My traveling ship of choice, the trusted „LISA“ had an engine failure! During regular maintenance, the shop found a lot of metal flakes in the oil filter (always an alarm signal). Further investigation revealed a broken cylinder #3. The engine is now being inspected for more damage.
Metal flakes in the oil filter (Jan Brill, PuF)
The engine was brand new and a failure like this is pretty unusual. So I am interested to see if the cause can be determined. And I am very happy that the problem was found in the shop and not in the air.
My dear „Pilot&Flugzeug“ is going through rough times right now, as „LISAs“ sister ship in Egelsbach had a landing accident in the same week. The propeller is bent and the engine needs to be inspected as well.
With out the „LISAs“, the flying fall promises to be pretty bleak.
The two big names in General Aviation are Cessna and Piper. I have been flying the Cessna 150 and 152 as well as the larger Cessna 172. They are not fast and not sleek but stable, roomy (by GA standards) and make great trainers.
Today I am getting to know the other side. My flight school manages a Piper Archer III and it is mine for the morning.
The PA-28 is a family of four seat, low wing airplanes. They have been in production since the early 1960s in many different variants. The Archer III model has a Lycoming O-360 engine with 180 horse powers, a fixed pitch prop and fixed landing gear.
„D-EZIP“ has a very flashy red and white paint scheme. She is newer than the Cessnas I have trained on and she has very few hours under her wings. So she looks and feels pretty new.
I have read the hand book. „India Papa“ is IFR certified. So her instrument panel is well equipped. She is a nice traveling machine or personal transporter with a few nice bells and whistles. But she is still a pretty straight forward airplane. Speeds and limitations are very comparable with the Cessna 172. Operating her under VFR is not all that complicated.
Familiarization
The PA-28 has a number of distinct differences to the Cessna 172. The airframe is a good bit smaller and the windows are not nearly as big. The low-wing Piper has only one door. So the pilot has to climb up onto the wing root, sit on the passenger seat and then scoot over.
Once in the seat, everything feels very solid and a bit more serious than in the Cessna. The Cockpit is very well organized, every gauge is easily visible and every knob is comfortable to reach. New to me is the overhead panel with the switches for magnetos, fuel pump, strobes, primer and starter. Solely the trim wheel is giving me problems. It is pretty far back between the seats and I actually have to look down and lift my right leg in order to see the trim indicator. That shall give me more problems later during the flight.
Power up
We go through the simple engine start procedure (carb heat cold, throttle position, magnetos, pump, mixture, start) and the 180 hp Lycoming starts right up. Taxiing „India Papa“ is easy enough but the front wheel is directly linked with the pedals. No hydraulic dampener – like in the Cessna – makes for a very direct transmission of forces back through the pedal.
We do the run-up checks and take off. We are not heavy and the Piper climbs as expected. The forces on the yoke are pretty strong and I try the electric trim with my thumb.
We go over to Neuhardenberg for touch-and-gos and on the way over we do the flying part of the familiarization. Steep turns, slow flight, flaps, stalls. All a bit unfamiliar but no real surprises. The low-wing configuration makes for less stable characteristics around the roll-axis. And the better aerodynamics and stronger engine makes for higher speeds.
On the first approach that gets me a bit. I am having difficulties bleeding off the access speed and I am fighting with the trim. At the end of the down wind leg, I set the first level of flaps. The nose comes up and before I manage to trim the correct attitude, we have climbed 100 feet. On final I set full flaps and trim again. I am too high and too fast and we float down the runway for a long time before rubber and tarmac finally make contact.
Touch-and-go
A touch-and-go is a fast procedure. Touch-down, retract flaps, carb heat off and throttle forward. Usually the airplane has not lost that much speed so you can rotate again just a moment later.
I keep an eye on the airspeed indicator and pull. But „India Papa“ does not want to break free. The speed increases and I pull further before I finally realize that I am still trimmed nose-down from the approach. My right hand feels for the trim wheel between the seats and after a few quick turns on the wheel, the control gets lighter and the little Piper flies.
Trim, trim, trim
The trim is a little extra tab on the trailing edge of the elevator. It is used to minimize the forces on the control yoke. The center of gravity of the aircraft varies with load and fuel. Without the trim, there would be a constant push or pull on the yoke, making it very difficult and tiresome to keep the airplane at the desired attitude. The forces on the yoke of the PA-28 are stronger than in the Cessna 172. More attention to the trim is needed.
On the Cessna I can change the attitude and trim as I go along. The trim wheel is below the throttle quadrant, easy to see and to reach.
