Flying With Dave

Flying the line

2011-10-01T01:36:00.002-05:00

Spending a lot of time bouncing around the western US in a CRJ200 / CRJ700. I really like this job. Yep it takes me away from home quite often, but that goes with the territory. In the coming weeks and months I'm going to start blogging once again. Not sure which direction I'm going to go with it, but it's time to start it back up.

Training

2011-05-15T08:33:00.003-05:00

My training is very nearly complete. I have just four regular simulator sessions left and then a checkride. All of these will happen this week, so by May 21st I will be ready to start flying passengers. I have at least twenty hours of Initial Operating Experience ( IOE ) to complete and a few days of differences training and then I will be a normal line pilot.

Then it's off to Houston, at least for awhile.

I'm in training.

2011-04-17T15:41:00.002-05:00

Spending the next couple of months in airline training. Due to company policies, I won't mention the airline. I'm happy to be here and so far the training has gone well. I'm really excited about the potential I have with my airline and I'm looking forward to be on the line soon.

Things are moving

2011-03-07T11:28:00.001-06:00

It's sounds like this maybe the month that I return to doing what I love on a regular basis. More details to follow.

Good Stuff Coming

2011-02-09T18:41:00.001-06:00

Changes are happening...more to come.

I'm back

2011-02-06T20:22:00.001-06:00

Things are starting to move. More details to come.

It has been awhile

2010-11-23T22:48:00.002-06:00

I haven't updated this blog in quite sometime. I wish I could say that I have found my dream job flying new equipment, for a decent paycheck. But I can't. That doesn't mean that I've given up. I haven't. I continue to look for "my job" on a daily basis. I have my hopeful days and my not so hopeful days. If anything transpires I will be sure to include it on this blog.

Update 3

2010-05-31T16:46:00.002-05:00

My new site www.mcblairaviation.com is up and running. Yes it will be a work in progress, much like this one. I will continue to update this one as normal.

Update 2

2010-05-23T10:39:00.002-05:00

The job search continues. There have been a few leads and I've started thinking outside of the box. I have applied for several overseas jobs flying the Lear 60. A few in Europe, a few in Asia and one in Nigeria. They are all contract gigs, requiring me to be out of the country two or three months at a time. The good thing about these contract gigs overseas is the high pay ( one was paying 8500 euros a month ). There's heavy competition for those jobs as well, so I can only wait around and hope for a call back and continue applying.

Starting next week, I will begin marketing myself as a flight instructor and an independent contract pilot. I have experience operating in Part 91/Part 135/Part 121, so I want to use that experience. To help with that marketing, I have begun www.McBlairAviation.com . Currently there is nothing on the site, but soon there will be.

I have been staying somewhat current by doing some Baron flying for a friend of mine. Great airplane, I highly recommend tyring it out.

Well, that's all the news that isn't from the heartland.

Update

2010-04-17T11:07:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm still searching. I have a legitimate shot at a couple of positions, but nothing that is for sure. While I'm in this searching period, I thought it would be good to update my creditials. So, I got my CFII reinstated ( I haven't taught a single student in 5 years ) and I'm checking into getting my MEI ( Multi-engine Instructor ). I'm doing these things to keep myself in the game, for it is a game that I love.

I'll update this if something positive happens.

There is a reason.

2010-02-24T10:41:00.002-06:00

I haven't really posted much of anything lately. The reason is, I haven't been flying. I was told just a few days before Christmas that I, along with another pilot, were being down sized. So the search to find a new flying position started. Not a great time to look for an aviation position.

My time involved in corporate aviation was challenging and interesting. I hope to find something similar to that in the future. Flying the Lear 60 was an absolute joy and I would love to find a position flying something similar. At this point, however, I'm considering everything. I have applied at regional airlines, other corporations and cargo companies. Nothing has appeared, but I remain hopeful.

I will update this if and when something in my career changes.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-23T10:15:00.003-06:00

To the readers of this blog, all three of you, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Updates

2009-12-10T09:27:00.002-06:00

I have fallen short of my goal to update this blog on a weekly basis. From this point on I will try my best to reach that goal. Currently, my schedule is a little slow.

I recently logged on to the FAA's website: www.faa.gov to update my address. An address change has to be accomplished at least 30 days after you officially have an address change. I noticed some while I was on the site. First, there is just a lot of information on the site. It would be worthwhile for a pilot to go to the site on regular intervals and see whats going on in the world of aviation, it may affect you. Secondly, you can review the information that the FAA has on file about you, which would definitely be a good thing to do on a regular basis. I know that I will be hitting that site every so often to see whats changed or is going to change.

Logbook review

2009-10-08T10:15:00.002-05:00

As with most things today, insurance companies run the show. That is no different in the aviation biz. All of us pilots at one time or another have had to fill out insurance forms to see if we qualify for a particular aircraft or can get a better rate on the premuims that we pay. If you own an aircraft ( which I don't ), these forms are probably very familiar. The same holds true for corporate aviation departments. We have to fill out forms listing our experiences and flight times. I have just completed mine. Here are my totals as of yesterday:
Total Time: 4265 Jet: 481 Turbo-prop: 1269 Multi-engine: 844 Cross Country: 2537
Actual Instrument: 255 As Flight Instructor: 1619
Lear 60: 205 King Air 200: 190

As a corporate pilot the flight times, as compared to the airlines, can be somewhat lower. I know a lot of airline pilots that are flying 80-100 hrs per month. In the last 12 months I've only logged 190 hours from corporate flying. Like all jobs, there are some good and bad things associated with corporate flying.
Bad Things:
Low annual flight time. On call 24/7.
Good things:
Good starting pay. Good equipment. Lots of time at your destination for sightseeing. And most importantly, in my experience, you're treated well by management members and passengers.

Yeah, I would like to log more time in the air, but I will definitely take the bad with the good.

Just back from King Air Recurrent

2009-10-02T12:04:00.003-05:00

Well another King Air recurrent session has come and gone. This time around I went to recurrent training for the King Air at Flight Safety at the Atlanta Training Center. I have attended King Air training elsewhere, but this training was something else. It was outstanding. I had an excellent instructor and the King Air simulator was in fine form.

This time around the flight portion had the extra challenge of being single-pilot training. I had the usual emergencies, engine failures on takeoff, single engine go-around, and stuff like that. The Flight Safety instructors have the ability to put actual smoke in the cockpit, which is something mine did this time around. I faced a windshear event and various system malfunctions.

It can be challenging operating a King Air with two crew members, and as you might expect, flying with just one can be even more interesting. CRM with two crew members typically means communication between the two. The use of CRM with one crew member means using a lot of resources outside the cockpit. It's refreshing to think about different options. It's something that private pilots have to do on a regular basis.

So my training in the King Air is over for now, but I came away from that training with a renewed desire to keep up with my system knowledge and the procedures that I use on an a day to day basis.

The King Air Panel

The simulator line at Flight Safety International, Atlanta.

Labor Day

2009-09-07T09:12:00.002-05:00

It's Labor Day and, for as long as I remember, that has meant one thing to our family, the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. Most of you know that my brother suffers from muscular dystrophy. Let me say that the disease is as terrible as they say. It robs a person of the use of their body while allowing their mind to be strong. My brother is, without a doubt, the sharpest person that I know. He is extremely smart, very witty and quite possibly the funniest guy I know.

So this day is my day to reflect on this disease and it's impact on families all across this nation. My brother, thankfully, is now 33 years old and is living a good life in Colorado. However, some families never get the chance to see their loved ones have a full life. When I was a teenager I attended a MDA camp. I was a couselor to a child that had muscular dystrophy. It was my job to help this child do things that their disease would otherwise not allow them to do, fish, canoe, swim, and things like that. The camp is a week long and it can be a life changer. The Muscular Dystrophy Association makes this camp possible. Yes, MDA does great disease research, and they are closer than ever to a cure, but they also provide the smaller stuff, stuff like the camp, that allows children to have a better existence.

Labor Day is my day to give, to pray and to hope that there is a cure to this terrible disease that has taken so much from my family and the families of others. Please look in your heart and give.

James, I love you.

Monday update on a Thursday

2009-09-03T20:31:00.003-05:00

As normal, I'm running several days behind on my post. What I can tell you is I have some big trips coming up as well as King Air recurrent training. My King Air recurrent training will be at the end of the month at Flight Safety in Atlanta. I have never attended King Air training at Flight Safety, in the past it has always been CAE. In my experience King Air training is a little less intense that Lear 60 training, but not much. I'm hoping that Flight Safety gives me a good training experience, I think that will.

I have an itch to get back in a Cessna 172 or possible a 210. It has been awhile since I've been in a single-engine and I miss it. There is definitely a desire on my part to fly around the local area at less than 250kts, and remember that freedom that comes with flying a light aircraft. I have a picture of my favorite light single-engine, one I used to fly, N761FT a Cessna T210. I will include it at the bottom of this page. If I do get back into a light airplane I will be sure to write about it.

I will see you on Monday ( yeah right ) if not sooner.

N761FT, this one is special to me.

Okay it's Tuesday

2009-08-25T17:38:00.002-05:00

I have been at DFW and unable to post until now. Doing a little King Air flying over the past few days.

It's been too long.

2009-08-20T10:02:00.004-05:00

I haven't been keeping up with this blog like I wanted too. That will change. I have a few pictures to share from trips to Salt Lake City, Sun Valley, and Florida. I will upload them now.

Stay tuned, because I will start posting every Monday at a minimum.

On approach to Sun Valley, Idaho

Coming over the mountains toward the valley that leads to KSLC

Fire in Florida

Nice Clouds

Approaching a cell

Maintenance Time

2009-07-16T16:18:00.002-05:00

Occassionally, we pilots are required to take the aircraft we fly in for checkups, just like cars. Since the corporation I work for doesn't have "in-house maintenance" we rely on service centers to take care of our equipment needs.

So for the past couple of days I've been parked in Wichita, KS at the Bombardier Factory Service Center. The Bombardier plant is kind of cool to see. Not only are there several types of Lears ( 31's, 45's, 55's and 60's) being worked on, but right next door they are rolling out new CRJ's. There seems to be quite a bit of activity at the service centers and that seems like a good thing.

Flights to the service centers can be different because we have no passengers and we WEAR SHORTS AND T-SHIRTS !

Recurrent Rehash

2009-06-17T21:36:00.001-05:00

Well Lear 60 recurrent training at Flight Safety has ended. This time around my sim instructor sort of specialized in the FMS or Flight Management System. He was a wiz at working the magic box. The training had all the usual stuff, including stalls, steep turns and assorted emergencies.
The emergency training included engine failures before V1 and after V1. Basically prior to V1 you try to stop on the runway and after V1, you're going flying.

During one session I had an engine failure right at V1 on a slushy runway and windshear. That was plenty challenging. Having a thrust reverser deploy on takeoff (treat it as an engine failure) can be a fun experience as well.There was of course the high,hot,and heavy departure from Reno.

The Reno departure is interesting because of the steep climb gradient and, of course, the tall rocks nearby. And sim instructors, being black hearted creatures, have nasty things planned for you to take care of during the departure. In fact. the instructors have plenty for you to do during all phases of flying. Their job is to prepare the student for the unexpected, and they do it well.

On the way to San Francisco from Reno ( and yes the entire flight takes place ) the crew experienced a loss of pressurization at FL320 ( 32,000 ft ) and an emergency descent was warranted. The crew has to don the oxygen mask and try to communicate all while trying to attend to the simulated passengers and run the appropriate checklist. It's demanding.

