C.K.'s 2013 Flight Log

C.K's Flight Log 2013

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Places I've been, how I got there, comments on airports and navaids. I fly out of Reid-Hillview airport and I'm parked at Hangar 2-10. Stop by and say "Hey"! Latest flights first : Note: All flights since May 2004 are in Mooney M20K 231 N3636H unless otherwise indicated. Flight track graphics from FlightAware And send comments,dang it, flight@ravenware.com

12 Aug 2013 BOI-RHV 3.1
Out to the airport for a filed 8:45 takeoff, the marije layer was sitting on top of the Bay Area and wanted it to burn off.
"Oh, looks like we didn't fill your airplane" Huh? I was supposed to take of 1.5 weeks ago, shoudla fueled it then! A little more annoying than would usually be because there was a line of clouds south of Boise all the way to the Rome VOR that I knew was going to get active, and I wanted to get off the ground. Fuel guy finished, up & at-em. From 4,000 ft to 8,000 I was IMC/Smoke then broke out. Looking at the cloud line I asked for an amendation of final to 10,000 ft, approved. The clouds were from 12k to roughly 17k and I didn't want to try and get over them cuz the headwinds at 15k+ were brutal, in the 25-35 knot right on the nose variety, so I opted to go under.
Which was generally OK but oopsie, there's a bit of virga ahead, slide the seat forward and click off the autopilot and Whooosh bang rain splattered on the windsheild and the airplane started dancing around. Not much vertical variation, only hit one 500 fpm downward excursion, but quite a few lateral tosses requiring a bit of control input to get back level. Not too bad (well, now on the ground) and only about 5 minutes. But a fun 5 minutes.
Then clear the rest of the flight. ATC once again specifically put me on V-113, lost meon radar and asked for position reports.Passing ROBUD Salt Lake put me at 12k before handing me off to Oakland center. Drone along, the Norcal Approach controller at Ren put me at 13k (the "passing over the peaks at Lake Tahoe altitude) before I even got to Reno this time, which is fine. Then gave me the typical reroute. Then put me D> CEDES and handed me off. The next controller asked on call up "And you're direct Modesto, right" "Negative, I was just given D> CEDES" "Oh, stay on that then until I find a routing" I had just gotten the latest weather (my iPhone gets 4G/LTE service over Reno :) ) and saw SJC and RHV were rporting clear, so I just called back and cancelled IFR.
Then on back in, and a pretty good landing at RHV.
23 July RHV-BOI 2.9
Get into the airplane, start up, taxi, "hold short 31L". "3636H, NorCal advises 5 minute wait for IFR release","3636H, roger, will sweat for 5 minutes".
Up and out. Everything dandy, I filed for 13,000 because, oddly, the winds were the same from 9k to 18k, and I'll take the lower altitude if the winds are OK.
Which was all dandy until Reno. Crossing the Seirras there were some good hard jolts, kept up past Reno. Asked and got clearance to go up to 15k to see if it smoothed out. It did, for a while, but then it started up again. No clouds, just solid jolts and 500 FPM up and downdrafts. I hand-flew most of the trip to keep the autopilot from going nutty. Traffic to the east was dodging thunderstorms, but that was no where near me, this was just nasty thermal stuff.
Fortunately when I descended into the Treasure Valley and got past the mountains it all smoothed out. Very nice landing, taxi and park. Not good weather on the route Monday, so airplane is still at BOI.

12-16 July RHV-BOI-RHV 5.8
Quick IFR release, up and out. Flight was smooth up until Reno, with a moderate tailwind giving me 189-190 knots across the ground. Started getting little bumps then, and slight, 100 ft., altitude excursions. Nothing much, just a little annoying. Then closing in on the Owyhee mountains, where the red and blue stationary front was painted on the weather map, it got a bit bumpy. Then passing over them in the descent it got a lot bumpy, not comfortable. I dropped at 1,500 feet per minute to get through, and Approach kept lowering me at the same time, so it all worked out. At 5,000 ft. things smoothed. Approach and landing, and made a perfect landing, one of my best.
Back Tuesday, and a not-unreasonable headwind kept me above 150 kgs, which is OK. Thought the weather was going to be more active than it was, overnight lots of green & yellow in the radar returns, but when I took off it was all gone along the route. I was still expecting to do the approach into RHV for ceilings, so prepared for that. Another quiet morning, at one point an American Airlines pilot asked ATC if they were still there, had been so long since a radio call. Crossed Lake Taho, and started to get my typical reroutes. FInally D> CEDES, which means I'll get a chance to look at RHV. D> CEDES, depart CEDES 190 heading. Got there, and could see the airfiled and the clouds had lifted to give me plenty of distance, so canceled IFR and landed. Landing on 13L today, not a great landing, but OK.