„India Papa“ has a very comfortable electric trim on the yoke. But it is pretty slow, more for little corrections during cruise flight. With setting the flaps, a lot of trim is needed. The manual trim wheel for faster action is located between the front seats. But the bigger problem for the Piper newbie is the trim indicator which is also hidden between the seats. I will have to anticipate the trimming a bit more.
Practice
The next approach is a bit better already and from the third touch-and-go on, I have the amount of trim and the timing figured out.
After about an hour of this, we go back to Strausberg. The last landing of the day is actually pretty lousy. We have a cross wind and I am concentrated on keeping the aircraft on the center line. Managing energy does not work as well as I would like it to. So we are too fast on short final and are floating down the runway again.
With „India Papa“ and me it was not love at first flight. But the sleek beauty tickles me and time will tell if she is an acquired taste.
Visibility: about 10k, rain showers
Temperature: 21°C
Wind: 270°, 11 knots
QNH: 1010 hPa
Location: EDDB (BER)
Equipment: standard issue tour bus
More than two sears ago, I volunteered to test the passenger experience at the new airport. A lot about the airport has gone wrong since then. The opening has been postponed with only a few weeks notice (what a disaster!!).
At the center of the problems is the fire security system of the main terminal building. It was designed to be a market beating high tech wonder. But the very elaborate control system never quite worked right. And little by little more problems with the basic design of the entire system surfaced.
All efforts to resolve the technical problems have been rather helpless and chaotic ever since. The sparkling new gateway into the city has become a nightmare and a laughingstock.
Today I am back. After much public discussion and derisive media coverage, the PR department of the unfinished project has finally woken up. A media campaign invites people to see for themselves and this is what I’m here for today.
Expanding
The cites airports are both dated and long over the capacity they were designed for. The southern airport has a smallish and dusty main terminal with a cacophony of annexes. South of the terminal is the single runway.
This single runway is going to be the northern one of the two runways of the new airport. In between them are parking structures, highway connection, a large train station, offices and hotels as well as the troubled new terminal complex.
So in some way the new airport is an expansion of the already existing airport. But the project is vast and the new airport has nothing of the backwardness of its predecessor. If only they would get it done…
Let’s go
The tour group meets at the old terminal. We are almost 30 people and our tour guide is very knowledgable. He has been working at the airport for 20 years. We board a bus and a short trip over the highway brings us around and into the new part. We drive past a large area for a new business district. All the roads are ready but on the lots the grass grows high.
Tour guide explains the setting
The bus takes the empty roads up to the main terminal building. The atmosphere is like in a SciFi movie.
Empty roadsTerminal complexNew Airport
Impressive
When I first saw the terminal building more than two years ago, I was impressed and intimidated at the same time. It felt large, impressive and contemporary. The architecture is strong, the design is refined but not delicate. There is no understatement, no scandinavian lightness. This building carries a message of self esteem, it looks impressive and expensive – a bit like a golden Rolex would.
Little has changed since my last visit. Most of the plastic covers have disappeared and some of the screens are working. The most significant change is the „flying carpet“. A metal sculpture suspended from the ceiling above the center of the main hall. It is red, delicately woven and noticeably changes the room. It breaks the seriousness and does bring lightness after all.
Terminal building with „Flying Carpet“
I had mixed feelings about the building. Now the positive associations outweigh my skepticism. The building is beautiful and does have elegance.
The stream of bad news, new scandals and uncovered problems on the construction site has turned the public opinion against this prestigious and important project. Our tour guide talks openly about mistakes and short comings during the planning phase. He also points out that the problems with the complex fire alarm system are not solved yet and that he personally estimates two more years before the opening. He patiently answers our many questions.
New terminal building
After visiting the terminal, the bus takes us out onto the Tarmac. The vast, empty airport structure is both impressive and very sad.
For the end of the tour, we go down the new runway. As the bus speeds down the 4 kilometers, my seat neighbor starts calling „pull-up, pull-up!“. Everyone smiles.
To be continued…
Waiting for airplanes to comeNew runway, still closedOld terminal, replacement overdue
I have not spent as much time with „Lisa“ as I would have liked. She is one of the airplanes of the „Pilot & Flugzeug“ magazine and she is available for readers to rent.
Last summer I got checked out on her and later that year I took her on a little trip to Dessau. But over the winter we did not have a chance to fly together.
Today I have a great excuse. I am taking a friend on a trip over the Big City. We have wanted to do this for a long time and today is the day.
