Albert Whitted Airport

The airport is named for Lieutenant James Albert Whitted, USNR, a St. Petersburg native. Albert was one of the U.S. Navy's first 250 Naval Aviators, commissioned at age 24 just as the United States entered World War I in 1917. He served as chief instructor of advanced flying at NAS Pensacola, Florida and was later assigned to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Leaving active duty, he returned home in 1919 and introduced the people of St. Petersburg to flying. Albert would take people up in the "Bluebird", a plane he designed and built. He never charged for the flights. Albert's aerial maneuvers always left spectators in awe. Albert also designed and built the "Falcon". The Falcon and Bluebird were used in a commercial flying business he had with his brother, Clarence. On August 19, 1923, James Albert Whitted and four passengers were killed during a flight near Pensacola aboard the Falcon when the propeller broke off. The city's airport, known until then as Cook-Springstead tracks, was renamed Albert Whitted Airport on 12 October 1928. ~ Wikipedia

I usually get to the airport about an hour or before flight time to do the preflight and make sure I have any materials I need for the training flight. Then I pull Sally out, put the truck in the hangar, close the doors and taxi over to the FBO to meet with the student. During the taxi today two airplanes were in the runup area for RWY05, a Seneca and a C712. The Cessna asked to go first and went out to the hold short line. The Seneca alerted him that a seat belt was hanging out the (pilot side) door. How does that happen?

The weather was supposed to be perfect. It wasn't. By 9:00 AM the low scud was already moving across the bay and soon the scattered layer would turn to broken. The visibility was less than 10 miles, my guess would be no more than 7. No horizon. We took off to the north and climbed to about 1000ft. Then traveled south from KVDF by VFR reference to the ground staying east of I75 and well clear of my "nightmare towers" (1667ft). We crossed the bay near the smokestacks at Apollo Beach and couldn't see the other side. It's about 10 miles across at that point. Leo contacted the tower at KSPG and was given a heading of 270°. We could hear some other fliers out today but we didn't see any of them. At 4 miles Tower asked if we could see the lake (Maggiore) at our 2 o'clock? We were directed to fly over that lake and use it as a right base for RWY07.

I wish I had my cameras on because the final provides a beautiful shot of downtown Tampa. It's a little intimating to see that the runway ends at the bay. Don't land long. Leo did well.

The return trip was uneventful until we got to the pattern at home field. It was a training morning and a lot of students were learning to fly. Wide and long. I wanted to tell them to tighten it up but didn't. We did two go-arounds before we were finally done for the day.

A good day for flying.

We went Flying today!

Maybe the title of this post doesn't mean much to you but for me, it was a big deal. Let me explain. Two weeks ago I made my normal 6:30 AM checks for a 9:00 AM Flight Lesson. Weather was marginal but Bruce is an advanced student and I was sure we could accomplish what I had planned. Something came up so he couldn't make it. The plane was ready, I was ready so I took the slot for my self.

Ducati Voltage Rectifier

Clean-up

The flight up to Zephyrhills was good. A bit choppy under the low clouds and visibility was about 7-8 miles in mist. Winds were light and southerly so the landing was on RWY23 (RH Pattern). Meat Missiles were in the air so I did a 360° before entering on the 45°. I landed in front of an Autogyro and watched him make a simulted engine failure landing as I taxied back. Looked like fun. As I approached the hold short line, the jump plane called on short final to land on RWY01. I had a front-row seat to the airshow today!

Sally and I departed to the south to head back to KVDF. As I began to set up my entry to RWY23 the winds changed to northerly so we switched to RWY05. Light traffic at home field allowed for easy pattern work. As I announced my exit Sally alerted me to low voltage.

Aaah, Leo had told me that he had experienced low voltage indications during his last solo. I suspected that the voltage rectifier was failing. I taxied back to the south hangars and put Sally away. It was 95°F at noon.

I ordered a new voltage rectifier from Certus. It would be my 5th replacement since new. A better device is available but hasn't been approved by Czech Sport Aviation for use in their S-LSA fleet. Too bad.

