Drool Factor 9

I'm not doing a whole lot of flying these past two months, just the occasional trip around the patch to keep the rust off. That doesn't mean we can't post about airplanes. Saw this article in Wired with some great shots of Dietrich Mateschitz's, one of the Red Bull co-founders, aircraft and vehicle collection:

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/01/peek-inside-red-bulls-toybox/

Wired tribute to the DC-3

Just posting a nice writeup on this venerable aircraft by Wired magazine. Enjoy!

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/12/75th-anniversary-dc-3/?pid=451&viewall=true

FlightPrep - stop the madness

As expected, FlightPrep's (from now on known as "the trolls") patent lawsuit escapade is becoming quite the quixotic parody of trying to extract blood out of a stone. Not only does their ridiculous patent stifle innovation but it flys in the face of what general aviation is all about, the community. Two exemplary services that I, and many others, have benefited from greatly, RunwayFinder and Nacomatic, have now shut down due to legal threat from FlightPrep, sorry, the Trolls. I'm sure others, *cough* *cough* AOPA, Jeppesen*cough* *cough* may be hearing from the Trolls soon, however at the moments, they seem to be picking on those without deep pockets. I think the Trolls are failing to realize that they are now doing themselves much more harm, to both their reputation and their bottom line, than they will gain from their legal Troll actions. Their open letter to the community is quite frankly full of drivel and is flatly, a joke. John Ewing is much more eloquent in his thoughts regarding the situation. A second post here. These are sad days for the aviation technology community.

edit 12/20/2010

RunwayFinder is fighting back. Please support RunwayFinder!

edit 12/21/2010

And another bites the dust. A heavily used and loved website, NavMonster, has now also shut down. Here are the words from the founder:

"Due to the litigious environment that we live in today, NavMonster is no longer in operation. I make little to no money off this site, and have neither the time, resources, nor money to defend myself against absurd patents. You just shouldn't be able to patent common sense and good programming skills, but sadly someone has. Best of luck to those that stay in the fight
I need to make one thing perfectly clear: By closing this site, I give up the fight, but by no means do I admit any wrongdoing.
Want to own and operate your own flight planning web site? NavMonster is available for purchase. Inquiries are welcomed
Marc Alexander
marc@navmonster.com
Dec 20, 2010
Link here for the curious."

Flight Planning Process

I just recently had someone who was about to get their biennial flight review (BFR) ask me how I typically go about planning a flight. Here's what I wrote which is pretty typical of the method and resources I use. Open to suggestions!

---------------------------------

Planning

To loosely figure out where I want to go, airports, distance, route (VORs, airways, direct, etc), and airspace I should be aware of, I use RunwayFinder:

http://www.runwayfinder.com (edit - 12/17/2010 - as of this edit RunwayFinder is shutdown due to a lawsuit from FlightPrep, SkyVector has paid the ransom and is still available)

Once I know the destination and alternates, I look at Airnav and AOPA's Airport Directory. I'll usually print out the kneeboard version of AOPAs directory listing for that airport:

http://www.airnav.com

http://www.aopa.org/airports/

Then, I’ll use FltPlan.com or FlightAware to figure out typical routes used (if going IFR):

http://flightaware.com

http://www.fltplan.com

Finally, I’ll use AOPA’s flight planner to print a Navigation Log and to file my flight plan via DUAT:

http://www.aopa.org/flightplanning/

Weather

For weather, I usually use the following in roughly this order

Big picture weather:

http://www.weather.com (Video with the talking head is actually helpful to watch)

http://aviationweather.gov/products/afd/ (I love the individual "free-form" forecasts)

http://adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov

http://www.aopa.org/wx/

Route weather (TAFs, etc):

http://www.navmonster.com

Official briefing weather:

https://www.duat.com

Lastly, right before flight I’ll usually called 1800WXBRIEF for an abbreviated briefing where I will ask them for any TFRs that may exist along my route.

Into the FReeZe

View of National Harbor - Washington, D.C.

I recently had the need to travel to Washington DC for business, which provided a great opportunity to try out my double secret password to get into some of the most restrictive airspace in the United States, the Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ), AKA the Freeze. For the uninitiated, just to fly into the less restrictive Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) a pilot needs to take and pass an online course, and carry the subsequent certificate on his or her person as proof of passing. In addition, if you are arriving VFR, there is a special flight plan you need to file with ATC in addition to your VFR flight plan if you are going to file one. If you are IFR, you need to call a specific FSS which I talk about below.

