Pilot's Blog

Fly 'til it Hurts

2008-06-19T05:32:11Z

I spent 14 hours in the pilot's seat over three days. After that my back was in a knot. I don't know how the long haul truck drivers do it.

Last week I did a run to Fresno and had the day to kill while there. My Iphone has been giving me trouble and I learned that Fresno had an Apple Store, so I set out on my folding bike to find the mall. Along the way I got a good look at downtown Fresno. What a sad state of affairs. It looked as if there had been a heyday perhaps in the 30s and 40s, but today there are these impressive old buildings and wide streets with no people around to occupy them. I was, however, impressed by the hospital I saw near the downtown. The mall was impressive as well compared to anything in the North State.

I also made two round trips to San Diego area, one to pick up my sister's family to bring them to Chico for my parent's 50th anniversary party. We had a great time at Canyon Oaks while parts of Paradise burned. I will blog a bit more about my parents later.

On Sunday I will fly out to Moab, Utah for a mountain biking expedition in the San Juan Mountains. I will blog about that upon my return.

Convection

2008-06-10T05:53:58Z

The family and I were out on the coast last week. I invited a friend of mine and his family to fly out for an afternoon and have lunch (He is a fellow pilot and owns a Cirrus SR20). The weather on the coast was beautiful so I figured it wouldn't be a problem. Later that afternoon, he called to tell me they had tried to fly out but had been forced to turn back because of the thunder heads over the mountains. He said he had climbed to 13,000 feet and the clouds were building faster than he was climbing. This condition lasted for several days over the mountains, so when we loaded up to go back to the valley the next afternoon, I was unsure of what we would find over the high country. Once at altitude and heading east, sure enough there they were. A line of tall cumulus clouds were right in our path. The clouds looked quite a bit lower to the south down towards Clear Lake, so I altered my course and started climbing. With my wife in her "condition" (she is 8 months pregnant), I wanted to stay as low as possible to avoid any negative effects of reduced air pressure. As it was, I climbed as high as 12,000 feet to get over the top. She was not amused as her tummy swelled. Once over the top I descended down to a more comfortable altitude and we were glad to be almost home.

Flying to Utah

2008-05-19T19:26:00Z

I flew out to Moab, Utah for some mountain bicycling several years ago. I was flying an airplane which I had only flown for the last month prior, and I was still learning some of the ins and outs of the bird. It was an older Piper Cherokee with a tired engine and unreliable fuel gauges. It had four separate fuel tanks, two on each wing.

As we climbed out of the cool, cloudy and green Sacramento Valley, I leveled off at 11,500 feet to cross the still snow capped Sierra Nevada. Once clearing the range, the landscape went to barren mountains and white, salt crusted valleys. Without warning, high above the nothingness, the engine went quiet. I pitched the airplane down to avoid a stall, then went to work checking the systems. I turned on the auxiliary fuel pump and switched fuel tanks...the engine roared back to life. Phew. The left tip tank guage still registered a quarter tank, but clearly it was empty.

My lovely wife had turned a ghostly shade of white, but upon hearing the engine return to normal, her color returned. I took the blame for not being aware of the fuel situation. Since this incident I always am aware of how much time I have been on a tank, how much time is left, and cross check that number with the fuel guage.

We made it across the desert unscathed, and enjoyed the rest of the flight. I got to ride the famous Slick Rock Trail and the Porcupine Rim Trail. This summer I plan to return, this time in my new airplane, for more adventures.

Fire Spotters

2008-05-16T22:48:22Z

Yesterday I flew from the mountains to the sea and back again. I was up over Lake Almanor when I heard a fellow pilot over the radio. She was describing the location of a fire in the forest east of Lake Oroville to the air traffic controller. He said he would send the information down the line. As I crossed the area a few minutes later, I could see the smoke plume rising from the green forest. This morning, there it was, on the front page of the ER. Pilots of small planes are often the first to see and report fires.

