4.4hrs – Solo Long Cross County
Yesterday was a perfect day for a long flight; sunny, clear, highs between 70 and 80, and little wind along my planned route.
Before leaving home for Twin Oaks I got a standard briefing, completed the remainder of my flight plan, packed all I’d need, and walked out the door feeling pretty nervous, but confident.
I arrived at the airport about an hour ahead of my scheduled takeoff time to meet with my CFI to endorse my logbook for the flight, go over my plan, file the first two of three flight plans, and just talk through the trip.
An early lesson with the airplane I was scheduled to use was a bit late returning, but by 10:30am I was looking down 20 and sliding the throttle in, and feeling like I had at that point on my first solo a few months ago.
After my initial climb out, I called up McMinnville FSS to open my flight plan, was set up with the GPS, on the 111 degree radial from the Newburg VOR, and called up Portl
and Approach to request Flight Following, receiving the first of only two reports of traffic for the trip. From there it was just climb to 9500, and enjoy the view!
I was soon passed off to Seattle Center, and continued on over the Cascade mountain range, just south of Mt Jefferson, and north of the Three Sisters. Beautiful!!
After my initial climb out, I called up McMinnville FSS to open my flight plan, was set up with the GPS, on the 111 degree radial from the Newburg VOR, and called up Portl
and Approach to request Flight Following, receiving the first of only two reports of traffic for the trip. From there it was just climb to 9500, and enjoy the view!I was soon passed off to Seattle Center, and continued on over the Cascade mountain range, just south of Mt Jefferson, and north of the Three Sisters. Beautiful!!
As I descended on the east side of the Cascades, flight following was terminated, a call to Redmond Tower (RDM)and I was cleared for a straight in approach to 10, and cleared to land when I reported 3 mi final. With a slight crosswind and a nice touchdown, I was on the ground and receiving taxi instructions to the Redmond Air FBO.
I had flown higher than I have in all my training, made my first solo landing at a class D airport (one I’d never been to, as was the case for all airports on this trip), made my first crossing of the Cascades, and did so with a fair amount of confidence. With that, I shut down and got out, talked with some very nice folks in the FBO, and enjoyed the fact that I was there.
I had flown higher than I have in all my training, made my first solo landing at a class D airport (one I’d never been to, as was the case for all airports on this trip), made my first crossing of the Cascades, and did so with a fair amount of confidence. With that, I shut down and got out, talked with some very nice folks in the FBO, and enjoyed the fact that I was there.
Soon I was ready to go, received progressive taxi instructions, and cleared to take off on 28 for southbound departure. It began to get a bit bumpy on the trip south to Sunriver (S21), but I enjoyed flying over Bend, the Deschutes River, the lava fields, and other areas I’ve vacationed with Heatherle and the kids.
I overflew midfield at Sunriver and made a descending left turn to enter right downwind for 18, but became a little leery of the rising terrain west of the airport, putting me close on down wind. When I rolled out on right base it was clear that I would completely overshoot any attempt at a turn to final, so I announce that I was going around for a second try. The next was much better, and I was on the ground at Sunriver, the highest airport I’ve landed at so far.
Sunriver Resort is a great place, I've bicycled past the airport with Heatherle and the kids in the past, wondering how cool it would be to be able to fly in there. I celebrated finding out how cool by having a snack, talking to some nice people in the FBO, and sitting on the FBO porch enjoying the view
.
From Sunriver I headed west, back across the Cascades, to Cottage Grove (61S). The trip west was full of great views of the Cascades, but was also quite turbulent, and I was glad to enter the relative calm west of the mountains, and right downwind for 33 at Cottage Grove.
Once on the ground at Cottage Grove, I found that their tank of 100LL was dry, so I’d need to make a short 8nm hop north to Creswell (77S). Fortunately my CFI had included Creswell in my endorsement for the trip, just in case. I closed my flight plan, and filed another for the trip north.
A quick stop at Creswell for 18 gallons of fuel, a call to my CFI and Twin Oaks to give them a heads up that I be a little later than planned, and I was off for the trip up the Willamette Valley and home.
Sunriver Resort is a great place, I've bicycled past the airport with Heatherle and the kids in the past, wondering how cool it would be to be able to fly in there. I celebrated finding out how cool by having a snack, talking to some nice people in the FBO, and sitting on the FBO porch enjoying the view
. From Sunriver I headed west, back across the Cascades, to Cottage Grove (61S). The trip west was full of great views of the Cascades, but was also quite turbulent, and I was glad to enter the relative calm west of the mountains, and right downwind for 33 at Cottage Grove.
Once on the ground at Cottage Grove, I found that their tank of 100LL was dry, so I’d need to make a short 8nm hop north to Creswell (77S). Fortunately my CFI had included Creswell in my endorsement for the trip, just in case. I closed my flight plan, and filed another for the trip north.
A quick stop at Creswell for 18 gallons of fuel, a call to my CFI and Twin Oaks to give them a heads up that I be a little later than planned, and I was off for the trip up the Willamette Valley and home.
The Willamette Valley was smooth, hazy, and warm, at 4500, and enjoyed watching roads and farmland pass below. I began my descent as I approach the Newburg VOR, entered the pattern for Twin Oaks, and made one of my best solo landings there to date, after covering 305nm, logging 4.4hrs, and 6hrs and 10min after leaving.
I pulled up to the fuel pump, shut everything down, and just relaxed in the silence for a brief minute. What a great feeling.
I pulled up to the fuel pump, shut everything down, and just relaxed in the silence for a brief minute. What a great feeling.
My CFI met me out on the ramp, where we spent a few minutes talking about the trip, and talked more in the classroom. He feels that I’m about 95% ready for the checkride, with 2 full stop solo landings remaining at a class D airport, and the 3 hrs checkride prep my only remaining minimum requirements.
When I arrived at the office to pay up, I found that my parents had called earlier in the day, and requested to pay for my flight as a belated birthday gift. That really put a nice ending on the day!
When I arrived at the office to pay up, I found that my parents had called earlier in the day, and requested to pay for my flight as a belated birthday gift. That really put a nice ending on the day!
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