However, for this recurrent session, the most demanding thing for me was the elevator jam while trying to fly the ILS to minimums. The pitch of the Lear 60 is very, shall we say, touchy when thrust is applied or removed. Having to land using just slight power adjustments and trimming was definitely not easy. In the end, I was able to put it on solid concrete, touching the ground at a descent rate of 700 ft per minute. So it worked out.

There were other challenging things, as you might imagine. Dual generator failure, total hydraulics failure and others. Of course, the weather was always crappy ( see blackhearted comment above ) now matter what kind of approach was going on. I performed ILS, VOR, and GPS approaches throughout.

I had a great time and I really like Flight Safety. Looking forward to the next recurrent training date.

Recurrent Day 1 Complete

2009-06-08T21:30:00.002-05:00

The ground school and Sim session went pretty much as advertised today. No super cool things happened during the actual sim ride. Started with an engine starting malfunction, then a RNav departure, a GPS approach, a go around, an engine failure, a single engine approach and an ILS approach. Just a standard sim ride. More fun coming my way tomorrow.

Here we go

2009-06-07T06:56:00.002-05:00

Well I finally leave for recurrent today. My schedule is fairly busy for the next four days as you might imagine. My ground courses each day start each day at 0730 and run through 1115. The schedule looks like this:

Day 1
0730-1045
Intro/Fuel System/Power Plant/Aircraft General/Lights/Master Warning
1045-1115
Specific Situations/System Integration
1530-1600
Sim #1 Briefing
1600-1900
Sim # 1 Full Flight Simulation ( Flight Safety's Lear 60 is a Level D simulator )
1900-1930
Post Sim Briefing

Day 2
0730-0800
CRM
0800-1045
Electrical System/Hydraulic System
1045-1115
System Integration
1530-1600
Sim # 2 Briefing
1600-1900
Sim #2 Full Flight Simulation
1900-1930
Post Sim Briefing

Day 3
0730-1115
Avionics/Flight Controls/Pneumatics/Pressurization/Air Conditioning
1530-1600
Sim # 3 Briefing
1600-1900
Sim # 3 Full Flight Simulation
1900-1930
Post Sim Briefing

Day 4
0730-0800
Performance/Weight & Balance/Flight Planning
0800-1115
Ice & Rain Protection/EXAM
1530-1600
Sim # 4 Briefing
1600-1900
Sim # 3 Full Flight Simulation
1900-1930
Post Sim Briefing

As you can see they pile a lot of stuff in short periods of time. You'll notice that on the last day there is only 30 minutes available for performance, weight & balance, and flight planning. It might take slightly longer than that, but believe me it moves rapidly. Lots of info to absorb and re-absorb. The simulator portion of this training holds most of the stress and work. The instructors can and do throw multiple scenerios at you during the flight. I think the thrive on putting the students through pain, but that's their job.

My "favorite" sim flight happened to me during my last recurrent session in 2008. The instructor put the aircraft in Reno on a hot day ( of course ) and the aircraft was right at gross weight ( of course again ). After rotation, at about two hundred feet, our aircraft encountered birds. The right engine spooled down and the left engine caught fire. It was asses and elbows as the co-pilot and myself worked on restarting one engine, then shutting the other down, all while trying to keep the aircraft from hitting high terrain. Did I mention that the airport visibility was at 1/2 mile and the ceiling was 200 feet. After we got the aircraft stabilized we had to position ourselves for the ILS. As we were coming out of the 200 ft overcast there was an aircraft on the runway ( of course for the third time ) which meant that we had to do a single engine go around, again avoiding terrain. This was a busy part of that flight. That's right, we had to do other things during this flight, including windshear ( microburst ), stalls, and steep turns. It was great, although not at the time I was doing it.

Believe me, at Flight Safety it's always a "good time". The instructors and equipment are great and I can't wait to get started. I might not be able to sleep tonight.

Emergency Procedures

2009-05-26T11:17:00.005-05:00

These are the memory items associated with the Emergency Procedures Checklist. Obviously, there can be a great deal of things to accomplish during an emergency. Again, these are simply the memory items and of course this items listed here are FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY.

ENGINE FAILURE DURING TAKEOFF
Below V1 Speed

Wheel Brakes....................APPLY
Thrust Levers...................IDLE
Spoilers...............................EXT

Above V1 Speed

Rudder and Ailerons..........AS REQUIRED FOR DIRECTIONAL CONTROL
ACCELERATE TO Vr. KEEP NOSEWHEEL ON GROUND
ROTATE AT Vr; CLIMB AT V2
Gear......................................UP WHEN POSITIVE RATE ESTABLISHED
Clear of Obstacles...............ACCELERATE TO V2 + 20 AND RETRACT FLAPS

ENGINE FAILURE DURING APPROACH

Control Wheel Master Switch ( MSW )................DEPRESS AND RELEASE
Thrust Lever ( Operative Engine ).......................INCREASE AS REQUIRED
Flaps..........................................................................20 DEGREES MAXIMUM
Airspeed....................................................................1.3 Vs ( FLAPS 20 ) MINIMUM
Rudder Trim.............................................................AS REQUIRED

ENGINE FIRE-SHUTDOWN
Affected Engine

Thrust Lever...............................IDLE, UNLESS CRITICAL THRUST SITUATION EXISTS
If Fire Continues More Than 15 Seconds Or There Are Other Indications Of Fire:

Thrust Lever...............................CUTOFF
Engine Fire Pull Handle.............PULL
Eng Ext Armed Light.................DEPRESS ONE

IMMEDIATE ENGINE AIRSTART
Affected Engine

Thrust Lever...............................IDLE
Ignition Switch.............................ON

CABIN ALTITUDE WARNING HORN ACTIVATES, CABIN ALTITUDE EXCEEDS 10,000 FEET, OR CABIN ALT HI LIGHT ILLUMINATES ( IF APPLICABLE ) ( EMERGENCY DESCENT )

Crew Oxygen Masks...............................DON, SELECT 100 % OXYGEN
Thrust Levers..........................................IDLE
Autopilot....................................................DISENGAGE
Spoiler Lever.............................................EXT
DESCEND At Mmo/Vmo, BUT NOT BELOW MINIMUM SAFE ALTITUDE
Passenger Oxygen Valve..........................DEPLOY

CABIN FIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATED OR CABIN/COCKPIT FIRE, SMOKE, OR FUMES

Crew Oxygen Masks......................DON AND SELECT 100 % OXYGEN
Smoke Goggles.................................DON
Emer Depress Switch.......................LIFT GUARD AND DEPRESS
Pilot and Copilot Norm Mic/Oxy Mic Switches......ON

OVERSPEED RECOVERY-OVERSPEED WARNING HORN ACTIVATES

Thrust Levers...................................IDLE
Autopilot.............................................DISENGAGE
INDENTIFY AIRCRAFT PITCH AND ROLL ATTITUDE
LEVEL WINGS
Elevator and Pitch Trim....................AS REQUIRED TO RAISE NOSE
Landing Gear Switch..........................DOWN

PITCH AXIS MALFUNCTION

Control Wheel Master Switch ( MSW )............DEPRESS AND HOLD
Attitude Control...................................................AS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL
Thrust Levers.......................................................AS REQUIRED
Pitch Trim..............................................................OFF

ROLL OR YAW AXIS MALFUNCTION

Control Wheel Master Switch ( MSW ).............DEPRESS AND HOLD
Attitude Control....................................................AS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL
If Control Force Continues: Airspeed................REDUCE TO MINIMIZE FORCE

EMERGENCY BRAKING

PULL EMER BRAKE HANDLE OUT OF RECESS
PUSH DOWNWARD ON HANDLE TO APPLY BRAKE PRESSURE

EMERGENCY EVACUATION

STOP THE AIRCRAFT
Parking Brake...................................SET
Thrust Levers...................................CUTOFF
If an engine fire is suspected

Applicable Eng Fire Pull Handle..........................PULL
Either Eng Ext Armed Light................................DEPRESS
Other Eng Fire Pull Handle..................................PULL

If engine fire is not suspected

Both Eng Fire Pull Handles...................................PULL

5. Both Battery Switches............................................OFF

STALL WARNING ACTIVATES

LOWER THE PITCH ATTITUDE TO REDUCE THE ANGLE OF ATTACK
Thrust Levers.....................................SET TO TAKEOFF POWER
LEVEL THE WINGS
ACCELERATE OUT OF THE STALL CONDITION

INADVERTANT STOW OF THRUST REVERSER AFTER A CREW-COMMANDED DEPLOYMENT

MAINTAIN CONTROL WITH RUDDER, AILERON, NOSE-WHEEL STEERING AND BRAKES
Both Thrust Reverser Levers............................STOW

INADVERTANT THRUST RESERVSER DEPLOYMENT DURING TAKEOFF

Below V1 Speed

PERFORM ABORTED TAKEOFF PROCEDURE

Above V1 Speed

Rudder and Ailerons...............................AS REQUIRED FOR DIRECTIONAL CONTROL
ACCEELARATE TO Vr. KEEP NOSE-WHEEL ON GROUND
ROTATE AT Vr; CLIMB AT V2
Gear...........................................................UP, WHEN POSITIVE RATE ESTABLISHED
When Clear of Obstacles.........................ACCELERATE TO V2 + 20 AND RETRACT FLAPS

Recurrent right around the corner

2009-05-26T10:53:00.001-05:00

Finally got a date that I will be going to recurrent training. I will be going to Tucson on June 7th. I'll be attending Flight Safety's Tucson Training Facility located at the Tucson International Airport. It's a fantastic facility with first class instructors. Also, I really dig the city of Tucson, so I'm very much looking forward to the trip. On my next post I will be including the Emergency Checklist memory items as a way to keep them fresh in my mind. In the mean time, I will be continuing with my limitations, systems and other stuff.

Time to study limitations

2009-04-15T17:48:00.011-05:00

Yes it is true that my Lear recurrent training with Flight Safety is next month, but it is time to start my studies. For those of you who haven't attended a course at Flight Safety, they aren't easy. They take you through the ringer and, of course, that is a good thing.

So one good way to review limitations is to write them dowm, at least that works for me. Here are the limitations of the Lear 60. These limitations come from the manual that is provided be Flight Safety and is labeled FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY.

GENERAL
Type of operation.
This aircraft is approved for:

VFR
IFR
Day
Night
Icing -- Icing conditions exist when outside air temperature (OAT) on the ground and for takeoff is 10 C ( 50 F) or below, or the static air temperature (SAT) in flight is 10 C to -40 C, and visible moisture in any form is present ( such as clouds, foog with visibility of one mile or less, rain, sleet, snow, or ice crystals )

Minimum Flight Crew:
Pilot and co-pilot

WEIGHTS LIMITS
Maximum Ramp Weight:
23,750 lbs.
Maximum Certified Takeoff Weight:
23,500 lbs.
Maximum Zero Fuel Weight:
17,000 lbs.

Maximum Allowable takeoff Weight:
The takeoff weight is limited by the most restictive of the following requirements:

Maximun certified takeoff weight.
The maximum takeoff weight with anti-skid OFF or antiskid protection for any wheel inoperative is 18,500 lbs.
Maximum takeoff weight (climb or brake energy limited) for altitude and temperature as determined from the applicable figure entitled Takeoff Weight Limits.
Maximum takeoff weight for the runway and ambient conditions as determined from the applicable figure entitled Takeoff Field Length

Maximum Certified Landing Weight:
19,500 Lbs.