The next day the low-pressure system arrived. It had a cold/warm/stationary front and trough attached to it that made weather on the Florida west coast unflyable. The normal afternoon showers arrived offshore at sunrise with low cumulus clouds that would build into thunderstorms by mid-morning. Individual cells would roam the peninsula until sunset. Two weeks of flights were canceled. I replaced the part, cleaned up the new canopy guides, polished the paint and did other chores waiting for the weather to improve.

Today I got to fly with Joe on his first lesson. The weather wasn't great but we were able to get in some practice on the fundamentals and a little bit of taxi practice after landing.

He did well. I felt great. Sally was happy with her voltage.

Did you hear that?

It had been a nice flight down to Venice (KVNC). The Florida weather clear and calm with just a few scattered high clouds. Perfect weather for flying an LSA. We were not alone. The EAA Group in Venice was having a Young Eagles Meetup and the traffic down the gulf coast was nearly saturated for this Saturday morning. Tampa Approach Control had all they could handle and was not accepting any VFR Flight Following. So that part of the lesson would remain incomplete. The navigation and communication topics were covered and we even got in a little bit of "Foggles" time.

As we entered the crosswind for RWY05 we heard a "Pop". MFD was fine, showing nothing unusual with our trusty ROTAX 912. I thought it might be a bird strike but all of Sally's surfaces, at least the ones I could see looked good. I told Leo to Fly The Airplane. Then I saw it. The canopy hook behind his shoulder had come loose and there was now a gap about an inch wide. I told him to fly a normal pattern and not be distracted if my hook also came loose. But it didn't. We made a normal landing and parked her at the FBO as we always do.  A quick inspection showed a small crack in the canopy rail.

Some minor repair work would be required. Ownership has its privileges and its responsibilities. Between that and foul weather Sally would be down for about a month.

The Florida weather turned to the summertime cycle. Fog and mist in the early morning, turning to low clouds by lunch-time with thunderstorms by mid-afternoon. Even so, Sally and I were able to get in two "Back in the Saddle" flights and a new student Discovery Flight last week. We weren't able to get all of the planned items done, but did make progress...and had some fun doing it.

Lakeland 2019

The entrance to Sun 'n Fun 2019.

SportCruisers

I love living in Florida. As I left the house we had blue skies, thin high scattered layer with temperature in the mid-60s. Only 30 minutes from my driveway until I was parked at Sun 'n Fun. This would be a good day.

I got my ticket (no line) and walked through the entrance on my way back towards the exhibition area. The crowd was light, even for a weekday. I stopped to talk to Josh at Cruiser Aircraft and discussed the logistics of getting his airplanes to the show. All of the planes looked good. (and though I still don't care for the big "delta" on the tail, the new paint combinations are great.)

Next, I visited the Piper display area to look at the new $265K VFR trainer (They did not have one on display. They did have the IFR model.) It reminded me of the Cherokee I used to fly out of the grass strip at Slatington. Only this airplane only has two (or optional three) seats. I asked if it has an autopilot. The IFR plane ($285K) does but not the VFR trainer. So it is NOT a Technically Advanced Aircraft. This is important because I can use my LSA PiperSport for Sport Pilot, Private Pilot, and Commercial Pilot training since Sally does qualify as a TAA platform. I could only use the new Piper trainer for Private Pilot. I wonder what the fuel burn is? Too bad. Too expensive.

T28 Trojans

I walked the exhibitors' line looking at all of the new airplanes and enjoyed listening in on some of the sales pitches. I wonder if many sales are made at this show or if most of the folks are just "tire kickers". I spent some time in the sales halls looking for any must-have new gadget. I was able to keep my wallet securely in my pocket.

P3 next to a B25 

It was at this time I heard a very familiar noise. Not a whine, not a roar, but maybe a mixture of both.  The sound of four Allison T56-A engines. Fat Albert had arrived.

Finally, I walked out to the warbirds. The NOAA Hurricane Hunter P3 was there right next to the shiny B-25 Panchito. The P3 is a big bird. I saw a number of P51s a TBM and a small group of T28s.

