A flight to nowhere!

Vance

Gyroplane CFI
Staff member
Joined
Oct 30, 2003
Messages
18,357
Location
Santa Maria, California
Aircraft
Givens Predator
Total Flight Time
2600+ in rotorcraft
It rained all day Saturday and was stormy.

We got up early Sunday hoping to fly. I checked ATIS and the temperature and the dew point were the same. I didn’t know what this meant so I asked the forum and called my hanger mate John Ready. John felt it was a mistake and there were some good explanations on the forum. I called the next ATIS and there was a ten degree spread but the wind was up to 9kts at 290 degrees.

We drove down to the airport trying to imagine the best destination. There was some doings at Santa Paula so that seemed like the ticket. It felt like a warm summer day.

My small part of the doings at Santa Paula interrupted the pre-flight and then an 89 year old worker from the Santa Maria Museum of flight was going to carry an extending ladder from the hanger next door over to the Museum. I stopped to help him. After a few more interruptions we were ready.

As we started to roll the rotor seemed to wander around a little too much so we stopped to readjust my rotor brake and we were ready to go.

The wind was starting to come up and the new ATIS came out with the winds at 280 degrees at 13kts. We filled up with gas and called ground with my new abbreviated radio call. “Santa Maria Ground, Experimental Gyroplane 142 Mike Golf at Chevron, Romeo, taxi 30.”

Off we went and I showed Ed the magneto and carburetor check. She had not known what I was doing.

I asked for a left downwind departure to the south and it was approved and 30 was clear for takeoff.

It was warm enough for the takeoff to be leisurely. Once we had established climb out she climbed at 300 feet per minute.

It was bumpy as we headed toward the Lompoc Valley and we were running 75 miles per hour ground speed at 50 miles per hour indicated airspeed. We slipped over the first ridgeline and picked up some lift on the windward side and some sink on the lee side.

There were strange pockets of fog in some of the Valleys but it was generally clear. We slipped over a second ridgeline to a valley with a lot of orchards. We started over the next range of hills and the ride became a little too rocky. I could see the fog line over the ocean as the Predator shook her tail. We headed toward Santa Ynez.

Santa Ynez seemed particularly busy and some of the pilots sounded stressed. I felt we were a little underpowered to climb the 5,000 feet to clear the San Marcos Pass on a windy day. We decided to take the long way back to Santa Maria. We wandered from valley to valley as we worked our way slowly north. Sometimes we would follow the winding roads and sometimes we would shoot for a distant point. We overflew the funny private airstrip and some monster houses.

Ten miles to the east of the airport I took my deep breath to make my radio call. The tower was busy and I was nine miles out before I could get a word in. The winds had come up and were 270 at 22kts gusting to 28kts. I was told to make a straight in to 30 and report 3 miles. About 4 miles out I was told to make a left turn and follow the Piper, report in sight. I reported the piper in sight and I was number two. As I settled into to my 28 mile per approach they decided to take off a Brizillia that was holding short. I acknowledged the Brizilia and told Ed that this would be a little exciting. She thought I meant it would be fun.

There were three aircraft lined up on final behind us and one waiting to take off. I hit my spot but she didn’t really want to stop flying so I went around and let the tower know my intentions. He had us fly a left closed pattern and report mid field. Before I could report mid field we were number two behind the Bonanza. I reported the Bonanza in sight and I was cleared for 30 number two behind the Bonanza. We were even with the numbers as the Bonanza crossed the threshold. I cut the power 500 rpm and began my crosswind. Ed tapped me on the shoulder and pointed out another Bonanza on short final on a collision course. Just then the tower boomed “Experimental 2 Mike Golf turn right.” I was turning right before the words were out of his mouth. I was told to follow the Bonanza and that I had almost cut him off.

I asked for a wind check and it came back 260 at 22 gusting to 29. I told the tower that there would be a delay on the runway while I managed my rotor blades. He came back, “take your time; there is no one behind you.” I had some power in as she started to touch down. She touched down her left tire and then climbed back up about six inches. I played with the power and briefly hovered a few inches over the runway turning slowly anticlockwise. We touched down on both mains at a complete stop. I was now pointed directly into the wind holding my spot. Full forward with the rotor and at 100 rpm I turned off on the taxiway with the rotor tipped into the wind. I was told to taxi to parking and monitor ground .9. As soon as I could I turned into the wind until the blades came to a stop. The trouble I anticipated never arose.