In the case of wanting to land at the three general aviation airports that lie within the FRZ, known as the Maryland Three or DC3, a pilot must get a background check and be fingerprinted and interviewed by the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA). At the end of that "experience" the pilot then receives a unique pin code to be able to file special FRZ flight plans. I wrote about this escapade here, in case you are interested in the process of obtaining your own decoder ring. In addition, here is the official TSA link for the process, just scroll down to Maryland Three.

This being my first time flying into airspace known for sicing Blackhawks on you for any and all transgressions or mistakes, I was a bit nervous. In addition, I was unsure of how I should plan my flight as I was pretty certain, I would not be able to file direct to my destination which was Potomac Airfield, just south of the White House. As part of my information gathering, I posted a question of how to file to this airport on the AOPA message board, looked for previous flight plans on FlightAware.com and Fltplan.com, and finally called David Wartofsky, the big cheese himself and owner of Potomac Airfield (VKX).

Seven Springs ski resort, note the resort airport middle left of the photo, unfortunately now closed permanently

The guys on the AOPA message board were very helpful. The most helpful suggestion was to call Potomac Approach and run your proposed flight plan by them. I gave this a shot and it worked out pretty well. They certainly do not have much time to spend on the phone with you but they were friendly and verified that my idea of linking VORs down the west side of the of the SFRA and then getting vectored to VKX would work for them. I found the phone number here, but I would only recommend calling them if you really need to as they do seem pretty busy.

My call with Mr. Wartofsky was the most helpful, and entertaining, however. Essentially the call was chock full of great information, as well as the occasional joke and jab at the official powers that be that effectively shut down his airport after 9/11. David worked incredibly hard to get the DC3 "pilot vetting" procedure we now use to get our passcodes to fly into the FRZ. I've included my notes from this conversation at the bottom of this post.

at 7,000' Over Dulles International, taken on the return flight

After gathering my information, and making sure I had just about every chart and plate conceivable for the area, I called the special Flight Service Station number for filing FRZ flight plans, 866-225-7410. The verbiage on this from the College Park website emphasizes this clearly as: "You must file your FRZ flight plan with the Lockheed Martin Washington Hub (which currently comprises briefers in Raleigh, NC and Leesburg, VA.) Dial their direct number at 866-225-7410. Do NOT use the national 800-WX-BRIEF number, do NOT use DUATs, and do NOT try to file in the air, or you will NOT pass Go!".

I called the night before of my trip and the briefer I got calling this number was one of the most friendly and reassuring briefers I've ever talked to. He walked me through the process of filing the FRZ plan and also answered questions I had regarding the flying portion. One tip, you will receive your pin code through one of the Maryland Three airports. Make sure you tell the briefer which airport it is if it is different than the one you are going to. Since I had my pin through College Park, he was not able to find my pin immediately because he had assumed I had received it through Potomac. Once I told him, he found it not problem. Soon I had my plan in the system and I was ready to go from that standpoint.

I took off right about my filed time in the morning. The actual flying portion of this trip was pretty uneventful. I followed my route hitting my VORs as planned. Then over the Casanova VOR, ATC turned me east and started vectoring me. I was pretty clear that the controller wanted to get me due south of VKX and then turn me directly North so I would be in the FRZ for the shortest amount of time. Soon I crossed the magic line and about 2 miles south of VKX, as David said would happen, she told me to keep my squawk all the way to the ground and switch over to advisory. I used Potomac's SuperAWOS to get the field update and was soon on the ground. I called a taxi from the airport and was at my meeting in DC in no time.

The return flight was a similar route. ATC made sure I was not unduly vectored around which was nice. I was sent over Dulles and started to encounter some IMC at 7,000. I had filed for 8,000 but they wanted me at 7 so I bounced around in the clouds for a bit until he cleared me for higher. The rest of the flight was in beautiful weather, but the headwinds made for slow going back over the mountains. Soon I was in familiar territory and talking to Pittsburgh Approach. On the ground I celebrated another first! It was very easy to file my FRZ flight plan, and going IFR makes the whole process of getting into DC much simpler. The Maryland Three are great little airports and the access to our nation's capital is second to none. In addition, the vetting process is really not that bad, I encourage any pilot interested in going to DC to give it a shot. I'm looking forward to my next trip back!

