When You Want Something so BADLY It Almost Costs You Your Life

[MyNameIsNobody]

Has anyone else done something so stupid in an airplane that you reflect upon your ignorance and shake your head?  Anything that you have done that you are ashamed of?  Anything that  blind confidence and that little voice that should be telling you "NO"! Was silent?  I did.  To this day I think back and just shake my head.  Me a Certified Safety Professional doing the unthinkable.  What was it?  When was it?  Where was it?  Why "out" yourself now?  Why not just leave it buried in the past as a bullet dodged?.  As a life lesson learned.

The great thread discussing "how you got into a Mooney" made me think back 15 years ago.  A 40 year old pilot with <100 hours total time decided he needed a Mooney.  He found one and after giving his wife an ultimatum of "I am buying an airplane you can either get on board or do what you need to do"...(Really?...Wow.  That shows the mission desire was strong). This to a woman that had hung around with me for nearly 20 years and had provided two beautiful children...

So, plane was located in Ocala, FL.  A 1966 Mooney that the owner was looking to sell after owning for nearly 35 years...He even mailed photos (snail mail only way back then)...Photos in his attached hanger to his home.  A price was agreed upon if it "checked out".  Check out consisted of a flight around the pattern and a $700 annual.  The location was Brunswick, GA.  A one way ticket was purchased by the idiot author.  Kind of like Cortez burning his soldiers ships...Only way home was "victory"(purchase)...

It is December  2002 and the broker picks me up at the airport.  The plane arrives the next day flown by a "rental pilot".  He and I went up.  I had ZERO TIME IN TYPE.  I had read a lot about Vintage Mooney's.  I showed "the pilot" what the disconnect was for the PC.  "I thought it just flew heavy on controls"...Nope, that is the P.C.  Swung my first J-Bar on several landings.  (Didn't notice that the DG (the olde revolving mini gauge was out of commission.  Whiskey compass was leaking too.  No worries, I had a automobile Garmin GPS (Really?)

Annual did not show what logs did that the accessories were original to 1966.  The 1970's overhaul was really an AD for the CamShaft to be inspected...I was to impressed by the recovered seats...The Touch-Up paint job (on original scheme), the speed slope windshield and cowl closure mod to know what was REALLY important.  The panel?  Shotgun with no engine monitor.  No shoulder belts.  Original six pack engine gauges.  The plane had been flow a total of 15 hours in last 15 years.  The definition of a hanger queen...

The annual (with an extra cost oil change) completed and "no discrepancies found" resulted in the deal being done.  Even got a free seafood dinner from the broker...Next morning the transfer of funds was delayed and I didn't launch until 11AM.  I taxied out and run-up showed a mag drop that was not acceptable.  Taxied back to ramp and shut down.  Was told that it just needs a good hard run-up.  So I did...and all was well...(Right).  

Launched into a headwind (due to a frontal boundary that stretched from Gulf to Canada) and climbed....and climbed...and climbed.  Broken up to 10000.  So 10000 was where I leveled off.  My groundspeed?  105knots.  Flew northwest and a solid layer developed.  ( I was NOT instrument rated) and had zero clue what weather was ahead.  Got North of Atlanta and found an opening.  No idea (beyond auto GPS) where I was as I was high above cloud layer.  Fuel getting low...Break in clouds.  Dive down through and "there is an airport".  SEVERE crosswind on landing.  Fueled plane.  Checked weather.  Launched.  Again climb up to 10000.  Pushed up to 10500.  Saw a Learjet Go across from East to west at my altitude...Gulp.  

It is December.  Gettting back to Iowa is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.  It is getting dark.  I get another opening with Evansville, IN and Kentucky showing on GPS.  I let down.  I see a wall of snow to the north.  I look to my right and there are the runway lights for Evansville.  I contact tower using sectional for freq and make an uneventful landing.

The FBO was fantastic asking me if I need fuel?  Yes.  Do I plan to spend the night?  YES!  Do I need a ride to a motel?  Yes.  Would I like to drive through McDonald's and get some food?  Yes?  What time would you like me to pick you up tomorrow?  7:30?  See you then.

