Watching Eagles

About three years ago I posted an article where I shared a couple of nice videos about birds in flight, including a video of the flight of two young eagles. The videos aren't long and I hope that you go and take a look at them. Here is another video, which I may have posted some time back on my videos of the week page, however it is worth repeating. I love watching raptors in flight, every so often I see a Red Tail Hawk, usually sitting on a pole. But every so often I see them while they are hunting. And I've seen eagles on some of my scenic flights, always awesome.

Birds just fly.



direct link to video

Listening in on cockpit communications on a recent airline flight

I had occasion to go to southern California for a few days awhile back, flying on United. I have written before on this blog about some of my scenic flights thanks to some wonderful pilots at one of the local general aviation airports. I had a different sort of experience on this particular flight across the U.S. I had the opportunity to listen in on the cockpit crew communications with Air Traffic Control (ATC) as we flew across country.

On my flight, as is the case with many other flights I have taken, there are a number of audio channels available to the passengers to listen to during the flight through supplied headsets. Or you can, as I did, use your own ear phones. On certain United flights, one of these channels is devoted to cockpit communications. The caveat here is that it depends on available technology in the aircraft and the Captain has the option to not turn on the cockpit communication channel.

Before going any further, not every airline offers a cockpit communication channel for their passengers. I'm not exactly a frequent commercial airline flier. For all I know United is the airline that has this capability.

It is not my intention to write about the ins and outs of these communications between commercial airline cockpit crews and Air Traffic Control. Rather, the point that I want to make is that listening in on these communications was an excellent learning opportunity. So,I'll try to keep it simple, but I do want say that there were different types of controllers that the cockpit crew talked to. To that end, for purposes of this article only, I'll break out the sequence of controllers that the cockpit crew talked to as:

departing airport tower --> departure --> enroute --> approach --> arriving airport tower

I plugged in my earphones and listened to the cockpit communication channel for most of the flight. By the time the captain turned on the cockpit communication channel, they were no longer talking to the departing airport tower. I may have heard a couple of minutes of communications with departure controllers. For most of the 5 hours plus that I listened to cockpit communications, the cockpit crew was talking to a large number of different enroute controllers at different Centers as we flew across the U.S.

I heard communications between my cockpit crew and enroute controllers, but I also heard communications between other airliners and enroute controllers. I knew from local weather forecasts that there was line of thunderstorms to our west as we took off that afternoon. It was a long line of thunderstorms, so I was not surprised when one of the pilot's told the passengers that we had take a slightly longer route that day. We flew south before flying west.

Back to the cockpit communications, for the first hour or so of our flight, much of the communications that I heard was about this line of thunderstorms. Sometimes the controller would tell an airliner to make a diversion to avoid the thunderstorms. At other times a pilot would ask the controller for permission to divert from their assigned course in order to avoid a thunderstorm, in most cases the controller granted permission.

I could identify our flight because the airline and flight number is always the first thing you hear, whether it be from the crew or the controller. Having spent some time listening to similar communications using internet streaming available through websites such as live ATC, so it was easier for me to follow along. My time in ground school helped also as I was familiar with most of the terminology.

As I said, I had a great time listening to these communications and I learned a lot. I made a point to thank the co-pilot when I exited the jet at the end of the flight. Just so you know, my return flight was also on United and the cockpit communication channel was not available.

Next up: thunderstorm clouds aka cumulonimbus from the air

air frame icing

I've been thinking about and reading up on airframe icing recently. Every pilot that I have talked to has agreed that situations where airframe icing may be encountered should be avoided. A typical comment from one of my pilot friends on the subject of icing might be:

"airframe icing scares the wits out of me!"

I was wondering the best way to share some information about airframe icing with you and I found this short two minute animation showing the effect of airframe icing. Wings create lift, and icing disrupts the flow of air over the wings. In this animation you will see:

• ice build up on the wings disrupting the airflow over the wings
• ice build up on the propellers (watch the props slow down)
• ice build up on the wind shield
• and ice build up on other surfaces (tail, fuselage, etc)

You will want to see the information that the person who uploaded the video to youtube (trustyetverify) made here. The animation does not show one likely outcome, stall and crash. But you will get the picture. Pay careful attention to the changes in air flow during the animation. In the first few seconds you will see "normal" air flow before ice build up interferes with the air flow.

Before, or perhaps after you watch the video, if you want read a little more about airframe icing, here is a short article on the subject. Included in this article are two embedded videos, a 25 second animation on airframe icing and a 7 minute video from NASA on tail icing.

Using checklists is important for all pilots

I first learned about check lists in my studying and reading about general aviation and flying. I learned that the check lists are in the aircraft's POH, Pilot's Operating Handbook. When a pilot friend takes me on a scenic ride, most of the planes also serve as trainers withaircraft specific checklists (laminated) on a ring in each airplane. Most every detail that happens during a flight is on that check list. In a few of my scenic flights, upon request by the pilot, I have read the checklist to the pilot where s/he responds by repeating the item and the result.