Maximum Allowable Landing Weight:
The landing weight is limited by the most restrictive of the following requirements:

Maximum certified landing weight.
Maximum landing weight for the runway and ambient conditions as determined from the Actual Landing Distance chart.
Maximum landing weight (approach climb or brake energy limited) for altitude and temperature as determined from theapplicable figure entitled Landing Weight Limits

AIRSPEED/MACH LIMITS
Maximum Operating Speed Vmo/Mmo

Primary Instruments:
Vmo

Up to 8000 feet.................... 300 KIAS
8,000 to 20,000 ft............... 340 KIAS
20,000 to 23,000 ft............. 340 to 330 KIAS
23,000 to 26,750 ft.............. 330 KIAS

Mmo

26,750 to 37,000 feet........... 0.81 Mach
37,000 to 43,000 feet.......... 0.81 to 0.78 Mach
43,000 feet and Above........ 0.78 Mach
With Mach Trim inoperative and autopilot disengaged......0.77 Mach

Standby Instruments:
Vmo

Up to 8000 feet.................... 298 KIAS
8,000 to 20,000 feet........... 338 KIAS
20,000 to 23,000 feet......... 338 to 329 KIAS
23,000 to 26,750 feet.......... 329 to 330 KIAS

Mmo

26,750 to 37,000 feet.......... 0.81 Mach
37,000 to 43,000 feet......... 0.81 to 0.78 Mach
43,000 feet and Above....... 0.78 Mach
With Mach Trim inoperative and autopilot disengaged.......0.77 Mach

Maximum Landing Gear Operating Speed Vlo:
200 KIAS
Maximum Landing Gear Extended Speed Vle:
260 KIAS

Maximum Flap Extended Speed Vfe:

Flaps 8 ..........250 KIAS
Flaps 20.........200 KIAS
Flaps 40.........165 KIAS

Minimum Control Speed Vmca:

Flaps 8...........120 KIAS
Flaps 20.........110 KIAS

Minimum Control Speed Groung Vmcg:

Rudder Boost ON..........95 KIAS
Rudder Boost OFF........116 KIAS

OPERATIONAL LIMITS AND REQUIREMENTS
TAKEOFF

Maximum Pressure Altitude:
13,700 feet
Ambient Temperature:
Refer to Ambient Temperature Limits Chart
Tailwind Component:
10 Knots
Runway Conditions: Takeoff is limited to paved runways. Runway Water/Slush Accumulation:
3/4 inch ( 19 mm )
Engine Sync:
Off
Trim:
All Axes Set For Takeoff
Fuel Load:
Wings balanced within 200 pounds
The must be checked and operational:

Trim Systems
Both ADC Systems
Standby Altitude Indicator
Stall Warning Systems
Autospoilers
Rudder Boost

ENROUTE

Maximum Pressure Altitude:
51,000 Feet
Fuel Load:
Wings balanced within 500 pounds

LANDING

Maximum Pressure Altitude:
13,700 feet
Ambient Temperature:
Refer to Ambient Temperature Limits Chart
Tailwind Component:
10 Knots
Runway Conditions: Landing limited to paved runways. Runway Water/Slush Accumulation:
3/4 Inch ( 19 mm )
Pressurization:
Cabin Not Pressurized
Engine Sync:
Off
Fuel Load:
Wings Balanced within 200 Pounds

LIMIT MANEUVERING LOAD FACTORS

Flaps up............. +3.0 to -1.0 G
Flaps Down....... +2.0 to 0.0 G

MANEUVERS

No aerobatic maneuvers, including spins, are approved.
Intentional stalls are prohibited above 18,000 feet with flaps and/or landing gear extended.

TURNAROUND LIMITS

If the turnaround weight limit for brake energy is exceeded during a landing or rejected takeoff, the following limitationsmust be observed:

The aircraft must be parked for a minimum waiting period of 20 minutes before the next takeoff attempt can be made
After the waiting period is observed, a visual inspection of the mair gear tires, and brakes for condition must be made

SYSTEM LIMITS

AIR DATA SYSTEM

Both air data systems must be operative and the onside system selected for takeoff.
All air data flags on the PFDs must be retracted for takeoff.
To assure proper air data system operation, the "Before Starting Engines" overspeed warning system check must be accomplished in accordance with "Normal Procedures"

ATTITUDE HEADING REFERENCE SYSTEM

The onside attitude heading system must be selected and the comparator annunciators must be extinguished for takeoff.

AUTOMATIC PERFORMANCE RESERVE

Manual selection of APR during a two-engine takeoff is limited to emergency conditions.

AUTOPILOT/FLIGHT DIRECTOR

The autopilot/flight director system is approved for Catagory I ILS approaches.
When using the autopilot, the pilot or copilot must be in their respective seat with their seatbelt fastened.
Operation of the auopilot with the red TRIM fail light illuminated is prohibited.
Autopilot pitch and roll axes must not be used for takeoff and landing. Do not intentionally overpower the autopilot.
The minimum altitude for use of the autopilot is:

Approach configuration................ 200 feet AGL
Enroute Configuration.................. 1,000 feet AGL

CABIN PRESSURIZATION

For takeoffs and landings above 8,000 feet, the automatic pressurization mode must be used.
Do not land with the cabin pressurized.
Maximum Differential Pressure:
9.8 PSI

ELECTRONIC FLIGHT INSTRUMENT SYSTEM (EFIS)

A minimum of three large flight displays must be operational for takeoff and the following conditions must be satisfied:

Each outboard PFD display must be operational.
At least one inboard display must be operational.

The standby attitude indicator must be operational for takeoff.

ENGINE SYNCHRONIZER

Engine sync must be OFF for takeoff, landing, and single-engine operation.

EXTERNAL POWER

The maximum amperage from an external power source must be limited to 1,500 amps.

COOLING SYSTEM

The cooling system must be OFF or the cabin temperature control must be in the manual mode with full cold selected for takeoff and landing.

GENERATOR LIMITS
Generator output is limited as follows:

Ground operations

Continuous-325 amps.
Transient-higher transient loads for cross-starts and battery charging, up to maximum generator output are authorized.

Flight operations
Continuous

400 amps up to 31,000 feet
325 amps from 31,000 to 46,000 feet
300 amps from 46,000 to 51,000 feet

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM

Do not exceed auxiliary hydraulic pump duty cycle of three minutes ON, then 20 minutes OFF.

NACELLE HEAT

Nacelle heat must be ON during ground or flight operations when icing conditions may exist.

Nacelle heat must be on during descent into visible moisture even if the SAT is below -40 C ( -40 F )

Ground Operations

Do not operate nacelle heat system for more than five seconds when the associated engine is not running.
Do not operate nacelle heat system for more than 30 seconds when static air temperature is above 15 C ( 59 F )
Except for takeoff, do not operate nacelle heat system when engine rpm is greater than 65 % N1

RUDDER BOOST SYSTEM

If the rudder boost system is to be used, the rudder boost system check must be accomplished in accordance with Section II of the AFM

SPOILERS/AUTOSPOILERS/SPOILERONS
Spoilers

If the spoilers are inoperative during flight, the maximum operating altitude is limited to 38,000 feet.
Do not extend spoilers with flaps extended while airborne.
Do not extend spoilers, or operate with spilors deployed, at speeds above Vmo/Mmo.

Autospoilers

If autospoliers are to be armed, the autospoiler check must be accomplished in accordance with the "Normal procedures".
Do not arm the autospoilers for takeoff if SPOILERON circuit breaker is open.
Do not arm autospoilers for trianing maneuvers where where engine failure will be simulated above V1 speed or for touch-and-go landings.

Spoilerons

Spoilerons may be inoperative.

STALL WARNING SYSTEM

To assure proper stall warning system operation, the stall warning operation checks must be accomplished in accordance with the "Normal Procedures".
The angle-of-attack indicators and the appraoch and low-speed awareness cues may be used as a reference but do not replace the airspeed indicators as primary reference.

STARTER LIMITS

The following cooling periods must be observed between consecutive uses of the starter during ground operations:

After Start Attempt / Wait
1 ------ 3 minutes
2 ------ 15 minutes
3 ------ 30 minutes

THRUST REVERSERS

Thrust reverse system use is limited to ground operations on paved surfaces and attempts to deploy shall not be made in flight.
Thrust reverse must not be used to back up the aircraft.
If successful completion of the thrust reverser operational check per the "Normal Procedures" chapter of this manual has not been accomplished, the thrust reversers must be pinned per the Learjet 60 Maintenance Manual prior to takeoff.
Thrust reverser curcuit breakers must not be intentionally pulled while in fligh, except as specified in Emergency and/or Abnormal Procedures.
Thrust reversers must not be used for touch-and-go landings.
Use of reverse thrust is limited as follows:

Below 50 KIAS-----------Limited to idle
50 KIAS and above-------From idle to maximum

ENGINE OPERATING LIMITS

Too much information for this blog

ENGINE SPEED LIMITS

Too much info for this blog

TIRES

Main Tire Limiting Speed:
182 Knots

POWERPLANT LIMITS

Engine Type:
Pratt and Whitney Canada PW305A turbofan engines.

Approved Fuels:
JP-5, JP-8, Jet A-1 fuels conforming to Pratt and Whitney Canada CPW204 and SB24004 are approved.

Aviation Gasoline:
The use of aviation gasoline is prohibited.

And that is the little list of most of the stuff that I must remember for Flight Safety's limitations for the Lear 60.

I am back

2009-04-15T12:10:00.002-05:00

Okay, I will start updating the blog at least once a week from now on. There have been too many trips since I have been away to list here so I will start from this point on.

Right now all of us here in Oklahoma are preparing for the spring weather. Happens every year, massive thunderstorms roll across this state and leave destruction in their path. Usually, it starts in March and runs through June. I think in the last several years that trend is starting a little later like mid-May, but that's just my opinion. So far it has been a relatively quiet start to the thunderstorm season, but it's coming.

Obviously, thunderstorms pose a problem for pilots. Thunderstorms can produce and contain some of the worst conditions to fly in. Those condition would include, turbulence, heavy rain, hail, and ice just to name a few. Thunderstorms can be particularly dangerous during takeoff and landings. Wind shear and microburst can be potentially deadly during these phases of flight. If there is a thunderstorm on the airport during takeoff, we wait it out or cancel. If there is a thunderstorm at our intended landing airport, then we find somewhere else to land. All of these things can be worked out prior to departure during the flight planning phase. When it comes to storms, I don't mess around with them. Just a friendly reminder during the thunderstorm season.

I will return

2009-03-16T17:14:00.002-05:00

This is a message for the numerous ( three ) readers of this blog. I am taking a short break and will return shortly to describe my many high-flying adventures to such exotic locations as Birmingham, AL.

Northwest Trip Part Two

2008-12-19T11:34:00.005-06:00

Seattle is a great town. However, there wasn't much time to look around on this trip. I basically went to my hotel and stayed there for the remainder of the evening. I experienced TV lock. It happens occassionally. It's when you get to a hotel, a little tired, and you make the mistake of turning on the TV. You then spend untold hours flipping through shows you have no interest in, unable to turn the dang thing off. Anyway, that's how my night went.

We showed up at the airport the next day to find miserable weather. Our flight was going to be a quick hop to Portland, only 36 minutes. There was heavy rain, low ceilings, and the wind was blowing around 20 knots. We put on enough fuel to get to Portland and then back to Seattle if the weather went below minimums at our destination.

We got the aircraft set for passengers and waited for them to arrive. Once we had them on board, we taxied out for departure. After a bit of a wait for other departures, we were cleared to position and hold ( that is pull onto the runway, all lights on, ready to depart when cleared ). Then we were cleared for takeoff. We were considerably lighter on this leg and it didn't take long to get right into the clouds.

