I don’t know if there is any scientific backing for my “feeling”, but I do “feel” better when I’m flying ON the wings than under the wings. I know, it’s dumb, but I’ve felt this way for a while and I found out I’m not the only one who “feels” this way.

When you’re in a high-wing such as the Cessna 172 I learned to fly in, you feel like you’re kind of dangling under the wings. It kind of creeps me out and makes me feel a little “at risk”.

After over 50 hours in a 172 getting my PPSEL, I decided to get checked out in a Piper Archer III and was SHOCKED at how much better I felt in a low wing. In the 172 I would actually get a bit of anxiety on occasions and I kept thinking “I’m just hanging off these wings up here.” It was strange but definately how I was feeling.

Not only did the Piper Archer “feel” more secure, it flew fantastic. I was trying to put this into a power-on stall and it just wouldn’t “break” into the stall. The CFI I was flying with said that was about all I was going to get. Wow! I was amazed at how well the plane handled. Solid, stable and secure.

With a high-wing you do get to see a lot more of the ground, but you can still see plenty just forward of the wings in a Piper and that’s cool with me. It’s not a bad trade off.

Don’t get me wrong Cessna, I love you guys and I will never forget those 50+ hours you gave to me while getting my PPSEL. I’m sure I’ll be flying in one of your wonderful birds again someday. I know they’re safe and I loved it, but I’m sticking with this strange “feeling” I have.

So as you’re looking at what the local flight schools have to offer, try out both the high wings and low wings.  Just about every school will have a 172 or 152 available.  You might have to search a bit to find a Piper.

I’d love to hear from others who have this same “feeling.” I know some may think of me as a wimp, but I’m ok with that.

After taking almost 9 months off of flying, I got back in the air (with a CFI, of course) and I immediately realized there was something that seriously suffered in those 9 months. Radio communications!

When I first learned to fly, it was at a class C airport (KGEG) and I was very accustomed to doing all the things you need to do to get in, out and around the airspace. Now, I’m at a complete loss as to what to say and when. Unfortunately, I’m living in an area where we have 3 class D, 2 Class C and a Class B airspace all withing 200 NM of each other. If I want to go anywhere, I need to freshen up on this. So, I decided to create a little cheat sheet for myself. I’m going to print them up and have them laminated so they can go on every flight with me. No more being nervous ON the air while I’m IN the air.

Hopefully you know that a class D airspace shows up on your sectional as a blue airport symbol with a blue dashed line around it. It will extend from the ground up to 2500 AGL (above ground level).

The secret password to lawfully enter class D airspace is very simple, establish two-way communications with the tower. That’s it. Once you’ve done that, you’ve met all the requirements to enter. This means, you’re going to want to make contact long before you get there. If you’re flying at 110 knots, you’re covering 5 miles every 2.7 minutes. That means you’ll want to contact them at about 10-20NM out, just to be safe. Note: If you contact the tower and they reply with “Standby”, you have NOT engaged in two-way communications. You’re not cleared to enter.

So What Do You Say?

Before you say anything, find out a little about them. This is done by tuning in the ATIS (Automated Terminal Information Services) and getting the ceiling, wind, visibility, altimeter setting and runway in use. They will also assign each updated report a phonetic letter. Make note of this because you’ll need to let the tower know you have the latest information when you first talk to them.

PILOT: Stuart Tower, Archer six seven alpha papa 8 miles to the north of the airport at three-thousand five-hundred. Landing with Echo (or whatever the phonetic code was from the ATIS report).

Then you wait for them to respond. If you don’t hear anything within a couple of minutes, you may want to say it again. Make sure you’re not about to encroach on the delta airspace. You may have to start to circle just outside to keep yourself from busting the airspace. If you still don’t see something, check your radio and maybe try it on comm2, if you have one.

They know exactly who you are (Archer 67AP) where you are (8 Miles out at 3500′) and why you’re there (coming in to land). They also know you have the latest weather information from the ATIS (information echo).