As I continue to go on my scenic flights and gain appreciation for the importance of checklists, my appreciation for the importance of checklists in the tanker biz grows. I remembered an e-mail that my tanker pilot friend G sent me about checklists over a year ago. I recently dug it up, this is what he says:

Use of a checklist in any airplane is essential. Even if your personal checklist is just a mnemonic like "CIGAR" (controls, instruments, gas, attitude, run-up) or whatever, it is absolutely foolish to not use your checklist. Accident statistics are full to the brim with guys who were too cool to use a checklist.

In large, complex, multi-engine aircraft, the written checklist is the bible. You read it religiously. In a multi-crew cockpit, the checklist is always a call and response type exercise, unless it's a checklist that the non-flying pilot can accomplish without distracting the flying pilot from flying, eg: the pre-drop check performed by the non-flying pilot before a retardant drop. My co-pilots would always have to say something like, "Pre-drop check complete, standing by the jets". I would always acknowledge the check list complete announcement with something like: "Pre-drop check complete, thank you, light 'em up", which was a call to start the jets before the drop.

It's the same in the taxi check. When the co-pilot was finished with the taxi check, he would say, "Taxi check complete" and I would always acknowledge with a "Taxi check complete, thank you" to let him know I had heard him. Sometimes, you are listening to a radio transmission and you don't hear the checklist call. The guy running the checklist should always demand a response if one is necessary.

Missing even one item on almost any flight checklist can kill you. It is not a student pilot exercise, it is a matter of safe flight. Flying is absolutely unforgiving of sloppiness and tanker flying is more unforgiving of any carelessness or "Mr Cool" attitude. Miss one switch, and you become the latest accident statistic.

Given the importance of checklists in aviation in general, including multi-engine airtankers, it is appropriate and within sound aviation practices that the 2011 Federal Airtanker Contract requires checklists be present in the cockpit. The copy of the tanker contract that I have mentions these checklists. I'd expect that there may be additional checklists not listed in the contracts:

• before starting engines
• before takeoff
• cruise
• before drop
• after drop
• emergencies
• before landing
• after landing
• stopping engines

The oncall SEAT contract that I have for 2011 has a similar list of required checklists. What is on these checklists will depend on the type of aircraft, the tank configuration and perhaps by the contractor.

Not included in the list above is the all important pre-flight checklist where the crew inspects the aircraft before and sometimes after each flight.

Regarding helicopters used in aerial wildland firefighting. I don't know nearly as much about helos as I do about fixed wing aircraft. However, I suppose that what is good for fixed wing aircraft is also good for helos. Following that logic then it may stand to reason that checklists are just as important for helos as for fixed wing.

P-2 Tanker (T-48) Landing

The same person, Kyler Boylan , who posted the video on youtube of T-48 taking off also posted the above video on T-48 landing. Recall the article here where my friend G who was a P-2 tanker captain provided some commentary on that video. G does the same for this video on T-48 landing. Remember that there is no audio on the video, so G is only providing commentary on what he is seeing in the video. Also, tanker captains may run t heir cockpits a little differently.

This is a normal landing, both recips are running, so there are no extraordinary measures in place.

0:13 - CP is flying with both hands on the yoke. He reaches up to adjust the throttles with left hand. Goes back to flying with both hands. These aircraft are heavy on the controls, so it usually takes
two hands to maneuver the yoke.

0:18 - P reaches up to advance the prop lever to increase RPM. If the props are not brought forward, they should be pushed full up on touchdown for the upcoming reversing of the props.

On landing, the pilot takes the throttles, reaches ahead of the throttles and grabs the reversing handles. The copilot reached overhead and hits the reverse override, which allows the props to reverse even if the squat switches in the landing gear are not fully made yet. He also takes the yoke to hold the nose wheel on the runway to improve the hydraulic steering response.

If this were a single engine landing, the pilot flying would be manipulating only one recip throttle. The jets would be online and the non-flying pilot would be handling the jet throttles for use as necessary on the  command by the flying pilot. The jets would be ordered off on short final when the landing is safely assured.

Reflections on a tanker taking off

I enjoyed the video on the P-2 tanker take-off that I posted the other day because it gave me a sense of sitting in the cockpit during take-off. A great feeling. But, I found myself wishing that I could look at the P-2 cockpit instruments during take-off. That is unlikely to happen anytime soon, if ever.

However, from time to time I do have the opportunity to go up in a Cessna Cutlass (172 RG) when I go on a scenic flight. Unlike the trainer, the Cutlass has a fuel pump, retractable landing gear, cowl flaps and a constant speed propeller. The engine is carburated. There are about four instruments in the cockpit of the Cutlass that are not in the trainers that I usually go up in.

Before our flight, I showed the pilot the P-2 tanker video along with G's comments.