Bike Week

2008-05-09T16:26:32Z

The Chico ER has had several articles of late about bicycle commuting. The combination of "Bike Week" and the unprecedented price of auto fuel has created the "perfect storm" for the bicycling advocates to get their point across. As a devoted bicycle enthusiast, I have read with interest the various tips and motivations for getting out there to ride. I haven't yet read anything that really gets at the objections most people have to bicycle commuting. So I thought I might file a series of blog entries with tips to someone thinking about using a bike to replace their car. I think the news articles have missed a lot of important information which could be helpful.

Tip 1: Don't ride a shiny, new expensive bike. You know, like the person on the cover of the ER today. Even if it doesn't get stolen the first week, you will stress out over it every time you ride. Next time you are downtown, take a look at some of the bikes you see in the racks. The best commuter bikes are converted old road and touring bikes with slick tires and ugly, scratched up paint jobs. I'm not talking about junk here. The key is to have an ugly, older bike that rides really well. This can be achieved by scouring the newspaper or ebay. Find an old road bike (say, 90's vintage) in good shape THAT FITS YOU. Then take it to your local bike shop and say you want to convert it to a "townie". They'll know what you mean. Mid-size slick tires, upright handlebars, comfortable seat, rack and pannier. If you shop wisely it won't cost much money, and it can be fun picking out the pieces. Put stickers all over it or give it a nasty spray paint job to repel thieves....I'm telling you it really works. You will still have to lock it to discourage "joy riders", but the drug addicts won't see your bike as a quick score, so a cheap lock is all you need.

I'll continue this discussion at a later date.

Taking Off Heavy

2008-05-09T00:19:51Z

I picked up some folks in Susanville the other day. Between the size of the passengers, their baggage, and the full fuel tanks, I was very near the "gross weight" of 3600 lbs on takeoff. Gross weight is the maximum total weight an airplane is rated by the manufacturer. The 6X's 300 horses do not usually have a problem with heavy loads, but Susanville is in the mountains at an altitude of more than 4000 feet, and it was a fairly warm day. This creates what pilots call a "high density altitude", which results in reduced engine performance and decreased lift. The bottom line is you need more runway to get off the ground, and once airborne, you climb slower than you would at sea level.

As we slowly climbed out to the west, I was wondering if the passengers noticed how slow we were climbing. About that time, one of the men said, "This plane sure climbs well! Most airplanes I've been in need to circle to climb out of the valley!"

Ti George

2008-05-07T04:25:30Z

My best friend's father passed away this week. He was 81 years old. I called him Ti George, Ti (pronounced tee) meaning "uncle" in portuguese. I wasn't able to attend his funeral on Monday because I was flying all over the place. Ti George's life was extremely well lived. If a man can be measured by the sheer number of people paying tribute to him, then Ti George was a well loved and great man indeed. If the love and happiness shared by his five adult children and slew of grandchildren are any indication, then Ti George and his tireless wife Delores have made this world a much better place during their 50+ year marriage.

Ti George and his family have been in the same country house near my home airport for my entire life. When I was learning to fly 25 years ago, and as recently as yesterday, I would often make a low pass over the house just to say HI and see what they all were up to. Many times I would see Ti George standing outside his shop, waving (or was he shaking his fist?) at me as I rocked the wings.

Ti George was a "cool" dad who would stop and hang out with a bunch of teenage boys on his way into the house. His positive attitude and great story telling ability has been handed down to not only his kids, but also his grandkids. The last thing I ever said to Ti George was that I loved him, and through his pain he smiled and said he loved me too. Man, am I glad I got that opportunity.

Cancelled Airline Flights

2008-04-14T23:27:01Z

It seems that many airlines are having trouble these days. My In-laws were booked to go to Hawaii on Aloha and found themselves scrambling to get new flights. Then the latest was the grounding by the FAA of a large number of commercial aircraft because of an emergency airworthiness directive (AD). As annoying as this may have been for some passengers, it is actually a good thing to ensure that the fleet is safe to fly. I myself have been grounded by an AD until I could get the proper inspection or repair. Some of the ADs do seem silly, but the FAA can't and shouldn't take chances with the flying public.