The last time that I flew out of Seattle the view from the aircraft was gorgeous, great views of Mt Rainier, Mount St Helens, and the cascades. This time, nothing. We were in the clouds almost the whole time. We picked up a good amount of ice from 3,000 ft up to 16,000 ft. We leveled off at 17,000 feet and sped up. The ice was almost gone from the windscreen when we started the descent in Portland.

The weather in Portland wasn't as bad as Seattle, but close. It was rainy and windy. It was fairly bumpy on the approach, but no ice. We touched down in gusty winds and deployed the thrust reversers. Off the runway and into Flightcraft. Passengers were unloaded and the aircraft cleaned. Tonight the aircraft goes into the hanger, we arrange for that. Flightcraft is a nice FBO ( Fixed Base Operator ). The have a great looking lounge for the pilots and passengers to hang out in. Of course, the people were nice. Pretty much all the FBO's you run across in large airports treat their customers well.

Here is the Lear after we landed at KPDX.

The crew rented a car and headed to the hotel for check-in. It was only 10:30 PST so I was determined not to get TV lock. We decided that we would take a little drive down to McMinnville, Oregon to check out the famed Spruce Goose ( the large aircraft built by Howard Hughes ). The Spruce Goose is housed in the Evergreen Aviation Museum. So we headed out.

Now you would think that two jet pilots would be able to read a road map and find our destination. Not so. We made a wrong turn and somehow ended up taking a scenic tour of western Oregon. I had no idea how much agriculture was in Oregon. We saw the Oregon wine country, which is vast. I enjoyed our travels through the country and it certainly beats hanging out in the hotel.

After a few hours driving around Oregon, we finally pulled into the Evergreen Museum complex. The Spruce Goose is impressive. It's gi-normous and not surprising that it barely got into the air, even though it has eight engines, it seemed underpowered. The pictures I took do really do it justice.

We hung out in the museum for a bit, just taking it all in. There is some serious legend and history associated with this particular aircraft. The museum also had other aircraft sitting of historical importance. DC-3, Sopwith Camel, and a Mig 29 are just a few.

After the museum, we headed back to Portland to eat and retire for the night. As I have mentioned before in this blog, getting out and being able to see stuff I wouldn't normally see is one of the great things about my job.

The next day, the weather was okay for the flight back to Oklahoma. It took a lot less time to get back due to the tailwind. We touched down at our home airport and logged another successful flight by our crew. Good trip to the northwest, I hope we go back soon.

Northwest Trip Part One

2008-12-15T12:47:00.007-06:00

Here is my first effort to describe what it's like to have my job. I'll describe what happens on a typical trip.

First, the crew is notified of the trip. Sometimes the trip is scheduled way in advance, sometimes not. We get to required trip time, passenger load, and fuel needed figured prior to the flight. Day of the flight all the fuel is loaded, weight and balance gets figured, and the aircraft is set up with coffee, snacks and newspapers. Yes, the crew does that stuff. We verify the appropriate Jepp charts ( for instrument flight ) are on board.

About 30 minutes ( give or take ) prior to departure time, after the pre-flight inspection, the APU ( Auxillary Power Unit ) is started to provide electricity and heat to the airplane. This is when the the crew does the Before Starting Engines Checklist. The checklist includes entering info into the FMS ( Flight Management System, which contains flight plan info, fuel comsumption, etc. ), and various other systems checks. Once that is done, we wait for our passengers.

1315- Passengers arrive. Bags load, passengers seated, passenger briefing completed.
1325-Engine start and taxi to active runway.
1330- Another on time departure. Time enroute to Seattle ( KSEA ) 3 hours 58 minutes ouch...that's a long one.

After liftoff, the flaps and the gear are retracted and the After Takeoff Checklist is completed. The Lear 60 had a very respectable thrust-to-weight ratio, so at this point in the flight I am pulling the thrust levers back. Civil aircraft below 10,000 feet are restricted to 250 knots. If I didn't reduce the thrust, our aircraft would fly right through that speed even during the climb.

As soon as we cross 10,000 feet the only speed I have to worry about is something called Max Operating Speed. It varies a little in attitude but that speed is around 330 knots below 26,750 feet. And the 60 will do that speed no problem.

We complete checklists at 10,000 feet and Flight Level ( FL ) 180 or 18,000 feet. Upon reaching FL400 ( 40,000 feet ) the Cruise Checklist is completed. Total time to climb to FL400: 14 minutes. Not bad for an aircraft that's heavy with fuel and passengers.

And then there's not a whole lot to do. Here's something to consider. If you want to be a pilot, part of a crew, you should be a people person. You have to sit in a small area with another person for long periods of time. I bring this up because I have known pilots and pilots-to-be who are not fans of other people. I imagine 3 hours and 58 minutes would seem like 10 hours if you didn't work well with others. In a previous job I experienced this very thing. My experience was over a four day time period and it was brutal. The crew I fly with now is great.

So we discuss life, the universe and everything as our aircraft flies over Woodward, Oklahoma; Denver; Rock Springs, Wyoming; and Pocatello, Idaho. Finally, descending through the clouds we catch a glimpse of the huge rock that is Mount Rainier.

Now, the crew starts to get busy. We have to perform the Descent Checklist, and the start getting the aircraft configured and slowed down for the instrument approach we need to get into Seattle. Approach control gives us the approach assignment, the ILS 34L. Then comes the Approach Checklist followed closely by the Before Landing Checklist. The gear is down the flaps are down and the aircraft is descending through the muck on a precision instrument approach. The Co-Pilot calls out speeds and altitudes as we zoom towards the runway. We touch down at our ref speed ( or reference speed- to simplify-our landing speed based on weight ) and the brakes are applied as the thrust reversers are deployed.

We slow the aircraft, get off the runway, and taxi into the general aviation part of the airport. The Lear's engines are shutdown and we began to deplane the passengers. Of course, we unload the baggage and make sure that the passengers transportation is secured. You might think my job is over, but it's not. The aircraft interior has to be cleaned and made ready for the next flight. When all of that is finished, we head for the hotel. We are in Seattle for the night. Tomorrow is a short trip to Portland.

The blog must go on

2008-12-10T12:39:00.004-06:00

I considered recently the possibility of turning off this blog. It can sometimes be a hassle to keep things updated. Plus, with a huge readership of three or four, would it really be missed? I decided that it would be missed, missed by me. So this blog will continue. It will continue, but instead of just putting pictures up, I will include more in depth descriptions of what it's like to have my occupation.

As far back as I can remember, I have wanted to fly. Actually, my first real memory of wanting to be a pilot is when I was 8. Anyone that I have ever associated with in my life has known that I was either a pilot, or wanting to be a pilot, depending on when they were associating with me. I have had the dream of flight for a very long time. And I've stuck to that dream. Yes, life does come along and create roadblocks to your dreams, but stick to them. Has it been worth all the training and work? Yes it has. I have a cool job.

Flying an airplane, any airplane, is cool. It takes a fair amount of smarts. Your safety depends on many things: a good knowledge of how weather works; the systems that make your plane fly; good judgement; and how to communicate in another language. And that's just to fly a Cessna 152 ( two-place aircraft ) around the airport. There's a lot to know and a lot to do.

As you move up in aircraft size and performance, there is more to know and , at times, more to do. Plus things begin to happen a lot faster. Now add passengers in the back of the airplane that expect to have a hassle-free, uneventful flight and you have my job....more or less.

There are many rewards in my job and past flying jobs that I have had. I have seen a lot of the nation the flight deck. I have landed at airports in 45 of the 50 states. I've flown over great natural landmarks such as the Grand Canyon, Mount Saint Helens and Niagra Falls. I've also been able to see man made wonders from the sky. Washington D.C. was cool, Times Square from 35,000 feet at night was cooler. I've seen beautiful clouds of every kind from the top, bottom and side. I've seen the tips of a Caravan propeller glow green as I flew through heavy dry snow at night. I've seen the windscreen covered in a mini electrical storm ( also know as St Almos Fire ). I have squeaked a 46,000 pound aircraft onto the ground with 50 passengers in the back who had no idea how hard I was working in that crosswind. I have flown around massive west Texas thunderstorms without even a bump. I have handled emergencies in the air and lived to fly another day.

It may sound like I'm bragging...I'm not. I'm simply pointing out how my job differs from others and to snicker because my job is better than yours.

In the coming days and months I would like to use this blog to give all three of my readers a better understanding of how it is to work and live as a pilot. Maybe someone will learn something, maybe not. Regardless, I will continue to publish this blog...I'd miss it.

Peace.

Vegas pics

2008-09-19T11:47:00.010-05:00

Some pics from a Las Vegas trip. The corporation has an annual convention there each year.

Patriot Day

2008-09-11T08:41:00.004-05:00

Most people in this country, if they are old enough, remember what they were doing on the morning of September 11, 2001.

I was ironing my clothes at my Denver apartment, getting ready for another full day of flight instructing. I had just talked to a briefer from the Automated Flight Service Station at Centennial Airport. The weather was looking very good for my flight with a student in N6270R ( a C172RG Cutlass ). I suppose the first Trade Center tower was hit while I was on the phone getting the weather briefing. As soon as I turned on the TV to CNN the story was already going on.

As is true with so many breaking news stories, the media was in high speculation mode. There were more questions then answers. One thing struck me as I watched smoke rise from the Trade Center, it was a beautiful day in New York City. I felt like something was amiss. Large aircraft don't just accidentally run into buildings like that, especially on a beautiful VFR day, especially in the busy northeast. Could a highly experienced airline pilot and his crew, operating in contact with highly experienced air traffic controllers accidentally steer his jet into a building? I suppose it could happen, but I didn't buy it. These were the things going through my mind as I dressed and grabbed my flight bag to head out the door. As I was reaching to switch the television off, I froze. The image of an airliner came into the picture. That was quickly followed by an explosion as the airliner smashed into the second tower. The sight of that aircraft hitting the World Trade Center literally put me on my knees. Shock, horror, grief and total disbelief all hit me at one time. I'm sure that this is what most people were experiencing when they saw that. I had felt that wave of terrible emotions just one other time that I could remember, the day that the space shuttle Challenger exploded.

After 10 minutes, I collected myself and started calling my family. I think it's natural to check on your loved ones when something like this happens, no matter how far away they are from the scene of the disaster. Called my wife, father and mother as I headed out the door. Had to get to the airport.

On the road to the Boulder Municipal Airport, the radio reported that the airspace over this country might be shut down. More shock. I arrived at the airport and my student was diligently pre-flighting the airplane. He hadn't talked to flight service yet. In fact, he hadn't seen the TV or listened to the radio that morning. He was just excited to go on his first instructional flight in the Cutlass. I informed him that something terrible had occurred that might affect his flight. We went in to call the FSS and we couldn't get through. We turned on the TV in the FBO. My student watched it for a few minutes and then said he didn't feel like flying and wanted to go be with his wife. I said go.

My co-workers began filtering in for the day. We watched as the news reported the Pentagon was hit by an aircraft. Frankly, when that plane hit the second tower, I knew we were under attack. The Pentagon strike just confirmed it. The President being flown to various locations in the US to protect him removed any doubt about the situation. Then started a period of confusion in the media as everyone began to panic. How many aircraft were up there with terrorists on board? I heard 5, 3, and 4 at various times that morning.

Then the towers fell. A new round of horror. After that we found out about the crash of Untied Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. The news all day long was bad, nothing good.

