S.D. Falchetti's Blog, page 11

Pixel Plane Final Day - San Francisco Here I Come

It's a beautiful day for my final flight. My plan is to depart from Half Moon Bay, follow the coast north past the Golden Gate Bridge, cross to Oakland and arrive at KFSO runway 19R. I can keep under bravo airspace for half the trip, but I'll need Norcal to give me clearances to transit and land at KFSO. For this final flight I'll be flying entirely manual - no autopilot assist for headings.

The departure from Half Moon is idyllic.

I pass several ships trailing white wakes in the Pacific.

When the Golden Gate Bridge comes into sight, it's a magnificent orange steel lattice, sharply contrasting with the marine blues of the water.

I reach my turning point, Sausalito falling behind me.

The bay transit is quick, Oakland's shore coming into view.

I turn to my final heading, Oakland sprawling beneath me, with San Francisco across the bay.

I set down on San Francisco's runway 19R and taxi to the general aviation area. The airport is alive with departures and arrivals, aircraft strobes pulsing everywhere.

I feel a bit giddy. It's been 2722 nautical miles, 37 airports, and 24 hours of flight time to get here. I've been up to ten thousand feet and down to sea level. I've been here in real life, ten years ago with my wife, biking the Golden Gate Bridge and having lunch in Sausalito.

So, it's been a bit fun, riding a commercial jet to get here in reality, but flying a virtual Piper Warrior to journey here in X Plane. Seeing the United States transition across the myriad of landscapes between the east and west coasts was amazing.

For those interested, my trip was:

KAVP - Wilkes-Barre Scranton, PAKSEG - Sellingsgrove, PAKUNV - University Park, PAKJST - Johnstown, PAKHLG - Wheeling, WVKVTA - Newark, OHKAOH - Lima Allen County, OHKFWA - Fort Wayne, INKSBN - South Bend, INKORD- Chicago O’Hare, ILKMLI - Moline, ILKCID - Ceder Rapids, IAKDSM - Des Moines, IAKRDK - Red Oak, IAKAHQ - Wahoo, NEKGRI - Grand Island, NEKLBF - North Platt, NEKAKO - Akron, COKCOS - Colorado Springs, COKPUB - Pueblo, COKTAD - Perry Stokes, COKLVS - Las Vegas, NMKABQ - Albuquerque, NMKGUP - Gallup, NMKFLG - Flagstaff, AZKGCN - Grand Canyon National Park, AZ1Z1 - Grand Canyon Bar Ten Airstrip, AZKLAS - McCarran International Las Vegas, NVKDAG - Barstow-Dagget, CAKPOC - La Verne, CAKLAX - Los Angeles, CAKSBA - Santa Barbara, CAKPRB - Paso Robles, CAKSNS - Salinas, CAKSJC - San Jose, CAKHAF - Half Moon Bay, CAKSFO - San Francisco, CA

A few observations from the journey:

The transitions cannot be understated. You can see it in any US map. A sea of rounded green mountains to the east, and sharp tan peaks to the west. It's like flying over a gradient which starts green and transitions through ochre and sandy hues. At times, near New Mexico, the landscape could have been part of another world.























The US is a bit like a tent, with the Rocky Mountains as the apex. Elevations on both sides of the mountains continued to be high for some time, making the midwest navigation difficult for a Piper with a ceiling of 11,000 feet.From the Rockies west, there is a surprising amount of military airspace.As I traveled, I wrote about the places I found interesting at each stop. Every place, even the smallest municipal airstrips, had someplace interesting to explore.I learned a lot from this trip, fumbling my way through reading VFR sectionals, following navaids using my plane's instruments, understanding different types of airspaces and their requirements, and flying in a variety of conditions. At the beginning of the trip the CDI, ADF, and DME were a mystery to me, but they were second nature by the end.

So, what's next? One of the things I'd liked to learn more about is radio work and interfacing with ATC. X Plane's built-in ATC is more like a talking GPS, and doesn't really give you this experience. I'll probably get a subscription to Pilot's Edge, which essentially turns X Plane into a multi-player server, connecting other simmers into a virtual airspace, while offering full ATC services from actual ATC operators. They have detailed training ratings taking you through basic to advanced VFR and IFR communications. Real pilots use the service. It's a bit intimidating, to be honest, but seems to be the next step in learning authentic procedures. I've been following a pilot and X Plane enthusiast on YouTube who loves Pilots Edge (and has also built his own full-sized simulator). Check out his videos to get a flavor for it:

So, as I set the chocks against the Warrior's wheels it feels good to be at the end of my trip.

