First Solo

 

The pride of accomplishment for both the student and CFI following the first solo flight.

Waiting your turn

I've been preparing a student for his first solo flight. After a few weather delays, it looked like it was to happen on this flight. All of the weather prognosticators said it would be perfect. We did the preflight, pulled her out of the hangar facing south, and performed the checklists. There was a gray spot of clouds on the horizon. All other sectors were clear blue and calm.

We continued. All systems were "go" and we departed to the west. The gray spot grew. It showed up on our satellite weather screen as a green blob but I still didn't consider it a factor. 

We continued. The first landing wasn't his best.  Maybe nerves so I told him to try another. Meanwhile, I looked south. The gray was darker now and the weather screen showed some yellow in it. The next landing was much better. As we taxied back he asked for my thoughts. I hesitated for just an instant then told him to take us home. As he made his way I looked to the south and saw the showers moving in. It was a good call.

He made a nice landing at our home field (slightly left of centerline) and easily got off at the first taxiway. Then he reported steering problems. We had a flat tire! I'm so glad that didn't happen on his first solo.

Yesterday I went out to exercise Sally. I had hoped to fly to Deland for their Sport Aviation Showcase, but the weather didn't cooperate. So instead I stayed in the pattern at KVDF and practiced my landings. There were about three of us evenly spaced just drilling holes in the sky. It felt pretty good. I was just happy to get out and fly for a little while. Maybe we can do Deland next year.

Happy Halloween

 

KVDF-KZPH-X39-KPCM-KVDF

The Florida weather is changing. It was in the mid-'60s when I arrived at the airport. The early morning low clouds were clearing. The winds were predicted to start gusting by mid-afternoon so I had a window of about 3 or 4 hours to give Sally some exercise. While I have been active flying, it just hasn't been in Sally. This would be fun.

Certus is temporarily using my hangar so Sally is using the covered tie-down spot. So it took me extra time to get the covers and plugs removed and untie the tie-down ropes. (So much easier in a hangar.) Everything easily fit in the trunk.

The nose tire was nearly flat and the right main was low. The compressor was back in the hangar, but I had brought along my wife's bicycle pump. A small device, slightly larger than a cell phone, it worked great to inflate the tires without removing the wheel pants! This will become a standard tool in my kit.

The first stop would be KZPH. The jump plane warned me that jumpers would be in the air in two minutes so I decided to practice some steep turns while waiting. A beautiful day with a clear horizon made me realize I need more practice before my Flight Review. I entered the RWY05 pattern on the 45 and did two beautiful T&Gs before the next wave of jumpers. I departed to the west as the jump plane took off beneath me.

I'm just not in love with my Garmin 796. The functionality is fantastic but the ergonomics...well let's just say I liked the 696 better. Trying to touch icons in bumpy air is a challenge. My next destination was X39. The database didn't recognize that. I spent way too much time trying to input this simple "direct to" before I gave up and went to the map mode. I selected the airport from the map, hit the direct button, and bingo, I was on my way. Now I could use the system to check runways, and tune frequencies. Nice. X39 has a nice runway restaurant and their ramp was full but the pattern was empty. I did two more beautiful landings then departed to the east. 

The next stop was KPCM. ASOS told me the winds were out of the west at about 8kts so I planned to enter the pattern for RWY28. But once with 5 miles, the winds had changed to easterly. So I set up for RWY10. I diligently made all of my position calls and was surprised no one else was in the pattern. hmmm. Checked the radio and found there was a Skycatcher on downwind. I just have to be more diligent using that touch screen. Three more beautiful landings and it was time to go home. 

I love flying this airplane.

Going Around

 Video Link: Going Around 

Jake and I have been focused on the landing pattern for the last few flights. Plant City (KPCM) is only a few miles to the west so he is busy when leaving the controlled airspace of KLAL to get ready for a normal entry into a non-towered field. He is getting good at it. On this flight, I wanted to fine-tune all of the procedures and was pretty much non-stop instructing as he maneuvered for the 45 entry. A plane made a courtesy call that he would be passing over the airport midfield at 1500'. I had that plane in sight but the student failed to make his downwind call. The other pilot reminded us, a lesson learned.

I haven't been flying Sally as much as I would like. The weather has been horrible and when it does stop raining I've been trying to get Jake up in his airplane. Today was a good day to give Sally some exercise. Thunderstorms were expected by mid-afternoon so we taxied out about noontime. Hot. OAT read 32. (So 2 x 32 + 32 = 96F). The CHT was good through the runup at about 235, but a long hold short pushed it up to 250. Sally told me she didn't like that. When the last student in front of us finally cleared the runway, CHT had gone past 253. (255 is my abort number.) By the time I turned crosswind, she was back in the 240s.

