- Joined
- Oct 30, 2003
- Messages
- 18,391
- Location
- Santa Maria, California
- Aircraft
- Givens Predator
- Total Flight Time
- 2600+ in rotorcraft
We were having Thanks Giving Dinner at Darlene’s house, Ed’s sister at 3:15.
The Spirit of San Luis was closed and I wanted to save room for the pie and pudding anyway.
I studied for a while for my commercial until the siren’s song became too loud for me to resist.
I could see well across the Santa Maria Valley. There was a slight mist.
I thought I would just go down to the hanger and clean up a little and maybe do some stop and goes.
I did an extra careful preflight and greased the teeter bearings and spherical rod ends in the control system.
I spent some time with the Los Angles TAC planning my passage to Cable airport. I find the airspace challenging with the mountains rising up steeply very close to the edge of the air space of some of the airports. The LAX class B airspace is over the top of it all.
The song was getting louder in my head.
I grabbed a bite to eat down the street from the airport and when I returned I rolled The Predator outside and cleaned the rotor blades.
It was t shirt weather in November.
Wind at SMX was “light and variable.”
Where can I go for two and a half hours? I do not want to be late for Thanks Giving dinner.
I called Lockheed Martin for a flight to IZA and “there is no adverse weather to report along your route of flight.”
I felt unusually distracted so I worked my way though the preflight check list carefully. I pulled out my Los Angles Sectional and folded it appropriately.
SMX seemed deserted as I fired her up and checked ATIS as she settled into a steady idle. I called ground with Juliet for a taxi to runway 30.
The run up went well; I switched to mode C, tower frequency and pulled up to the hold short line.
I called the tower for a left downwind departure to the east south east.
“Experimental 142 Mike Golf runway 30 clear for takeoff, left downwind departure approved.”
It felt kind of dream like with the lack of wind as I richened the mixture, advanced the throttle, pressed the prerotator button and headed for the centerline.
The nose was soon up and she smoothly handled the transition to flight.
I pulled the power back and let her climb out at 100 feet per minute.
We turned downwind and there was no wind. The IAS was within a knot or two of the GPS ground speed.
I followed California Highway One for a while and then cut diagonally across the rolling hills toward a low spot in the ridgeline.
I was soon playing motorcycle in the sky following a little dirt road along a ridge.
I love these hills. They are full of secret valleys and are usually turbulent. The air was silky smooth as we banked left and right occasionally jumping to a different road.
We were around five miles east of Lompoc (LPC) at 1,700 MSL and I was monitoring the LPC CTAF.
A Cessna called in; “Lompoc area traffic, Cessna 147 Lima Charlie five miles to the East for a straight in for runway 25 traffic permitting.”
“Lompoc area traffic; White Gyroplane five miles to the east of Lompoc over the ridgeline outbound at 1,700 feet, Lompoc.”
Two minutes later he called in as said he was established on a straight in for 25 five miles to the east descending through 2,300 feet.
I never saw him and he never acknowledged me. It was a reminder to stay vigilant even when flying where most people don’t. I looked over my shoulder and could see straight down runway 25 but the Cessna was apparently lost in the ground clutter.
We wandered across the valley watching for two out bound aircraft form Lompoc.
12 miles from Santa Inez (IZA) I checked the ASOS and tuned to the IZA CTAF. I called; “Santa Inez Area traffic, white gyroplane 10 miles west at 1,700 feet, inbound to land, left traffic for 26, Santa Inez.”
I called at five miles west over the quarry, inbound on the 45 over the river bridge, left downwind mid field, turning left base, turning final and clear of the active.
We flew a simulate engine out from 1,700 feet on short final. It is amazing how precise I can be with no wind.
We taxied to transient parking and sat in the afterglow enjoying the sun and watching the occasional landing.
A nice man that I had met at Santa Paula rode up on his bicycle and asked me about the flight. He could understand the joy I found in low and slow. He said he could not come up with an excuse to fly so he had washed his Ercoupe.
My friend Mitch with his Mooney was also there to put up a flyer for the Oceano toy run December 1.
