Into the Wind -- Part 1 The Job

[donkaye]

I posted this to the other Mooney lists, but for those who haven't subscribed:

It was finally time.  After 25 years, the tanks of my Bravo needed to be resealed.  After getting a number of bids I chose "Weep No More" in Willmar Minnesota.  In hindsight I shouldn’t have wasted my time getting bids.  I hadn’t read one bad review about them, and working with Paul Beck and his partner Eric Rudningen was one of the best experiences I have had in aircraft ownership with an organization I had not dealt with previously.  In reality Paul is an artist and resealing our Mooneys requires his type of artistry.  Paul quoted 3 weeks for the job including one week of sitting to check for leaks, and he kept that agreement.  His stripping machine (which he designed and which no other company has) not only saved hours of stripping time, but protects the metal from hours of manually stripping.  When I picked up the plane last Thursday, Paul was applying sealant to the panels of another plane.  His movements in application were like an artist painting a picture.  I had a new painted wing walk, all panel screws were touched up, and new fuel drains were installed.  

 

Regarding transportation, Paul lent me his Truck to get back to KMSP when I dropped the plane off, and Eric came and got me with my plane on the return trip.  The wind at Willmar was 19G29 and I thought that would be no problem with  the cross runway.   The only problem was I hadn’t read up on it.  It was grass!  So scratch that one.  Our planes are really good crosswind airplanes, so the landing with the direct crosswind went well.  As I have often experienced getting out of the plane after landing with that much wind, the intensity was surprising. 

 

Time was of the essence in getting out of Willmar that day, since the first winter storm of the year was arriving within a couple of hours (last Thursday), so I fuel up, handled the paper work and payment, gave my thanks for the work done, said my goodbyes, and took off heading South as fast as I could go.

[donkaye]

This is Part 2 of Into the Wind - The Trip:

Winter flying can be challenging with many decisions to be made, and this trip was to be no exception.  First there was the big storm developing over the midwest, and then there was the storm coming in from the Pacific.  First things first, though.  Darkness was fast approaching as I left Willmar, and I wanted to get as far South as I could get before dark so as not to be faced with a large snow issue.  I also needed a big FBO that could provide hangar space for the first night, since there is no way I wanted the plane out in the weather.  I had learned my lesson years before with below freezing temperatures and “clear” skies.  I had arrived in the morning to find the plane covered with frost.  It took hours to defrost the plane at that time.

 

So I chose Omaha, Nebraska as the stop.  I really wanted Wichita, but it looked like I would have to cross the Front and arrive after dark.  I wasn’t interested.  So Omaha it was.  I arrived before dark and chose Tac Air over Signature due to fuel prices and because I only saw jets in front of Signature.  I asked for hangar space and they were able to provide it.  I’m glad I didn’t ask for hangar price at the time.  The most I had ever paid before was $55.  When I paid my bill, it turned out to be a whopping $115/night!  And was it ever worth it.  Any thought of leaving Friday was quickly removed from my mind as Friday arrived with low ceilings and winds gusting to 49 knots.  It was wild.  The temperature drop was 30° from Thursday, so it was a wicked front.  Temperatures were in the low 20s, and as politically crippled as California has become, I was reminded why I live there.

 

I spent several hours Friday reviewing the weather options trying to figure out which way to go home; the Northern route through Wyoming, the mid route through Pueblo involving tackling the Rockies, or the Southern route through New Mexico.  Saturday was looking good through the midwest down where I was (definitely not so in Minnesota), but the weather was quickly moving into California.  The headwinds were looking to be terrible the whole way back.  I was thankful to have my plane.  I chose the mid route through Pueblo as looking promising.  I figured on a little over 7 hours for the trip.  It turned out to be 9½ hours with most of the tough decisions in the last hour and a half.

 

I would pick up 2 hours on the trip home, but I was off the ground by 6:30am California time.  The Pueblo leg was uneventful and even though I stayed low I still had 35 knot headwinds.  After topping off at self serve in Pueblo ($3.98/gal) I climbed to 16,000 and took V244 to Milford, Utah.  Headwinds were now up to 45 knots and I was seeing J speeds of 150 knots.  The Rockies were beautiful and the ride was smooth.  Around Montrose some rapidly changing numbers on the MVP-50 showed either a disconnected TIT probe or a failed TIT probe.  Knowing engine power settings made that event uneventful for the remainder of the trip.  Milford is the only reasonable stop midway between Pueblo and the West Coast, so after a quick stop I was off again on the last leg, a leg I knew was going to be a challenge.