But, I realize, it's just the start of a new leg.

 

 

 

Pixel Plane Day 18 - Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

It's sunny when I depart Paso Robles. The landscape is waves of wrinkled rock.

My VFR sectional shows hashed red lines to my left. At first I read these as restricted airspace, but upon closer investigation they are a MOA - military operations area.

Unlike restricted airspace, I can enter these, but must be aware that military aircraft may be performing operations. I decide to avoid this.

In no time the landscape changes, and I'm flying a green corridor nestled between two mountain ranges.

I set down smoothly in Salinas and spend a few hours visiting the Steinbeck House and Laguna Seca, grabbing dinner at the Salinas City BBQ. Sometime near sunset I'm back in the air en route to San Jose.

It's a bit windy when I take off, and the winds become gusty as I near KSJC. I'm fighting to keep on runway centerline.

But, I get it sorted out and land, city lights sprawling around me in all directions.

After an overnight stay, I explore San Jose a bit, visiting the Winchester Mystery House (it's beautiful, but bizarre), then I have a ten a.m. departure for KHAF Half Moon Bay. Scattered clouds obscure much of the sky, but the deck is around five thousand feet and visibility is good. Once I'm in the air, I get a good view of San Jose's scale.

My flight plan takes me out over the ocean and there's something serene about it, waves and sunlight dancing below.

When Half Moon Bay comes into view, it's obvious how it got its name.

I circle the airport and set down. It's beautiful here, and a perfect place for my final stop. I'm only twenty miles from San Francisco.

Pixel Plane Day 17 - Stargazing in La La Land

My three days in Los Angeles are a whirlwind. I visit Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards, checking out the stars on the Walk of Fame, then walk down Rodeo Drive. After a stop at Paramount Studios, I'm off to Griffith Observatory in the evening for a bit of stargazing. Ryan Gosling and Emma  had their memorable date here in La La Land.

During the next days I hike a bit at Runyon Canyon Park and spend some time at Santa Monica Pier and Beach. It all goes by in a blink.

Late in the afternoon on my third day I fly to Santa Barbara. It's still a bit windy and there's a haze in the air, but conditions are good. My course takes me over the ocean flying parallel to the coast.

Clouds roll in as I near my destination, KSBA Santa Barbara. After all of my high-altitude waypoints to get here, I needed to do a double-take when I saw KSBA was 9 feet above sea level. It's the first time my altimeter's hit zero upon landing.

I eat dinner at Los Agave's and call it a night. The next morning I have a nine a.m. departure for KPRB Paso Robles. The runway heading leads me quickly into a wall of mountains, and I have to steadily climb to clear them.

I'm glad I requested flight-following from ATC. The route takes me over long stretches of rocky mountains. The landscape flattens out and KPRB Paso Robles comes into view.

As I taxi I notice the north end of the airport is home to the Estrella Warbirds Museum. Curious, I venture over to check it out.

Pixel Plane Day 16 - City of Angels

I spend the afternoon exploring San Bernardino, stopping at the Original McDonald's Museum, San Manuel Stadium, and the San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum. The wind picks up a bit when I head back to the airport. A quick check of the forecast shows that it's sunny with light winds and no gusts.  I can handle seven-knot winds. I'm back in the air heading west, sandy landscape stretching behind me.

The standard navigation takes me directly over mountains. I'm flying at nine-thousand feet and will have to climb well over ten thousand to clear them.

Looking over to my left, the mountains drop quickly. I adjust my course and traverse the lower portion, dropping to get beneath some of the patchy clouds.

On the other side of the mountain the weather changes. Fog and mist roll in, and the wind becomes gusty.

Visibility is ten miles but decreasing, and the gusts are swaying me like I'm on a boat. I check the ATIS/ASOS channels at nearby airports and everywhere has similar conditions. I'm a bit nervous about the amount of concentration I'll need in the heavy traffic of the Los Angeles airspace, and I decide it's best to set down until the conditions improve. KPOC Brackett Field is close, and I descend. It takes me two passes at the airport, but I land without issue. I end up staying the night.

The next morning it's clear with calmer winds. I'm back in the air.

It's a short hop - only twenty minutes - and Los Angeles International is in sight. There's a steady line of jet traffic arriving and departing.

I set down on 24L and taxi to the general aviation parking area, stopping for a moment just to watch the grandeur of KLAX.

It's my first time in LA and I've scheduled a three day stop here. What will I do? Where to start? I'm excited as I park, shutdown, and step onto the wing.

