be the maneuvers of the day.  Lenhardt’s (7S9)  http://www.airhaven.net/ has a grass strip adjacent to the paved runway.  Perfect for soft field practice..
 
Soft field in the grass at Lenhardt was fun.  I hadn’t run through the grass since training, and it’s a different feeling when those small main gear tires touch down on turf at about 50kts.
 
After departing Lenhart and climbing out of the low level turbulence we did some slow flight clean (no flaps), and in landing configuration (full flaps), holding the airspeed just above the stall, with the stall warning blaring away.  Departure stalls (power on/no flaps) and approach stalls (power off/full flaps) were next.  No problems here, and something I enjoy practicing now and again.
 
We entered the pattern for Sportsman Airpark (Newberg – 2S6) so I could demonstrate a short field.  Not my best, but certainly acceptable and stopped well inside the first third of the runway.
 
A short field takeoff and back to Twin Oaks for a standard approach and landing.  Smooth and right on center.
 
Afterwards we reviewed the flight, discussed what’s next, and received the sought after flight review endorsement in my logbook. 
 
What’s next?  Besides a few overnight trips I’d like to do this summer and fall, maybe high performance and complex endorsements – Twin Oaks has a Comanche that I spent a few minutes sitting in (it’s nice).                   
 
 

May Day

A beautiful beginning to May to shake off the gray of April.

We spent the early part of the day hiking a few local parks, giving Heatherle a chance to do some letterboxing, Audrey (and I) some playground time, as well as time for some time as a family undistracted from other responsibilities.

For late in the day, 40H was open, so we planned a flight over to Nehalem Bay (3S7) for some fresh marine air, and to check out the camping facilities on the field.

The weather was forecast for some high stratus cloud cover, well above our intended flight level, good visibility, temp of 55F, and winds 8 to 10kts from the north. Should be perfect.

Off the ground at 4:10 from Twin Oaks, following the pattern around to west departure, we climbed out in smooth air to our cruise altitude of 4,500ft to cross the Coast Range.

As we crossed the Coast Range we watched as the mountains and valleys passed below, some higher peaks still covered with a layer of snow from the winter months.

As we crossed the last peaks and reached the Nehalem River valley, we began our descent, mindful of the rate and its impact on Audrey’s ears.

I overflew the field at 2,000 to check the windsock for confirmation of the forecast winds, and the ATIS report (Automated Terminal Information System) from Tillamook airport about 15nm south, reporting winds at 5kts from 340.

The windsock was limp, but I could see some signs of wind on the bay, and circling out over the ocean to enter the pattern, the waves were coming from the north, so all looked good for runway 33.

As we flew downwind we looked out at Nehalem Bay campground, were we’ve camped many times.

On base, we had to overshoot final a tad to avoid a small flock of seagulls.

Final seemed fast over the fence, but airspeed was right on at 60kts, and touched down with a good bounce. A little power prevented a second bounce and we rolled out to taxi to the tie-downs.

We got out of the plane and right away realized that we had landed with a good tailwind, explaining the seemingly high ground speed on short final, so what’s up with the windsock, still hanging limp? I walked over to the pole, and found that the sock was caught on the pole, preventing it from swinging around or inflating. After jumping up and giving it a tug, it swung around and inflated, indicating a tailwind landing 33.

Fortunately Nehalem Bay is decent length at 2,350ft, but a lesson learned to confirm the windsock and nearby ATIS with other clues to wind direction; a closer look at the wind patterns on the water, or crab angle in the pattern.

We tied down the plane, and walked over to check out the information booth and sign the visitor log book.

Nehalem Bay airport has several nice tent sites at the field, with a short walk over to the Nehalem Bay State campground for firewood, showers, etc. Plans are now for an overnight trip with Matti this summer, and Audrey late summer. That will be fun.

We spent time on the bay picking at rocks and driftwood, and walking the trails, before all too soon the descending sun reminded us that it was time to head back to the plane for a return trip to the beginning of a new week.

As we made a left turnout and began our climb over the small Nehalem Valley, we reflected on what was a normal weekend, seemed like a small vacation. We are fortunate to have access to and the means to explore so many fantastic places in a weekend’s time.