Afternoon appointments called me back to reality, but it was a beautiful morning to spend some time with airplanes.

Turn Pattern

1. Description. The turn pattern (TP) is a series of constant angle of bank turns while maintaining altitude and airspeed.

Turn Pattern: Clearing the Area

2. General. The TP is started in normal cruise on a cardinal heading (north, south, east, and
west). The TP consists of two 15º angle of bank turns in opposite directions for 30º of heading
change, two 30º angle of bank turns in opposite directions for 90º of heading change, and two 45º angle of bank turns in opposite directions for 180º of heading change. A smooth reversal is made going from one turn into another, eliminating a straight and level leg. (Figure 6-4). Throughout the pattern, check the area clear, check the aircraft attitude with the horizon, and then crosscheck the nose attitude with the altimeter-VSI and the angle of bank with the attitude gyro. Correct the visual attitude as necessary. Crosscheck your instruments by periodically scanning the RMI for turn progress and the airspeed for power required. Note that the absence of a wing attitude crosscheck instrument (other than the gyro) allows you to scan the RMI frequently for turn performance and thus keeps you from overshooting headings.

The 15º angle of bank turn will require little backstick pressure or additional power. For the 30º and 45º angle of bank turns, it will be necessary to raise the nose slightly to increase the angle of attack in order to compensate for the loss of vertical lift as the bank steepens. Additional power will be  equired to maintain airspeed. To avoid overshooting the rollout headings, lead the rollout heading by a number of degrees equal to one-third the angle of bank. (For a 15º angle of bank turn, lead the rollout by 5º, etc.) Strive for smooth reversals between turns.

Trim the aircraft as necessary throughout the pattern. Remember, as the reversal or rollout occurs, the nose must be lowered back to the level attitude, and since it has been trimmed "up" during the turn, the nose will require forward stick pressure to lower it. Remember to use the P.A.T. principle.

3. Procedures

Figure 6-6 Turn Pattern 

a. Establish the aircraft straight and level on a cardinal heading, base altitude, and normal cruise.
b. Clear the area. Turn for 30º of heading  change using a 15º angle of bank. Clear the area (in the other direction) then reverse the turn, leading by the one-third rule for 30º of heading change using a 15º angle of bank.
c. Clear the area. Reverse the turn leading by the one-third rule and turn for 90º of heading change using a 30º angle of bank. Maintain altitude and airspeed with power and nose attitude; retrim. Clear the area (other direction) then reverse the turn using the one-third rule for 90º of heading change using a 30º angle of bank.  Remember to adjust nose attitude as necessary to maintain airspeed and altitude while rolling through wings level.
d. Clear the area. Reverse the turn leading by the one-third rule and turn for 180º of heading change using a 45º angle of bank. Adjust power and nose attitude to maintain altitude and airspeed; trim. Clear the area (other direction) then reverse the turn leading by the one-third rule; hold slight forward stick pressure to prevent ballooning as you roll through the wings level. Reestablish the attitude to maintain altitude; turn for 180º of heading change using a 45º angle of bank.
e. Roll out on the original heading using the one-third rule and holding slight forward stick pressure to prevent ballooning.
f. Reset power to the normal cruise power setting (as required), reset attitude and retrim for straight and level.

4. Common Errors
a. Applying the control pressures too rapidly and abruptly, or using too much backstick pressure before it is actually needed. Remember the aircraft is flown through a medium-banked turn before it reaches a steeper turn.
b. Not holding the nose attitude steady. In order to determine the appropriate corrections, you must first establish a steady attitude and allow the instruments to stabilize.
c. Staring at the nose and consequently applying control corrections too late. Divide your attention. Scan your instruments, never fixating on any one instrument. Anticipate the need for additional power and nose up. Do not wait until you are low or slow.
d. Gaining altitude in reversals. Not lowering nose as the wings pass the level flight attitude, usually due to fixating on the RMI instead of scanning the horizon.
e. Not clearing the area before and during all turns.