The front went through and the Mooney flew like a Mooney over blue skies for remainder of flight.  So many stupid things that could/should have killed me on that ignorant "Get there itis" half assed, under trained/equipped maiden voyage in a plane that had NOT BEEN FLOWN...Much less flown for the first time by a Mooney driver.  Would insurance have paid off for my poor wife when I angered in?

Getting Mooney Specific training and a PreBuy by a Mooney Saavy entity...Walking away...Reviewing logs.  Knowing how to review logs.  Not being an overconfident idiot.

It was not my time to die.

Never Again.

Fly Safe.

[Jerry 5TJ]

In life, first comes the test.  Then the lesson.

 

[smwash02]

A pilot I look up to for doing 'the right thing's told me of the two bucket theory. Starting out the experience is empty and luck full (hopefully). Goal is to get the experience without the luck running dry.

Every time I think "Man that was dumb I won't do something like that again", I learn something new not too much later.

Glad your luck bucket was full on your flight.

Edited May 6, 2017 by smwash02

[MyNameIsNobody]

Never told anyone this story.  I don't like to look in the mirror and know I risked so much for an airplane.  If one person THINKS and doesn't do half of the stupidity that I exhibited it is worth the embarrassment...

[Dream to fly]

Thank you.

[MyNameIsNobody]

Come on, certainly I have as waged any concern of being the ultimate knucklehead with my flight.  No lessons learned to share?  No testing of the "luck" bucket?

I guess I am the only one...or perhaps the only one that reached his "statute of limitations" on showing how NOT TO DO "IT".

[HRM]

1 hour ago, MyNameIsNobody said:

That shows the mission desire was strong...

1. Mission is everything.

2. If there was a dollar in the federal budget for every woman who had been left/slighted/abandoned by a "man with a mission" we would not be in debt, zip, zero deficit.

3. What is the N-number of that Mooney? Do you still have her? I am one of those weird Mooney owners that thinks that the plane takes care of me. Sort of like a bizarre, automata self-preservation thing.

[Hank]

Much of my stupidity was cured on the highway, in normal cars, at abnormal velocities. By the time I started flying, much of that impetuosity had been removed from my system. 

In my flying, I'm pretty cautious, although my Risk Meter doesn't deflect as far as some others here. In other words, I trained along the Ohio River Valley and the coal fields of southern WV and eastern KY, so flying over mountains is normal and not to be feared, avoided, or "made safer" by following highways and zigzagging from airport to airport. I fly safer there (and western NC where Mom and Dad live) by cruising high, and get through them quicker by going direct, straight line, to my destination. Night flight is beautiful, calm, quiet, a d a nice way to travel; sunets the altitude are often gorgeous and very colorful.

But I avoid storms, and wait while they move out of the way; while frusfrating, I have waited for fog to burn off and the ceiling to lift high enough to shoot an approach to get back in before taking off. 

If you want to talk learning experiences on the road, let's grab some cold beers and talk it through . . . . Turns out my definitition of fast driving is different from my neighbor, who once drove fast at 60-70 mph, still a daily experience for me every time I go into town . . . 

[smwash02]

28 minutes ago, MyNameIsNobody said:

Come on, certainly I have as waged any concern of being the ultimate knucklehead with my flight.  No lessons learned to share?  No testing of the "luck" bucket

Didn't want to detract from your thread.

We took off out of Austin Bergstrom for Austin Executive (13 NM flight) as a storm was brewing in my 150 so my friend could pick up his Bonanza that was having fuel metering work done. 5/700 when we took off.

We didn't file IFR because I didn't have an IFR GPS and it would've elongated our trip. I couldn't anyways, no ILS. I only had a KNS80 and a 496. As we dipped lower and lower on our 30 minute flight we had to start following the highway and eventually jumped over a set of high wires on final to land in 1/400 conditions that became 1/200 shortly after we landed. There's no ILS at executive and I had no LPV abilities.

So we both file and fly back to Austin since that's where our cars were and the planes were based. His plane was well equipped and there were no issues with the engine work, fortunately, and he landed before the unexpected IFR conditions caused everyone to start filing. I wasn't so lucky.