28 Jun-8 Jul RHV-BOI-RHV
Out and up for July 4th week.. Interenstingly, as soon as I passed the SUNOL intersection (right near SJC) I was put on a vector to Mustang (FMG) 150 miles away. Not cleared direct, put on a vector. Climbed up to 7k, handed off, told the controller "I'm on a vector to FMG" he said "I know, trying to get you a direct routing". 5 minutes later cleared D> to Rome, so all was good, just an unusual event. Up to 17k and first time this summer a normal wind pattern, good tailwind, made 200 knots across the ground. Nothing too exciting, fair landing at BOI.
Monday was another 129 knot across the ground day. I stayed low, 12,000 ft., to stay out of worse, but a slog. I actually had to remind the controller around Reno that he really did want me at 13k to pass over the mountains around Lake Tahoe, he agreed and moved me up.
Handed off to NorCal approach "3636H You're already cleared direct SUNOL, right?" "Negative, still on my filed plan" "Oh, wait a minute…" I just replied that I was canceling and going direct, don't worry about it.
Go-around at RHV, the Cessna ahead was not expediting. Landing was OK.

14-17 June RHV BOI RHV 5.8

	Out to the airfield a little early, pretty quick release and up and out. By Sacramento got cleared D> REO D> KBOI, which is a straight line, so I was happy . A reasonable tail wind, kept me moving abouve 180 knots gorund speed most of the time, asked and got 17,000 to go a bit faster. Very very little traffic on a mid-day Friday, just lots of nothing (slee left) in the Nevada desert. Near Boise it got a bit more crowded, and Boise is, again, down to one runway as they do something or other runway, so we were all vectored around to fit in. Good enough landing, off and parked. 8:30 take off on Monday. Did my runup at the parking spot since we're still down to one runway so didn't want to block anything. Hadn't gotten my clearance yet and drat it, 3 aircraft call for taxi, won't be first in line. Taxi on out, there's a CJR on the runway for take-off and a Lear on about an 8 mile final, and a Cherokee that got to the runwway before me. CRJ rolls, tower calls Cherokee and says "line up and wait". No word from the cherokee, after about 20 seconds he acknowledges and starts to roll, but tower comes back and tells him to hold short. Be ready, folks, particularly when runways are constricted, I would have been in the air by the time he finally ack'ed. Two biz jets land, then the cherokee and I take off in rapid succession. Up to 14,000, headwind keeping me to 150 knots GS. Past the Rome VOR got handed off to the next sector, too early , and of course he couldn't hear me. An air canada jet relayed for us, and I cruised along with the squeltch turned off until we we in reliable radio range again. And on down V-113, nothing much going on, OK landing at RHV.
Plenty of Nothing in N. Nevada

Out to the airfield a little early, pretty quick release and up and out. By Sacramento got cleared D> REO D> KBOI, which is a straight line, so I was happy . A reasonable tail wind, kept me moving abouve 180 knots gorund speed most of the time, asked and got 17,000 to go a bit faster. Very very little traffic on a mid-day Friday, just lots of nothing (slee left) in the Nevada desert. Near Boise it got a bit more crowded, and Boise is, again, down to one runway as they do something or other runway, so we were all vectored around to fit in. Good enough landing, off and parked.
8:30 take off on Monday. Did my runup at the parking spot since we're still down to one runway so didn't want to block anything. Hadn't gotten my clearance yet and drat it, 3 aircraft call for taxi, won't be first in line. Taxi on out, there's a CJR on the runway for take-off and a Lear on about an 8 mile final, and a Cherokee that got to the runwway before me. CRJ rolls, tower calls Cherokee and says "line up and wait". No word from the cherokee, after about 20 seconds he acknowledges and starts to roll, but tower comes back and tells him to hold short. Be ready, folks, particularly when runways are constricted, I would have been in the air by the time he finally ack'ed. Two biz jets land, then the cherokee and I take off in rapid succession. Up to 14,000, headwind keeping me to 150 knots GS. Past the Rome VOR got handed off to the next sector, too early , and of course he couldn't hear me. An air canada jet relayed for us, and I cruised along with the squeltch turned off until we we in reliable radio range again. And on down V-113, nothing much going on, OK landing at RHV.

