Bolter

Quote: mjc The moral of the story is: it doesn't matter how long the restaurant has been there, call them anyway.

It may not be as intended, but I had two study modes. One was to learn, the other was to pass the written exam. To pass the written exam, I ready study guides and did repeated practices tests (Gleim) until I was getting always better than 85%. The testing was more useful than the study guide. I found that I kept making stupid errors, and under the pressure of the real exam, it would only be worse. I got something in the 80's, later. This approach has you learning the questions you will get on the exam, which are not necessarily up to date or applicable to flying. There is a limited pool of questions, and you will find that you will eventually see most or all of them, and have learned all the correct answers. Like some others, I read the Machado IFR book and the FAA IFR book to actually learn beyond pure memorization. I expect timing is relevant, but having only done this one way, I can't make a real recommendation. But this was my chronology, YMMV: flight instruction plus Machado and FAA reading for about 5 months cram for written exam with practice tests for about 2 weeks then take exam check ride within a couple of weeks Sat around waiting for low ceilings (can take awhile in LA) -dan

When I planned the tirp, I expected to be flying in IFR, what with the Seattle weather reputation. As it was severe clear and sunny, I opted for VFR with flight following. I looked up the Harbor Visual 13R. That is pretty much the routing I got from ATC, except it turned into a downwind for 31L instead of straight into 13R. I think that you can usually rely on CLay Lacy, Signature, and Millionaire type places to treat you well, though many poeple have preferences even at this level. It is the "little" guys that need the personal reports from us. Especially if they save you money! :-)

Just to close the discussion, this is a summary of my Seattle trip, as may be useful to others. Airport: I went to KBFI (Boeing-King County Field) Other than the east side parallel taxiway under construction, everything is good. I got to see a brand new 787 taking off as I was on downwind to land. Very cool. There is an aviation museum that I did not get to go to, but it looked to be impressive in size. FBO: I took her advice and went to Aeroflight. They were not fancy like some high dollar jet stops, but everything was good, though somewhat disrupted by the construction. Fuel was cheaper than the other FBO's and parking was free for the entire stay with a fuel purchase (scheduled 4 nights, but I left a day early). Nice pilot comforts such as the planning lounge, refreshments, couches, etc. Also, they don't move your plane if ask to keep your spot. Important for we Mooney owners who fear for the vulnerable front linkage. Airspace: I was able to get Class B clearance arriving and departing, just for asking. Controllers made it easy to find my way around, but I was fortunate to have clear and sunny everyday I was there. Watch for traffic low over the city either giving tours, heading to the nearby float base, or coming to KBFI with you. I saw several planes in the air everytime. Scenic route: Never got to try it. Looking at the terminal area chart, if you stay below 3000 you can fly over the water and past all the good spots without entering Class B. A GPS certainly helps here. -dan

And the forecast is for unusually clear and sunny, which is the best you could hope for when going into Seattle for the first time, IFR rated or not. The login name and avatar are based on a vague joke. In Stephen King's "The Stand", the character "Tom Cullen" was, to be polite, "slow". His trademark was "em oh oh en" spells Colorado," or anything else he could not spell. He was so close to spelling Mooney, I figured he deserved some credit. (:>) I looked up W55, the landing area is certainly long enough, but I think will stick with KBFI due to the proximity to downtown and increased chance of reusing the plane for the trip home. ...-dan

We will be flying to Seattle for 4th of July weekend. I would appreciate some tips from any members who live or know the Seattle area. My first questions are about airports: We are staying at a downtown hotel, so I was planning on going to Boeing Field (KBFI). Does this make sense? Do you have a preferred FBO? Second: Is there a "canned" scenic tour route you can ask the tower for? For example, in San Francisco you can ask for the "Bay Tour" and that is a specific route over the bay and the bridges. thanks, -dan "em-oh-oh-en spells Mooney"