I took off unable to see the other end of the runway into the 200' ceilings and had a pretty exciting time in IMC the whole way. My flight lasted 60 minutes (remember, 13 NM) due to vectoring and my GS showed between 40kts and 100kts depending how I was turned. Now that it's dark I get out my flashlight to see the panel better and try to keep thing thing oily side down as I get vectored all over for more important traffic. It was very bumpy the whole way with some shear here and there. I finally get on the ILS and am asked every 1-2 minutes to 'keep my speed up'. I was at darn near full power, even 150s have a red line they can almost hit, on the glide slope and only putting out 40-50ish knots cocked about 40 degrees to stay on the localizer. Still getting asked to go faster, eventually the jet behind me had to go around. He didn't sound too thrilled.

I was pretty happy to see those rabbits at 250 AGL.

Edited May 6, 2017 by smwash02

[N252WD]

Me and my friend was coming back to Houston (from Mobile) after getting some BBQ in my Cherokee, and had a strong head wind. Watching my speed and about Beaumont I realized I might not make it with the fuel I had left. One tank was 5gal and other about less than 10gals. I called ATC and told them I was going to stop for fuel. Head to Hardin County since I was right there, landed pulled up to pumps and had to call for someone to come out and turn on pumps. When I open my tanks to fill, one was completely dry and the other had maybe a gallon in it. To my surprise the fuel gauge wasnt that great (lol) and I always set higher personal minimums now due to that. It took around 47+gal to fill (50gal total).

[Andy95W]

3 hours ago, MyNameIsNobody said:

Come on, certainly I have as waged any concern of being the ultimate knucklehead with my flight.  No lessons learned to share?  No testing of the "luck" bucket?

I guess I am the only one...or perhaps the only one that reached his "statute of limitations" on showing how NOT TO DO "IT".

Scott, I'd say you're doing pretty good if you've only had one.  Let's see, where do I start:

- Landed a C-172 at night with 4.5 MINUTES of gas remaining.  Long story.

-Hand propped my brand-new (to me) Mooney with someone I had just met at the controls holding the brakes.

-Flew a customer's airplane (that I had never flown before) from Williamsburg, VA to Long Island, NY in solid IMC in April.  Filed IFR to not fly over New York harbor, but got routed that way anyhow.  Halfway through the flight I realized the only Avionics I could trust was the portable Garmin GPS I had brought.  I ended up shooting a VOR approach to near minimums with the portable GPS.

-Cleared for a visual approach, then lost sight of the airport.  Was cleared by tower to do a 360 (in marginal VMC) in order to be able to descend to regain visual contact with the runway (since I was too high anyway).  Did that maneuver with full flaps and gear still out.  Nighttime, of course.

- Cleared for a visual approach and got low enough to set off the tower's low altitude alert system.  Nighttime, of course.

- Was building time in an Apache that needed to be ferried back to its home airport. I flew the airplane that nobody else wanted to fly because I didn't have to pay for the hours.

-Same Apache, went to raise the gear but it wouldn't retract.  Continued the flight for two hours with the gear down to get the airplane back to its home airport.  (This is actually a big deal in a twin, especially an underpowered one.)

-Flew an Aztec that had one engine past TBO, one at 1200 hours.  I trusted the past TBO engine more than the newer one.  At overhaul, the technician asked, "was this engine actually being flown?!?"

So, 4 issues of being inexperienced or trusting people with more experience than myself, and 4 of building flight time and being willing to fly anything with wings.  But there's a decent chance I've forgotten one or still have some stupidity left in me to do something in the future.

[TonyK]

I launched VFR into uncertain weather with a nagging feeling that I was making the wrong  choice only to be proven right.  I was forced into landing at some very small airport in GA in the middle of nowhere.  Upon landing I tried to walk out of the airport in the driving rain to find a place to eat and a hotel only to again be proven wrong and ended up sleeping in the airplane, very wet and very cold with plenty of time to reflect on how stupid I was.

[Oscar Avalle]

Well, your story sounds very familiar.

I saw my Mooney advertised in 2002 and after a long back and forth price, pre purchase etc. we agreed on a price. My Mooney and I became good friends right away. I had to go to West Virginia to pick her up. Although I had 600 hours total time, I had only one hour of Mooney time in a 201. I got to the airport, of course later than I planned, received the keys from Steve the broker who helped me close the deal (great guy!) and after a short intro to now my N9341V I was on my way back to KGAI. Naturally, Murphy is always present..., weather deteriorated and became IFR. So here I was flying an unfamiliar airplane in IMC... The only familiar avionics was my portable GPS...