Pixel Plane Day 15 - Sin City

After enjoying the views from 1Z1 Bar Ten airstrip I'm back underway for another canyon transit. The sun is low and the rock shines orange. I fly southwest, passing over 1G4 Grand Canyon West airport. It looks precarious nestled along the chasm's edge.

In no time I'm flying over Lake Mead, then the glittering Vegas lights appear like an oasis. I'm enveloped in the city's spectacle.

The strip slips past me with its brightly illuminated buildings.

There's air traffic everywhere, red beacons and white strobes pulsing in the night. ATC has me follow a Piper Comanche in for landing.

I taxi into the parking area, the Mandalay Bay Casino visible behind me.

I decide that's the first place I'll visit. I'm not much for gambling, but they have a fantastic aquarium. Afterwards I'll walk the strip, get my George Clooney vibe out for the Bellagio, and visit the Pinball Hall of Fame. It's midnight when I head back to the hotel.

The next morning I catch a bit of breakfast and head back to the airport for my departure to KDAG Barstow-Daggett.  The first thing I think of when I hear "Daggett" is the robot-dog from Battlestar Galactica, although that one was spelled "daggit". It's sunny with a little bit of wind coming from the east.

Minutes later I'm in the air with Vegas falling behind me.

Sandy desert stretches on along the route.

When I worked out my flight plan on SkyVector, it placed me on a straight-forward path via OASYS and DISBE waypoints. In my haste, I missed an import point.  It's not until I glance at my Garmin mid-flight that I notice the airspace brackets dead ahead.

Abruptly I turn ninety degrees to the left. Pulling up the VFR sections, it's restricted military airspace. Fortunately I caught my error before breaching it. Getting intercepted by F15s would be a bad end to this trip. I go around, then catch the KDAG VOR radial and get back on track.

As I close on KDAG, I work on flying a standard pattern. I enter the downwind on the forty-five, line up my wingtip with the runway, work on my altitude and power and turn base. I'm a bit early on my base turn, but I'll get better with practice.

I set down smoothly and exit the runway.

Barstow-Daggett airport is in San Bernanino. I'm curious to explore what's here for the next few hours. I've got another big flight ahead of me near dinner time, Los Angeles International, and I'm a bit nervous.

Pixel Plane Day 14 - A Grand Day Out

I'm grabbing a bite at the Northern Pines restaurant in Flagstaff when the fellow next to me at the counter makes some small talk. I tell him about my cross-country adventure and he says, "I suppose you'll be flyin' by the crater, then?"

I squint, thinking.

"You know," the man continues, "the big meteor one. Pretty close. Forty-five minute drive."

I nearly gasp. Meteor Crater, the place where Jeff Bridges gets picked up by his massive silver spaceship in Starman.

My route here took me far north of it. I nearly went on to my next leg without seeing it.

"You betcha," I say to the man, finishing my last bites and tossing my cash onto the counter. I'm back at the airport with my sectionals in hand. I go old-school and pull out a ruler, getting a bearing from Flagstaff, and set up my CDI for the corresponding radial coming from the Flagstaff VOR.  Then, I'm in the air. The crater comes into view in twenty minutes.

Next up is KGCN Grand Canyon National Park. The course from Flagstaff is convoluted, due to mountains and restricted airspace blocking the north route. I need to go the long way around.

The views are pretty along the way.

After ninety minutes KGCN comes into view, with the Grand Canyon just beyond it.

When I land here, it's like a party. Planes and people are everywhere, the airport bustling with activity. I chat with a few of the pilots. Everyone's doing VFR flights over the canyon. The interesting thing about sightseeing here is that the FAA has designed the entire airspace over the Grand Canyon as having special rules, and has published a specific VFR sectional map for it.  Large swathes of airspace are no-fly zones (at least below 14,500 feet), but there are corridors available with names like Dragon Corridor or Fossil Canyon Corridor. My plan is to fly due west parallel to the restricted space, crossing between Vulcan's Throne and Twin Peaks to the north side of the canyon, landing at 1Z1 Bar Ten airstrip.

I lay out my ruler on the section. Heading 255 will take me  due west from KGCN. Peach Springs VOR is just south west of the canyon. If I intercept the 35 degree radial from Peach Springs, I'll be at my turning point. I connect that point to 1Z1 and get a bearing of 330. It's a plan: fly heading 255 after takeoff and intercept the 35 degree Peach Springs radial, then fly heading 330 across the canyon to 1Z1. I set everything up with my heading bug and CDI. It's fun to do pen-and-paper navigation.