Some of the instruments are the same as that found in the P-2V in the video. I wanted to watch these gauges for myself during a short flight to a nearby airport. By the way, a great day for flying. I was watching the gauges so no pictures from the flight.

So I watched the instruments. And got a bit of a sense of what my friend G was saying in his commentary describing the P-2 take-off. When we were on our take-off roll in the Cutlass the manifold pressure was 28" with a prop rpm of 2700. A point of comparison, G tells me "in the P2, we would pull about 52 inches and 2900 turns (of the prop) on take-off."

I have one important job on take-off and landing, when the pilot said that he was lowering the gear, I looked out my window and told him that the gear on my side is up (or down). He calls out that the gear on his side is up (or down).

As we climbed in the Cutlass, the pilot reduced the MP to 25" and a prop rpm of 2500. As we climbed the MP goes down but the prop rpm stays the same. Cruise power is MP of 21" and a prop rpm of 2300.

I watched the gauges as we flew and listened to the pilot as he spoke. And I learned more. I had dug up some Cutlass check lists on the internet so I had an idea of what the power settings would be. And I understand more thanks to a great pilot and teacher. But there was more. I thought about flying a tanker with two large recips and the jets used on take-off. And an awful lot more instruments to keep track of.

I thought about the how the pilot and the co-pilot in the video worked together during the take-off. Each had their jobs. Two pilots are needed to fly the P-2V. It was awesome watching them work together in the video. Elegance in action.

The role of the co-pilot is to watch the gauges as the pilot flies the airplane. And I thought that there is nothing simple about flying a tanker loaded with retardant. Or as Larry Kraus told me once, "See, I told you that the tanker business is complicated." Elegant but complicated.

P-2 tanker take-off

Several days ago I found the video that I am embedding showing the take-off of Minden T-48 (Lockheed P2V-7). I enjoyed the video and wanting to more I asked my friend G who was a P-2 tanker captain for many years if he could tell me what was going in the video. When you read the commentary and watch the video, perhaps you will want to open the video in a separate browser window so you can read along while you watch.

I should point out that captains may run their cockpits a little differently from what you are seeing in the video.



This is what G says:

In the P2V-7, all the throttles and such are on the overhead panel. From left to right they are: Fuel mixture levers; Recip throttles; Jet throttles.  The prop lever is a single lever behind the recip throttles and you can't see it in this video.  The two round things attached to the front of the recip throttles that look like bicycle hand grips are the reversing levers for the props.  They are used after landing to help slow the plane on the runway.

On the P2V-5, all this stuff is down on the center console.

Here's what I can see. There are verbal commands in there that we can't hear, so this is based on what I see:

:06 - CP takes jet throttles as P lines up on runway centerline.

:10 - P does last minute checks to be certain the props & mixtures are up tand the boost pumps are on high.  The boost pump switches in the -7 are on the overhead panel.

:12 - CP advances jet throttles to 100%, calls "Jets up".  P advances
recip throttles to T.O. power (determined by alt and temp)

During this time, the P is steering down the runway with the hydraulic steering tiller (nose wheel steering) on his left side panel.  CP is holding the yoke down to keep the nose wheel on the ground for steering. He is also calling out speeds as they accelerate.

:45 - P takes the yoke in both hands whenever he feels he has sufficient rudder authority to let go of the tiller.  CP takes over the recip throttles.  

:56 -  CP or P calls "Positive rate" (refers to rate of climb), P calls for gear up, CP throws the gear handle with his left hand.  P takes the recip throttles.

1:06 -  P calls for Meto Power (Maximum except Take-off), CP pulls prop lever back to climb power. P sets recip throttles to climb MP.

1:24 - CP reduces jets to METO power.

That's about it.  The Pilot flies the plane, looking out the window. The co-pilot is scanning the gauges constantly, looking for proper temperatures and pressures on a host of things.

Flying

Thomas and Cherry from Tali Y D on Vimeo.

I am reminded of what flying is really about. Every once in a while I see an Eagle or a Red Tailed Hawk when I am out on a scenic airplane flight. In fact, I had two such experiences this summer. In both cases they were Eagles, one time a pair of Eagles. We humans have to work at flying, To quote a pilot friend of mine, "to the birds it is just flying."

More videos of birds of prey in flight:

Thanks to a good friend who sent me a link to this wonderful video of an owl in flight.

Flight of the Eagle

More on observing flight maneuvers

I want to continue where I left off last Friday when I reviewed aerodynamic stalls in preparation for writing about some flight maneuvers that I was observed during a scenic ride I took a few weeks ago.

Mike (pilot/CFI) flew to a practice area near the airport where we demonstrated these flight maneuvers.

 Mike told me what he was and doing and why, I took some notes on the flight. In addition, I had some notes from ground school and other scenic rides that I will refer to in this article.