I landed with a strong crosswind and that was the start of my long friendship with N9341V, since then we had many adventures together (including flying close to active volcanos, crossing the Caribbean etc.) but I will never forget that feeling when I was on downwind to runway 32 in KGAI and I just realized that I had to land with crosswind that I had never experienced before and in an unfamiliar airplane.

Oscar  

[MyNameIsNobody]

10 hours ago, smwash02 said:

Didn't want to detract from your thread.

We took off out of Austin Bergstrom for Austin Executive (13 NM flight) as a storm was brewing in my 150 so my friend could pick up his Bonanza that was having fuel metering work done. 5/700 when we took off.

We didn't file IFR because I didn't have an IFR GPS and it would've elongated our trip. I couldn't anyways, no ILS. I only had a KNS80 and a 496. As we dipped lower and lower on our 30 minute flight we had to start following the highway and eventually jumped over a set of high wires on final to land in 1/400 conditions that became 1/200 shortly after we landed. There's no ILS at executive and I had no LPV abilities.

So we both file and fly back to Austin since that's where our cars were and the planes were based. His plane was well equipped and there were no issues with the engine work, fortunately, and he landed before the unexpected IFR conditions caused everyone to start filing. I wasn't so lucky.

I took off unable to see the other end of the runway into the 200' ceilings and had a pretty exciting time in IMC the whole way. My flight lasted 60 minutes (remember, 13 NM) due to vectoring and my GS showed between 40kts and 100kts depending how I was turned. Now that it's dark I get out my flashlight to see the panel better and try to keep thing thing oily side down as I get vectored all over for more important traffic. It was very bumpy the whole way with some shear here and there. I finally get on the ILS and am asked every 1-2 minutes to 'keep my speed up'. I was at darn near full power, even 150s have a red line they can almost hit, on the glide slope and only putting out 40-50ish knots cocked about 40 degrees to stay on the localizer. Still getting asked to go faster, eventually the jet behind me had to go around. He didn't sound too thrilled.

I was pretty happy to see those rabbits at 250 AGL.

That one is right up there too...

[MyNameIsNobody]

7 minutes ago, Oscar Avalle said:

Well, your story sounds very familiar.

I saw my Mooney advertised in 2002 and after a long back and forth price, pre purchase etc. we agreed on a price. My Mooney and I became good friends right away. I had to go to West Virginia to pick her up. Although I had 600 hours total time, I had only one hour of Mooney time in a 201. I got to the airport, of course later than I planned, received the keys from Steve the broker who helped me close the deal (great guy!) and after a short intro to now my N9341V I was on my way back to KGAI. Naturally, Murphy is always present..., weather deteriorated and became IFR. So here I was flying an unfamiliar airplane in IMC... The only familiar avionics was my portable GPS...

I landed with a strong crosswind and that was the start of my long friendship with N9341V, since then we had many adventures together (including flying close to active volcanos, crossing the Caribbean etc.) but I will never forget that feeling when I was on downwind to runway 32 in KGAI and I just realized that I had to land with crosswind that I had never experienced before and in an unfamiliar airplane.

Oscar  

I know the EXACT feeling to which you refer...

[MyNameIsNobody]

7 hours ago, Andy95W said:

Scott, I'd say you're doing pretty good if you've only had one.  Let's see, where do I start:

- Landed a C-172 at night with 4.5 MINUTES of gas remaining.  Long story.

-Hand propped my brand-new (to me) Mooney with someone I had just met at the controls holding the brakes.

-Flew a customer's airplane (that I had never flown before) from Williamsburg, VA to Long Island, NY in solid IMC in April.  Filed IFR to not fly over New York harbor, but got routed that way anyhow.  Halfway through the flight I realized the only Avionics I could trust was the portable Garmin GPS I had brought.  I ended up shooting a VOR approach to near minimums with the portable GPS.

-Cleared for a visual approach, then lost sight of the airport.  Was cleared by tower to do a 360 (in marginal VMC) in order to be able to descend to regain visual contact with the runway (since I was too high anyway).  Did that maneuver with full flaps and gear still out.  Nighttime, of course.