As Ed filled her up I checked with her and she confirmed my understanding and sequence of the radio calls. They were both V tail Bonanzas. I don’t know how to do it better. The second one had last talked to the tower 5 miles out and easily could have been the first. I should have understood what was going on better, somehow I missed that there were two Bonanzas on a straight in for 30.

I didn’t have the shake I get when I scare myself and Ed had confidence in me. I loved how much less drama there was compared to earlier encounters with gusting winds.

Ed took over 300 pictures and here are 16 of them.

Thank you, Vance
 

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Eight more of Ed's pictures that tell the story.
 

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Vance, in my mind the controller and you share the responsibility for the unnecessary excitement. You should, of course, have formed a mental picture of the situation telling you that there were TWO Bonanzas on final. The controller -- and in my opionion he's got the larger share of responsibility for this -- should have properly told you that you were number THREE following the Bonanza on final. Also, it would have been real nice if he had told you to be number three following the second Bonanza on final.

-- Chris.
 
Thank you Chris,

It is me and my sweet heart plus a Bonanza pilot that will get hurt so we are responsible.

I need to understand that there is more than one Bonanza flying. They all look the same to me.

It was a good lesson that I didn’t have to pay for, I am grateful to have once again dodged the bullet.

We saw him in time to not get closer than three hundred feet. It is extra scary for me because I have to figure out how close we are from ground reference and it takes me a while to process.

I was preoccupied with watching the wind socks.

Thank you, Vance
 
Maybe you do this already but you could ask Ed to help you spot any traffic on final.
Be extra careful with your reduced vision, it is much harder to spot moving traffic.
 
Good suggestion Yves,

Edna is always watching and she often spots aircraft before I do. She did in this case.

She is the only way I have to watch behind if I think there is someone coming up behind. I have played with mirrors and I may find a good way to make a mirror work.

I mention the incident here only to remind people that they need to keep looking for traffic. It was not nearly as challenging as the gusting wind.

I looked at the NTSB preliminary reports and there were none in California due to winds.

Sometimes we eat lunch overlooking the runway and it is clear that some of the Fixed wings have more trouble with the wind than we do.

Thank you, Vance
 
Dopelgangers

Dopelgangers

Vance,

Your story reminds me of another sticky situation that can occur besides duplicate airplanes. Always be EXTRA careful when you are talking to a controller who is handling two or more aircraft with similar tail numbers. This is especially true when the last three characters are identical or even similar.

Pilots and controllers alike have a tendency to use shorthand and just use the last two or three characters after the initial contact. We are taught to do so.

Consider the following example of two N-numbers in a traffic area: N1234D and N8934D. Both might answer to a request from a controller for "34D" even if the aircraft type is different. Worse, the wrong aircraft may respond.

This will happen to you eventually as much as you are flying. Be aware it can happen, and I recommend you advise the controller that a similar call sign is on the frequency when you next respond and begin responding with your full call sign if a duplicate or similar call sign is operating in your vicinity.

Verbal/mental dyslexia is also a risk in this situation. Using the examples above, a call to or from "34D" could easily be mistaken for "43D" in a busy situation. Like everything else, it is important to stay alert and focused in a traffic area and in all communications with ATC or other aircraft.

*JC*

BTW...I fly a V-tail Bonanza....there are lots and lots of us still flying. They are excellent aircraft (I freely admit a bias).
 
As Ed filled her up I checked with her and she confirmed my understanding and sequence of the radio calls. They were both V tail Bonanzas. I don’t know how to do it better. The second one had last talked to the tower 5 miles out and easily could have been the first. I should have understood what was going on better, somehow I missed that there were two Bonanzas on a straight in for 30.

I'm surprised that the tower allowed and operated in such a slack, sloppy manner. I was always taught to identify myself by using the aircraft type and at least the last three call letters; i.e., "Tower, this is Brantly 76 Uniform ..."

Another little "trick" I was taught years ago (helps to be in an enclosed cockpit for this to work well) is when spotting another aerial traveler, keep an eye on him and if he appears to be on an intersecting course, wet your finger tip with your tounge and make a mark on the inside of the bubble where he appears. If you continue on your course and he on his, should he remain in or very close to that blurred mark you just made - begin evading, the two of you will probably collide; can ruin your whole day.

For what it's worth ...

tyc
 
Thank you Jon.

That is good advice for all pilots, I appreciate you sharing it.