Plenty of Nothing in N. Nevada

31 May-3 Jun RHV BOI RHV: 5.9

Pyramid Lake Nevada	Skipped a week for late spring storms. Up and out about Noon, had to wait 9 minutes for IFR release. Smooth flying all the way up, only disappointing thing was a headwind most of the way, spent most of the flight at 155-167 knots, which is not what I'm used to going northwest. Bunch of traffic over California's central valley, then crossed the moutinas and barely anything. Just commercial liners and me for 2 hours, once I got near Boise things picked up. Was reporting 14 knots gusting to 20, but when I touched down it was a steady 12 knots, pretty good landing. Monday morning up and out, and 3636H climbed like a monster from 3,000 to 12,000, 1000 feet per minute, staying cool, and keeping 118 groundspeed, very nice. Looked like a slow flight again, but up at 14,000 I was actually getting a descent tail wind, took 2.67 hours instead of the typical 3.1-ish. As I was getting near the Rome VOR ATC gave me an amended routing, "Direct REO, then V-113 FMG rest of route unchanged". That's the exact same routing I was already cleared on by waypoints, they just made sure I was explicitly on V-113. Reason- readar outage in the Northern Nevada desert, so bless me I had to do position reports.My report over the SDO VOR was textbook perfect, of course ATC answered "3636H, did you just report over SDO?" Sheesh, yes ma'am. And of course when I got near Reno they noticed that I had filed SAC>SUNOL this week so had to change it to ECA>CEDES or they wouldn't be doing their job. Cancelled IFR over Stockton, in to RHV. Wind was out of the south, unusual for this time of year, on to 13L. A bit of a thump on landing, but OK, rolled out and parked her.

Pyramid Lake Nevada

Skipped a week for late spring storms. Up and out about Noon, had to wait 9 minutes for IFR release. Smooth flying all the way up, only disappointing thing was a headwind most of the way, spent most of the flight at 155-167 knots, which is not what I'm used to going northwest. Bunch of traffic over California's central valley, then crossed the moutinas and barely anything. Just commercial liners and me for 2 hours, once I got near Boise things picked up. Was reporting 14 knots gusting to 20, but when I touched down it was a steady 12 knots, pretty good landing.
Monday morning up and out, and 3636H climbed like a monster from 3,000 to 12,000, 1000 feet per minute, staying cool, and keeping 118 groundspeed, very nice. Looked like a slow flight again, but up at 14,000 I was actually getting a descent tail wind, took 2.67 hours instead of the typical 3.1-ish. As I was getting near the Rome VOR ATC gave me an amended routing, "Direct REO, then V-113 FMG rest of route unchanged". That's the exact same routing I was already cleared on by waypoints, they just made sure I was explicitly on V-113. Reason- readar outage in the Northern Nevada desert, so bless me I had to do position reports.My report over the SDO VOR was textbook perfect, of course ATC answered "3636H, did you just report over SDO?" Sheesh, yes ma'am. And of course when I got near Reno they noticed that I had filed SAC>SUNOL this week so had to change it to ECA>CEDES or they wouldn't be doing their job. Cancelled IFR over Stockton, in to RHV. Wind was out of the south, unusual for this time of year, on to 13L. A bit of a thump on landing, but OK, rolled out and parked her.

26 Apr-13 May RHV BOI RHV time :6.7
FInally clear of ice. Up and out of the Silicon Valley, cleared to 15,000 earlier than usual. Up and away, military area were hot so stayed on the crooked path. Nothing particularly interesting, OK landing at BOI.
Next Monday was much bad weather over the route, so chose to leave the airplane in BOI for a week.
Out and preflighted, the winds aloft looksed a little stinky, but up we go. When I was handed off to Center the approach controller said he was glad I was back on my weekly flights. Small airspace, folks!
And then slog slog slog. At 14,000 ft I was making a groundspeed of between 130-140 knots, horrible. Put up with that for about 45 minutes, then asked for 12k, got that. 2,000 ft lower was not any better, still 35-40 knots on the nose. Reasonably smooth, but sloooow.
Around Reno had some good bumps, and Reno approach took me up to 13,000 to cross the Sierras, which was fine with me, got me out of some of the harder jolts. Past the Sierras I started stepping myself down to see if I could get out of hte wind. Nope. Wasn't until I was below 6,500 heading to Livermore than I even crossed 150 knots GS. Ah well.
In to reid-hillview, good landing.

2 April 2013 RHV SCK TCY time: 2.3

Second IPC flight, out to Stockton and then Tracy. Lots of partial panel appraoches on this one, Don failed everything in interesting combinations. Excellet practice. Made two landings from approaches, which I like very much, I think this is a part of IFR training that's often overlooked. We're all so used to "motor down to the DA or missed approach point, power up and go", where flipping the hood up at those points and actually taking it in for a landing re-enforces that this isn't just an exercise, and it' fun. Rust all off and everything current.

26 March 2013 RHV SNS WVI time: 2.2

	Up with Don to get IFR current, as you can see cruised arond a good bit. Slainas, Watsonville. Everything went well, of course Don is the taskmaster that demands a centered needle at all times, which is fine with me.

21 March 2013 RHV E16 time 1.8
Time to get in th air again. Out with Don to do my WINGS for this year. Nice day, cool, some lingering clouds at 3,500 or so but scattered enough to avoid easily, today was a VFR brushup day. Standard airwokr, did a very good job of fundemental ship handling after a few months off, came back faster than previous years. Bunch of hooded recovery from unusual attitudes, which are fun. Particularly fun when Don covers both my primary AND my backup Attitude Indicator. Then a bunch of landings at South County, which reached the level of my best landings ever. Back to RHV, landing on 31L, good landing, taxi, and go.

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