 

Having all the new electronics provides a comfort level unknown just a few years ago, and monitoring the flight against the plan keeps the tension to a minimum.  Headwinds were now up to 51 knots and speeds at times were down to C172 speeds.  The airlines were complaining about mountain waves and I saw them, too, with oscillations in speed in cycles between 120 knots and 170 knots.  Additionally a Sigmet had popped up along my route of flight for moderate to severe turbulence below 14,000 feet.  As I came up on it, I saw dust being blown North for miles and miles.   The good news was that the winds were parallel to the Sierras.  I cautiously went into the Sigmet area knowing that if things started to get rough, I would deviate South to Bakersfield that was reporting clear.  I also saw the clouds associated with the Front moving into California.  I left my Site Level in the hat rack and didn’t want to try to get it.  It was probably better that way anyway.  As the Sierras very slowly came closer, with the mountain waves causing the sight view to alternately raise and lower, I sometimes thought I would top the clouds and sometimes though I would not.  By Mono Lake it became clear that I would not.  I could see snow coming out the bottoms of the clouds.  No way was I going onto the clouds with their associated ice and turbulence.  I asked for and got clearance to FL200.  By FL190 it was clear that I would top them.  I asked for and got a block FL180 to FL200.  Headwinds were now 61 knots, but the air was just light turbulence.  I went over the Sierras at FL190.  Now I started hearing reports of light rime between FL180 and 16,000, so I would wait to descend until into the Valley.  Then there were reports of clear icing at 10,500 near Stockton.  I was monitoring Nexrad and the sight picture ahead showed a deviation to the South was in order.  First I picked Modesto and then El Nido Vor.  ATC was accommodating to both.  They gave me a PD descent to 8,000 feet as I was coming out of the Sierras and requested I report the freezing level.  I was in the clear as I past it at 10,200 feet.  They were even more accommodating when they gave me a vector to San Jose.  At 8,000 feet I was in and out of moderate rain and IMC the whole way back, and was treated to delay vectoring while they got a couple of airliners in before me.  I broke out at 2,000 feet and landed home 9½ hours flying time after a very long day.

 

I am thankful for the Bravo.  This trip could not have been made in one day in a less powerful airplane or one without turbocharging.  Flightaware for N9148W shows the trip legs.  The last one is the most interesting showing the importance of making that deviation to El Nido.

 

What a day!  I’m glad to be — home.

[carusoam]

Great report, Don!

Thanks for sharing.

Really interesting, real world, deviations for weather...   http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N9148W

Best regards,

-a-

[peevee]

I remember the weather those days along the front range of Colorado. I needed to take the wife to see an ailing family member in the Pacific nw and refused the trip because of those storms and the associated icing. I could have topped it, but the freezing level was such I wasn't certain I could fly the approach clear of ice. 

[BradB]

Thanks for the report, Don.  Glad it all worked out!  I like to watch and learn from the decision making.   I am sitting at Logan airport right now.   I had to go to Boston from Erie this weekend.   Friday was beautiful and it killed me to fly commercial.  The weather today (Sunday) has panned out as miserable as forecast.  I'm glad to be letting JetBlue do the flying tonight.  

 

Brad. 

[thinwing]

4 hours ago, donkaye said:

This is Part 2 of Into the Wind - The Trip:

Winter flying can be challenging with many decisions to be made, and this trip was to be no exception.  First there was the big storm developing over the midwest, and then there was the storm coming in from the Pacific.  First things first, though.  Darkness was fast approaching as I left Willmar, and I wanted to get as far South as I could get before dark so as not to be faced with a large snow issue.  I also needed a big FBO that could provide hangar space for the first night, since there is no way I wanted the plane out in the weather.  I had learned my lesson years before with below freezing temperatures and “clear” skies.  I had arrived in the morning to find the plane covered with frost.  It took hours to defrost the plane at that time.

 

So I chose Omaha, Nebraska as the stop.  I really wanted Wichita, but it looked like I would have to cross the Front and arrive after dark.  I wasn’t interested.  So Omaha it was.  I arrived before dark and chose Tac Air over Signature due to fuel prices and because I only saw jets in front of Signature.  I asked for hangar space and they were able to provide it.  I’m glad I didn’t ask for hangar price at the time.  The most I had ever paid before was $55.  When I paid my bill, it turned out to be a whopping $115/night!  And was it ever worth it.  Any thought of leaving Friday was quickly removed from my mind as Friday arrived with low ceilings and winds gusting to 49 knots.  It was wild.  The temperature drop was 30° from Thursday, so it was a wicked front.  Temperatures were in the low 20s, and as politically crippled as California has become, I was reminded why I live there.