CHAPTER SIX T-34C FLIGHT PROCEDURES

The Next Step

He soloed, twice. The pattern work and landings had improved to the point where he could fly in good weather at his home field. Now it was time to stretch those wings. We planned a simple flight down to Airport Manatee to give him a chance to experience something new and different. For this flight we would stay out of Class B, C and D airspace to concentrate on navigation.

We sat down at one of the cafe tables to spread out the Miami Sectional. The lower shelf of the Tampa Class B follows I75 so we would stay east of that until we got far enough south. Leo used his EFB to find a few waypoints to plug into the GPS that would help define the route. We took the opportunity to review some of the information on the sectional. I recommend this link. Finally, we discussed the Nav Log. His EFB said we would use about 1.3 gallons to fly there. I gave my rule of thumb calculations and discussed "Bingo" fuel. Finally, I mentioned that there would be a lot of challenging new stuff on this flight.

After takeoff, we climbed to 1200' and finished the checklist. Leo started working with his EFB and Sally started to drift to the left. After a while, I suggested we engage the autopilot. A short brief on its operation and some cautionary comments about looking outside followed.

As we approached 48x, traffic reported using RWY25 so we prepared for that left-handed entry, but as we got closer the winds shifted more easterly so we changed to a right-hand entry to RWY07. This would be his first time using a right-hand pattern.

Turf strips usually don't have many markings, few reference points to check progress for the visual approach. It's a little disconcerting when I've been preaching to "land on the numbers" and suddenly there are no numbers.

We did soft field and short field takeoffs. Gently letting that nose come down right after the liftoff takes a lot of practice. Not bad for the first time.

Immediately after departure, I handed him the Foggles. One of the real joys of flying Sally is the fantastic view. I just took that away. Climbs, turns, speed changes and descents all take on a new meaning when you can't see the real horizon. And Sally provides a lot of cautionary distracting alerts when you approach a cell tower.

I asked for the Foggles back. It had been a good flight. I decided we had accomplished enough for the day so I canceled the emergency practice and told him to take us home.

Cutting a Shirt

A first solo.

I started by looking at the 5-day forecast. It was obvious that Saturday would be lousy. I checked aviation weather on Thursday and Friday. The weather on Saturday was still forecast for low clouds and poor visibility. Friday night I went to bed certain that I would not fly on Saturday.

I checked all of my weather sites before sunrise Saturday morning. The little circles were all colored in green. A warm front had stalled just north of us and the weather up there was lousy... but ours was...not bad. I was still doubtful, thinking we would have low lying scud, so when I texted Leo I told him it would probably end as a No Go but was willing to give it a try.

No school buses to deal with, the drive in was easy.  The only real traffic was when I almost hit a low flying Osprey chasing his breakfast. Beautiful animal. Sally was down to about 12 gallons (my no go is 10) but that would be plenty for pattern work. Leo was waiting at the FBO when I taxied up. It was overcast at 4500' with light winds from the north. Lets go!

Sandhill Cranes are very large (~4') tall birds with a long neck,
 long legs, and very broad wings.

As we took the runway 3 Sandhill Cranes were eating their breakfast just off the left side of the runway. They were kind enough to let us use their runway and the takeoff and pattern work was normal. But as Leo entered his round out to flare I saw movement on the runway centerline. Those three birds had decided to settle on the middle of runway 05. Time to Go Around! I called Skyport Aviation and told them about the birds, they said they would handle it.

The next pattern was good, and as we landed I noted that the birds had moved off the asphalt onto the grass on the left just off the runway. As we taxied back a golf cart came out to chase them away.

The next 3 landings were average or above average. Some people wonder if it is a hard decision to let a student go for the first time. Not really. After spending hours in the plane with him, you get to know the student pretty well. So it's not a sudden decision, it comes after many many turns in the pattern to get the necessary experience and the "sight picture". You both know when the time is right. It was time for me to get out and let him solo.

But why did I cut his shirt? In the early days of flight before intercoms were common instructors used to sit behind their students in a tandem aircraft and pull on their shirt tails to give directions. After successfully soloing, the student has shown that he doesn't need that direction anymore and therefore doesn't need his shirt tail. CONGRATULATIONS LEO!

Video: 1st Solo