About 1 pm I went out to the ramp to check the tie-downs on all of our aircraft. The silence was eerie. Normally, the airspace around Denver is full of noise. But standing out there on the ramp, I didn't hear anything. It was surreal. How could this be happening to this country? I should have listened to the radios of one of our planes, I heard that ATC had an automated message playing on all frequencies explaining that the airspace above the United States was closed. I think at that point it would have put me over the edge. There was just too much information coming in and I couldn't take anymore.

Later that afternoon F-16's from nearby Buckley AFB began flying patrols over Denver. The patrols went on round the clock for nearly 2 days.

By the end of the day, there were nothing but questions. Who were these terrorists? Are we going to be hit again? What is going to happen to the aviation industry? Will I have to start a new career in a different field? Will the families of the victims ever have peace? So much to contemplate. Of course, all of these questions would be answered with time.

Today we should take time to remember all those feelings that we had that day so that those who died are honored.

Scenes from a recent trip to New York City

2008-08-27T15:48:00.017-05:00

The following pictures are from a recent trip to the NYC area. We landed at Teterboro ( KTEB ) which is in New Jersey. I would have liked to have taken some shots from the cockpit during our approach to KTEB but we were far to busy. So these are a few pics from the trip into the city.

This is Times Square...much more

impressive at night.

More Times Square, very Vegas like when the

lights are on at night.

A popular place to take a picture. The Hello Deli

is right around the corner. I went in and there

was Rupert behind the counter. Very weird.

A shot from inside Central Park.

A shot of Central Park from the 86th floor of
the Empire State Building.

This is the other side of the Empire State
Building looking toward the financial district.

The Statue of Liberty from the 86th floor of
the Empire State Building.

Looking up the Empire State Building. It's
big!

Now for a few pics of the "people" that make
New York City an interesting place.

The iconic Naked Cowboy.

Yes it can be a strange place.

More Pictures of the flight to Sun Valley

2008-08-04T22:25:00.005-05:00

The first picture is of a crater close to Hailey, Idaho. Don't know if it's man made or not. The rest of the pictures are mostly of Colorado from FL390 ( 39,000 ft) to FL410 ( 41,000 ft ).

Ah Sun Valley

2008-08-04T21:58:00.005-05:00

Here are pictures from a quick turn trip to Sun Valley, ID. The winds were fierce at KSUN when we landed. Lots of LLWS ( Low Level Wind Shear ). Sun Valley Airport is one of those fun airports that is kind of boxed in on one side. So, as a result of the mountains, the typical procedure is to land in one direction and take off in the opposite direction. We approached the airport to runway 31 and then later departed runway 13. Beautiful area, great town.

Something Different

2008-07-26T16:44:00.004-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen....I give you the amazing flying lawnmower.

Reminds me of the old days

2008-07-20T12:18:00.003-05:00

This past week I got the chance to once again fly the mighty Cessna C210 Centurion. It's been awhile since I put my hands on the control yoke of this type of aircraft. I was looking forward to the flight.

The Centurion is a relatively fast single-engine aircraft with a big heavy feel to it. I got my first taste of the C210 during my initial year of instructing in Boulder, Colorado. The airplane was plenty powerful with a lot of space in it for stuff. I eventually became the primary instructor for the C210 at Dakota Ridge Aviation. Also, part of our flight school's operation was a service provided to NOAA to check for green house gases. Essentially it was a flight in a 210 to a predetermined point ( usually the 21 DME of of the Cheyenne Vortac ) starting at an altitude of 26,000 ft and ending at 7,000 ft. I would fly a holding pattern from the point and circle down collecting data at every 1,000 ft. The collection of the data was done via a "magical" electronic box provided by the NOAA scientist. The "NOAA flights" were done by me on the average of once a week.

I started to get some good experience in the 210, by doing things like the "NOAA flights", student instruction, and things like that. Then on November 14, 2002, flying a 210 from Boulder, CO to Cheyenne, WY I experienced an engine failure in flight. I was on a modified left base to land at KCYS when the crankshaft decided to break into pieces. I chose a field to land in and successfully put in down with no damage to anything on the ground, the airplane or myself. I'll never forget that moment.

So me and the Cessna C210 has had some good times and some bad times. I enjoyed all of the flying that I did in it. So when I had the opportunity to ferry the aircraft above from Detroit to Tulsa, I jumped at it. And it reminded me of all the times I'd spent in this aircraft. I hope more of these opportunities come around.

Random pictures from my travels lately

2008-07-14T17:31:00.009-05:00

Here are some pictures that haven't been included in other posts. Some are interesting and some are not.

Recurrent Training

2008-06-30T13:16:00.003-05:00

Just got back from Tucson, Arizona. I spent some time at Flight Safety International doing recurrent training. It is essentially refresher training in an aircraft. It's something that we have to do on an annual basis. Flight Safety is a world-class training facility. The instructors there are outstanding.

All of the training is done in a Level D flight simulator. These are moving simulators that have to be certified by the FAA in order for training to take place. It's pretty close to flying the real thing and the instructors can program your "aircraft" to experience several malfunctions ( some all at once ) in flight. During my training I experienced an engine fire, lost pressurization, complete electrical failure, runaway trim, and windshear, just to name a few. It's great training designed to push the pilot to the limits of his/her abilities. If you have to get training for a type rating, I highly recommend Flight Safety.

Here is a picture of the Lear 60 sim at the Tucson

training facility. I was too busy to get any pictures

of the inside.

International Flight

2008-06-29T16:38:00.010-05:00

Here are some pictures from a trip to the country of Mexico. Arriving in Mexico can be an interesting experience. When we landed in Mexico we were met by our handler ( a native whos job it is to make sure your paper work is in order ). Along with the handler, were several armed soldiers. There is a lot of paperwork to have onboard the aircraft when you arrive in Mexico. You'll need a passport, pilot certificate, medical, custom documents and a Mexican Insurance Certificate to name just a few. If you're planning to fly to Mexico make sure you get some help from the FAA, NBAA or AOPA. Once the soldiers had seen our paperwork it was time to drag all the bags out of the aircraft so a drug dog could sniff them. During this time the handler took the flight crew's passports, pilot certificates and medicals. He took them away, I'm assuming that it was to fill out more paperwork, and they were gone for a good deal of time. This is a scary step of the process. Standing there on the tarmac of a foriegn country is no place to be without your pilot credentials. Eventually they were returned and we went on our way.

Going back to the US was a little less complicated. The handler will fill out your flight plan. You have to estimate the time you will cross the ADIZ. One note, make sure that you have a credit card that works in Mexico ( for the fuel load ). If you use multi service, make sure the N number on your aircraft matches the N number on the card or they won't take it. If you have to use a personal credit card for fuel, most likely there will be an extra charge for that. Ours was 500 US dollars. If you have enough cash to get the fuel load you need it will save you a little money. Keep in mind that there is a ground control fee at some airports and that has to be paid in cash.

The pictures are mostly of the storms we encountered enroute. These storms were near the Houston area as we made our way towards the Gulf of Mexico. We were flying at FL390.

My Airport List

2008-04-28T13:26:00.003-05:00

I have been converting my logbook to electronic format and I wanted to make a list of the airports that I have visited while flying an aircraft in some capacity (PIC, SIC, student, etc). I don't have a great reason for this other than it reminds me of all the cool places that pilots can go on their journeys. Here's the list:

US Airports ( ) indicates new identifier

0G7 Finger Lakes Regional Airport-Senaca Falls, NY
18v Platt Valley Airpark-Hudson, CO
1V5 ( KBDU) Boulder Municipal Airport-Boulder, CO
2V2 (KLMO) Vance Brand Airport-Longmont, CO
2V5 Wray Municipal Airport-Wray,CO
3F7 Jones Memorial Airport-Bristow, OK
3V4 (KFMM) Fort Morgan Municipal Airport-Fort Morgan, CO
3V5 Fort Collins Downtown Airpark-Fort Collins, CO---CLOSED
48V (KEIK) Erie Municipal Airport-Erie, CO
4O4 McCurtain County Regional Airport-Idabel, OK
6K4 Fairview Municipal Airport-Fairview, OK
7V5 Brush Municipal Airport-Brush, CO
KAAO Colonel James Jabara Airport-Wichita, KS
KABE Lehigh Valley International Airport-Allentown, PA
KABI Abilene Regional Airport-Abilene, TX
KADH Ada Municipal Airport-Ada, OK
KADM Ardmore Municipal Airport-Ardmore, OK
KADS Addison Airport-Addison, TX
KAKO Colorado Plains Regional Airport-Akron, CO
KAMA Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport-Amarillo, TX
KANY Anthony Municipal Airport-Anthony, KS
KAPA Centennial Airport-Denver, CO
KARG Walnut Ridge Regional Airport-Walnut Ridge, AR
KASE Aspen-Pitkin County Airport/Sardy Field-Aspen, CO
KAUS Austin-Bergstrom International Airport-Austin, TX
KAVK Alva Regional Airport-Alva, OK
KAVP Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA
KAZO Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport-Kalamazoo, MI
KBFF Western Nebraska Regional Airport/William B. Heilig Field-Scottsbluff, NE
KBGR Bangor International Airport-Bangor, ME
KBHM Birmingham International Airport-Birmingham, AL
KBJC Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport-Denver, CO
KBNA Nashville International Airport-Nashville, TN
KBOS General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport-Boston, MA
KBTR Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport/Ryan Field-Baton Rouge, LA
KBUF Buffalo Niagra International Airport-Buffalo, NY
KBVO Bartlesville Municipal Airport-Bartlesville, OK
KBWG Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport-Bowling Green, KY
KBWI Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport-Baltimore, MD
KBZN Gallitan Field Airport-Bozeman, MT
KCAK Akron-Canton Regioanl Airport-Akron, OH
KCEW Bob Sikes Airport-Crestview, FL
KCGX Merrill C. Meigs Field-Chicago, IL---CLOSED
KCHA Lovell Field Airport-Chattanooga, TN
KCHS Charleston Air Force Base/International Airport-Charleston, SC
KCLT Charlotte/Douglas International Airport-Charlotte, NC
KCMH Port Columbus International Airport-Columbus, OH
KCOS City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport-Colorado Springs, CO
KCPR Natrona County International Airport-Casper, WY
KCUH Cushing Municipal Airport-Cushing, OK
KCVG Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport-Covington, KY
KCWF Chennault International Airport-Lake Charles, LA
KCYS Cheyenne Regional/Jerry Olson Field Airport-Cheyenne, WY
KDAL Dallas Love Field-Dallas, TX
KDCA Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport-Washington, D.C.
KDEN Denver International Airport-Denver, CO
KDFW Dallas/Ft Worth International Airport-Dallas/Ft Worth, TX
KDLH Duluth International Airport-Duluth, MN
KDPA Dupage Airport-West Chicago, IL
KDSM Des Moines International Airport-Des Moines, IA
KDTS Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport-Destin, FL
KEGE Eagle County Regional Airport-Eagle, CO
KELD South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field-El Dorado, AR
KEWR Newark Liberty International Airport-Newark, NJ
F01 Quanah Municipal Airport-Quanah, TX
F05 Wilbarger County Airport-Vernon, TX
F22 Perry Municipal Airport-Perry, OK
F92 Kingfisher Airport-Kingfisher, OK
KFAT Fresno Yosemite International Airport-Fresno, CA
KFNL Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport-Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
KFSD Joe Foss Field-Sioux Falls, SD
KFTG Front Range Airport-Denver, CO
KFTW Fort Worth Meacham International Airport-Fort Worth, TX
KFWS Fort Worth Spinks Airport-Fort Worth, TX
KGBD Great Bend Municipal-Great Bend, KS
KGCC Gillette-Campbell County Airport-Gillette, WY
KGCK Garden City Regional Airport-Garden City, KS
KGCN Grand Canyon National Park Airport- Grand Canyon, AZ
KGGG East Texas Regional Airport-Longview, TX
KGKY Arlington Regional Airport-Arlington, TX
KGLD Renner Field-Goodland, TX
KGLH Mid Delta Regional Airport-Greenville, MS
KGOK Guthrie-Edmond Regional Airport-Guthrie, OK
KGRI Central Nebraska Regional Airport-Grand Island, NE
KGRR Gerald R. Ford International Airport-Grand Rapids, MI
KGSO Piedmont Triad International Airport-Greensboro, NC
KGUY Guymon Municipal Airport-Guymon, OK
KGVT Majors Airport-Greenville, TX
KGWS Glenwood Springs Municipal Airport-Glenwood Springs, CO
KGXY Greeley-Weld County Airport-Greeley, CO
KHHW Stan Stamper Municipal Airport-Hugo, OK
KHOU William P. Hobby Airport-Houston, TX
KHPN Westchester County Airport-White Plains, NY
KHRL Valley International Airport-Harlingen, TX
KHYS Hays Regional Airport-Hays, KS
KIAD Washington Dulles International Airport-Washington, D.C.
KIAH George Bush Intercontinental Airport-Houston, TX
KICT Wichita Mid-Continent Airport-Wichita, KS
KIND Indianapolis International Airport-Indianapolis, IN
KIWS West Houston Airport-Houston, TX
KJAN Jackson-Evers International Airport-Jackson, MS
KJAX Jacksonville International Airport-Jacksonville, FL
KJBR Jonesboro Municipal Airport-Jonesboro, AR
KJFK John F. Kennedy International Airport-New York, NY
L06 Furnace Creek Airport-Death Valley National Park, CA
KLAA Lamar Municipal Airport-Lamar, CO
KLAR Laramie Regional Airport-Laramie, WY
KLAS McCarren International Airport-Las Vegas, NV
KLAW Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport-Lawton, OK
KLBB Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport-Lubbock, TX
KLBF North Platte Regional Airport/Lee Bird Field-North Platte, NE
KLBL Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport-Liberal, KS
KLEX Blue Grass Airport-Lexington, KY
KLFT Lafayette Regional Airport-Lafayette, LA
KLGA La Guardia Airport-New York, NY
KLIT Adams Field-Little Rock, AR
KLRD Laredo International Airport-Laredo, TX
KLXV Lake County Airport-Leadville, CO
M39 (KMEZ) Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport-Mena, AR
KMAF Midland International Airport-Midland, TX
KMCC McClellan Airfield-Sacramento, CA
KMCK McCook Regional Airport-McCook, NE
KMDD Midland Airpark-Midland, TX
KMDF Mooreland Municipal Airport-Mooreland, OK
KMDW Midway International Airport-Chicago, IL
KMEM Memphis International Airport-Memphis, TN
KMHT Manchester Airport-Manchester, NH
KMKC Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport-Kansas City, MO
KMLC McAlester Regional Airport-McAlester, OK
KMLF Milford Municipal Airport/Ben and Judy Briscoe Field-Milford, UT
KMLI Quad City International Airport-Moline, IL
KMSY Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport-New Orleans, LA
O53 Medford Municipal Airport-Medford, OK
KOKC Will Rogers World Airport-Oklahoma City, OK
KOKM Okmulgee Regional Airport-Okmulgee, OK
OOV Meadow Lake Airport-Colorado Springs, CO
KOUN University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport-Norman, OK
0V2 (KANK) Harriet Alexander Field-Salida, CO
KOWP William R. Pogue Municipal Airport-Sand Springs, OK
KPDK Dekalb-Peachtree Airport-Atlanta, GA
KPHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport-Phoenix, AZ
KPIT Pittsburgh International Airport-Pittsburgh, PA
KPNC Ponca City Regional Airport-Ponca City, OK
KPNS Pensacola Regional Airport-Pensacola, FL
KPSN Palestine Municipal Airport-Palestine, TX
KPTK Oakland County International Airport-Pontiac, MI
KPUB Pueblo Memorial Airport-Pueblo, CO
KPVD Theodore Francis Green State Airport-Providence, RI
KPVJ Pauls Valley Municipal Airport-Pauls Valley, OK
KPVW Hale County Airport-Plainview, TX
KPWA Wiley Post Airport-Oklahoma City, OK
KPWM Portland International Jetport-Portland, ME
KRDU Raleigh-Durham International Airport-Raleigh-Durham, NC
KRIC Richmond International Airport-Richmond, VA
KRKS Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport-Rock Springs, WY
KRNO Reno/Tahoe International Airport-Reno, NV
KROA Roanoke Regional Airport/Woodrum Field-Roanoke, VA
KROC Greater Rochester International Airport-Rochester, NY
KRQO El Reno Regional Airport-El Reno, OK
KRVS Richard Lloyd Jones Jr Airport-Tulsa, OK
KSAT San Antonio International Airport-San Antonio, TX
KSBS Steamboat Springs Airport/Bob Adams Field-Steamboat Springs, CO
KSGF Springfield-Branson National Airport-Springfield, MO
KSGR Sugarland Regional Airport-Houston, TX
KSGU St George Municipal Airport-St George, UT
KSJC Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport-San Jose, CA
KSLC Salt Lake City International Airport-Salt Lake City, UT
KSLR Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport-Sulphur Springs, TX
KSNL Shawnee Regional Airport-Shawnee, OK
KSNY Sidney Municipal Airport/Lloyd W. Carr Field-Sidney, NE
KSPS Sheppard Air Force Base/Wichita Falls Municipal Airport-Wichita Falls, TX
KSTK Sterling Municipal Airport-Sterling, CO
KSTL Lambert-St Louis International Airport-St Louis, MO
KSTP St Paul Downtown Airport/Holman Field-St Paul, MN
KSUX Sioux Gateway Airport/Colonel Bud Day Field-Sioux Falls, IA
KSWO Stillwater Regional Airport-Stillwater, OK
KSYR Syracuse Hancock International Airport-Syracuse, NY
KTEB Teterboro Airport-Teterboro, NJ
KTRL Terrell Municipal Airport-Terrell, TX
KTUL Tulsa International Airport-Tulsa, OK
KTUS Tucson International Airport-Tucson, AZ
KTYR Tyler Pounds Regional Airport-Tyler, TX
KTYS McGhee Tyson Airport-Knoxville, TN
KVGT North Las Vegas Airport-Las Vegas, NV
KWDG Enid Woodring Regional Airport-Enid, OK
KWLD Strother Field-Winfield/Arkansas City, KS
KWWR West Woodward Airport-Woodward, OK
KZZV Zanesville Municipal Airport-Zanesville, OH

Canadian Airports

CYHZ Halifax International Airport-Halifax, Nova Scotia
CYUL Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport-Montreal, Quebec
CYYZ Lester B. Pearson International Airport-Toronto, Ontario

A day in the life of a corporate pilot

2008-04-19T13:30:00.003-05:00

You may be wondering what it's like to fly in the corporate world. Like many other corporate pilots, I am on "call" 24/7. My company has provided a cell phone so they can get in touch with me at any time. Being available at all times is not as bad as it sounds. Luckily, my company and especially my Chief Pilot do a good job of informing the pilots of upcoming trips in advance when possible. We had a few trips throughout the year that we know are going to happen, but most are scheduled a week or so in advance. Then there's the dreaded "pop up" trips that can happen with very little notice. Here's how it all happens.

My boss calls me at 10am to tell me I have been assigned to fly a trip at 3pm the next afternoon. My job starts right after he calls. The first thing that I do is call the other pilot assigned to the trip so that we can coordinate the trip. After that initial call to the other pilot happens, I get on the internet and go to http://www.fltplan.com/ which is a great site, and it's free ( so far ). On fltplan.com a pilot can put in the departure and destination points to get a general estimate of the time required enroute. So, if I have to get passengers to a scheduled meeting I know what time to leave. Fltplan.com also allows you to file flight plans and check weather. I like to augment Fltplan.com with http://www.airnav.com where I can get the Standard Instrument Arrivals (STARS) and Departure Procedures (DPs). I take that information and come up with a flight plan that makes sense. With the flight plan filed for the following day, I figure the fuel required and place an order.

The initial call from my Chief Pilot should contain the destination airport and most likely the Fixed Based Operator ( FBO ) that the passengers want to go to. Our staff coordinates with the office staff to make sure transportation is arranged for our passengers and, of course, the crew (depending on how long the stay is). Our flight listing usually contains our overnight arrangements, if they're needed, and if they aren't taken care of then we do that too.

Once I arrive at the hanger, I verify the fuel load and figure the weight and balance. Then it's on to weather planning. If the weather looks questionable we come up with a plan for getting the passengers to their meeting. On every flight our department adds an alternate to the flight plan, to us it just makes sense.

An hour prior to the departure time the aircraft is pulled out of the hanger for the pre-flight. During the pre-flight stage, we make sure the aircraft has the passenger comfort items aboard. This would be items like coffee, ice, snacks, soda, catering if needed, and newspapers. Yep, the pilot's do all that stuff.

Next comes the aircraft "setup". On the Lear 60, we follow a checklist just like a student pilot does, although ours has a lot more items to accomplish. This is the time to run the before starting engines checklist, get the APU started and fire up the FMS. Then it's a waiting game.

Soon are passengers show up. We load the baggage, get the passengers into their seats, brief them on safety procedures, and then shut the door.

Time to go flying.

Watch the start up

2008-04-15T14:37:00.003-05:00

This is a short video of the start of the # 1
engine during a maintenance check. Love that
sound!

Scenes from Arizona

2008-03-24T12:18:00.005-05:00

Here are some pictures from a trip to Phoenix and Tucson

Here is a Delta Airlines 757 flying over the top.

We were at FL400.

This is the same 757 cruising by. This picture

was taken over KABQ.

This is a picture of an airliner "graveyard"

just north of Tucson. This isn't the famed

"Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan AFB. That one

is much bigger than the one pictured here.

Here's our bird on the ground at KPHX. This

shot was taken from the old air traffic control

tower that is now owned by Cutter Aviation.

Recent trip

2008-03-11T17:06:00.007-05:00

Here are a few pics from a recent trip to KEGE ( Eagle County Regional )

Update

2008-03-04T11:28:00.007-06:00

It has been awhile since I have posted anything on this site. I thought it was time to start again. I made mention of my new position in my last post. Here are a few details. I'm working for a NYSE Listed corporation as a Lear 60 /King Air 200 Captain. This is my first job in the world of corporate aviation and I really like it. Unlike the airline industry, the people I fly for actually know my name and seem to appreciate the job that I do. I've included a couple of pictures of the Lear 60 that were taken from my phone. I just purchased a new digital camera, so I will be posting more pics.

This is a view of the awesome flight deck of the Lear 60. It's not as automated as the CRJ200, but it's pretty close. It comes equipped with FMS, and Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS).

Here is the Lear 60 on a beautiful Oklahoma morning. The Lear 60 has two Pratt & Whitney PW305 turbojets capable of producing 4,600 lbs of thrust each. With a Maximum Gross Weight of 23,500 lbs (at takeoff) the engines provide a good thrust to weight ratio. This aircraft will climb!

We typically operate the aircraft at altitudes around 40,000 feet and speeds near the .80 mach number.

The Times They Are A'changin

2007-07-05T23:30:00.000-05:00

News flash for everyone...I have resigned from my position as a CRJ200 First Officer. More details to come in the future, but for now let's just say that my airline time wasn't the most positive experience. Now I am off to training for a Lear 60 Captain position. I'm extremely excited and thankful about what has transpired during the last three weeks in my professional career. I'm off to Tucson for training from July 16 to August 3. After I finish I will furnish details.