Normal to light traffic today. Not many students. It seemed like one or two pilots from nearby fields were out for some exercise on a Sunday afternoon. As I was about to finish up a student missed my position calls and took the runway as I was turning short final. Well, that was interesting. I haven't had to do an actual go-around in a while. 

I'm thinking that with all of the advanced technology out there (the "fishfinders" - I hate that term), it still comes down to putting your eyeball on the target. 

Traffic

This time I got up before the alarm clock went off. I put a k-cup in the machine then shuffled back to the PC to check on the weather. All green dots in the local area, TAFs said to expect thunderstorms by early afternoon. Time to go.

As I approached the railroad crossing at the head of Dover Road traffic came to a stop. As I looked at MLK Drive that traffic was also stopped. Maybe an accident? So I changed my plan and continued north to SR92. BAM!, more traffic. School has started. I nudged my way into the "congo line" (thanks to the nice lady in the silver minivan) and slowly made my way westward toward the airport. 30 minutes turned into 45 by the time the traffic finally cleared. I'll use alternate routing next time.

A good solid preflight. No leaks, no flats, just a dusty canopy from sitting in the hangar too long. Good run-up, although I had to wait a few minutes for the oil temperature to warm up. (85+F and the engine is running cool. Love it.)

So I get to the hold short line and there are 4 students in the pattern practicing T&Gs, perfectly spaced so that one turns final as another clears the runway. About 30 minutes later there is a break in the action for me to depart. I went over to Plant City which is about 10 miles east. Just one in the pattern there and we each did about 5 landings before departing.

CTAF at home was still very busy. The Traffic Pattern was full and returning traffic was reporting in from all quadrants. I entered the downwind leg from the 45 behind two Cessnas and slowed down accordingly. An Archer reported holding short. So I called back advising him that I would extend my downwind allowing him an interval to depart. I was a little bit nervous that one of the students might have missed my call and turn on base in front of me but that didn't happen. As I turned (a very deep) final the Archer was able to line up and wait and was on the roll as I descended past 500ft.

I landed and was off at the first taxiway causing minimal interruption to the rest of the traffic.

Staying in the Pattern.

I wouldn't have been able to do this before the exhaust wrap was installed. It was about 90F, 65% humidity with light winds. I had to wait in the runup area for the oil temperature to come up. There was a 'Gyro doing touch and goes and a Gulfstream reported a 3-mile base for runway 05. An almost unintelligible student reported 10 miles north (I think). I took off after the Gulfstream cleared the runway and followed behind the Auto-Gyro. I stayed wide and deep giving him plenty of room. The final was a bit long but I nailed it just the same.

The 'Gyro departed and another Cessna entered behind me with a teardrop entry. The next landing was beautiful, almost rolled it on. The next one was a go-around, high and fast. I would grade the last 3 as above average.

The flight lasted less than an hour. What a great vacation.

Back in the hangar.

Out Among the Clouds

I planned a trip to fly down to Okeechobee County Airport (KOBE). The weather forecast showed typical Florida convection with build-ups in the early afternoon. If I got an early start I could get there and back before the thunderstorms rolled in. 

I got a late start. A lot of little things captured me at my desk. It's amazing how much time it takes to get through appointments, phone calls, and email. Still, I thought I was at the airport in time to make the flight. A few minor discrepancies during the preflight. She needed a little oil, the nose tire needed air, The canopy needed to be cleaned. She also needs a bath but that can be done on a no-fly day. She burped after 15.

Another weather check was still good. Taxi and run-up revealed no issues although I had to wait for the engine to warm up...on a hot day in July. I think the exhaust wrap may be a big step forward in controlling the CHT issue. I was concerned that I didn't see any ADSB weather prior to take off. Clearly, there were clouds all around me but nothing was shown on my GPS. This would be a good test of the weather capabilities of the system.

Normal take-off on RWY05. (No gators this time.) Light traffic in the area and I saw the little arrows for traffic alerts, and suddenly I had full weather by the time I was passing 1500'. The smooth air and excellent visibility were encouraging but the clouds were building quicker than expected. I decided to climb above them to see where the tops were. Since I live under a Class B I had to do this in steps. The GPS alerted me each time I approached a border or a floor of the airspace. I'm still getting accustomed to the touch screen and have found comfortable places to rest my hand prior to poking at the information I want. ""East is odd, West is even +500ft". I decided to climb to 7500ft. That wouldn't cut it. So I checked the weather down at Lake Okeechobee. Well, it was looking "iffy". Too many reds and yellows for a fun flight. Let's go to plan "B".  So after passing 8500ft we turned north and started looking for a hole.

I pulled the power to idle and trimmed for 100KTS. The view was spectacular. Towering clouds on either side as we flew down the valley between them. I forgot how long it takes to get down. The bottoms were at 3000+ft and I turned toward Plant City for some touch-and-goes. I forgot about engine cooling during descent. As I put the power up I got a "High RPM" alert as I advance the throttle. The oil tempertaure had dropped below 122. So I set it at 4000RPM and used pitch to control it by pitching up a bit whenever I go the audio alert. After a short time, it was back to normal. 