Before starting each maneuver, it is important that one be at a safe altitude. There is also something called "clearing turns" that are done before each maneuver is started. The purpose of the clearing turns is to look for any other traffic before starting the maneuver. Depending on the maneuver, there will be additional items on "the checklist" that are completed prior to starting the maneuver. Unless otherwise noted, the maneuvers that I observed are required knowledge for those seeking a private pilot certificate.

Mike started with steep turns, a 360 degree turn (a complete circle) in a bank angle more than 45 degrees (but less than 60 degrees). As I understand it, constant altitude and airspeed is maintained during the steep turn. Mike demonstrated two steep turns, one at the Cessna 172P's normal cruise speed of about 99 knots and the second at about 85 knots. I was very interested to see that in the steep turn at the slower speed, Mike had to increase back pressure on the yoke in order to maintain constant altitude.

I have seen stalls demonstrated on earlier scen ic rides where the pilot comes to a near stall and then recovers. Recovering from stalls is an important skill for all pilots, and a life-saving skill.

I was especially interested in the two power-off stalls that Mike flew. If memory serves, power-on stalls are done in what is known in "take-off configuration" as the airplane is climbing to altitude (with power).  As I understand it, power-off stalls are done with power set at idle in what is known as the landing configuration. Mike did one power-off stall where he prolonged the stall enough that we lost 400 feet in altitude before he recovered by putting the nose down and increasing power.

The next to last maneuver was the chandelle. Chandelle's are required for CFI's and the commercial rating. Those seeking a private pilot certificate do not have to learn the chandelle. According to the Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3A) (p. 9-4), the objective of the chandelle

is to develop the pilot's coordination, orientation, planning, and accuracy of control during maximum performance flight. A chandelle is a maximum performance climbing turn beginning from approximately straight-and-level flight, and ending at the completetion of a precise 180 degree turn in a wings-level, nose high altitude at the minimum controllable airspeed.

See this wikipedia article on chandelles for more information and some graphics.

I observed two chandelles, one entered from the left and the other entered from the right. In my notes from that flight, I noted that the bank angle on the chandelles that I experienced was no more than 30 degrees. Our altitude when the chandelles were completed was 5,500 ft.

After completing the chandelles, Mike flew a steep spiral (another maneuver required for CFIs and the commercial rating, but not for private pilots). As the name implies, Mike descended to about 2,500 ft in a spiral. For more on the steep spiral including a graphic, check out this link.

We were in the air for just over three-quarters of an hour. I was thrilled to observe these maneuvers and came away with renewed appreciation for the skills involved in flying an airplane. And just as thrilled that I did not get sick to my stomach.

All these maneuvers are discussed in detail in the Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3A) with pictures. In addition, these maneuvers are covered in an excellent publication by ASA (Aviation Supplies and Academics, Inc.) called Visualized Flight Maneuvers Handbook. I have the edition for high winged aircraft. I understand that there is one for low winged aircraft as well. I have a hard copy that is small enough to fit in a flight bag, I do not know if you can purchase an electronic file.

Andover-Aeroflex Airport

I'll get back to the maneuvers that I was referring to last Friday in my next post (Wed. June 8). But first I want to spend a little time writing about another scenic airplane flight that I took with Mike (pilot/CFI) yesterday. This time, we flew in a Cessna Cutlass (aka Cessna 172RG), an airplane with a constant speed propeller and retractable landing gear.

Retractable landing gear is what the name implies, the landing gear retracts into the fuselage. Simply, after the plane has achieved a certain speed and is safely off the ground, the pilot operates a lever to retract the landing gear. Mike's habit is to have the person sitting in the right seat (me) check to confirm that the gear is up on the right side of the airplane while he checks the left side of the airplane. The constant speed propeller requires a couple more gauges. Oh, and there was a Garmin GPS in the plane, another first for me.

The Cruise speed of the Cutlass (120 kts) is a little faster than in the C-172 trainers that I have ridden in. So, we made good time to our destination, an airport in northern NJ (12N), Andover-Aeroflex. Aeroflex is a public airport, and also serves as the tanker base for the northern division of the NJ Forest Fire Service. The airplanes were off contract by early May.

We flew in on runway 3. As you can see from the google earth images, the approach to runway 3 is over a lake. Literally. Mike did a good job on the final approach, keeping the airplane at a safe elevation over the lake. The only interesting part was the flock of Geese sitting at the end of the Lake right at the end of runway 3. Mike raised the nose just a tad to keep a respectable elevation over the flock of Geese. The Geese did not budge, thankfully. They just hung out and watched this noisy airplane fly right over them.

I've attached a couple of images of Andover-Aeroflex from Google Earth, a photo I took while we were taxiing to depart showing some of the hangers, and a couple of photos I took of the Cutlass' cockpit.

Observing certain flight maneuvers

There are various maneuvers that student pilots have to learn. Learning various maneuvers, the specific maneuvers required vary depending on the rating, is an important part of pilot training. Or for training for a commercial rating or to be a certified flight instructor (CFI).