I keep waiting for the cost of airline tickets to go up, not just a little but a lot. The airlines seem to compete themselves right out of business. Thirty or more years ago, middle class people would have to scrimp and save before booking a trip to Hawaii, or Europe, or even Las Vegas. And when you travelled like that you planned to stay a while to make the most of those dollars used just to get there. It was such a big deal to take a trip, and it felt like a great, hard earned luxury. More recently people have thought nothing of flying across country for the weekend and then back again, even on a regular basis. I recognize that this represents more commerce and some economic benefit, but still it seems that something has been lost.

Here is the bird at the beach

2008-04-09T23:35:16Z

View image

Skiddish Passengers

2008-04-09T22:52:13Z

The idea of flying in a single engine aircraft makes more than a few people anxious. It is not uncommon for me to have to try to calm the nerves of a passenger. I usually try to have the talk before getting into the aircraft. The most important thing for me to do is to find out what exactly is the fear based upon. Most people feel safer in a large jet than a small plane, and statistically the larger planes have fewer accidents because of better trained pilots and more reliable engines. The nice thing about small planes is that if they do lose power, the chances of a survivable forced landing are excellent. I would rather contact rough ground in a 3000 lb plane at 50 mph than in a 20 ton bullet going 200 mph. Either scenario is extremely rare. I guess thats why it always makes headlines when it happens.

This past week I flew an entire family, plus the mother in law, down to Palm Springs. I knew that I had at least one worried passenger when the husband asked me when is the smoothest time of day to fly. I told him in the morning, but that it could vary. He said he had had to do some "convincing" with his wife. It turns out her biggest fear was motion sickness. The route to Palm Springs has some notoriously bumpy air as you cross the Tehachapi, Cajon and Hemet Passes, so I was bit worried myself. I assured her that I would take every precaution to keep the bumpy air to a minimum, but I could not guarantee that there would be no turbulence. As it turned out the bumps were pretty mild as we slowly descended into the Coachella Valley, and no barf bags were needed. After dropping them off and having lunch, I headed back alone. The wind had picked up, and I was glad to be alone as I climbed because this time through the pass it was rockin' and rollin'.

The Cost of Flying

2008-04-01T22:41:20Z

The least expensive airplane fuel around is $4.63 per gallon. My airplane averages about 15 gallons per hour, so it adds up pretty fast. The cost of the fuel is only a fraction of the total costs of flying your own airplane, although that fraction has grown a bit lately. One way to save fuel is to lean out the air to fuel mixture, which burns the fuel more efficiently, but hotter. My mechanic says that this is foolish as a little extra fuel burnt is much cheaper than a burnt valve or melted piston. Everyone is talking these days about the high cost of transportation fuels and how it affecting their lives. It is definitely making people think about the choices they make, and I think that it is about time we all did, but that doesn't make it any less painful. I don't know where it will all lead in the coming years, but I doubt it will be good for my fledgling aircraft charter business.

Today is my little girl's 4th birthday and she is in seventh heaven. Zoe is amazingly smart. I think her brain is soaking up the world so fast that it sometimes makes her head spin. Having a girl has been such a joyous experience in our lives, it makes you wonder why anyone would ever choose not to. Happy birthday, little one!

The Bicyclist

2008-03-30T17:22:49Z

I just read the latest entry from another NorCal Blog, "26.2 Reasons Why" in which the writer lists 10 wishes he as a cyclist has for the motorists who may or may not share the road with him. Dennis Shmidt makes some great points and is very diplomatic in trying to make a car driver understand the plight of the road cyclist. The battle between cyclists and drivers has some interesting dynamics which you don't always see between two groups who must share the same resource (the road).