Santa Barbara approach once got my tail number wrong 4 times. I kept saying is slower and he kept speeding up.

I may have a tendency to identify the word Bonanza before I remember the tail number. I am not good at recognizing the different types of aircraft. The distinctive V tail on the Bonanza and the Mooney tail are two that I can recognize although I have trouble with the models and their pattern speed. I would like to get a copy of the quick reference that the tower has. I can also identify an MD80 and a Brazillia.

My memory challenge is very specific, unrelated short term memory. If I can reference to something I am familiar with it becomes related short term memory and I generally test in the 90th percentile.

Thank you, Vance

Thank you for the tip Ted.

In my experience, challenges develop a little faster than that. Perhaps I don’t spot aircraft far enough away.

The tower uses the type and tail number on initial contact. Once you are cleared to land there is generally no further radio communication. They often clear people for a strait in from 10 miles out. They often clear me from five miles out and then modify the clearance and put someone ahead of me. They generally don’t have people fly the pattern, preferring a base entry on a straight in approach.

Ed and I discussed this event on our walk this morning and she does not remember any tower communication after my aborted landing other than with me. She said that the controller sounded tense to her. She doesn’t like it that ATC blamed me for almost cutting off the other Bonanza.

I don’t want to over focus on this incident. It is not the first time the tower has made a mistake with me and it had multiple safe paths to resolution. I think it points out that I should not focus on the wind sock until I turn final. I have a bad habit of watching the wind socks for changes in direction. There are six windsocks that I watch in the pattern that help me understand what the wind is doing. They are seldom consistent. Probably only the one where I am going to touch down is important and then only on short final. I will get better at this as my confidence in my ability to manage landings increases.

Thank you, Vance
 
I just found out from John Ready that there was a gathering of Bonanzas this last weekend at Santa Maria. He said there was more than 50 aircraft.

Ed thought ATC sounded tense, no wonder, 50 transient high performance aircraft, many with low performance weekend pilots.

The number one lesson I will take from this is to be more vigilant looking for traffic on final no matter what the tower says. At SMX ATC is fond of the ten mile final and it is difficult to see incoming aircraft because they are close to a hill they call camelback and lost in the ground clutter even if I am below them.

Thank you, Vance
 
Phenomenal photos!

You should enter this one in some contests!

I would love to see an uncompressed version of it!

attachment.php
 
Thank you Tim,

I love Edna’s pictures. They always tell a story.

That one is about landing in a gusting wind; having been there I can feel my struggle to line up and the fear of the unknown challenge about to unfold. This is the aborted landing and there are three aircraft behind me and one ready to take off and yet I feel very alone in the face of adversity. I suspect you have been there and that is why this photograph speaks to you.

I have been posting so many; I hesitate to make them big.

I add a lot of words too.

I have not mastered the technology to make them big; I only recently learned how to make the little ones get big.

I have empathy for the people who have the slow connection speed and I know they prefer thumbnails.

I also feel that with the thumbnails that people can follow along with the story.

I will see if I can get Ed to post a few of the more artistic ones..

Thank you, Vance
 
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I went to an FAA safety meeting tonight about airspace and one of the fellows from the tower was there. I asked him if he was in the tower on Sunday and he was not. I told him of the situation on Sunday and asked him what I could have done better. He told me that I should report the traffic in sight and the location. In this case at my ten o’clock or on short final. This would help ATC to determine if I had the correct aircraft.

I also learned a lot about airspace and where special VFR ends.

Tomorrow night I am going to one in Santa Barbara about aeronautical decision making.

Thank you, Vance
 
... 50 transient high performance aircraft, many with low performance weekend pilots.

... one lesson I will take from this is to be more vigilant looking for traffic on final no matter what the tower says.

This is not intended as a "slap" at you so please don't take this the wrong way but I couldn't have said it better if I tried.

tyc
 
Thank you Ted, I am not sure what you are saying.

I found most of the Bonanza pilots to be good pilots. Some were not up to the capibilities of their aircraft.

The fundamental leson was that it is my responsibility to look out for myself. I am not likely to find a way to change the way that ATC works, I can change how I respond to the situation.

Thank you, Vance
 
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... I am not sure what you are saying.
... The fundamental leson was that it is my responsibility to look out for myself.

It's like driving a car ... all the others out there, the ones behind you, in the other lane(s) coming at you as well as the ones ahead of you - you have to underestand, they're all out there trying to kill you! :)

tyc
 
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