I'll put KOBE on my list for another day. This flight was a successful day for systems checks. ADSB weather works and the exhaust wrap seems to be effective.

Unintentional Flight

Do your checklist. Even if you plan to just taxi to the other side of the ramp. There really are reasons why items are on the checklist and why they are there in that order.

I've been fighting the engine cylinder head temperature for a long time now. Now with summertime at full strength in Florida, it was likely to become a real show stopper. I've done my best to mitigate the problem by changing the radiator, oil cooler, swapping temperature sensors, and inspecting for coolant leaks. All of these things helped but didn't eliminate the problem. She was still getting up to 250-degree range approaching top of climb. Bruce was having a similar problem made worse by flying out of a busy airport with long hold short times. He decided to try this wrap. Now, even on the hottest days, his CHT stabilizes at 230-degrees. So seeing the successful implementation of this solution I asked CERTUS to do Sally. Yesterday we spent the morning installing the wrap on all of the exhaust pipes.

Before I continue it must be understood that I had no intention of flying. The weather conditions were marginal with thunder and lightning in the vicinity. My thought was to taxi to the farthest runway, point the nose OUT of the wind to minimize cooling and do a very long, deliberate runup. OAT 88F and high Florida humidity yielded about 220-degrees on the CHT. So I planned to do an aborted takeoff and a long slow taxi back on RWY23. No one else was in the pattern so I announced my intentions and took the runway. All indications were good. But there was a black spot on the runway centerline. Now this runway has just undergone a major improvement program so my first thought was maintenance debris. Nope. It was a gator. Probably 6' or 7' right on the centerline. Too late to abort or go around I instinctively pulled back....and went flying.

I radioed Skyport Aviation and they sent a crew out to chase it away. I made one pass to ensure it was clear then made a full stop landing. I was done for the day. The temperature never got above 230-degrees. There is nothing boring about flying in Florida.

Maintenance Check Flight

Venice Municipal Airport

Video: KVNC

Your Gateway to the Gulf Coast

The Venice Municipal Airport is a general aviation facility located 1.7 miles south of the downtown area, along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline, on approximately 835 acres. It has two 5,000-foot runways which intersect each other. They are both 150 feet wide, have medium intensity runway lighting (MIRL), runway end identifier lights (REILS) and precision approach path indicators (PAPIs).

The airport was built during the 1940s by the United States Army Air Forces and served as a military flight training facility. It also was used by Air Transport Command to deliver US-built aircraft destined for Britain under Lend-lease from the factories on the West Coast or for assignment to selected British pilots. Some of the aircraft were partially disassembled and prepared for being loaded on board ships for the trip across the Atlantic Ocean.

After World War II, the U.S. government gave airport control to the City of Venice, naming the city the airport sponsor through various Federal grant assurances.

After the September 11 attacks of 2001, local, state and national authorities discovered that three of the 9/11 terrorists, Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, and Ziad Jarrah, had all enrolled at the now-defunct Huffman Aviation flight training school at VNC for general aviation flight training.

There had been some forum discussions about the use of Avgas vs Mogas (with ethanol) on the internet. I've found that in the Florida heat it is wise to consider the possibility of vapor lock so I try to keep about a 60/40 mix (Mogas/Avgas). Ethanol doesn't seem to matter for a PiperSport so I usually go to the local Wawa for premium gas. Today I topped her off at the FBO to keep my normal mix.

It was a great opportunity for a systems check. All avionics works well. I even coupled my autopilot to a VOR station and watched her track inbound. CHT seems to be under control but still gets up to 245+ at top of climb. Certus has installed some exhaust wrap on other planes and is seeing good results. Sally may get some during his next visit.

The flight was routine. A beautiful day with some puffy clouds at about 2,500'. OAT in the mid-80's F and light breezes. Don't get complacent! As I descended into the pattern a flock of large birds passed by my left wing. Later, as I was crossing over the beach another flock (about a dozen) swooped by my left side. I don't think Sally would survive a battle with just one, let alone a dozen. Big birds.

The traffic back at KVDF was busy mostly with students. That's good news for the flight schools. I'm happy to see the comeback following the disastrous COVID pandemic. Just something to think about for the CFIs out there. If you see 2,3 or 4 planes at the hold short line it might be wise to extend your downwind a bit to let some of the planes on the ground depart. I know it messes up the pattern for your student but courtesy is also a good lesson to learn.

110 8G16 V 080 - 150

 Video: Gusty

As I drove to the airport a chicken crossed in front of me. I don't know why. Later I had to swerve to miss a peacock. I went through the main gate to see if any alligators were sunning themselves by the pond. Not today. The last time I flew there was a beautiful bald eagle on the grass near the approach end of RWY18. A gorgeous animal, it took off just before I did. I regularly get to watch pelicans dive into the canal next to RWY18 for food. A pair of Sandhill cranes usually stands near the edge of the runway to grade my landings. Florida is a great place to live.