Preflight
I arrive at the airport early. I want to have time to practice on my own before I take passengers. After my „baby break“ that seems like a good idea. I have refreshed my memory about „Lisa’s“ vital stats (speeds and limitations) and I flew as co pilot on her only a few days ago. I am looking forward to some one-on-one time with her.
„Lisa“ is waiting for me outside the hangar. I do a slow and thorough pre-flight check before I fire the engine up. It has been replaced very recently and starts up at once. Taxiing is a bit of a challenge. „Lisa’s“ front wheel is free swinging and ground steering is accomplished by differential breaking of the main wheels. This strange method makes for some swinging around the center line before I get used to it again.
On the runway I push the throttle all the way forward. „Lisa“ is not a sprinter but the runway is long. Once airborne, It does not take long to feel comfortable again. The Cheetah is a lot of fun and landing her is a dream. Because of the low wing configuration, there is a noticeable ground effect. When the wing gets close to the ground, the air flowing under it can not escape any more. An area of high pressure forms between the wing and the ground. The aircraft „floats“ on this cushion and lands very softly.
I do a bit of pattern work to loosen up. Then I’m off to the Big City. I want to do a „dress rehearsal“ of the whole trip. I dial in the tower frequency for the international airport. The controllers are also responsible for the sectors of controlled airspace I want to cross. I call and state who I am, where I am and what my intentions are. As always, I am a bit nervous initially. Luckily that dissipates quickly in the routine of the exchange. The controller is friendly and the trip over the city is a real treat.
Waiting for the passengers
Back at EDAZ I wait for my passengers. I have about half an hour and after initial impatience, I pace myself and enjoy the moment of down time before the concentration of a passenger flight.
My friends are full of anticipation and I explain the route for this evening. We go and everything works like a dream. We are cleared to cross midfield over the international airport and fly towards the city center. The view is great and the cameras are clicking.
We have some more time and so we decide to take the long way home. A few miles south of the Big City is the largest freestanding building in the world. The former Cargolifter airship hangar is very impressive from the ground and even more impressive when circling it at 1.000 feet.
Back at EDAZ it is time for a beer. The local watering hole has a terrace overlooking the apron. We watch the last flights of the evening come in and life is good.
Visibility: CAVOK, more than 10k Temperature: 29°C Wind: 350°, 5 knots QNH: 1022hPa Location: EDAY Equipment: D-MALJ (Rider MD3)
I am excited. Airplanes in the stomach and all. I know the route very well but I have not travelled it in almost a year.
The flight bag is next to me. I packed it last night. Took the license and log book, checked the batteries in the head set and threw out the old map. It has been outdated for a while.
I walk the short stretch from the train station over to the airport. A glider is soaring in big circles towards an impressive tower of cumulus. Coming closer, I count at least three airplanes in the pattern. The gorgeous weather seems to make for a busy morning.
I took a bit of a baby break and am so ground sick that it hurts. But this morning will tell if I still have what it takes.
I’m at the big flight school first for a coffee and a chat. I need to fly at least 12 hours until next February to stay current. Challenge accepted!
Next stop is the LSA flight school. I can not drink more coffee and I’m getting antsy. So as soon as the instructor and student come through the door, I am out to take possession of the aircraft. My old love „Lima Juliet“ will be the ship today. We go way back together. I passed my very first check ride with her, took her to the island of Rügen and impressed my friends with her.
Old friend
„Lima Juliet“ is comfortable like an old pair of shoes. I was a bit worried but we get along just fine. She is light and the thermal up draft from the fields is playing with her even at 2.000 feet.
We go over to Eggersdorf for some pattern work. My landings are very acceptable and I am glad. I try different flap settings and approaches and the landings are pretty consistent. Not all greasers, non real bad ones either. Glad to be back!
Location: New Place in the digital universe
Equipment: WordPress
Visibility: unlimited
I started this blog at blog.com with the very nice address:
www.aloft.blog.com.
Catchy, easy to say and to remember. I liked the service as it was uncluttered, had nice themes and was easy to use.
However…
However, over time it became apparent that the operators of the blog.com service do not pay as much attention to details as they should (or even would like to, who knows…). The service was down a lot and veeeery slow.
So after checking a number of alternatives, I decided to do my own website with the new – even cooler domain of www.aloft.aero!
This will give me more control and the readers better performance in the future. And turning my hobby into a learning experience in WordPress can’t hurt either!
Over the next few days I will move the old blog posts over here step by step. I also have to decide on a nice theme and finally, to complete the move – I will link the new site from the old blog. Farewell blog.com, I really liked you!