It's sunny and clear when I take off from Grand Canyon National Park.

For a while, flying west is a bit disappointing. I can't see the canyon, just stretches of flat rock. Then, my CDI creeps towards center and I know I'm getting close to the Peach Springs 35-degree radial. I turn and fly heading 330. The canyon is upon me, and the view is spectacular.

As it falls behind me, I start my search for 1Z1 Bar Ten airstrip. I put the GPS into OBS mode and dial in my desired approach heading on the CDI. Ten miles out, I still don't have the airfield in sight. Five miles. Two miles. I've missed it.

I continue along the same heading for ten miles and turn around, descending. As I get closer, it comes into view. 

It's a bit intimidating with sloping ground leading to and from the runway, and rock walls flanking it. I descend to the right altitude, but I'm flying way too fast for landing and need to do a go-around. I try again, still at the wrong combination of speed and altitude.  Finally, after a fourth attempt, I set it down.

Some of the pilots seem a bit amused as I step out of my plane, but I have the feeling they've all been there before. Music is playing nearby - Van Halen's Jump - and a game of volleyball is in progress just off the ramp. I smell food cooking and my stomach grumbles. I lean against my wing, cross my arms, and just enjoy the view.

Pixel Plane Day 13 - Gallup and Flagstaff

I decide to spend my time in Albuquerque doing a Breaking Bad tour. I visit Walter White's house and the A1 car wash in Northeast Heights and Tuco's headquarters at Java Joe's on Park Ave. I wrap up at Twisters, the real-life restaurant chain which was Gus Fring's Los Pollos Hermanos. Afterwards I'm back at the airport for departure.

Albuquerque sprawls beneath me as I ascend to cruising altitude.

Rocky landscape and high elevations span the stretch to Gallup.

Gallup's airport, KGUP, is a bit of an adventure to navigate to, with trench-like escarpments on both sides.

The sun is getting low and I spend the evening here, visiting the Navajo Code Talker Museum and grabbing dinner at the Route 66 Diner.

I'm happy to see bright sunshine the next morning, but a check of the weather forecast shows some patchy showers in the future. It's a beautiful morning when I takeoff

My trip starts with blue skies, but in no time the rain is upon me. The clouds remain high and visibility is still good, but drops patter on the hull.

I can see the direction of the storm and turn ninety-degrees to my left. In a few minutes, bits of blue sky poke through.

Just like that I'm back in sunlight, gray clouds falling behind me. The landscape is surreal, a mix of powder orange and mustard, and I feel like I'm flying over an alien world.

Ahead clouds hover over Flagstaff, and I know I've got one more bout of rain before landing.

I set down on runway twenty-one.

A sense of mirth overtakes me. Tomorrow I'll fly to KGCN - Grand Canyon National Park. I've flown nearly two-thousand nautical miles to get here. I can't wait to see the sights.

Pixel Plane Day 12 - the Garden of the Gods

Today I begin my detour around the Rocky Mountains with an early morning departure from Denver International. Colorado Springs is a short 69 nautical mile hop. A scenic approach awaits me as I descend.

I grab a bite at Marigold Cafe and Bakery before heading off visit the Garden of the Gods. It's a given that I drop by The National Museum of World War II Aviation and the Peterson Air and Space Museum. I could easily spend a few days here, there's so many things I want to explore. - Pike's Peak, Glen Eyrie Castle - but I have a schedule to keep, so I'm back in the air enroute to KPUB Pueblo. The landscape is unearthly, filled with fissures and rock formations along the way.

It's a small general aviation field, and I park and refuel.

In no time I'm back in the air onwards to KTAD Perry Stokes.  After a brief rest here and a bite to eat, I take off for KLVS Las Vegas , New Mexico (not to be confused with Las Vegas, Nevada). I've gotten the hang of setting up NAV2 with my destination and linking the DME to it, displaying remaining distance. The orange glowing digits read 64.4 nautical miles.

The sun is low as I land and I call it a day.

The next morning I sleep in a bit, grab a quick breakfast, and prepare for my trip to Albuquerque International Sunport.  KABQ is in Class C airspace, so I'll be under full ATC for this trip.  The most direct route takes me over some high mountains, so I'll be taking a more leisurely path, avoiding the peaks.

I couldn't ask for a better day. Visibility is perfect with cloudless blue skies. The landscape is a swirl of nutmeg and ochre as I ascend to ten-thousand feet.

Even this far south, there's still some tall mountains to cross, but Albuquerque comes into view. I follow the standard approach and set down on runway three.