I hadn't visited Sally in a while and wondered what I might find when I opened the hangar door. It was all good news. The tires were not flat. No nests in the cowling. No fluid under the plane. She looked good but had less than 5 gallons in each side. I picked up my two 5 gallon tanks (brushed away some webs) and went to the nearest gas station for some fuel. $3.79/gal for 93 octane. 10 gallons would give me about 2 hours of playtime. The rest of the preflight was normal.  She burped after 46 pulls. I added a skosh of oil and a little bit of water.

Before pulling her out I checked the weather again. Sunny blue Florida skies but the easterlies were starting to shake the hangar doors. The app said 110@8G12. Still doable but I had to pay attention because the forecast said things could get "spicey" before noon.

Ground operations were normal although the CTAF was kind of quiet. The sock was extended all the way out. As I finished my runup I could see a crop duster approaching to do his checks. I listened to AWOS again. This time it said 11008G16 080V150. Well, that was interesting. Still, it was nothing I hadn't seen before. I decided to go.

Right rudder. More right rudder. Nose up, let's get off the ground. Unstable air. Turbulent and choppy. At this point I ask myself; Am I having fun? So it was just one circuit to a full stop. (No flap landing.) I didn't try to make the first turnoff instead, I let her roll to the end. 

Nice job on the runway repairs BTW.

Sun 'n Fun 2021

 Reference: Plane & Pilot  Avweb

The Aerospace Center for Excellence

"The order of the day was, do whatever you want. Which is fine for folks who have been vaccinated, but really risky for those who haven’t been." ~Plane&Pilot. I disagree. If you feel it is too risky don't participate. What I find interesting is the different "cultures" that attended this event. Florida is not locked down and promotes an individual responsibility philosophy. Other states promote community responsibility and expect more of a homogenous adherence to standards. I'm old and fat with a number of comorbidities. I wore my mask in the hangars but walked free and fearless in the open air out among the aircraft displays. I felt safe and would (will) do it again. My body, my choice. 

The crowds seemed lighter than in previous shows. Perhaps the pandemic or uncertainty about how the event would be handled. Certus and I enjoyed seeing what was new in aviation technology. There was about 90% occupancy in the hangars. Some of the vendors had decided to do virtual demonstrations, or like Dynon, a hybrid approach with some people physically attending while others spoke on the computer link. 

Outside, most of the big players were there. Piper, Tecnam, Cubcrafters and Bristell, and many others had their full displays out. SportCruiser failed to attend. (Ominous). It was so good to see familiar faces and find out how they fared in the new world of Pandemic America. ALL are optimistic. 2021 is going to be a good year.

I got tired from the amount of walking. I'm clearly not getting enough exercise by staying in the house. It was so good to be out walking in the Florida sun. 

We went back in the afternoon to enjoy the airshow. Nobody does it better than the Blue Angels!

Simply Beautiful.

Albert Whitted for Lunch

 Video: Albert with Mike

The Albert Whitted Airport is located just blocks away from hotels, restaurants, museums, shopping and more. This district features some of St. Petersburg’s most fashionable dining and shopping destinations as well as independent galleries and museums.  Anchored by the Salvador Dali Museum, Mahaffey Theater  and the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, the district is bounded by St. Petersburg’s sparkling waterfront park system and includes the St. Petersburg Museum of History and the Museum of Fine Arts. We ate at "The Hangar Restaurant & Flight Lounge" on the airport. (My Turkey BLT had fried green tomatoes and was excellent.) 

"Welcome to the new St. Pete Pier! This gleaming new attraction on the city’s picturesque waterfront promises limitless fun for everyone, from first-time visitors to long-time residents. Its 26 beautiful acres seamlessly combine the peaceful blue waters of Tampa Bay with the vibrant greenery of downtown St. Petersburg’s parks, creating the ultimate place to stroll, bike, dine, drink, shop, swim, take in a concert and more. So get together with your family and friends and visit. It’s time to soak up some fun under the warm Florida sun!" ~ https://stpetepier.org/

It was on Mike's bucket list. The only question was what route to take from KVDF to get there. We couldn't fly direct as that would take us through Class B airspace and right over MacDill AFB. We could call Tampa for permission but doubtful that route would be approved. We could ask to take the "Bridge Transition" to fly directly over KTPA and out to the beach, or we could stay east of I75 and make our turn at Ruskin and fly over the bay. We did the latter.

The weather was very good, light winds, morning convection gave us a little chop but overall a very comfortable flight. I love the Tower folks manning KSPG. They are always very friendly and helpful. When we told ground we were there for lunch you could almost hear the smile on his face as he welcomed us to his airport. Landing fee was $5 since we didn't need any services. We sat in the shade out on the veranda overlooking palm trees and watching airplanes land. Paradise.

