Wild Blue Yonder

I finally got my O-Flight for CAP last June and I got three more flights. That's a total of 4 flights in a Cessna Skyhawk, each one piloted by me (more or less). I got to do several take offs and I got to fly the airplane. I loved it and I want to do more. I currently only have one and a half hours logged, but its a start! I also have know the basics of navigation with sectional charts and the radio. I can in theory fly an airplane. Watch:

Take out a sectional. Find the start airport and the end airport. I'm gonna pretend that we are in a Cessna 172R going from Nashua NH to Fitchburg MA. Draw a line from Nashua to Fitchburg. Measure the distance and find the time (assuming 140 kts) with an E-6b. Next study the geography that that line follows to find clues to search for while in flight. Then extend that line to the nearest longitude. Find the angle between the flight line and the longitude. Find the nearest isogonic line. If that number is west, add the degrees to your heading, if it is east, subtract. Now you can preflight the airplane. Make sure that everything is sound and operable. Get in the airplane, turn it on. Set the radio nav, the barometric pressure and everything else. Set the GPS as well. You want to travel with the GPS, the Heading Situation Indicator and by geography. Get the ATIS weather information and note the phonetic letter it uses. Now call the tower.

"Nashua Tower, Cessna 676 Delta-Whiskey (DW)"
Tower acknowledges.
"676 Delta Whiskey ready to taxi to runway 1-4" Always take off from the run way that goes into the wind.
Tower gives clearance. Use the rudder pedals to move to the runway and call again.
"Nashua Tower, Cessna 676 Delta-Whiskey"
Tower acknowledges.
"676 Delta-Whiskey ready for departure on runway 1-4 southbound for Fitchburg with information Quebec (Q)" The ATIS will give a phonetic letter when it starts, indicating how recent the information is. The most recent is Alpha (A) and the least recent is Zulu (Z).
Tower responds, "676 Delta-Whiskey, you are cleared for take off on runway 1-4, have a good flight."
You respond "676 Delta-Whiskey cleared for take-off runway 1-4."

Aim down the runway. Pull back the throttle. When the airspeed hits sixty knots, pull back on the yoke. Using the GPS and the HSI, keep your bearing towards Fitchburg. When the runway comes into view call for clearance. I believe that it is uncontrolled and therefore:

"Fitchburg traffic, 676 Delta-Whiskey landing on runway 2-9" Or what ever the runway number is. Land against the wind. Began your descent slowly. I was taught to go at 80 kts, 1700 rpms, and 10 degree flaps. Descend, but keep the nose up so the plane goes down slowly. Aim for just beyond the threshold markings. Don't slam too hard on the brakes and clear the runway. Tell Fitchburg traffic that you are clear and find a parking spot.

So that's a basic cross-country flight to the best of my abilities. I left stuff out that I don't know, such as setting the radio and finding proper frequencies, but I know the basic ideas. I personally think that flight is the best thing since sliced bread.



This is the first airplane I got to fly. It was an O-Flight for CAP with Lt. Baker.




After that flight I knew what I wanted my career to be. F/A-22 Raptor Pilot.



This is the greatest bird in the world. Don't cross it.

In other news, Discovery came home safetly, which is good. NASA will continue. But they better fix the foam this time.

And I have turned 18. I can buy porn and vote. Yay!

We're only docters, the best we could do is storm the enemy and remove their tonsils. -Hawkeye Peirce, M*A*S*H

J Kuhl Signing Off