Flight Review Time

Two years have nearly passed since my check-ride, and that means that it is time for my first flight review.

A flight review consists of a minimum one hour ground and one hour in the air with a CFI, and is designed as a learning opportunity as well as a review of your flight skills and aeronautical knowledge.

I've been back at the books reviewing everything from airspace to weather prognostic charts, quickly recalling much, also identifying some topics that have been that have fallen to some dark corner of grey matter over the past two years.

I've also started to focus some time in the air on basic maneuvers. Some, such as steep turns and short-field landings need a little work, although conditions that are not bouncing me against the seat belts would help.

There's something to be learned in every flight, but it's fun to revisit the foundamentals of piloting.

Small Cross Country to Lebanon 4/02/11

I had visited Lebanon State Airport (S30) on my short solo cross country about two years ago, really enjoying the flight, meeting the cowboy pilot with the handlebar mustache, the FBO decorated in southwest American, and the fun and freedom of going somewhere completely new by air.

Looking through a recent addition of the Prop Wash (the Oregon Pilots Assn newsletter) there was an Airport Spotlight on Lebanon airport, and the LebanAir Aviation, the FBO. We needed to make it our next Saturday or Sunday breakfast trip.

The weather was forecast to improved enough to make a reservation for an airplane at Twin Oaks a good bet.

With N5440H reserved for 5hrs it was time for some trip planning. Although I could just set the "Direct To" function on the GPS, or follow the I5 freeway south and turn southeast after passing Salem, planning a trip with headings, time in route, fuel usage, ETA, etc, is part of the fun of cross country trip (even one that just barely qualifies as x-county).

We arrived at Twin Oaks nearly an hour early, knowing that no one had reserved the plane before our departure time, and hoping to get in the air a little early, we found the the airport covered in the dreaded spring morning fog.

Backtrack to Starbucks for coffee, hot chocolate, and the Sunday comics.

Back out to the airport about 30 minutes later we found the fog lifting, and began loading and preflighting the plane.

We departed around our originally planned time, and climbed past scattered clouds to our cruse altitude of 3,500 ft on a course that would take us east-southeast over Mulino, and then south to Lebanon.

The scattered overcast was becoming a little less scattered, so we descended under the increasing clouds to continue at 1,500 feet. A little bumpier down low, but a better view.

Shortly we entered the pattern for runway 34, and landed. Not my best, but not too bad considering I'd not flown 40H for more than 9 months.

We were welcomed by Tebo at LebonAir, given some advice on where to have brunch, and offered one of their courtesy cars to take into town. Courtesy cars are pretty uncommon these days, and it was sure great to explore beyond walking distance from the airport.

We stopped at Kevin's Cafe, where the menu is not fancy, but the plates are huge, and appears to be a very popular place with the locals. Good food.

Heatherle had a few letterboxes to find while were there, so we visited a few parks, and drove around town, and up the Santiam River a bit. Somewhere I'd like to explore a bit more on a future stop.

We headed back to the airport to drop off the car, visit a little longer before heading home, and look over the interesting avaition themed items available in the gift shop.

As I was getting the plane ready, I noticed a main gear tire that had gone nearly flat, so Tebo offered to get us fixed up if I could taxi over to the hanger.

The three of us then posed for a picture with the airplane that was made into a nice little 12 month calendar, and as we were climbing out for our return home, were thanked for coming to visit. Nice.

The return trip was rather bumpy but relaxing, still full from brunch and happy with our visit, Audrey taking part in her customary homeward bound nap.  I am fortunate to be able to take my family places by means that most are not able to experience  

This trip will be on our list to do again.

Catching Up

I've been flying several times since my last entry, but just haven't sat down to write.

Here's a collection of a few pictures from the last several flights.

Most just around the valley as this winter/spring weather permits...

Taking a coworker for her first flight in a light plane...

Over to the coast... 

 

 

 

 
 

 



 
 
 
 





































Or practicing some crosswind landings on a gusty day. One with 18kt that varied between a quartering headwind and a quartering tailwind, and landings both downhill on 20 and uphill on 02 at 7S3. Exciting!