Vance
04-16-2012, 10:41 PM
Saturday was pretty windy because a big storm had just past through with thunderstorms and hail so I didn' fly and did worked on The Predator instead.
According to all the weather I could find Sunday was going to be a lovely day to fly.
I checked with Lockheed Martin and they had AIRMET Tango for moderate turbulence below 14,000 feet for most of Sothern California. They had two PIREPS for severe turbulence near Santa Barbara., one at 4,500 feet, just where we fly over the San Marcos Pass. There was a little more wind than I expected based on Saturdays weather predictions. Camarillo for lunch seemed reasonable.
Because I had done some work on the Predator on Saturday the preflight took more than an hour and it was almost noon when I heard the magic words; “Runway 30 clear for takeoff.
I was solo so I climbed up a little higher, ran her up to 75kts and headed for gas at Santa Ynez over the patch work of agriculture.
I was filling up when my friend pulled up with her Cub, N5EX and we exchanged some pleasantries.
I felt in a hurry to get to Camarillo before I was too hungry so I was trying to stay focused when four friends of mine showed up and invited me to lunch. So much for my Camarillo plans.
They are Tricycle pilots I spent some time trying to explain that a gyroplane was not controlled by weight shift. We had two MEs, a PHD and an MD. I suspect that at least one is not convinced and still feels The Predator is weight shift like their tricycles.
We caught a cab into town and after a delightful lunch and lots of good restaurant flying. We called the cab and headed back to IZA and started checking the weather in the pilots lounge.
Several airports were over my gust limit but my tricycle friends seemed undaunted. One is based out of Santa Paula so he still had a ways to go.
I decided to explore the newly green hills with splashes of yellow from the blooming mustard and make my way back toward SMX.
I love trying to understand the winds as they caress the hills and I love the lush green after a good rain.
It did not take long to find some mustard and some lift along the ridgeline.
The rugged hills turned to green rolling hills and we had to turn right before we got to Vandenberg’s restricted airspace.
I checked SMX ATIS and the winds had picked up to 295 degrees at 16kts gusting to 27kts so I decided to do some stop and goes and experiment with the gusts to see if I could raise my 10 kt gust spread limit.
I was to report the Orcutt Y. I had a Sikorsky at my 3 o’clock and a half mile and I had a very hard time finding him so I dropped down to 800 feet along California highway 1 and was to report the Orcutt Y for a left base entry for runway 30. He had around 5kts on us and had to cross our flight path to land on taxiway Hotel.
I asked for left closed traffic and worked the pattern for close to an hour. I pretty much had the field to myself as the winds picked up. I feel I learned a lot in my 15 landings.
Some of the six wind socks I watch were showing almost a direct cross when there was a gust even though the steady wind was only 15 degrees off straight down the runway. I was reminded on at least half the landings why I have a 10kt gust spread limit.
I love to learn and I love to fly.
Thank you, Vance
According to all the weather I could find Sunday was going to be a lovely day to fly.
I checked with Lockheed Martin and they had AIRMET Tango for moderate turbulence below 14,000 feet for most of Sothern California. They had two PIREPS for severe turbulence near Santa Barbara., one at 4,500 feet, just where we fly over the San Marcos Pass. There was a little more wind than I expected based on Saturdays weather predictions. Camarillo for lunch seemed reasonable.
Because I had done some work on the Predator on Saturday the preflight took more than an hour and it was almost noon when I heard the magic words; “Runway 30 clear for takeoff.
I was solo so I climbed up a little higher, ran her up to 75kts and headed for gas at Santa Ynez over the patch work of agriculture.
I was filling up when my friend pulled up with her Cub, N5EX and we exchanged some pleasantries.
I felt in a hurry to get to Camarillo before I was too hungry so I was trying to stay focused when four friends of mine showed up and invited me to lunch. So much for my Camarillo plans.
They are Tricycle pilots I spent some time trying to explain that a gyroplane was not controlled by weight shift. We had two MEs, a PHD and an MD. I suspect that at least one is not convinced and still feels The Predator is weight shift like their tricycles.
We caught a cab into town and after a delightful lunch and lots of good restaurant flying. We called the cab and headed back to IZA and started checking the weather in the pilots lounge.
Several airports were over my gust limit but my tricycle friends seemed undaunted. One is based out of Santa Paula so he still had a ways to go.
I decided to explore the newly green hills with splashes of yellow from the blooming mustard and make my way back toward SMX.
I love trying to understand the winds as they caress the hills and I love the lush green after a good rain.
It did not take long to find some mustard and some lift along the ridgeline.
The rugged hills turned to green rolling hills and we had to turn right before we got to Vandenberg’s restricted airspace.
I checked SMX ATIS and the winds had picked up to 295 degrees at 16kts gusting to 27kts so I decided to do some stop and goes and experiment with the gusts to see if I could raise my 10 kt gust spread limit.
I was to report the Orcutt Y. I had a Sikorsky at my 3 o’clock and a half mile and I had a very hard time finding him so I dropped down to 800 feet along California highway 1 and was to report the Orcutt Y for a left base entry for runway 30. He had around 5kts on us and had to cross our flight path to land on taxiway Hotel.
I asked for left closed traffic and worked the pattern for close to an hour. I pretty much had the field to myself as the winds picked up. I feel I learned a lot in my 15 landings.
Some of the six wind socks I watch were showing almost a direct cross when there was a gust even though the steady wind was only 15 degrees off straight down the runway. I was reminded on at least half the landings why I have a 10kt gust spread limit.
I love to learn and I love to fly.
Thank you, Vance