During the preflight prior to departure my ADSB returned a 1090ES fault. Not good. This means that ADSB was down and unless I got a waiver we could not leave the airport. Mike shut her down and got out and I scrunched under the pilot side panel to search for loose wires. The coax from the GPS antenna was loose. It never fit snugly and now it became an issue. After some jiggling and a few prayers the box finally passed its system check. We were good to go.

The next stop was Airport Manatee. Mike had never landed on grass before and I wanted him to have that experience. The first challenge is to find the airport. Even with GPS, a turf field looks just like another patch of grass from a distance. It's not until you see the hangars that you really get a feel for the runway environment. The next challenge is to fly a standard traffic pattern. Without runway reference markings its a bit difficult to tell when to turn and what to use for an aim point. Winds here were variable and gusty and it turns out we probably landed with a tailwind. But Mike did well. After looking at the sock we decided to take off in the opposite direction and head for home.

It was a great adventure.

Ridge Landing Airpark 4FL5 & South Lakeland Airport X49

X49 Video.

Ridge Landing Airpark (FAA LID: 4FL5), also known as Ridge Landing Airport, is a private use airpark located four nautical miles (7 km) west of the central business district of Frostproof, a city in Polk County, Florida, United States.

1+ acre lots – Custom Built Airpark Homes – Top Builders In Florida – Fly in Fly Out

"Ridge Landing Airpark in Frostproof, Florida, is an aviation community that sells real estate property for custom home builds and custom built Airpark Homes. Pilots, find your dream home, Search through our homes and property for sale that are near landing strips, airports, and perfect for pilots and aviation enthusiasts. Live where you fly. Homes can be built with private hangars in a safe gated community, located near some of Florida’s main attractions. Purchase your very own piece of airpark real estate in Ridge Landing Airpark!"

*** 

South Lakeland Airport (FAA LID: X49) is a public airport located 13.5 miles south of the central business district (CBD) of Lakeland, a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The airport covers 32 acres and has one runway. The airport is also home to a regional skydiving company, Skydive Tampa Bay, Inc.

Low pass at Ridge Landing Airpark.

While scrolling through Facebook I came upon a post announcing the Ridge Landing Airpark was holding a fly-in this month. The pictures showed a few planes parked near tents with people enjoying a light lunch. You know, it seems like forever since we went to a fly-in so I decided to take the 30 minute flight to find this place to see just where it was located. 

The flight down was pretty uneventful, although we did get an "OBSTICAL" alert on a monstrous cell tower about midway on the flight plan. The chart says 825' but it seemed much taller than that. Sally and I decided to divert a bit to the north just in case the chart was wrong.

The airpark is a private field with no frequencies for CTAF or AWOS. Landing is by permission only so I just made a low pass to see what was there. It might be nice to go back for lunch but I'm a little wary of getting a real-estate sales pitch.

South Lakeland is a grass strip that occupies the cutout in the Lakeland Class C airspace.

Dimensions: 2412 x 100 feet / 735 x 30 meters, Surface: Turf in Good Condition

There was one bi-wing ultra light taking off when I arrived and she was downwind by the time I was on short final. I decided on a low approach. Sally is still pretty clean from her bath and I didn't want to have to clean weeds off the the underside of the wings and wheel pants.

Just one pass and we were done. Time to go home.

KVDF just announced that their repairs will take longer than expected. Maybe they'll be done by mid-April.

Arcadia X06

 Video Arcadia

According to The Atlas of Florida, "The Rev. James Madison ("Boss") Hendry (1839–1922) named the town in honor of Arcadia Albritton (1861–1932), a daughter of Thomas H. and Fannie (Waldron) Albritton, pioneer settlers. Arcadia had baked him a cake for his birthday and he appreciated it so much that he named the city after her."

Turning downwind X06 RWY06

From 1917 to 1922, Arcadia was the home of Carlstrom Field, a grass airfield of the U.S. Army Air Service named for deceased aviation pioneer Victor Carlstrom. Carlstrom Field was used for pilot training both during and after World War I. In May 1941 the site again became an airfield for military primary flight training, operated by the Embry–Riddle Aeronautical Institute (now Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University). Carlstrom Field, one of several satellite fields in the Fort Myers area, also trained pilots for the Royal Air Force until its closing in 1945. Arcadia Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of the central business district. The City of Arcadia operates the day-to-day operations of the airport. It is leading the State in low fuel prices and has a nice Fly-In & Camp Out facility called Aviation City. It is becoming locally famous for weekly fly-in Taco Tuesdays.