Specific maneuvers teach certain skills, and the student has to be proficient in the required maneuvers as they may be required to demonstrate these maneuvers as a part of their testing to get their pilot certificate or for later ratings.

I recently went on a scenic flight with Mike, a pilot/CFI where Mike demonstrated certain maneuvers, two were more advanced maneuvers that private pilots do not learn but are required for commercial pilots and CFI's. Mike and I had talked prior to this flight about the maneuvers that he would show me, so I was able to read up on these maneuvers prior to our flight.

Before writing about these maneuvers, I need to talk about stalls.I first wrote about aircraft lift and stalls over two years ago. Since that time, I have been to aviation ground school and passed the FAA private pilot written exam. So, I have a better idea of what a stall is. In thinking about how to provide a reference for stalls, I liked what TL Stein told me in this article from March 2009  so rather then reinvent the wheel, I am referencing that article:

stall speed for an aircraft is the speed where the forward speed of the aircraft is not producing enough air flow over the wings to produce life or support the airplane at its altitude. When a pilot is landing an aircraft, the plane is just over stall speed. ... the faster the air moves over the wing, the more lift is created Air speed is in direct relation to life. Lift enables flight. Lose lift and the aircraft sinks. When the forward airspeed no longer produces enough low pressure over the top of the wing to sustain flight . . . this is stall.

There is a nice animation on aircraft stall that may be found here.

With that as background, I will turn to writing about some maneuvers that Mike demonstrated for me, chandelles, steep turns, and power-off and power-on stalls in an article that I will post next Wednesday, June 8. These and other maneuvers required for the private pilot, CFI and commercial pilots ratings are covered in detail in an excellent publication by ASA (Aviation Supplies and Academics, Inc.) called Visualized Flight Maneuvers Handbook. I have the edition for high winged aircraft. I understand that there is one for low winged aircraft as well. I have a hard copy that is small enough to fit in a flight bag, I do not know if you can purchase an electronic file. I got my copy through my local airport.

Flying yesterday

The last time that I went flying on a scenic ride with a pilot (Mike) was just after Christmas. I was grounded, so to speak, for much of January into early February recovering from a sinus infection. Then I had two flights canceled because of windy conditions. So, I finally went up yesterday with and had a great flight. I had to learn navigation and pilotage when I was studying for the FAA private pilot exam last year. I wanted to do a little more work on navigation and pilotage by plotting a course for this scenic ride. Of course, the pilot, and not I, would normally do the navigation and pilotage. Simply, I plotted a course on an aeronautical chart, and picked out visual reference points along my route. The good news is that we found our way to our destination.

I did not choose the best visual reference points, Mike and I talked about this on the flight back. We talked about why my reference points were not good, and he suggested reference points that I could look for on the same flight in the future. For example, he pointed out a very large lake near the interstate that is an excellent visual reference point.

Part of the problem, according to Mike, could have been that the winds at our altitude (5,500 ft) may have been blowing a little stronger than forecast in the winds aloft charts I used. When planning a flight under visual flight rules, there are ways that you work the effects of winds into your flight planning, and I thought that I had done this. But we were a little to the right of my plotted course, possibly due to stronger winds aloft.

If I had used better visual reference points such as the large lake near the interstate, then this might not have happened. Fortunately, Mike is a good pilot (just to clarify that he was flying the plane). It was very clear and we could see for miles, so he was able to spot a good visual reference point near our destination.
I hope that on future scenic rides, that I will be better able to follow along by identifying a visual reference points and then finding these reference points on my sectional.

Cross Country (part 9): return to KABE

Rob takes a slightly different route on our return flight to Lehigh Valley International Airport (KABE) so that I can see one of the ridges near West Milford, NJ. There is a small general aviation airport in West Milford, NJ near Greenwood Lake (4N1), so we fly from Westchester County Airport (KHPN) to 4N1 to KABE. This is not far from the Sparta VOR we flew over on our flight to KHPN earlier. Rob gives our course to the controllers. After we clear the immediate airspace around KHPN, we are told to fly under class B airspace. The floor of class B airspace in the area is 3,000 feet, the controllers tell us to fly at 2,500. Rob does not request flight following, he will be navigating using the instruments in the Cherokee and his aeronautical charts. I continue to scan for other aircraft.

There is an area that I had done some hiking a few years ago, the Abraham S. Hewitt State Forest, not far from 4N1. I think it would be fun to fly over the this ridge top forest. I regret not taking photos for you. See the Google Earth image below showing some of the locations mentioned in this article. The image at the top of this article is an extract from an aeronautical chart.

The airport, 4N1, is near the southern end of Greenwood Lake, so I help Rob look for the airport. Rob spots 4N1 first, he radios the common air traffic frequency used at 4N1 to say that he is overflying the field from west to east at 2,500.