- Cleared for a visual approach and got low enough to set off the tower's low altitude alert system.  Nighttime, of course.

- Was building time in an Apache that needed to be ferried back to its home airport. I flew the airplane that nobody else wanted to fly because I didn't have to pay for the hours.

-Same Apache, went to raise the gear but it wouldn't retract.  Continued the flight for two hours with the gear down to get the airplane back to its home airport.  (This is actually a big deal in a twin, especially an underpowered one.)

-Flew an Aztec that had one engine past TBO, one at 1200 hours.  I trusted the past TBO engine more than the newer one.  At overhaul, the technician asked, "was this engine actually being flown?!?"

So, 4 issues of being inexperienced or trusting people with more experience than myself, and 4 of building flight time and being willing to fly anything with wings.  But there's a decent chance I've forgotten one or still have some stupidity left in me to do something in the future.

You got me Andy.  I would check that luck bucket.  It was definitely "full" when you were building hours.

Edited May 6, 2017 by MyNameIsNobody

[MyNameIsNobody]

10 hours ago, N252WD said:

Me and my friend was coming back to Houston (from Mobile) after getting some BBQ in my Cherokee, and had a strong head wind. Watching my speed and about Beaumont I realized I might not make it with the fuel I had left. One tank was 5gal and other about less than 10gals. I called ATC and told them I was going to stop for fuel. Head to Hardin County since I was right there, landed pulled up to pumps and had to call for someone to come out and turn on pumps. When I open my tanks to fill, one was completely dry and the other had maybe a gallon in it. To my surprise the fuel gauge wasnt that great (lol) and I always set higher personal minimums now due to that. It took around 47+gal to fill (50gal total).

You made the right call.  You listened to the voice.  Only time I ran a tank dry was when I made decision to divert to an airport 15 minutes from my home airport.  I was about to change to "fuller" tank.  It did have six remaining, but my minimums were modified after that flight.

[MyNameIsNobody]

10 hours ago, HRM said:

1. Mission is everything.

2. If there was a dollar in the federal budget for every woman who had been left/slighted/abandoned by a "man with a mission" we would not be in debt, zip, zero deficit.

3. What is the N-number of that Mooney? Do you still have her? I am one of those weird Mooney owners that thinks that the plane takes care of me. Sort of like a bizarre, automata self-preservation thing.

Same gal I first danced with at that party.  N3424X.

Edited May 6, 2017 by MyNameIsNobody

[xcrmckenna]

Does telling my girlfriend less than a year before we are going to get married I bought an airplane classify as almost costing me my life for something I want so badly????


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[MyNameIsNobody]

Just now, xcrmckenna said:

Does telling my girlfriend less than a year before we are going to get married I bought an airplane classify as almost costing me my life for something I want so badly????


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup

 

[Bravoman]

On 5/5/2017 at 9:22 PM, MyNameIsNobody said:

Has anyone else done something so stupid in an airplane that you reflect upon your ignorance and shake your head?  Anything that you have done that you are ashamed of?  Anything that  blind confidence and that little voice that should be telling you "NO"! Was silent?  I did.  To this day I think back and just shake my head.  Me a Certified Safety Professional doing the unthinkable.  What was it?  When was it?  Where was it?  Why "out" yourself now?  Why not just leave it buried in the past as a bullet dodged?.  As a life lesson learned.

The great thread discussing "how you got into a Mooney" made me think back 15 years ago.  A 40 year old pilot with <100 hours total time decided he needed a Mooney.  He found one and after giving his wife an ultimatum of "I am buying an airplane you can either get on board or do what you need to do"...(Really?...Wow.  That shows the mission desire was strong). This to a woman that had hung around with me for nearly 20 years and had provided two beautiful children...

So, plane was located in Ocala, FL.  A 1966 Mooney that the owner was looking to sell after owning for nearly 35 years...He even mailed photos (snail mail only way back then)...Photos in his attached hanger to his home.  A price was agreed upon if it "checked out".  Check out consisted of a flight around the pattern and a $700 annual.  The location was Brunswick, GA.  A one way ticket was purchased by the idiot author.  Kind of like Cortez burning his soldiers ships...Only way home was "victory"(purchase)...