It’s at this point you’re going to want to make sure you have a pencil and something to take notes on. The tower will most likely give you some sort of instruction to get you into configuration for the landing. If you’re far enough out, they may tell you to notify them when you’re within 5 miles. Make sure you listen close at this point and ASK QUESTIONS if you don’t FULLY understand. Don’t be afraid to tell them you’re a student pilot, a new pilot or just a pilot unfamiliar with the area.

TOWER: Archer six seven alpha papa, descend and maintain two-thousand. Fly two one zero heading and enter a left downwind for runway three zero. Traffic inbound at your 4 o’clock indicates three-thousand.

Now, something magic just happened. By engaging in two-way communications you’re cleared to enter the delta airspace. But, now you’re under their control, so you better listen and follow closely.

The next thing you want to do is start looking for that other traffic while you descend to 2000′ and turn to a heading of 210. Some say you don’t NED to read all this back and others say it’s smart to do that. I don’t think it can hurt to respond with the information you recieved.

PILOT: Stuart tower, six seven alpha papa. Descend to two-thousand, fly heading two-seven zero. Traffic in-sight.

You need to let them know you have the other traffic in sight and you’ll maintain a visual. If you can’t see the other aircraft let them know

PILOT: Stuart tower, six seven alpha papa, descend to two-thousand, fly heading two-seven zero. looking for traffic.

Once you do have the traffic in site, let them know. They can breath a little easier when they know you can see each other. If they’re talking to the other aircraft, they may see you and in that case, you should still look for them, but the pressure is off a little for the tower.

As you get a little closer to the airport, the tower will eventually give you a clearance to land. This is very important. Until you hear this you’re not cleared to land at the airport. It’s important you read this back to the tower to let them know you understand.

TOWER: Six seven alpha papa, turn left base when able. Cleared to land runway three zero.

PILOT: Stuart tower, six seven alpha papa cleared to land three zero.

Sometimes you’ll get some other specific instructions. You need to make sure you listen closely and don’t assume you’re about to be cleared. There may be a situation where they have to vector you in a different direction. So don’t assume!

Once you’ve landed, remember, you’re at a CONTROLLED airfield. If they haven’t told you which taxiway to depart, you should leave the runway as early as possible.  Then let them know what you’ve done. Communication is the key. Don’t do anything that is going to surprise them. They have a lot of aircraft they’re moving around the sky AND ground.

TOWER: Six seven alpha papa exit to your left at alpha. Contact ground on point niner.

As you’re rolling down the runway, keep your eyes open for the ALPHA taxiway and turn left as soon as you see it. Once you pass the runway hold short markings, STOP and contact ground. In this case it will be 121.9. It’s almost always going to be on the 121.X frequency. That’s why you may only hear the “point niner”. Make sure you don’t turn away from the tower frequency until your told to do so.  Also, don’t proceed down any of the taxiways until you’ve spoken with ground.

PILOT: Stuart ground, six seven alpha papa clear of three zero at alpha. Request taxi to the ramp.

GROUND: Six seven alpha papa, cleared to taxi via alpha to the ramp.

If you don’t know this airport (you should have brought a taxi diagram to make sure you know where you’re going) you can request a progressive taxi to the local FBO. If there’s more than one FBO, you’ll have to let them know which one you want. They’re not allowed to recommend one to you.

That’s it. You’re now safely on the ground in a class delta airport and the tower thinks you’re a 10,000 hour pro. Congratulation

When is a Class D Not a Class D?

Some class D control towers are only manned part-time. In most cases, whenever the tower is unmanned, the airspace reverts to class E or G. Typically the CT frequency will convert over to a CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency).

I passed my check-ride in August of 2007 and then moved to Florida.  When I got here, I was starting a new job and didn’t have a lot of time on my hands.  I also spent most of my extra money on flying lessons, so I didn’t have a lot left over for fun.

Finally, after almost 9 months, I decided to get checked out and start flying down here.  I spent some time checking out the various flight schools and the planes for rent.  I found the perfect aircraft, a Piper Archer III from Skywalker Aviation.   I talked to some other people who have rented the plane and even walked over to the mechanic on the field and asked about it.  Everything looked great.

