- Joined
- Oct 30, 2003
- Messages
- 18,357
- Location
- Santa Maria, California
- Aircraft
- Givens Predator
- Total Flight Time
- 2600+ in rotorcraft
Oops; actually 1,533
I have now landed at 63 airports and added six new to me airports since 1,400 hours as pilot in command.
HWD Hayward Executive, Hayward, California; a part of some very complex San Francisco airspace.
MER Castle Airport, Atwater, California; Used to be Castle Air force Base in the San Joaquin valley with a great museum and more concrete than I have seen in one place. I flew in for the Cal Pilots meeting.
SLI Los Alamitos Army Air base, Los Alamitos, California; my first experience flying into an active military base. Flew in for the Rotors, Wings and Wheels event; had a great time and met a lot of interesting people. Thank you Wayne.
REI Redlands Municipal Airport, Redlands, California: A nice little airport on the way to Palm Springs, visited and staid with friends.
PSP Palms Springs International Airport, Palm Springs, California; flew in for the Aviation Expo. It was my first time through the Banning pass which is famous of high winds and turbulence. I had carefully avoided it in the past by flying over the high desert when I was flying between Buckeye and Santa Maria.
SMO Santa Monica Municipal Airport, Santa Monica, California; an airport with quite a history, bleachers with sound to listen to ATC and watch landings. A lot of people want it closed. Flew in to meet some people from the Pilots of America Message Board. My first positive experience with flight following.
POC Brackett Field Airport, La Verne, California; a friend wanted to learn how to take off and land the Cavalon (Puff) and Cable has a rough, off camber downhill runway so we flew the five miles to bracket. The controller was Ryan, the air boss for the Cable air show and he took very good care of us.
Log Book entries:
986 hours cross country
16.1 hours night.
4,525 landings.
I flew in the Cable Air show and had a great time.
The second day was rained out.
That was my twelfth air show and the second in Puff.
I felt very comfortable tossing Puff around.
I have improved confidence in Puff’s ability to handle strong winds. I saw wind shear in the range of 20kts with a few 25knot wind shears with 30+knots of head wind flying in the turbulence of the coastal mountains on my way back from visiting my friend at Cable. This may be an example of overconfidence.
Overconfidence is still my primary nemesis.
I have successfully used flight following several times now. I had not been successful in the past.
I taught a multi-engine land, instrument/ helicopter pilot with no gyroplane experience to land and take off in Puff in an the first hour and a half lesson at an unfamiliar airport with a 3,361 foot, seventy five foot wide runway with a 1,200 foot hill at the end of the runway that causes a rotor midfield. POC has noise abatement procedures that had us making an early right turn at 100 feet above the ground. Winds were 14kts.
By the end of 2.6 hours of dual and two hours of ground instruction over two days he greased several landings and managed the takeoffs well in less than ideal conditions.
This is a prime example of my overconfidence as was the flight home with a weather front moving in.
Flight planning is getting easier and more fun for me.
My altitude control is improving even in very turbulent conditions. I can tell it lessens the workload for ATC when I am flying in busy controlled airspace.
I still don’t grease all my landings in Puff but I no longer take a deep breath before starting the descent.
I continue to learn about teaching people to fly. Either I am improving or I am getting better students. It is not unusual for them to fly to practical test standards in their second hour of instruction. As my experience grows I am getting better at the exchange of controls and explaining and demonstrating the maneuvers.
My love for flying gyroplanes continues to grow and I still learn from every flight.
It brings me pleasure to have my friends along on my gyroplane adventure.
Thank you, Vance
I have now landed at 63 airports and added six new to me airports since 1,400 hours as pilot in command.
HWD Hayward Executive, Hayward, California; a part of some very complex San Francisco airspace.
MER Castle Airport, Atwater, California; Used to be Castle Air force Base in the San Joaquin valley with a great museum and more concrete than I have seen in one place. I flew in for the Cal Pilots meeting.
SLI Los Alamitos Army Air base, Los Alamitos, California; my first experience flying into an active military base. Flew in for the Rotors, Wings and Wheels event; had a great time and met a lot of interesting people. Thank you Wayne.
REI Redlands Municipal Airport, Redlands, California: A nice little airport on the way to Palm Springs, visited and staid with friends.
PSP Palms Springs International Airport, Palm Springs, California; flew in for the Aviation Expo. It was my first time through the Banning pass which is famous of high winds and turbulence. I had carefully avoided it in the past by flying over the high desert when I was flying between Buckeye and Santa Maria.
SMO Santa Monica Municipal Airport, Santa Monica, California; an airport with quite a history, bleachers with sound to listen to ATC and watch landings. A lot of people want it closed. Flew in to meet some people from the Pilots of America Message Board. My first positive experience with flight following.
POC Brackett Field Airport, La Verne, California; a friend wanted to learn how to take off and land the Cavalon (Puff) and Cable has a rough, off camber downhill runway so we flew the five miles to bracket. The controller was Ryan, the air boss for the Cable air show and he took very good care of us.
Log Book entries:
986 hours cross country
16.1 hours night.
4,525 landings.
I flew in the Cable Air show and had a great time.
The second day was rained out.
That was my twelfth air show and the second in Puff.
I felt very comfortable tossing Puff around.
I have improved confidence in Puff’s ability to handle strong winds. I saw wind shear in the range of 20kts with a few 25knot wind shears with 30+knots of head wind flying in the turbulence of the coastal mountains on my way back from visiting my friend at Cable. This may be an example of overconfidence.
Overconfidence is still my primary nemesis.
I have successfully used flight following several times now. I had not been successful in the past.
I taught a multi-engine land, instrument/ helicopter pilot with no gyroplane experience to land and take off in Puff in an the first hour and a half lesson at an unfamiliar airport with a 3,361 foot, seventy five foot wide runway with a 1,200 foot hill at the end of the runway that causes a rotor midfield. POC has noise abatement procedures that had us making an early right turn at 100 feet above the ground. Winds were 14kts.
By the end of 2.6 hours of dual and two hours of ground instruction over two days he greased several landings and managed the takeoffs well in less than ideal conditions.
This is a prime example of my overconfidence as was the flight home with a weather front moving in.
Flight planning is getting easier and more fun for me.
My altitude control is improving even in very turbulent conditions. I can tell it lessens the workload for ATC when I am flying in busy controlled airspace.
I still don’t grease all my landings in Puff but I no longer take a deep breath before starting the descent.
I continue to learn about teaching people to fly. Either I am improving or I am getting better students. It is not unusual for them to fly to practical test standards in their second hour of instruction. As my experience grows I am getting better at the exchange of controls and explaining and demonstrating the maneuvers.
My love for flying gyroplanes continues to grow and I still learn from every flight.
It brings me pleasure to have my friends along on my gyroplane adventure.
Thank you, Vance