Rob is flying into a head wind. Our ground speed to about 93 knots, 20 knots lower than our ground speed on the flight to KHPN.

Rob circles around to the north after overflying 4N1 and we fly over the ridge I hiked a few years ago. Things are starting to get quieter on the radio as we fly farther away from the edge of class B airspace. It is getting a little late, so I tell Rob that I have seen what I wanted to see in the Greenwood Lakes area.  He sets a course to KABE. We fly over the Sparta VOR. Soon we are in airspace that is more familiar to me.

All to quickly we enter KABE airspace. KABE approach hands over to the tower and we enter the pattern for landing. We taxi to the ramp. Rob has to tie down the Cherokee for the night. Rob asks me to get out of the Cherokee and help out by pushing/guiding the plane back to the tie-down area.

I will be posting one final article in this series, probably this Wednesday, with some references where you may go for more information on some of the aviation terminology that I have used in this series.

Cross-country (part 8): Tappan Zee Bridge and KHPN

Rob has made good time on our flight to KHPN because he has a tail wind, with a ground speed of about 113 kts. I see the Hudson River in the distance and know that we will soon be flying over the Tappan Zee Bridge crossing the Hudson River approximately 40 nautical miles north of mid-town Manhattan (in New York City, NY). The controller comes over the radio giving Rob an altitude and course to the Westchester County Airport (KHPN) across the Hudson River. He tells Rob to use the Tappan Zee Bridge as a visual navigation point. Rob may still be talking to the NY Approach controller handling aircraft on approach to KHPN.

I am paying attention to the altitude that we are flying because I am busy getting my camera ready to take some shots of the bridge as we fly over. Having crossed this span numerous times by automobile, sometimes literally crawling across the bridge in traffic, it is a thrill to fly over the bridge in less than a minute or two. Rob banks the plane a little to the left so that I can get some good shots of the bridge, thanks Rob!

At the appropriate time, NY Approach hands Rob over to the Aircraft Control Tower at KHPN who gives Rob instructions for landing at KHPN, including the runway that we land on. Unfortunately, I do not make note of the runway we arrive on. After we land the Tower hands Rob over to ground control, Rob tells ground control that we want to go to the restaurant. He is unfamiliar with the airport, so he asks for progressive taxi to the restaurant. Ground control gives Rob step by step taxi information to Signature Flight Support where he will park the Cherokee. When he gets to the Signature ramp, a signal man is there guiding Rob in with hand signals. This was another thrill for me, as this is the first time that I have seen this up close and personal from the cockpit. At first I regret not taking pictures for you, but I find out later that photographs are not permitted, so it is a moot point.

The signal man puts a covering over the engine, and chocks under the wheels. The Signature Flight Support staff direct us to the restaurant inside the terminal. We get a bite to eat, and have a chance to chat about the flight. We go back to Signature, I pay the $28.00 landing fee. I am impressed by Signature, the staff is nice, there are computer terminals available, snacks and beverages, a lounge, and items that the corporate or general aviation traveller will find useful. I think that they have maintenance facilities and a hanger.

Cross-Country (pt 7): more on radio communications

While we are still on the ground at Lehigh Valley International (KABE), Rob tells the controllers our course -- KABE to Sparta VOR to Westchester County Airport (KHPN) -- and requests flight following. Flight following, aka traffic advisories, is a service provided by controllers to pilots flying under visual flight rules (VFR). The VFR pilot asks the controllers, as Rob does, for flight following. The catch is that controllers grant flight following on a space available basis, meaning they can say no if their work load is too heavy. In our case, after we leave KABE airspace, the NY Approach controller grants Rob flight following.

As we get closer to and then enter class B (or bravo airspace), I get to listen to and learn what traffic advisories mean. The controller will say something like the following:

"Cherokee 2345 alpha , traffic three o'clock, five miles west bound, 6,000 feet"

The pilot looks for the other aircraft and if he immediately sees the aircraft will respond by saying something like:

"NY Approach Cherokee 2345 alpha , traffic in sight."

Or if the pilot does not immediately site the other aircraft (this may have happened to Rob once or twice) he might say something like:

"NY Approach Cherokee 2345 alpha, looking."

In the above response, I believe that pilot is telling the controllers that he is looking for the other aircraft. He sights the other aircraft very quickly and then tells the controllers something like:

"NY approach, Cherokee 2345 alpha, traffic in sight."

As we are flying along on our way to KHPN, I listen to the communications. Sometimes, but not always, I can hear the controller calling Rob and follow along as Rob responds. Other times, I miss the controllers call, but because the protocol is that the pilot repeats back the instructions to the controller, I get a sense of what is going on. An example of this is the traffic advisories that I have just discussed. Rob turns the traffic advisories into an opportunity for teaching and asks me if I can see the aircraft. I admit that I often did not see the aircraft on the first try. But I do see some or most of the traffic in question. This takes some getting used to, and I have to be honest and say that I do not see all the aircraft that Rob has me looking for.