I was ready to rent and all I needed was to do a basic checkout flight.  I walked into this knowing I had a lot of rust to knock off because I was dealing with five factors that complicated the normal checkout procedure:

1. I only had about 53 hours total time flying.
2. I hadn’t flown in 9 months.
3. The combination of 1 & 2 makes matters worse
4. I learned in a high-wing (C-172P) and was getting checked out in a low-wing (Piper Archer III)
5. I was in very unfamiliar airspace.

All of this added up to me expecting things to be a little rough.  But, I didn’t realize how rough.  Don’t get me wrong, I was feeling comfortable in the plane, but I wasn’t sure of all the communication procedures.  I flew out of an uncontrolled airport the first time (KLNA) so all I had to really do is call out my position when it changed.

The first flight

This was basic stuff.  Learned the walk-around on this aircraft and found my way around the control panel.  The flight controls were pretty standard, so that wasn’t a big deal (different throttle than the 172).  I had some time to go over the Vy, Vx, Vno, and all the other V’s, so I kind of knew those.  We did your basic manuevers including slow flight, power on and power off stalls and unusual attitudes.  All was fairly good.  When I came back in to LNA my pattern wasn’t very precise.  My speeds were too fast and my first approach was too high (this is MUCH better than too slow and too low, but still not good).  I did another one and it was better.  The CFI said “We’ll go up 1 more time to work on patterns and you’ll be all checked out.”

The second flight

This was simple pattern work at KLNA.  I felt good about this one and thought I was getting the feel back.  Mechanically, I knew what to do at each phase, but making it all fluid is another thing entirely.  After about 7 landings (can’t use the A/C when in the pattern) I was dripping in sweat but felt like I had made some big improvements.  I had already scheduled the aircraft for the next day to go up with my wife and daughter (and the CFI).

The third flight

I was feeling better about my pattern work, so I asked the CFI to take me around the airspace so I could get familiar with it all.  KLNA is right smack dab in the middle of a class charlie space (KPBI) and there’s Delta, Charlie and Bravo airspace all over South Florida.  We flew from KLNA up the coast at 1000′ to KSUA.  From there we flew back down the coast to KPBI (class C) where I did a stop and go with a taxi back.  Then it was back to LNA where I had a go-around.

I still had some trouble with the patterns.  But, the biggest thing that freaked me out was getting back on that radio. I learned to fly in a class C airspace (KGEG), so I wasn’t familiar, BUT…  and this is what gets me, when I flew back into KGEG I knew (based on landmarks) when I needed to contact approach.  Today, when I was flying into KSUA I was supposed to turn from the coast, head west and catch the left downwind on the 45.  I didn’t really understand what he wanted from me and so he ended up having me follow another aircraft into the field.  I didn’t know WHEN I should turn in to catch the 45.  How far out do I do that?  Is it my discretion?  It’s a controlled airport, I didn’t want to turn to a different heading without the CT telling me.  I was just a little apprehensive.

I just don’t feel sharp enough on that radio.  It’s strange.  I work on the radio all day  (but it’s a music radio station), but I never know what to say and when.  I did pick up a copy of Say Again, Please but when I read that, I can R-E-A-D it.  When I’m flying, the numbers, headings, squawk codes and altitudes come at you fast and furious.

I found with some of my calls I was giving too much info and on others I wasn’t giving enough.  Do I tell them my intentions during that first call or do I just say “hey, I’m here”?  Also, with so many airports in the area, sometimes you’re talking to one while you’re tuning in the next one so you can monitor because it’s just down the coast.  It’s a lot to do for a green pilot like me.  I look forward to the day I can get on there and know exactly what I need to tell them and not second guess myself.

If you not flown in a while and you’re about to get back into it, take some time to learn the ropes of the radio.  It will save you a lot of headaches. Also, go up as Pilot In COMMAND.  Don’t assume the CFI will get you out of jam if you get into one. Be CONFIDENT!