I roll into the general aviation area and shutdown. I've got a few hours here before moving on to Gallup. One of my favorite TV shows, Breaking Bad, was set in Albuquerque. I ponder if there are any locations to visit as I climb out of my Warrior.

 

Pixel Plane - Navigation - The Continental Divide

I wake up the next day after a whirlwind tour of Denver, laying out my aeronautical sectionals. After crossing half of the country, I've hit both a literal and metaphorical wall: the Rocky Mountains. 

VRF sectional maps contain blue digits showing the maximum terrain elevation. On my proposed route from Denver to Granby, the number on the right starts at 10.5 (10,500 feet) and ends at 14.6 (14,600) feet.

This poses two big problems.  First, the service ceiling of my Piper Warrior is 11,000 feet.  Second, I will need supplemental oxygen to fly above 12,500 feet.  As I pan along the sectional map, this entire chunk of the Rockies is over 12,500 feet. 

Just for fun I try a simulated flight. X Plane allows me to take my Warrior up to 12,500 feet, but it's the minimum to clear the peaks. The views are fantastic.

But, realistically I wouldn't take my aircraft 1,500 feet above its max altitude. So, when you can't go over a mountain, you need to find a way around.

Option 1 is north to Cheyenne and Casper:

Option 2 is south to Colorado Springs and eventually Albuquerque:

The nice thing about option 2 is that it lines me up with a due-west track with the Grand Canyon, which is in my plan.  

Option 2 it is. I start working out the details of my next stop, KCOS Colorado Springs.

Pixel Plane Day 11 - Look Kids...Big Ben, Parliament

The weather is perfect for my sunrise flight out of KLBF North Platt. It's a hundred-and-thirty nautical mile flight to Akron, Colorado, and I enjoy the views of the landscape bathed in gold light.  

When I set down in KAKO Colorado Plains Regional Airport, there are a few Cessnas parked in the general aviation area.  One is being prepped for a flight, and the pilot gives me a friendly nod.

Not to be confused with Akron, Ohio, this is a small town with seventeen-hundred people.  I grab a cup of joe at Cornerstone Coffee, then I'm back to the airport for my trip to KDEN Denver International.  

Denver International is surround by Class B airspace, which means I'll need ATC clearance and guidance.  I file an IFR flight plan. As I zoom out on my Garmin, it displays the controlled airspace shelves as rings. Good to know, because there are strict FAA penalties for violating Class B airspace. More importantly, it'll be filled with aircraft, and I can cause a collision. ATC clears my flight plan and gives me my unique transponder identifier, forty-seven hundred, so they can track me. I dial it into my transponder.

Initially green fields greet me on my journey, but they give way to rocky hues.

Air traffic control takes me out over the city in a wide square to reach my runway. The route around Denver seems to take longer than the flight to Denver. Comms are alive with chatter from other aircraft.

I've got runway 35R's ILS frequency dialed into NAV1 and my CDI set up for three-fifty. ATC takes me on a forty-five degree angle to intercept the approach.  

 “Heading is three-fifty,” ATC instructs, “we’ll call the field.”

I find “we’ll call the field” a bit confusing, but I repeat, “Fly heading three-fifty, call the field in sight.” 

I'm perfectly lined up with the runway when ATC gives me a new heading ninety-degrees to my left. Perplexed, I obey.

ATC takes me on the long, rectangular circuit I just flew, looping along the forty-five and finally back to the three-fifty.  It feels like the scene on National Lampoon’s European Vacation, where Chevy Chase is stuck in the round about.

I scratch my head wondering why I was diverted, but finally deduce the cause. ATC was waiting for me to report the field in sight. When I didn't, they diverted me.

This time I do a better job, and land at runway 35R.

The general aviation area is bit away from the main terminal. I head over to watch the myriad of flight operations.

I have to give X Plane a hand. There are many third-party plug-ins to add AI traffic and airport operations, but vanilla X Plane does a good job of moving AI aircraft and ground services around the airport. Here a Cessna taxis while a Southwest 737 arrives.

There are endless things to do in Denver, and I spend the day exploring. I start with Dinosaur Ridge, following the footprints of dinosaurs. Next up is the Denver Botanic Gardens for an tour of Rocky Mountain flora. As an art fan, I can't miss the Denver Art Museum.  I swing by Larimer Square and Union Station before visiting Red Rocks Amphitheatre. All in all, a great day. I crash at my hotel and get a good night's sleep in preparation for tomorrow's flight to Granby-Grand County.