As the controllers give Rob traffic advisories, I practice looking for the traffic. Some times I see the traffic and sometimes I don't. At the same time I am listening to the fast paced radio communications over my headset. I am glad that I have listened to aviation communications using online scanners such as LiveATC.net, providing me with the opportunity to get used to listening to communications in the confines of my house.

I begin to appreciate that radio communications take some getting used to. I have new found respect for student pilots learning radio communications. This is my first time in airspace with such busy and fast paced radio communications, I understood more than I thought I would. I am pleased.

We continue to fly, Rob piloting the aircraft and I listening and looking. In the distance, I see the Hudson River. I know that we are north of the Hudson River Exclusion Zone adjoining NYC. We are getting close to KHPN.

Next up: the Tappen Zee Bridge and KHPN

Cross-Country (part 6): navigation and radio communications

I am having a ball. I had already told Rob about the course that I had plotted the night before. He liked what I did so he set one of the navigation radios to the frequency used by the Sparta VOR. I have my aeronautical (sectional) chart on my lap with my penciled in course. As we pass over certain roads and other geographic features, I am sometimes able to look at the chart and see exactly where we are. Sometimes.

We are getting closer to class B airspace, but first we have to cross into or "pierce" the mode C veil that surrounds class B airspace. All aircraft entering mode C must have a mode C transponder.

I was talking about the transponder in an earlier post. Simply, the transponder reports our position to controllers. Before we get into class B (or bravo) airspace, we will enter an area 30 nautical miles (NM) from the center of class B airspace known as the mode C veil. I got raster files of the NY terminal aeronautical charts from the FAA; terminal charts depict class B airspace and includes the mode C veil. I extracted a portion of this chart to post here and put in an approximation of our route. The mode C veil is shown by the purple line, I have marked where our route "pierced" the mode C veil with the letter "T" and an arrow. A working transponder is required before piercing the mode C veil.

Rob turned the transponder on before take-off and set the code to 1200 (for aircraft under visual flight rules). Before we left the airspace around KABE, the controllers told Rob to change the code on the transponder to a unique four-digit code (e.g. squawk 4321). When we get to the mode C veil, we are all set.

Before entering class B airspace, 10 NM later, the controllers have to clear Rob to enter class B airspace. If the controller does not specifically clear Rob to enter class B airspace he has to stay out. In that case he would have flown below the 3,000 foot floor of class B airspace that is on our route to Westchester County Airport (KHPN). However, the controllers, in this case NY approach, have already cleared Rob to enter class B airspace, giving him an altitude and a course. This important bit of communication happens over a minute, maybe two. I have noted on the image where our route (in red) crosses into class B airspace (represented by the blue line) on the chart excerpt above.

Hearing the interchange between Rob and the controllers when we are given clearance to enter class B airspace was another thrill. Up until now, I have never been in or near class B airspace in a general aviation aircraft. The radio is busy, Rob says this is the busiest that he has experienced. I stay quiet. I know that Rob needs to pay attention to the communications, so I don't want to bother him with unnecessary chatter. Instead I concentrate on listening to the communications. It is fast paced, and I am pleased that I understood most of the communications.

Next up in part 7, more on radio communications.

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The image below is another excerpt from one of the aeronautical charts that I posted last week. This time I have noted the location of the three large airports in the NY-NJ metro area:

Newark-Liberty International in Newark NJ (KEWR)
John F. Kennedy (KJFK) and Laguardia (KLGA) both located in NYC.

Some of you may have flown into one of these three airports at one time or another, so I thought you might be interested in seeing what this airspace looks like on an aeronautical chart.
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Note, I need to point out that airspace and airport classifications take some getting used to. Aeronautical charts with their weird colors, circles, and other notations take even more time to get used to. Next week, I will provide you some references where you may learn more about airspace and airport classifications, aeronautical charts and other information discussed in this series. In the meantime, if you can not wait, please refer to my aviation links and info page on my blog where I have linked to some information on airspace and aeronautical charts.

Cross-Country (part 5): Take-off at KABE

The day of our cross-country flight arrives, the weather looks decent: broken clouds at about 4,500 feet with light winds and visibility of greater than 6 nautical miles. If the clouds are to pose a problem, I knew that both Rob and the Cherokee are rated for flight under instrument flight rules (aka above the clouds). I'll tell you now that the clouds will not be an issue. In fact, the sky will get clearer as the afternoon wears on. So, we will not have to go above the clouds.

I am psyched.

I am at the airport, finally finding the hanger were I am to meet Rob. We go out to the plane, a Piper Cherokee. Rob goes through his pre-flight check list both outside and inside the Cherokee. One important item is checking the fuel level, so he arranges to add fuel to the two tanks (one on each wing). Once inside he checks various instruments inside the cockpit including the radios. He sets the navigation radio to the frequency for the Sparta VOR, and sets the two bands on the communications radio, one to the frequency for ground control. He sets the other band to a frequency that we will use a little later.