Call notes with David Wartofsky

• For operations in the DC FRZ pilots must call Flight Service at 866-225-7410 to file a DC FRZ flight plan.
• Tell them you need an FRZ flight plan and will be IFR. Specify the time you will be expected to arrive at the SFRA. If coming in VFR, specify the gate.
• The flight plan is then authenticate and passed on to controlling agencies 30 minutes before you arrive at the SFRA and will be active 2 hours after.
• ATC will likely route you around Andrew or DCA.
• Once inside the SFRA, before you enter the FRZ, check in with ATC by saying "N1235 proceeding inbound to VKX on a FRZ flight plan"
• Once close to field say three things:
• 1) "I have the field in sight"
• 2) "will maintain squawk to the gound"
• 3) "switching to unicom"
• If you have to go missed, or just need to go around, switch back to controlling frequency.
• Once on the ground, park at the second row near the fuel island

First IFR flight

Two weekends ago, I had the chance to do a fun mission of flying to see my sister compete in her first IronMan triathlon race. The race was to be in Sandusky, Ohio at the Cedar Point amusement park. With the weather looking cloudy at my departure point, but clearing at my destination, this was also a great opportunity to break in the new instrument ticket. I flight planned carefully and filed my IFR plan via VORs and airways as the Piper Archer I was flying was /A.

I departed about 11AM Saturday and picked up my clearance in the air over Ellwood City, just to the west of Zelienople. Our Archer which has a 2 axis autopilot with both heading and altitude hold, helpful in the clouds as well. Luckily I was cleared by Pittsburgh Approach as filed so I did not have to worry about deciphering a new clearance route in the air. The cloud bases were about 2000' agl and ATC instructed me to climb to my filed altitude of 6000', I was soon in the murk. Flying in clouds is incredibly different than VFR flying but this was a good day to break the single pilot IFR ice as the clouds were not solid all the way to Sandusky, rather I would be in the clouds for a few minutes,

then out for a minute or two. I'm not sure if it really makes a difference but it was easier on the nerves. The whole trip was rather uneventful as ATC was friendly and easy to deal with. The great part about flying IFR is, well for one, I was able to make the trip at all, but two, I did not have to concern myself with the Class D, C and B airspace that my route took me through.

Just west of Cleveland I was finally out of the clouds and the sky opened to a crystal clear, albeit very windy, day. One I was past Cleveland and about 10 miles away from the Griffing Sandusky Airport (KSKY), I cancelled IFR with the controller and started my position calls on the CTAF. I lined up for a straight in approach the runway 27. The airport is right on the shore of lake Erie with the final approach right over the water. KSKY did not have weather reporting on the airport but Port Clinton AWOS was reporting 15 knots gusting to 22 from the NW. I was a bit surprised how much rudder I needed to keep the airplane aligned with the centerline, but the crosswind technique worked and I managed to touch down and keep the airplane reusable. I taxied to the FBO, along with a

helicopter who had just landed for fuel. In talking with the chopper pilot, she explained she was handling the news coverage of the race.

After paying for the fuel and shuttle service to Cedar Point, the lineman met me at the door with the shuttle van and gave me a lift over the park. After he dropped me off I was able to find Alex, Jill's husband, her friend Christine and my Mom and Dad. We cheered Jill on as she transitioned from the bike race (112 miles...) to her... marathon! Unreal, I was winded just crossing the parking lot.

I hung out with my little nephews under the All3Sports tent (Alex's business) while Jill plugged away on the course. Before we knew it, Jill was coming back in through the "chute" and was joined by her sons, having completed her first

IronMan in 11 hours 26 minutes. Way to go Jill!

After seeing Jill a bit and talking, Dad and Mom gave me a lift back to the airport as it was now getting dark. I wanted to at least do the preflight with a little bit of daylight left. I settled into the

airplane, and the winds had completely died off at this hour. I departed KSKY and picked up my IFR clearance in the air from Cleveland Approach. I climbed to 6,000 (after a brief chat with Cleveland, he "let me know" that if I stayed at 6,000 vs my filed 7,000 I would avoid vectoring), and settled in for a smooth ride on a clear moonlight night. It was one of the more serene rides and the radio was very quiet, so much so, I was able to have get in a few words with the Cleveland Controller letting him know was a great evening it was up there. He said, "much better than sitting in here sir" and we had a laugh. I also was able to witness fireworks going off at a distance that had to have been over 50 miles. I was once again reminded of why I fly.

Cleveland at night

New flight school launched near Pittsburgh

Here's something I was surprised to catch in today's local [Pittsburgh] news, a new flight school is in operation at the Arnold Palmer airport in Latrobe, PA. It's great to see people turning their passions into businesses. Here is the link to the article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10259/1087827-56.stm