Visibility: A view of the past & a vision for the future
Location: Lae, New Guinea & VRRM (Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, Maledives)
Equipment: NR16020 (Lockheed Electra) & N58NG (Pilatus PC12NG)
On June 1st 1937, Amelia Mary Earhart startet her famous attempt to fly around the globe. Her equipment was a Lockheed Electra. Together with her navigator Fred Noonan, she took off from Lae in New Guinea for the leg over the Pacific on July 2nd 1937 – 77 years ago.
They were not heard of again. But the respect for the achievement of Amelia Earhart as an aviatrix lives on. She has opened aviation to many people, especially many females who found the courage to pursue their own dreams in Amelias adventures.
On June 26th 2014, Amelia Rose Earhart started her flight around the globe. Her equipment is a Pilatus PC12 NG. A high tech, single engine, pressurized, turboprop made in Switzerland. Together with her co-pilot Shane Jordan, she is currently on the Maldives.
Amelia Rose is a pilot and a radio and television reporter. She is aiming at becoming the youngest female to circumnavigate the globe in a single engine aircraft.
Amelia Rose is “symbolically completing” the flight of Amelia Mary. “I hope to develop an even deeper connection to my namesake and also encourage the world to pursue their own adventures.” she says on her website.
During the flight, her foundation “Fly With Amelia” will award flight scholarships to young woman. Follow Amelia on twitter for regular updates!
I’m impressed and moved by the project and wish Amelia and Shane all the best for this amazing trip!
To be continued…
“You haven’t seen a tree until you’ve seen its shadow from the sky” Amelia Mary Earhart
(originally posted on July 2, 2014 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/amelia-earhart/)
Visibility: CAVOC, more than 10k
Temperature: -9°C, clear and cold night
Wind: 070°, 7 knots
QNH: 1027hPa
Location: EDAY
Equipment: D-EKKT (Cessna 172)
It is one of the sunniest days in weeks and while everyone else enjoys the sunshine, I anticipate sun set.
Dusk is turning the clear sky to shades of dark blue when I arrive at the airport. I have double checked the batteries of my pilot flash light, I will need it tonight. The office of the flight school is packed. Pilots are standing around in groups, chatting, laughing. It’s like a cocktail party but without the booze.
Night VFR is a separate endorsement to the private pilots license in Germany. The airport has longer hours for night training once a month. I will have my second or third lesson tonight.
The apron is illuminated by flood lights and I don’t really need my flash light for the preflight check. But I’ll be damned if I don’t use it tonight! A student pilot asks if he can come for the ride. Of course he is welcome.
Night at EDAY
On my first night flight, the full moon was reflected by the full cover of snow. Easy conditions for starters. Today there is neither moon nor snow – but stars.
The plan for tonight is a trip north to the Friedland VOR (FLD), close to the coast. The tower opens our flight plan and we are off into the night. The air is cold and glassy smooth. The large Lycoming takes big, hungry bites out of it and we climb fast despite three people and a big load of fuel.
The radar frequency is busy with coordinating airliners for evening flights into the two major airports. They don’t have much patience for us and seem glad when they can hand us off. The new frequency is almost silent and the controller is chatty. The lights on the ground are getting fewer and further apart as we are leaving the perimeter of the Big City. And all of a sudden I realize that the black void under the stars on the horizon must be the Baltic Sea. Magic.
“Kilo Sierra” is a lady with a lot of experience under her wings and not a lot of upgrades since she left the factory. She is kept up very well but her condition is pretty original. So I know exactly how a pre-GPS student in the 70s felt. The illumination on the control panel is pretty minimal. Some of the instruments have dim lights. Others – like the artificial horizon – have no illumination of their own. There is a small, adjustable map light with a red bulb close to my head. I use that for the instrument panel and after a period of adjustment, it works surprisingly well. I keep my flash light on the seat. It makes me feel better but I only use it once or twice.
Night VFR
On the way back we fly towards the lights of the Big City. A different kind of magic. Suddenly we encounter light turbulence and the lights disappear. We are flying into a cloud that I did not see in the dark. I was trained to focus on the artificial horizon when I loose visual contact to the ground. It is quite amazing how difficult it is to keep the airplane straight and level once you don’t see the ground any more. I am grateful for the training with the IFR cap I have had.
Back at the home base, the pattern is still busy. It is both important and difficult for a novice to build a mental picture of the positions of everybody in the pattern. I will need a bit more time for the night VFR rating and a lot more until I feel comfortable flying at night. But I’m very much looking forward to the process!