It is December  2002 and the broker picks me up at the airport.  The plane arrives the next day flown by a "rental pilot".  He and I went up.  I had ZERO TIME IN TYPE.  I had read a lot about Vintage Mooney's.  I showed "the pilot" what the disconnect was for the PC.  "I thought it just flew heavy on controls"...Nope, that is the P.C.  Swung my first J-Bar on several landings.  (Didn't notice that the DG (the olde revolving mini gauge was out of commission.  Whiskey compass was leaking too.  No worries, I had a automobile Garmin GPS (Really?)

Annual did not show what logs did that the accessories were original to 1966.  The 1970's overhaul was really an AD for the CamShaft to be inspected...I was to impressed by the recovered seats...The Touch-Up paint job (on original scheme), the speed slope windshield and cowl closure mod to know what was REALLY important.  The panel?  Shotgun with no engine monitor.  No shoulder belts.  Original six pack engine gauges.  The plane had been flow a total of 15 hours in last 15 years.  The definition of a hanger queen...

The annual (with an extra cost oil change) completed and "no discrepancies found" resulted in the deal being done.  Even got a free seafood dinner from the broker...Next morning the transfer of funds was delayed and I didn't launch until 11AM.  I taxied out and run-up showed a mag drop that was not acceptable.  Taxied back to ramp and shut down.  Was told that it just needs a good hard run-up.  So I did...and all was well...(Right).  

Launched into a headwind (due to a frontal boundary that stretched from Gulf to Canada) and climbed....and climbed...and climbed.  Broken up to 10000.  So 10000 was where I leveled off.  My groundspeed?  105knots.  Flew northwest and a solid layer developed.  ( I was NOT instrument rated) and had zero clue what weather was ahead.  Got North of Atlanta and found an opening.  No idea (beyond auto GPS) where I was as I was high above cloud layer.  Fuel getting low...Break in clouds.  Dive down through and "there is an airport".  SEVERE crosswind on landing.  Fueled plane.  Checked weather.  Launched.  Again climb up to 10000.  Pushed up to 10500.  Saw a Learjet Go across from East to west at my altitude...Gulp.  

It is December.  Gettting back to Iowa is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.  It is getting dark.  I get another opening with Evansville, IN and Kentucky showing on GPS.  I let down.  I see a wall of snow to the north.  I look to my right and there are the runway lights for Evansville.  I contact tower using sectional for freq and make an uneventful landing.

The FBO was fantastic asking me if I need fuel?  Yes.  Do I plan to spend the night?  YES!  Do I need a ride to a motel?  Yes.  Would I like to drive through McDonald's and get some food?  Yes?  What time would you like me to pick you up tomorrow?  7:30?  See you then.

The front went through and the Mooney flew like a Mooney over blue skies for remainder of flight.  So many stupid things that could/should have killed me on that ignorant "Get there itis" half assed, under trained/equipped maiden voyage in a plane that had NOT BEEN FLOWN...Much less flown for the first time by a Mooney driver.  Would insurance have paid off for my poor wife when I angered in?

Getting Mooney Specific training and a PreBuy by a Mooney Saavy entity...Walking away...Reviewing logs.  Knowing how to review logs.  Not being an overconfident idiot.

It was not my time to die.

Never Again.

Fly Safe.

Just out of curiosity how long did you keep that plane and how did it treat you maintenance wise?

Edit: I see you still have her!

Edited May 7, 2017 by Bravoman

[MyNameIsNobody]

I do.  A maintenance nightmare.  A lot of upgrading has the plane to a solid dispatch and reliable transportation...for a 50+ year old machine.

[Marauder]

Great story Scott! I think most of us have these in our closets. Some accidental, others self inflicted. My most stupid self inflicted one was deciding to land at an airport with a fog bank rolling in. It was one of those fogs like you saw in the movie "The Fog".

I saw it approaching the airport. I was VFR in sunny & clear skies. I saw this creature heading towards the airport and it looked like a low cloud deck. When I got on final, I realized it was a fog bank and saw it was crossing over the other end of the runway. I elected to continue and the fog bank and I met while I was flaring.