He was in a similar dream like state and we gave thanks for a lovely flight to Santa Ynez; our little slice of paradise on this November day.
Thank you, Vance
The Spirit of San Luis was closed and I wanted to save room for the pie and pudding anyway.
I studied for a while for my commercial until the siren’s song became too loud for me to resist.
I could see well across the Santa Maria Valley. There was a slight mist.
I thought I would just go down to the hanger and clean up a little and maybe do some stop and goes.
I did an extra careful preflight and greased the teeter bearings and spherical rod ends in the control system.
I spent some time with the Los Angles TAC planning my passage to Cable airport. I find the airspace challenging with the mountains rising up steeply very close to the edge of the air space of some of the airports. The LAX class B airspace is over the top of it all.
The song was getting louder in my head.
I grabbed a bite to eat down the street from the airport and when I returned I rolled The Predator outside and cleaned the rotor blades.
It was t shirt weather in November.
Wind at SMX was “light and variable.”
Where can I go for two and a half hours? I do not want to be late for Thanks Giving dinner.
I called Lockheed Martin for a flight to IZA and “there is no adverse weather to report along your route of flight.”
I felt unusually distracted so I worked my way though the preflight check list carefully. I pulled out my Los Angles Sectional and folded it appropriately.
SMX seemed deserted as I fired her up and checked ATIS as she settled into a steady idle. I called ground with Juliet for a taxi to runway 30.
The run up went well; I switched to mode C, tower frequency and pulled up to the hold short line.
I called the tower for a left downwind departure to the east south east.
“Experimental 142 Mike Golf runway 30 clear for takeoff, left downwind departure approved.”
It felt kind of dream like with the lack of wind as I richened the mixture, advanced the throttle, pressed the prerotator button and headed for the centerline.
The nose was soon up and she smoothly handled the transition to flight.
I pulled the power back and let her climb out at 100 feet per minute.
We turned downwind and there was no wind. The IAS was within a knot or two of the GPS ground speed.
I followed California Highway One for a while and then cut diagonally across the rolling hills toward a low spot in the ridgeline.
I was soon playing motorcycle in the sky following a little dirt road along a ridge.
I love these hills. They are full of secret valleys and are usually turbulent. The air was silky smooth as we banked left and right occasionally jumping to a different road.
We were around five miles east of Lompoc (LPC) at 1,700 MSL and I was monitoring the LPC CTAF.
A Cessna called in; “Lompoc area traffic, Cessna 147 Lima Charlie five miles to the East for a straight in for runway 25 traffic permitting.”
“Lompoc area traffic; White Gyroplane five miles to the east of Lompoc over the ridgeline outbound at 1,700 feet, Lompoc.”
Two minutes later he called in as said he was established on a straight in for 25 five miles to the east descending through 2,300 feet.
I never saw him and he never acknowledged me. It was a reminder to stay vigilant even when flying where most people don’t. I looked over my shoulder and could see straight down runway 25 but the Cessna was apparently lost in the ground clutter.
We wandered across the valley watching for two out bound aircraft form Lompoc.
12 miles from Santa Inez (IZA) I checked the ASOS and tuned to the IZA CTAF. I called; “Santa Inez Area traffic, white gyroplane 10 miles west at 1,700 feet, inbound to land, left traffic for 26, Santa Inez.”
I called at five miles west over the quarry, inbound on the 45 over the river bridge, left downwind mid field, turning left base, turning final and clear of the active.
We flew a simulate engine out from 1,700 feet on short final. It is amazing how precise I can be with no wind.
We taxied to transient parking and sat in the afterglow enjoying the sun and watching the occasional landing.
A nice man that I had met at Santa Paula rode up on his bicycle and asked me about the flight. He could understand the joy I found in low and slow. He said he could not come up with an excuse to fly so he had washed his Ercoupe.
My friend Mitch with his Mooney was also there to put up a flyer for the Oceano toy run December 1.
He was in a similar dream like state and we gave thanks for a lovely flight to Santa Ynez; our little slice of paradise on this November day.
Thank you, Vance