Yep, Still Here

2007-04-04T17:19:00.001-05:00

Franky, I've been busy since my CRJ200 checkride in December. I have been flying all over the east coast.

My time at JFK ( I was based there for only one month ) was very ...ah interesting. Such a large mass of humanity stuffed into one space. And I'm talking about the airport itself. Very confusing setup at the terminal. The actual flying part was cool. Very complex airspace and the controllers don't have a whole lot of patience. Even with that being said, the flying wasn't as hard as it might seem. Now I'm based in Cincinnati, and the flow into and out of there seems a lot easier. I continue to fly into New York on a regular basis and it's good practice. Incidently, if you fly into the JFK airport try not to schedule a flight into or out of there between the hours of 5PM and 10PM. That time frame is when the big international push happens each night. It is cool to be taxiing between a 747-400 and an Airbus A340, but when that taxi takes 2 hours it doesn't seem quite as cool.

In June I make the transition from the CRJ200 ( 50 seater ) to the CRJ700 ( 70 seater ), so I'm excited about that. Hopefully, since our pilot group signed off on a new agreement so things within the company will settle down and I'll start moving a little in seniority.

Signing off for now. Cheers.

One fine day

2006-12-09T16:51:00.000-06:00

It was a beautiful day here in Cincinnati, a gorgeous Saturday morning. It seemed like sort of a waste to spend such a nice fall day inside of a simluator training facility. However, it was time well spent. Today was the end of an endeavor that began on Oct 9th. Today, was the day that I took my checkride to become an official airline first officer. I have spend two months training, studying, and sweating for this one 6 hour period. Actually, this journey began back in the fall of 1997 when I decided to go to Spartan School of Aeronautics. Then came a long period of instruction in Boulder, CO. After that came the job that taught me the most about flying and my own abilities, my Cessna Caravan time. I learned a lot in the Beech 18 shortly after that as well.

Now finally, I'm in a jet and ready to give this airline business a try. It has been a hard couple of months that ended in a challenging test of what I've learned.

My new gig

2006-10-15T15:40:00.000-05:00

Yes, after flying a Beechcraft Model 18 for the past six months it was time to move on to something new and a little faster.

This is the CRJ700 operated by Comair, a Delta Connection. I'm in training now to fly the smaller version of this airplane, the CRJ200 ( which will be pictured below ). The CRJ series is very popular throughout the regional airlines. Obviously, this is a step up from the Beech 18 in every aspect except oil usage.

Don't get me wrong, the Beech 18 was a very good airplane to fly. It was one of those airplanes that taught you something just about everytime the round engines were fired up. I will miss my time operating that aircraft. But, look at this new aircraft, it's beautiful. Sleek, sophisticated and quick. What else can you ask for? So it is in the CRJ that I start my airline career. Here's hoping that it's long and prosperous.

On the left is the new destinations that I could potentionally be flying to in the future. I'll be starting my career out as a First Officer ( what used to be called the "Co-pilot" ). I can expect to hold that position for a number of years, until my seniority and the needs of my new airline allow me to move into the left seat.

I'm not exactly sure when I'll be able to actually fly the aircraft. I have a lot of training to get through between now and then. I'll try to make some regular updates to this site when I start flying.

Below are some more pictures of both the CRJ200/700. Enjoy.

Long time no write

2006-05-04T11:16:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been quite some time since I wrote anything on this blog. Everything is basically the same. I'm finally getting used to flying an old Beech 18 around the skies of Kansas. This being Kansas and all, the weather has been kind of a bear lately, lots of thunderstorms and wind lately.

Going back and forth between Great Bend and Wichita, I'm getting the multi-engine time that I've been needing. Even though it's at a rather slow rate. Still I'm flying a big twin twice a day and gaining some great experience. In fact, it's always an "experience" landing a big multi-engine taildragger.

On a non flying related subject; my Rockies are doing great and as I write this they are in first place in the NL West. I've been a fan through the bad times and the better ones. Go Rocks!

No new flying pics, but I do have a few shots of a camping with my Josh ( my 10 year old son ). We went camping in Eastern Oklahoma with the Boy Scouts. We camped with a group of Civil War reenactors...very cool.

New Job

2006-03-14T17:30:00.000-06:00

So I have given up my job as a Cessna Caravan Captain in order to move my career forward. I am no longer flying out of Guymon. Instead, my new run starts in Great Bend, KS and ends in Wichita, KS. Here is a picture of the "new" aircraft that I am currently training in.

Welcome to the world of the Beech 18. The longest running ( in years) production aircraft in the world. Some 9000 built. This one is a 1961 model.

Ain't she a beauty.

Well, well, well

2006-02-15T16:32:00.000-06:00

Obviously, I haven't been doing a very good job of updating my blog. Sorry. But I'm back now and will be making regular entries. Here are a few pictures during the period I was away.

Some pictures from this past week of flying

2005-12-11T09:22:00.000-06:00

The week started out with the threat of some cold and snowy weather. And on Tuesday it arrived out here in the panhandle. The week began with beautiful weather in Guymon. Here's a picture of the Caravan I was flying early in the week parked at the Guymon airport along with a Citation and a C402. My Caravan looks huge!

The nice weather didn't last long. It was a major cold blast that came through. Guymon went from highs in the 50's to highs in the lower teens. Brrr.

There was a chance of snow on my route and most of that happened in the Tulsa area. In fact, on Wednesday night I spent most of the flight from Guymon to Enid in the clouds but not taking on much ice. After I left Enid, the ice situation changed. I began to pick up a continuous amount of light rime ice. There was a lot of snow at 7,000 ft but not much of it sticking. About 20 miles outside of Tulsa I was told by Kansas City Center that Tulsa International was going to be closed for at least 30 minutes for snow removal and I had a couple of options, hold in the clouds and ice or go somewhere else. After a call to the dispatcher, it was decided that I would hold. It was challenging, holding and removing the ice for the next 40 minutes. Finally, the snow was removed from the runway and I was cleared for the ILS approach. The pictures below are from Tulsa after I landed.

As you can see, there was some snow on the ground. Probably a couple of inches. The snow was extremely dry so it didn't stick to much. After a small wait in Tulsa for de-icing it was on to Dallas to pick up more freight. Didn't actually make it to Dallas that night, the airport was shut down due to the bad weather happening down there. After a return to Tulsa and a short wait it was back in the air headed torwards Oklahoma City to pick up the normal route back to Woodward and Guymon. The storm by 4 AM had passed the Tulsa area and it was clear along the rest of my route.

Stop 2: KWWR

2005-11-15T14:31:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the heart of Oklahoma's "Red Carpet Country", a reference to the color ( red ) of the iron oxide rich soil in the northwest section of the state. You have just landed in Woodward, OK. It's been pointed out to me that people from this town call it " Wooderd " and calling it Woodward makes you kind of an idiot.

I'm guessing that Woodward has somewhere between 15 and 20,000 residents, which would make it a medium size city in Oklahoma. You know it's at least a medium sized city because it has a Super Wal-Mart not a standard one.

What drives the economy of Woodward? I have no idea. I assume that at one point it was oil and gas production, but that industry has all but disappeared in Oklahoma. Farming is probably the big thing, either that or fast food joints.

When flying to the West Woodward Airport ( KWWR ) just keep in mind that it's always windy. Towns all over Oklahoma will be reporting calm winds and KWWR will have a 20 knot crosswind. It makes for good landing practice.

Woodward is located next to some interesting geological sites. The Little Sahara State Park is just down the road. The Little Sahara State Park, as the name suggests, is a large area of sand. Also down the road is an area known as the Glass Mountains ( sometimes called the Gloss Mountains ). Picture below.

Amoung the notable history around Woodward is Ft Supply, OK ( about 10 miles northwest ), which started out as Camp Supply in the 1800's and was built to supply General Armstrong Custer's regiment during the frontier indian wars.

The Glass Mountains

For more info on Woodward, OK go to http://www.woodwardok.com/

Our next stop will be my hometown of Enid, OK. Until then, cheers.

Lets visit the stops along my route: KGUY

2005-11-08T16:13:00.000-06:00

For the next several posts I'm going to describe the towns and cities that I stop during my normal route.

I'm back on my normal route this week, which starts and ends in beautiful Guymon, OK. If being able to see for miles around, without those pesky trees getting in the way, than Guymon is for you. It's a town of about ten thousand and , you guessed it, farming is the game around here. Pig farms are huge here and so is the associated pig farm smell. I think at one point oil and gas exploration was the going concern, but not so much nowadays.

Overall, it's a pretty pleasant place, the people are very nice and they seem to have a certain kind of pride that, I guess, comes from living here on a vast prairie. A vast prairie that can have, at times, very harsh weather. All of the massive thunderstorms that roll through Oklahoma are born out here in the panhandle. Winter can be pretty harsh here as well, not many trees to stop those north winds after a cold front passage.

The sky out here reminds me of Colorado, very clear and great visibility. In fact, it's not out of the question the see standing lenticular clouds ( a mountain wave cloud formation ) out here due to being within a couple of hundred miles of the Rocky Mountains.

When leaving here each evening I can clearly see towns in both Texas and Kansas, now that's some flat terrain. Okay our next stop will be Woodward, OK. I would be taking more pictures, but since the seanson and the time change, nearly my entire flight is in darkness, but I will try get some more shots like the one below.

The vast flatness of the Oklahoma panhandle
See you next post.

For more information about Guymon, OK please visit http://www.guymonok.org/

Pictures coming soon

2005-10-27T15:37:00.000-05:00

I have a digital camera on the way and I will be taking lots of pictures when it gets here. I will post some of the better shots.

Be A U Teeful Night

2005-10-25T04:30:00.000-05:00

I think last nights flight was one of the best since I started this job. It was an exceptionally clear night, the winds were light on the surface and it seemed that I had a tailwind enroute each of my destinations, but maybe that was just my imagination. Also there was a meteor shower ( at least a lot of them coming down ) last night as well. It all made for an extremely nice flight. It's good to get those.

The visibility was incredible. I was at 8,000 ft after departing KDFW enroute to KOKC, I could see OKC's airport beacon from 86 NM's out. That sort of visibility was common place when I instructed in Colorado, but it's pretty freaky down here in Oklahoma.

It was a great flight and I really enjoyed it. Let's hope there's a few more like that before the return of winter and all the fun stuff associated with winter flying. Check you later. Cheers.

In Big D this week

2005-10-12T15:56:00.000-05:00

I'm spending the week in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. I'm filling in for a standby pilot. I've been flying newpapers from the Dallas area out to West Texas all week. It's a fairly easy flight when the weather is good. Just one stop and fly back to Dallas empty. The weather at the beginning of the week was pretty awful, with those pesky West Texas thunderstorms firing up. Last night was so easy, no clouds, no wind, just a beautiful Texas sky and a sweet running Caravan.

Something did happen yesterday that has never happened to me before. I got stuck a hotel elevator for an hour and 1/2. It was an interesting time. I was stuck in the elevator with four strangers. During the ninety minute period, I saw the human animal in it's raw form. There was panic, stress, anger, happiness, revenge and pretty much every other emotion you can think of expressed in that very hot, very small container. My advice, take the stairs.

Okay got to get ready to deliver those papers. Later.

Baseball division series

2005-10-04T19:04:00.000-05:00

Let me just say quickly... Go Yankees and Cardinals !