I just ran across a nice way of speeding up your connection to FSS. If you’ve tried to use the voice prompts, it can be very difficult if you’re standing outside your local flight schools hangar with props making tons of noise.

1. Call 1-800-WX-BRIEF (1-800-992-7433)
2. Press “1″ to speak to a briefer.
3. Enter your two digit state code (see below) at the prompt. If there’s a 3rd digit wait for the prompt before entering it.

You can actually put this into the speed dial of most mobile phones by using some special commands.

I’m in South Florida, south of Lake Okeechobee, so I would program the speed dial on my phone like this: 18009927433,1,35#,2

The comma “,” tells your phone to pause to wait for the prompt. So, you can put that into the speed dial and go straight to the appropriate person for your area.

Here’s a PDF file with all the codes and instructions

Remember, if this blog makes your life better, consider adding to my flying fund. The only reason I havent been flying yet this month is money. Thanks!

I just read about a very cool idea. There’s a group of pilots in Georgia who get together once a month at a different airport. They’ll have a local service group (Rotary, Kawanis, etc) cook up breakfast for $5 per person. They keep the money they raise, the pilots have an excuse to fly and everyone has a great time.

Someone suggested doing this in South Florida, where I’m located. I would love this. Here’s the details.

1. Bring together a group of pilots in a general geographic area. A variety of different airports is preferred.
2. Each month is a different airport. Try to rotate it around a bit. Criss-cross the area and mix it up.
3. Ask a local service club if they’d be interested in making pancakes for $5 per person and they keep all the profits.
4. Consider inviting in a speaker or someone of interest to your fellow pilots.
5. Have fun and fly safe.

It’s like a little mini fly-in each month. I would love that. Sometimes we just need an excuse to fly.

I’m still trying to put together enough cash to get an hour or two of flying in. If you enjoy my blog, please consider donating to the Patch Flight Fund. It will be put to good use.

I just found this website from another student pilot blogger. He had a brilliant idea I wish I had thought of first. Check it out:

RogerWilcoWear.com

You can get a T-Shirt commemorating your first solo or the passing of your checkride.

I love taking my dog with me in the car, but I’ve never thought about the plane. For some reason I think she would freak out and somehow end up stuck under the rudder pedals or something.

It turns out, a lot of private pilots will take their dogs on the plane with them. I haven’t seen any flight schools offering lessons with dogs, but I’d love to try it out, so I’ve put together some information you’re going to need to do this without worry for their well-being.

Train in a car. My dog loves to sit on my lap when I’m driving. She’s small, so it doesn’t really detract from my driving. If I was flying, especially landing, I wouldn’t like this. The best thing to do is train your dog in the car first. Get them used to driving without constantly jumping on you lap.

Doggie Harness. There are harnesses available to help keep Fido in their seat. These aren’t a bad idea, as they act like seatbelts in the event of an emergency. Let your dog get used to them in the car first.

Shipping Crate. My dog LOVES to sleep in her crate. These are your standard transportation crates you would use on a commercial airliner. If needed you could keep your dog in here. If it’s a bigger dog you may have to put this in the cargo area. Not as much fun for the dog and may be a bit more stressful if they’re not used to it.

Mutt Muffs. A dog has very sensetive ears. Probably more sensitive than our ears. So, make sure you give them some hearing protection. That engine noise can be just as damaging, if not more so, to your dog as it is to you.

Weight. Don’t forget to put your dogs weight into your load calculations. If you’re close to your limits, you’ll probably want to make sure you keep them very stationary. A bigger dog going from a cargo area to the front seat can be a huge weight shift.

Enjoy! I hope you can spend some good times in the air with your best friend. I’m still not sure how my dog would do, so I’m going to hold off for a bit. Oh yeah, one last thing. Your dog can’t tell you when you need to make a pit stop for them, so keep that in consideration. Ask the FBO is there is a dog friendly area and make sure you clean up after him/her.