 

I spent several hours Friday reviewing the weather options trying to figure out which way to go home; the Northern route through Wyoming, the mid route through Pueblo involving tackling the Rockies, or the Southern route through New Mexico.  Saturday was looking good through the midwest down where I was (definitely not so in Minnesota), but the weather was quickly moving into California.  The headwinds were looking to be terrible the whole way back.  I was thankful to have my plane.  I chose the mid route through Pueblo as looking promising.  I figured on a little over 7 hours for the trip.  It turned out to be 9½ hours with most of the tough decisions in the last hour and a half.

 

I would pick up 2 hours on the trip home, but I was off the ground by 6:30am California time.  The Pueblo leg was uneventful and even though I stayed low I still had 35 knot headwinds.  After topping off at self serve in Pueblo ($3.98/gal) I climbed to 16,000 and took V244 to Milford, Utah.  Headwinds were now up to 45 knots and I was seeing J speeds of 150 knots.  The Rockies were beautiful and the ride was smooth.  Around Montrose some rapidly changing numbers on the MVP-50 showed either a disconnected TIT probe or a failed TIT probe.  Knowing engine power settings made that event uneventful for the remainder of the trip.  Milford is the only reasonable stop midway between Pueblo and the West Coast, so after a quick stop I was off again on the last leg, a leg I knew was going to be a challenge.

 

Having all the new electronics provides a comfort level unknown just a few years ago, and monitoring the flight against the plan keeps the tension to a minimum.  Headwinds were now up to 51 knots and speeds at times were down to C172 speeds.  The airlines were complaining about mountain waves and I saw them, too, with oscillations in speed in cycles between 120 knots and 170 knots.  Additionally a Sigmet had popped up along my route of flight for moderate to severe turbulence below 14,000 feet.  As I came up on it, I saw dust being blown North for miles and miles.   The good news was that the winds were parallel to the Sierras.  I cautiously went into the Sigmet area knowing that if things started to get rough, I would deviate South to Bakersfield that was reporting clear.  I also saw the clouds associated with the Front moving into California.  I left my Site Level in the hat rack and didn’t want to try to get it.  It was probably better that way anyway.  As the Sierras very slowly came closer, with the mountain waves causing the sight view to alternately raise and lower, I sometimes thought I would top the clouds and sometimes though I would not.  By Mono Lake it became clear that I would not.  I could see snow coming out the bottoms of the clouds.  No way was I going onto the clouds with their associated ice and turbulence.  I asked for and got clearance to FL200.  By FL190 it was clear that I would top them.  I asked for and got a block FL180 to FL200.  Headwinds were now 61 knots, but the air was just light turbulence.  I went over the Sierras at FL190.  Now I started hearing reports of light rime between FL180 and 16,000, so I would wait to descend until into the Valley.  Then there were reports of clear icing at 10,500 near Stockton.  I was monitoring Nexrad and the sight picture ahead showed a deviation to the South was in order.  First I picked Modesto and then El Nido Vor.  ATC was accommodating to both.  They gave me a PD descent to 8,000 feet as I was coming out of the Sierras and requested I report the freezing level.  I was in the clear as I past it at 10,200 feet.  They were even more accommodating when they gave me a vector to San Jose.  At 8,000 feet I was in and out of moderate rain and IMC the whole way back, and was treated to delay vectoring while they got a couple of airliners in before me.  I broke out at 2,000 feet and landed home 9½ hours flying time after a very long day.

 

I am thankful for the Bravo.  This trip could not have been made in one day in a less powerful airplane or one without turbocharging.  Flightaware for N9148W shows the trip legs.  The last one is the most interesting showing the importance of making that deviation to El Nido.

 

What a day!  I’m glad to be — home.

Mono lake route was where I used 5 out of 6 gals tks 17k to 19k while eastbound to St George Utah...wife hated that flight and the lineman stared at us bugeyed as we taxied in leaking fluid and the unprotected airframe parts iced over

[donkaye]

Just now, thinwing said:

Mono lake route was where I used 5 out of 6 gals tks 17k to 19k while eastbound to St George Utah...wife hated that flight and the lineman stared at us bugeyed as we taxied in leaking fluid and the unprotected airframe parts iced over

Was that yesterday?  If I hadn't been able to get over it, I would have bitten the wind bullet and gone down the Owens Valley and crossed over to Bakersfield, which was clear.  With weather in the cockpit, early on I checked Reno because the wind would have helped, but with the winds gusting to 50 knots and the Sigmet in the area, I quickly wrote that one off.

[thinwing]

Not yesterday Don...a couple of years ago...Your flight over the route just reminded me of that flight

[thinwing]

Oh and my home station piaware Adsb feeder was picking you up going to Stockton (Tit probe?).I get free flt aware premium for running 1090 dump station in my attic

[donkaye]

Oil change and TIT probe.