Arcadia and other areas of Florida have a rich history of cattle-raising, which means it also had – and continues to have – a large contingent of cowboys, known locally as Florida Crackers (for the sound made by their whips). Located just one hour east of Sarasota and Bradenton and one hour north of Fort Myers, Arcadia sits in the middle of Florida cowboy country and it is a place where the Old West meets the Old South. Rodeos and other competitions in Arcadia are common, and the town also hosts the De Soto County Fair in January and the Watermelon Festival in May. 

Sally looked good when I opened the hangar doors. Still clean from her bath, the sun shined on the spinner as I began the preflight.  Nose tire was a bit under pressure so I put about 5 lbs. of air in the tire. I also marked the spot where the stem comes out with a silver Sharpie. The wheel pant makes this a bit difficult to find. The rest of the checks were good. 

Citation taking off on RWY18

The weather looked good for the 30 minute flight. The temperatures are in the mid 70°s and we're under a low pressure system.  Light winds  and haze. The farmers are burning their winter weeds so there is a lot of smoke is in the air. 

Runway 5-23 is closed at KVDF for improvements. It won't be open again till the end of March so all traffic is forced to use 18-36. Only a slight inconvenience for me since my hangar is just off this runway. It does mean a significant increase in traffic. I got an airshow today as a Citation took off on RWY18 as I taxied out of my ramp area. I waited a few extra minutes for wake turbulence to clear prior to to taxi. 

The flight plan was pretty routine except for one thing, my "nightmare towers". These are a group of monstrous cell phone towers with long ugly arms that reach up out the ground trying to grab unsuspecting pilots on smoky, hazy days. I looked for them as soon as I crossed over I75 and kept well clear to the east. Sally took us up to 2,700' and we stayed there with a few burbles in the air for most of the trip. A few orange groves and a lot of pasture were the only sights to see along our route. Florida is pretty flat.

On final RWY06 at X06

The engine is performing very well. Prior to the flight I took the remaining tape off the oil cooler and I may have done it too soon. Temperature stayed in the 180°F range and I would prefer it get up to 200°F. I'll add a strip next time. The prop repitch is a success. TAS was 118kts for cruise at 5300RPM (about 5.5GPS). That's about 5kts faster than before the adjustment. Takeoff is at 4950RPM and climb out (80kts) is about 5180RPM. I'm happy with all of those numbers.

Arcadia only had a few visitors. None were in the pattern when I got there. It's a nice, well maintained airport. I'll plan on going back for some tacos. A touch and go and I was on my way home. I decided to climb above the smoke and leveled at 6,500ft. There was smoother air but still smoky. The Tampa class B was coming up so we went back down again, just in time to fly over my house. The development is expanding to the north and the sandy soil stood out from the rest of the green lawns.

The landing pattern was a little busy with student pilots at KVDF. I was number 3 on the downwind and someone was turning crosswind behind me. But the spacing was all good and I made an uneventful full stop landing.

Uneventful is always good.

*Question from a reader about smoke: 

Smoke from local burns at about 5000'.

Paying your Debts

 Video Introduction Flight

I was browsing Facebook and read a post about young man offering to wash airplanes for an airplane ride. I made an appointment almost immediately for the next available Saturday morning. It turned out to be a cold but sunny Florida winter's day. 

I taxied over to the wash area and waited just a few minutes before he and his mom arrived in their car. They introduced themselves and quickly got their equipment out and began to work. I brought along a beach chair and sat down to watch. I was impressed. Attention to detail. They assessed the trouble spots on the belly and decided how to coordinate their efforts to get the job done. Constant communication. 

It had been awhile since I did this so the airplane was dirty. Some areas are harder to get to, even on a creeper, but they never slowed down. Their clothes got soaked as they laid in the puddles to get the dirt off the brakes. I was amazed when he cleaned the top of the vertical stabilizer without using a ladder. Teamwork.

After about 2 hours they finished up. The best the airplane had looked in a long time.

This past Saturday was my turn to pay up. When I left home the weather was marginal. Foggy mist was breaking up and low clouds were forming. Winds were still light but getting stronger. The forecast was good and I hoped it would be right for a change. It was chilly for Florida, low to mid 40°s. I asked them to dress warmly. They arrived on time.

I briefed them both in the FBO break room. We chatted briefly about objectives and expectations. Then I talked about the airplane, emergency procedures and what I planned for each flight. He went first. After an hour we returned and gave her a chance. Not quite as long but it was her very first time to control an airplane. Both had smiles on their faces during the debrief in the break room. 

He is 14, just starting his adventure. She is a manager at the airport and for the first time saw a traffic pattern from the cockpit. The debt I owe aviation is huge. I was so happy to give just a little bit back. It was a very good day.

Plant City KPCM

Video: Plant City

Located between Tampa and Lakeland Plant City is known as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World and hosts the annual Florida Strawberry Festival. Stretching back more than 80 years, this Plant City festival bursts with midway hilarity, on-stage entertainment (much of it free), livestock and, of course, plenty of ways to eat strawberries. Usually in February or early March it is attended by people from all over the United States as well as many people from around the world. Despite many thinking it was named for flora grown at plant nurseries (especially vegetables and fruits, as well as tropical houseplants) in its tropical Gulf Coast climate, it was named after prominent railroad developer Henry B. Plant. 