To be continued…
Apron at night
(originally posted on April 18, 2014 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/night-flight/)
Winter is time for training. With low visibility and unpredictable weather, long trips in VFR are uncertain business. Staying on the ground is not an option, staying close to the airport is a compromise. I’m using the occasion for some navigation training. My plan today is a simple triangle to a near by VOR and back.
The air is cold and the plane is light. “Kilo Sierra” is eager to get of the ground.
The first leg is easy. I have dialed in the VORs frequency in the navigation radio. On the “Omni Bearing Indicator” (OBI), I turn the dial until the indicator needle moves into the center at around 140°. That is the course to the VOR.
The way is not very far and after about 15 minutes I am near the VOR. Directly over it, there is no reception. The NAV flag on the instrument comes up to indicate bad reception, so I know that I have reached the waypoint.
Now comes the second part. I turn the OBI to my new course, bank “Kilo Sierra” to the left and watch the directional giro turn slowly. The “to” flag on the OBI switches over to “from” and I am on my way. On this leg I don’t have a physical way point. I will request my bearing from the airport to determin the turning point.
I’m flying a triangle. From the airport I flew south-east to the VOR. From the VOR I’m flying north-east to my next way point. And from there I am planning to fly south-west, heading 230° for approach into runway 23. So my next turning point will be when my bearing to the airport is 230° (or a bit before as the airpane needs time to turn).
Todays flight is a training mission. I know the area and I have a pretty good idea of where I am. After the calculated time I see the town that is close to the mark on my map for the turning point. I start calling the airport “Delta Kilo Sierra, requesting QDM”.
“QDM” means the the magnetic heading from the aircraft to the airport. There are many “Q-codes”. Their origin is marine morse code, when brevity was key. The most common one for aviation is “QNH” which is the local atmospheric pressure calculated to mean sea level.
“270″ is the somewhat expected answer from the tower. I am 40° away from my desired course. After a few moments I ask again. “262″ is the instant reply. The radio operator at the airport has a large display for “QDM” and its counter part “QDR”, the magnetic heading from the station. With every transmission from an aircraft, the display lights up and shows the direction the aircraft is in. A very helpful tool for the small airport which does not have radar vectoring.
I am close to the airport so the degrees go fast. I decide to start my turn onto the desired course of 230°. When I am on course, I ask again for the “QDM” to confirm the heading. “226″, almost perfect.
Back on the ground I taxi to the apron and park “Kilo Sierra” next to another Cessna. An instructor I know is near by, his student is doing the pre flight. He smiles at me “I was wondering who it was requesting ‘QDM’ on a clear day like today”. I smile back “It was hard work trying not to see the airport from where I was”. The instructor looks at his student “Beautiful day for some navigation practice, don’t you think?”
To be continued…
(originally posted on March 13, 2014 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/navigation-training/)
Visibility: clouded by egg nog
Temperature: warm at heart
Location: under the Mistletoe
Equipment: christmas tree
Merry Christmas
2013 has been a fun flying year for yours truly. It started out with dual time in the 172. I trained radio navigation and passed the check ride “Controlled Visual Flight“. As soon as I had the new license in the mail, I used it to get lost on a short hop in bad weather.
Speaking of beauties, I met another exciting lady. LISA is one of the airplanes that is operated by “Pilot & Flugzeug” magazine. She is available for rent and I liked her when I got checked out on her. We have not flown together all that much but I am looking forward to more trips in 2014.
My home base of EDAY must like the light sports crowd. That is the only explanation for the tower controllers presence at 4 o’clock in the morning. On the day of the shortest night, VFR pilots in Strausberg go nuts and embrace the sun with a flight into the sunrise. I can hardly wait to repeat this great experience this year!
We saw a few technical problems on the blog this year. This got me thinking and as a first step, I have registeresd a new URL. aloft.aero is where you can find me in the future – wether it will be with blog.com or somewhere else (plus a .aero-domain is really cool!)
I love podcasts and there are a lot of them out there. In 2013, I gave feedback and made comments and this blog was featured a few times. In May, Captain Jeff of the Airplane Pilot Guy podcast linked me after I gave feedback and in November I had a question for him. In October, I had a chance to sub for David Vanderhoof as the Airplane Geeks historian on the Airplane Geeks Podcast. I choose to write about the Mooney M20, as I am a bit of a Mooniac.
For 2014, I have great plans already. What would be a new year without a new rating! And my list for new destinations is getting longer almost daily.
I wish you all a great New Year. Have fun, be safe and go out and fly!