All is well

2005-10-02T13:02:00.000-05:00

Well thankfully Hurricane Rita never made it up this way. With the exception of a pretty powerful low pressure at the end of the week, the weather has been pretty favorable.

In the next few weeks I will be adding pictures of my flying and destinations. For now I'm signing off.

Good for another 6 months

2005-09-22T16:49:00.000-05:00

Passed my annual training and checkride and now I'm ready to take on the nasty weather that seems likely to enter north Texas next week. Sounds like Hurricane Rita will be progressing pretty far into Texas and effect much of my route. I'm probably looking at delays, turbulence, heavy rain, lightning, and of course more cursing. Nope, it doesn't sound fun.

Then again, once the bad weather passes, it's such a good feeling knowing that you've plowed ahead against some really bad stuff and accomplished the mission that you were given. Oh, I know my "mission" of delivering overnight air packages probably won't save the world, but it's my mission.

I'll update my travels through Rita as I encounter them. Until then, c-ya.

Back in the daily grind

2005-09-19T14:55:00.000-05:00

It's Monday, which means that I will be departing from the Oklahoma panhandle in a few hours. The weather seems very docile today. I'll be headed for Tulsa, eventually ending up in Dallas before midnight. This week will be dominated by training and a checkride. Under FAR Part 135, I'm required to perform a proficiency check every 6 months. This will be the second "checkride" for me, so obviously I've been studying. That's one thing about Part 135 and 121, there are many checks and tests. Each one of them critical to your career. So if your career destination is a cargo or passenger airline, you better get used to checkrides.

Last week the weather was crazy. Low clouds and rain on one side of Oklahoma and massive thunderstorms on the other. It was super challenging last Wednesday and Thursday. Early Wednesday morning ( around 3:45 AM ) I could be found in my Caravan picking my way through rapidly building lines of level 4 and 5 storms. Yep, there was a lot of rain, lightning, turbulence and cursing going on. Good times. But hey, I'm alive and the freight got there on time. I did my job. Plus I relearned the lesson that large thunderstorms really suck to fly through.

Incidently, I did get a job offer from my last interview. I didn't take it. It would have required a mandatory relocation to the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area, which I was unwilling to make.

Until next time, cheers.

Traveling this week

2005-08-24T17:09:00.000-05:00

Today I'm in North Carolina checking into another flying job. This one will be similar to the last one, only with a few other "options". It's not that I don't like my current job, this one I'm checking into offers a little more in the way of pay and advancement. I should be returning to Oklahoma on Friday. I will write an update if anything in my career changes. Otherwise, I will get back to a more regular posting schedule starting next week. Until then. Check ya later.

This and that

2005-08-04T02:01:00.000-05:00

So I'm here at the Dallas/Ft Worth International Airport waiting for my aircraft to loaded with freight. I have some time to kill at 2 in the morning. I was thinking about a few things. (1) I hope that the space shuttle makes it back to Earth without trouble. I watched the repair of the underside of the shuttle today on CSPAN. I guess it was live. What a cool way to make a living. I don't care what anyone says, those guys and girls that fly in that thing are extremely brave, especially given that amount of problems that NASA has had lately.

The second thing (2) Iv'e been thinking about is baseball. I'm a huge baseball fan. Despite everything that they do, I love the Colorado Rockies ( yes, I know, worse team in baseball). I'm looking forward to the World Series ( I think that Houston will be in the big game ) . I'm afraid, however, that steriods are going to eat the game alive. I firmly believe that the new steroid rules are decent and just and if you are caught then you should have to pay. And Bud Selig should be forced to resign as commissioner. He was the head man in charge when all this stuff was commonplace, he should have to pay as well.

Okay, I know it's non aviation stuff tonight but that's how it goes. Well my aircraft is loaded and it's time for me to face an impending cold front. Cheers. Go Rockies!

Back at it

2005-07-19T04:29:00.000-05:00

Hello from Dallas/Ft Worth International Airport. I'm back on the job for the week and the skies look to be fairly friendly for the next seven days. I had a little time off and I used them to go trout fishing. The fishing wasn't great but it was nice to do a little camping with a good friend. Camping is something that everyone should do once or twice a year. It's so nice just sitting around a campfire shooting the bull and listening to the sounds of nature. But I guess all good things come to an end. Now I'm sitting here listening to the sounds of 757's in the takeoff roll, that can be pretty cool too.
Well, that's all for now. Not really much to report on so far, but the work week is still young. Until next time, c-ya.

I'm back

2005-06-27T15:03:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile since I have added anything to this blog. Last week's weather, although hot, was just fine for flying. I don't think I flew through a single cloud the entire week. It gave me a chance to look around a bit. Since the days are longer now I get to see what's underneath me as I fly. Okay, there's not a lot of stuff to look at between the panhandle of Oklahoma and Tulsa, but I'll take what I can get.
Before this last week the weather had been exceptionally crappy in the Oklahoma/Texas area. The first part of June was full of large lines of thunderstorms. The worst for me being in the Oklahoma City area. It seemed as though I was spending each and every night being tossed around in heavy rain and lightning. Nope not a lot of fun. But that's over, for the moment anyway.
Since I have procured a laptop my updates to this site will be more forthcoming as I will be able to post things when they are fresh in my mind. Until my next posting, cheers.

Returned from south Texas

2005-06-05T15:13:00.000-05:00

Finally made it back from south Texas. Boy, it's hot down there...really hot. The day I was in Harlingen, TX the temperature was 103. It felt nice to climb up to 10,000 feet. The Caravan I fly doesn't have air conditioning, so the higher the better in the summer months.
I said the weather was late. Well it finally arrived here in Oklahoma. There has been a couple of nights with nasty lines of thunderstorms coming through the Tulsa area. Wind gust last night to 90 MPH in the greater Tulsa area.
I returned the other day from my south Texas trip on an unnamed major airline. Along the way the aircraft was having to go through and around some bad weather. This large aircraft was getting rocked! The Flight Attendants never made it out of their seats during all three legs of the flight. Everyone was having soft drink and peanut withdrawls. Only on an airline flight do you see people get downright nasty if they don't get a small package of peanuts. Nevermind that serving those peanuts would pose a danger to the Flight Attendants, just give us those nuts!
Next week it's off to my usual routine, flying from the panhandle of Oklahoma down to Dallas and back again. So until then, happy trails.

My last week

2005-05-31T22:36:00.000-05:00

Last week was a hard one. There were thunderstorms each and every morning flying out of Oklahoma City ( KOKC ). It seems like the spring weather down here in " Tornado Alley" has moved in a little late. It used to be that the really bad weather was done by the last week of May or so, but that doesn't seen to be the case this year. Bring on the hot weather, boring weather I say. Well, I'll try to give you more details from my last trip in a few days. I leave at the end of this week for extreme south Texas. I will be there for a few days and I'll let you know how that went as well. Until then. Cheers.

The Mighty Caravan

2005-05-22T21:34:00.000-05:00

Sorry it took so long to post this. I wanted to explain the aircraft that I command through the air. It is the Cessna C-208B Caravan " Super Cargomaster". A very fun aircraft to fly. It is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6 Turbine Engine producing either 600 SHP ( Shaft Horsepower ) or 675 SHP depending on model ( I have flown both ). It has been said that the Caravan is just a big Cessna 172, I disagree. For one thing, the Caravan is huge and heavy for a single-engine aircraft. The Cessna 172 seats 4 but the Caravan can seat 14 in the right configuration. Secondly, try to fit 3000 lbs of cargo in the Cessna 172 ( good luck). I routinely fly with that much cargo on board plus enough Jet-A to allow me to fly for 3 1/2 hours. Granted, it does look like a big freaking 172 but that's about as close as the comparison gets for me.
The Caravan cruises at around 170 knots TAS, so it is fairly slow. But for handling large freight loads with one pilot, slow can be good. Also, the low landing speed and reverse range prop allows me to get into small fields with no problems. It's large enough to draw crowd of onlookers at the small airports and that's a cool plus. The mighty Caravan, it gets the job done.
Well tomorrow I depart on another week of overnight express package delivery. Talk to you when that's finished. Cheers.

Back on terra firma

2005-05-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

Finally back from my week long excursion into the world of freight hauling. The previous week started with a bang. A cold front was sweeping through the area at the time of departure. The cold front brought cold air that was smashing into warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, and forcing the warm air to rise. That, of course, meant thunderstorms were in the area. This clash happens on a weekly basis in the Great Plains during the spring time. Some of us refer to it as the "mobile home relocation process" because the main threat here in the Great Plains is tornadoes. Oh sure there is hail and wind and such, but it's the tornadoes that get the attention.

So I had to navigate around these massive storms as I made my way south. I was able to stay in the clear as I went around them, which provided me the opportunity to see a spectacular light show. Some of the best lightning I've seen in several years, I witnessed on that first night. As the storms gathered strength they combined to form a nasty squall line. The lightning would seem to start in one cloud and end in another several miles ( 50 or more ) away. Nope, didn't want to be in the middle of that mess, but it sure was nice to look at.

The days went on to become mostly VFR for the next couple of days. Around Wednesday another cold front ushered in very cold air for this time of year. It snowed in Texas and Oklahoma at the end of the week, which is pretty rare for late April. As for my flight, all that cold air meant that I was flying in the clouds a lot. On Thursday morning I spent most of my flight in the soup. Flying without outside visual references is one of the coolest things that I do. It makes the flying intense and it can test your abilities. In short, it's challenging and beautiful. There's nothing like flying in and out of cloud layers and you make your way to the next destination.

I was going to discuss the aircraft I fly, but I will write about the mighty Cessna C-208B Caravan "Super Cargomaster"on the next posting.

Leaving for one week cargo run.

2005-04-24T22:59:00.000-05:00

Well tomorrow I leave for a week long assignment in the southern Great Plains. The forecast for tomorrow is for rain in the morning and major storms in the evening. I always fly the freight at night which, for tomorrow, means some nasty flying conditions. There are pilots, especially freight dogs, that say that flying in and around thunderstorms are what they live for. They lie. Flying near large cumulonimbus clouds really kind of sucks, particularly when you fly single-pilot operations. All of my flying is of the single pilot variety. The air is extremely bumpy, with large ups and down drafts; the rain is heavy and comes in large waves; and at night you can't see anything past what your radar shows. Not to mention that the lightning can be intense and blinding. It's really no fun. But hey, those packages have got to be to their destinations on time or there's trouble to be had.
Just when you make it through a storm alive you're faced with the prospect of flying an approach down to minimums. All of this done at 3 in the morning and your dog tired. Ah, the life of a freight dog. Makes you wonder why we do it. Wait...why do we do it? That's a good question. A lot of us are trying to move on to bigger and better things, like perhaps an airplane with more than one pilot. Airlines are a major goal of freight dogs. Some think it's pretty cool to fly these big machines after flying the small aircraft at flight schools. Some would do just about anything to get away from instructing. And some are just plain sick in the head! For myself, I would love to get my hands on a jet, especially a Boeing 737.
Don't get me wrong, when the weather is good, it can be really fun and rewarding to fly your packages around from point A to point B. And it sounds like the weather after tomorrow will quiet down for a few days and I can experience some fun. When I return I will post some info about the aircraft I fly ( although the company I fly for will remain anonymous ) and I will fill you in on any interesting things that happened during my trip. Until then, cheers.

The Start

2005-04-24T16:59:00.000-05:00

This is the first day of this blog. I am a cargo pilot and I will be devoting a lot of space to that part of my life. I also hope to spend time on other subjects outside of the aviation world. Things such as baseball, fly fishing, other such subjects are on my list. I will be adding content between flying gigs and I hope you enjoy it.