The Plant City Municipal Airport was founded in 1948 to ship strawberries. Runway 09/27 was lengthened in 1999 and redesignated 10/28. In 2000, a new terminal was constructed, along with two new hangars (E and F) and a new Jet-A fuel tank. PCM is a public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) southwest of the central business district of Plant City in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which also operates Tampa International Airport. ~Wikipedia

Me and my shadow at KPCM RWY28.

The pickers are busy getting ready for the festival. As I drive the local roads, bands of workers with various colored team shirts work the early mornings and afternoons harvesting the winter crop of sweet strawberries. Hard work.

The cold fronts come pushing through like waves on the beach. The air gets churned and is often very gusty, but unlike northern cold fronts these do not bring snow. Florida temperatures vary greatly throughout the day making typical attire shorts and jackets (mid 30's) in the morning then peeling back to t-shirts (mid 70's) in the afternoon. It was calm early in the morning but the local TAFS said to expect gusts into high teens by mid-day. I got out to the airport early.

During my system checks on preflight the ADSB-out transponder failed with a 1090es fault. I found the coax from the GPS antenna was loose. I was able to reach under the panel to tighten it but will need to investigate just how it happened.

I taxied out with new databases and updated software (version 5.60). I had to unlatch the GPS unit from the plane and bring it home to my office and attach it to my computer with a cable. Garmin Express recognized it and installed all of the updates. This is a process change from my 696 when I could leave the unit in the plane and do this using an SD card.

The TAFS were right this time. The winds were getting "sporty" so after three landings at KPCM  I headed for home. 

Sally is running very well. It was a fun flight, but I need more landing practice.

Cedar Key (KCDK)

Cedar Key derives its name from a 1542 Spanish map that identified the area as “Las Islas Sabines,” meaning “The Cedar Islands.” Although the island on which this town is located is called North Key, the “Cedar Islands” reference applied to the abundant growth of cedar trees that formerly covered all of a group of islands located in the area. The Town of Cedar Key was established during the Civil War (circa 1840) on Atseena Otie, the Creek Indian name for Cedar Island. Lumber was the primary industry, although fishing and cotton shipping were also important, and sawmills and pencil factories dominated the town in the 1880s. The pencil plants closed down when the cedar was depleted. Shipping by rail and sea made Cedar Key an important port city until 1886, when the port of Tampa began to draw shipping away from Cedar Key. The old-fashioned fishing village is now a tourist center with several regionally famous seafood restaurants. The village holds two festivals a year, the Spring Sidewalk Art Festival and the Fall Seafood Festival, that each attract thousands of visitors to the area. ~ City of Cedar Key 

★ George T Lewis Airport is named in honor of Petty Officer First Class Lewis. He was a World War II Era casualty on October 25, 1944 during The Battle of Leyte Gulf. ★ He served with honor in the United States Navy. ★ Remembered by the people of Georgia ★ May his example inspire us to be strong and responsible global citizens. We can do great things. Together.★ 

Video: Cedar Key

Certus had come down to do some work for a few Florida customers and by Thursday we were ready for a break. I wanted him to fly Sally to see if he would notice any maintenance issues that I may have overlooked. We decided to fly up to Cedar Key. The airport is located about 75 miles northwest of Tamps, but to avoid a long leg over water we stayed "feet dry" flying up the gulf coast past Crystal River then headed out over the water for the last 30 miles of the trip.

I called at 10 miles to announce our arrival and a sweet voice responded by asking if we required transportation into the village. Sure! She said she would send a car to meet us. We couldn't see the airport. The runway is short - the shortest paved public runway in Florida and surrounded by trees. At 5 miles I thought I saw the runway through breaks in the tress and soon after we entered a left base for RWY23. Certus made a great landing right on the numbers.

Judy came by in a van to pick us up to take us into town. $20 roundtrip with a restaurant discount if we ate at "Steamers".  The grouper sandwiches were great. We asked her to come back for us at 1:00pm and when the minute hand was straight up she came rolling down the street. She gave a locals history of the town during our trips and we enjoyed the conversation very much.

As we did our preflight for departure I saw a bald eagle land on a small tree near the end of the runway. Just beautiful.

After takeoff we flew down the coastline to get another look at Cedar Key. I'm convinced I'll be back. It might make a good destination for a SportCruiser Fly-in!

I added some more tape to my oil cooler inlet before leaving Tampa Exec. I want to get the temperature up to approximately 200°F during cruise. I have more than 2/3 covered now and she is finally running hot enough to burn off any moisture in the oil.

Now having flown Sally, Certus has some ideas to improve performance even more. Stay tuned.
 