Obviously the motorists out there outnumber the cyclists by 1000 to 1 or more. The american driver, sealed from the world in his protective, air conditioned, sound proofed bubble tends to see everything and everyone else on the road as either a threat or an obstacle. The cyclist is too small to be seen as as threat, so he is therefore seen as an obstacle. The interesting thing about this conflict is that probably less than one percent of motorists are also cyclists, so very few of them see the cyclists perspective. The opposite is true for the cyclist, however, since 99% of cyclists are also motorists. Being a cyclist will help a person to be a more thoughtful motorist, to see that those obstacles are actually people.

Dennis, in his blog, tries to appeal to the better nature of motorists so that they will see the cyclists as a fellow human being. That is a good thing. But also consider this; Many of those cyclists out there, and I have met them personally, are lawyers, judges, doctors and professionals of all kind. If you take one of them out you may find yourself in a criminal and or civil lawsuit that could ruin your entire decade. A few extra feet of space can change the destiny of many lives.

Windy Spring Days

2008-03-27T16:55:20Z

Today is yet another breezy day in Northern California. Many people assume that if it is windy on the ground than it must not be safe to fly a small airplane. It is true that extreme surface winds can be problematic when trying to land, especially if those winds are gusty or are crossing the runway. There have been many times, however, that I have departed the windy surface to find smooth air and lighter winds up above. The winds can be very strong aloft, say 50 mph, but still be quite smooth, and if you are lucky enough to be going the same direction, you get there much more quickly.

I have not mentioned in this blog that I am a regular runner. I try to run from 3 to 6 miles every morning before breakfast. It is by far the best way I can think of to begin a typical day, and the health benefits for me have been enormous. When I started running two years ago, I weighed 185 lbs and thought I was in great shape. For the last year I have been steady at 165 lbs, and headed into my mid 40s, thats a good place to be. Running is like many things that are worthwhile, in that it is very difficult and frustrating, even painful, when you are trying to get started. It is very tempting to quit early on, but if you stick it out, don't quit and learn the right way of doing things, it gets much more easy and fun. This is also true with guitar, golf, skiing, piano, marriage, parenting and a million other worthwhile pursuits.

Switching to Apple

2008-03-26T16:34:01Z

I am typing this on my new MacBook after all these years of using a Windows system. So far the transition is pretty easy. It all started when I got an Iphone for Christmas, and now with my birthday upon me my wonderful and thoughtful wife got me my very own supercool laptop. My travels have taken me more and more to places that offer WiFi, and this little baby will keep me entertained and connected while I'm away. Plus now I don't have to share!

I had an early morning flight into Palo Alto on Monday. I must admit I have been enamored with the San Francisco Bay since I was a kid. It has so many recognizable landmarks from the air. This morning had a finger of fog reaching through the Golden Gate and gently touching the Berkeley Pier as it spread out to the north and south. Oakland Airport was obscured, but downtown San Francisco stood out in the first rays of sun. San Francisco International had its omnipresent procession of airliners approaching from the southeast. My route into Palo Alto had me ducking under that procession at the Dumbarton Bridge. As I let down I had a great view of Moffitt Field and the Shoreline Amphitheatre, and I could see the the clock tower at Stanford University just to the west. Palo Alto Airport is a busy place, with hundreds of small planes parked and moving about. The facility is one fourth the size of Chico Airport, but many times more active.

Flying in Circles

2008-03-20T03:46:57Z

This week had me from Chico to Visalia and back, plus a trip out to the north coast, and tomorrow down to San Luis Obispo and back. I ran into some clouds and weather on the coast trip, a condition known to pilots as IMC. This stands for "instrument meteorologic conditions", which means you can't see anything. The plane I fly now makes instrument flying a little too easy. The instrumentation and computers give you incredible "situational awareness" in the clouds. It even tells you the weather report and if other planes are in your vicinity...very cool. I love to pop out below the clouds to see the runway right in front of the airplane, but I must admit that clear conditions make for the best flying.

On the way back from the coast, I looked back into the passenger compartment to see my wife and my two youngest children all fast asleep. If I can land without anyone waking up, I know I've made a good one.