He sets up the transponder. The transponder, a Mode C transponder, is a special piece of aviation equipment that will be required later in our flight. It communicates the position of our Cherokee to the radar used by various controllers along our route. He sets it to 1200, the code for VFR flight. Later in the flight, Rob will be directed by one of the controllers, to change this code (aka squawk) to another code.

After Rob is finished with the all the pre-flight checks, using his check lists, he radios ground control who gives him instructions on where to taxi, telling him to hold at area kilo where he does a final check, called a run-up (a check of the engine among other things). Ground also tells Rob that we will be taking off on runway 24. After Rob completes the run-up, we hold at kilo to wait while another plane clears the runway.

The take-off will be handled by the Air Traffic Control Tower (ATC). It is finally time, and Rob taxis to runway 24. This is not the first time I have been at KABE, I was at KABE about seven months on a scenic ride observing a maneuver called touch and goes where the pilot lands and then immediately take-off again. Not all airports allow touch and goes, KABE does. I had also flown on commercial flights out of KABE.

But this is different. I am in the cockpit of the Cherokee looking down a 7,000 ft runway at a decent sized international airport. There was something magical about this take-off. For me flying is peaceful and freeing. it is hard to explain but a part of the magic is sitting in the cockpit looking down at this long runway. This is so different from sitting in the back of a Boeing 717-200 on the way to Chicago.

I hear the familiar and comforting sound of the engine as our speed increased and we lift off. I am free. There is comfort in the communications with the controller at the tower who guides us through the take-off before giving Rob a course and an altitude.

Soon ATC will hand us over to Allentown departure, on another frequency and then Allentown Departure would hand us over to New York Approach on still another frequency. I trust Rob and all of the controllers to keep us -- Rob, myself, and the Cherokee -- safe. And the Cherokee, she is doing what she does so well, flying. I look out the windows watching the ground shrink as we climb to our cruising altitude of 5,500 feet. I sit, taking in the freedom. I am home.

Landing at KABE

Sorry everyone. I got distracted with various things including diagnosing and then sending off my Pentax DSLR for in-warranty repair, so I never finished today's article in my series on my cross-country flight. That article will post tomorrow, barring unforeseen circumstances. In the meantime, I found this video on youtube of a Cherokee landing at Lehigh Valley International Airport (KABE). You may recall that my pilot Rob and I took off from KABE for our cross country. Enjoy!

Upcoming articles about my cross-country flight

My cross country flight was not only about seeing first hand some of the things that I learned in ground school. It was also about the joy of flying. I may never be a pilot, but I can and do fly in my own ways, so to speak. This flight was part of that experience.

Upcoming articles about my cross-country flight:

• October 29: part 5 - take-off from KABE
• November 1: part 6 - navigation and radio communications
• November 3: part 7 - more on radio communications
• November 5: part 8 - Tappen Zee Bridge and KHPN
• November 8: part 9 - return flight to KABE
• November 10: part 10 - references

Cross-Country (part 4): plotting the course

The night before my cross-country flight I checked the weather forecasts and planned a possible route that for the scenic ride from Lehigh Valley International Airport (KABE) to Westchester County Airport (KHPN). The weather looked to be good for the flight the next day with low winds and good conditions for a flight under visual flight rules.

I admit that I had paid that much attention to the navigational aide known as a VOR since before I passed the FAA written private pilot exam. So, I wanted another opportunity to observe VOR navigation. The VOR is a ground based radio beacon that pilots use to navigate by referring to an instrument in the cockpit. The VOR transmits its signals in 360 degrees.

I planned for a route flying first to the navigational aide known as the Sparta VOR (SAX) and then proceeding to Westchester County Airport (KHPN). I wanted to show you the route that I plotted, so I went to the FAA website where I downloaded the NY Sectional raster file. the files are very large, so I cropped and saved a smaller image. I then drew the course on the image, adding some labels. The Sparta VOR (navigational aid) is circled. On this route, if the controllers let us into class B airspace, we will only be in class B airspace for a shorter time compared with the alternative of a direct route to KHPN.

I added the distance and true course to the image, but it may be a little hard to read.

KABE to Sparta VOR: 48 nautical miles, 70 degrees.
Sparta VOR to KHPN: 38 nautical miles, 102 degrees.

Nautical miles (or knots) are used in aviation. One nautical mile equals approximately 1.15 miles.

Aeronautical charts take some getting used, but I wanted you to see what one looks like. However, I thought that some of you might want to see the route plotted using more conventional maps. So, I went into Google Earth and using an aeronautical chart overlay, I added a marker for the Sparta VOR. I then deleted this overlay, reverting back to a normal image.

Next up, I'll get to the flight itself and talk about starting out from Lehigh Valley International Airport.