Apopka X04

 Video Link: Apopka 

Apopka comes from Seminole word Ahapopka for "Potato eating place". Apopka is often referred to as the "Indoor Foliage Capital of the World" due to the extensive Greenhouse nurseries there. Orlando Apopka Airport is a privately owned, uncontrolled, public-use airport located four nautical miles (7 km) northwest of the central business district of Apopka, in Orange County, Florida, United States. It was previously known as Orlando Country Airport and McDonald Airport prior to that. ~Wikipedia

On the 45° for RWY15 (RHP)

Cold. As I pushed to open the hangar door the cold aluminum stung my hands. It's a cold day in Florida when the temperature gets down into the 40°s. However I do remember using an ice chipper to get the doors open in Quakertown. At least the sun was shining on my back and there was very little wind. It was a good day to go flying.

The nose tire was a little low so I put some air in it. A lot of pulls to get the burp. It never comes easy on cold days. I should remember to do it after the flight. I covered about 1/4 of the oil cooler with tape to help the engine run warmer. All the electronics checked out but I was close to my "bingo fuel" number for takeoff. 100LL was listed as $3.25/gal if I needed any. It would take just over an hour to get there and back.

Turning final for RWY15 X04

The trip up was nice. Very little traffic and as I listened to the radio the busiest CTAF seemed to be Winter Haven to the east. The track took me right by Zephyrhills and I kept a good scan going for jumpers. The jump plane did announce "Jumpers in the air" as I transited the airspace but I didn't see any 'chutes. The air was smooth with about 10kts on the nose at 2600'.

Apopka airport is located just north of the large lake. Winds were generally out of the north but traffic was using 15. Winds weren't really a factor so I went with the prevailing traffic.  Runway 15 uses a right hand pattern so the entry from the south is pretty easy. At ten miles out there were two in the pattern and another called ten miles north. As I entered I saw the Cessna above me about mid-field and he took interval on me. My pattern was bit bit tight but resulted in a smooth touch down for my only T&G there. I departed for home.

There was a slight chop at the 2500' haze layer so I climbed above it to 4500'. Sally loves the cool air. We climbed at ~85kts which yielded ~1000ft/min. The oil temperature never got above 165° so I'll have to put more tape on the oil cooler. It should be running closer to 200°F.

When I switched to the VDF CTAF my hangar neighbor Brian, was announcing his takeoff in his Stearman. Kind of like watching a mini-airshow while on the downwind leg.

This was a good flight to another Florida airport that I had never been to.

Turning final RWY05 KVDF.

https://mewe.com/i/davefisher29

https://www.bitchute.com/video/Td1tYDkA9nt7/

Crystal River KCGC

Video Link: Crystal River

Crystal River is at the heart of the Nature Coast of Florida. The city is situated around Kings Bay, which is spring-fed and so keeps a constant 72 °F (22 °C) temperature year round. Kings Bay can be home to over 400 manatees during the winter when the water temperature in the Gulf of Mexico cools, and is the only place in the United States where people can legally interact with them in their natural conditions without that interaction being viewed as harassment by law enforcement agencies. In December 2013, the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution modifying the airport's name to Crystal River Airport – Captain Tom Davis Field. CAPT Tom Davis, USN (Ret), is an accomplished Naval Aviator out of the Navy's jet fighter community and a recipient of the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross. ~Wikipedia

 

Departing RWY05 KVDF

CGC is about 50 miles north of VDF. It was a good flight on a cool Florida morning and gave me a chance to check our my new avionics. I'm still getting use to my 796 and this trip would be a chance to couple it to my GDL 39 ADSB receiver.

Preflight went well. It took a lot of pulls to get the burp but no leaks, flats, or electrical problems. However on my taxi out to the run up area I did notice that the GPS input to my Dynon system had failed. No purple arrows. After the engine runup I did a DSAB configuration check and all was well on the Dynon side. The GPS was fine so I decide to depart and drive the autopilot manually. I pushed the Map button and brought up the HSI panel. I hadn't used this old friend in a long time. I set the altitude for about 2800' and put the heading bug just to the right of the arrow to compensate for the northerly wind.  (No wind arrow.) The air was smooth.

Meanwhile I checked weather and traffic on the GPS. It works! The GDL 39 has and independent battery and uses Bluetooth to connect to the 796. It was a very easy setup and I'm pleased with the results. If you watch the video you can see the antenna setting on the glare shield. It was a quiet day so very little traffic and I didn't see any weather until I returned to Tampa Exec. Just a couple of pixels of green but enough to prove the the ADSB system works.

I also figured out why I wasn't connecting to the Dynon system. I had the 796 home over Christmas to learn some "Knobology" and let the battery go dead. I lost some settings and one was the interface to Dynon. I called Certus and replicated what he had on his device. My purple line is back.

Arriving RW09 CGC