I stopped the plane on the runway, turned the runway lights on high and couldn't even see the runway lights on a 50' wide runway. I called the FBO and asked to have someone come out to tow me in. I shut down and spent a couple of minutes yelling, "I'm over here!" If I had been a few seconds longer getting to the airport, I am sure I would have pancaked it.






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[Yooper Rocketman]

I had my license about 9 months, a freshly installed PANEL mounted GPS (maybe a King 300?) and decided to fly my C150 from the U.P. to Douglas WY to see my sister (1995).  Dad, who planted the aviation bug in me really young, was game to come with.  We flew to Maple Lake MN, NW of KMSP and had more headwind than expected.  I fueled and had about 1/2 to 1 gallon of fuel on board.  Dad was NOT IMPRESSED.  Decided right then and there I needed to be more conservative on my trip legs.  We went from there to Huron SD (KHON), had lunch and fueled up.  Looking at the map as a new pilot, Pine Ridge, SD looked like a good fuel stop.  Heck, it had the little star on top of the airport circle, that means fuel right?  NOT.  We landed there and the ramp was separated from the old terminal building by a fence.  The terminal building had a sign on the front that said something about being a social services type facility, with quite a few people waiting around the building (that clearly looked like they needed social services help!).  Dad mentions there was some kind of national event (uprising) at this town he recalled from the past....beginning to think this was a mistake.  And, no fuel.

We looked at the map closer and I realize I had mistaken the airport beacon indication for fuel (needed the dashes around the outside of the airport circle to have fuel).  Dad figures we have a 5 mile walk to town to get gas (I had an autofuel STC, but hadn't been doing anything but avgas to this point).  We realize one will have to stay back and guard the plane while one walks to town ALONE.  I decide to stick the tanks and have plenty of fuel to make Chadron Nebraska.  We launch and I run as conservative on the fuel setting as possible and we only put on 18 gallons there.  The operator there asks where we are going (he clearly sees my inexperience) and then suggests we might want to spend the night there.  There are thunderstorms developing across my route.  (Heck, I checked weather at 6 this AM).  Another lesson learned.  He is gracious enough to put my plane in his hangar, one with a 360 wheel contraption where he rotates it to get to which plane he needs to access without moving planes outside.  Good thing it was under roof, as while eating dinner a nasty storm comes through; dad and I agree we are glad we're sitting in this restaurant instead of flying right now.

The next day is clear and 200 miles, so we launch for our "under 2 hour flight" to Douglas, WY.  Only one airport along the route, and while we are over it (coincidence, not good planning) I am messing with the mixture, adjusting it to the EGT gauge I just had installed, and pulled it to decrease gas temp while my innocent father is enjoying the view out his window.  The engine stops and I instantly push it back in.  Dad looks at me incredulously and says " you touch that knob again I'll break your fingers".  

Learned a lot that flight.  Fuel management, importance of updating weather every time you stop, reading the charts correctly, what it looks like when the traffic on the interstate is moving westbound faster than you are in the plane (but then we scorched it back a week later at 115 knots!!), flying in high terrain (5K ground elevations), and density altitude (was the middle of summer).  I think it took us 10-15  minutes to get a couple thousand feet above the ground on our way out, and that was at 6 AM.

But..... it was the start of a love to use the plane to fly to far away places!!  My motto has always been, it's not a REAL cross country flight until you make a required fuel stop, and your next leg is still outbound! 

Tom

 

[Skates97]

I was doing my long XC for my PPL from Chino (KCNO), to Camarillo (KCMA), to Santa Barbara (KSBA), and then back to Chino. I had been carefully watching the weather as Camarillo and Santa Barbara are near the coast and the clouds sometimes roll in during the afternoon. The weather looked good and the flight briefing confirmed that all should be VFR for the flight so I took off. As I was coming into Camarillo I could see some low clouds ahead off of the coast. After landing at KCMA I taxied to the run-up area to get out my flight plan for the next leg. The clouds, just patchy low stuff were obviously coming inland so I checked the weather at KSBA just to be sure before departing. It was showing 12,000' ceilings and 10 mi visibility there so I figured that most of it should just be hung up along the coastline.

I had only planned for 3,000' for that leg as it was short and flying along the coast I would be high enough not to worry about obstacles/towers/hills. It wasn't long after taking off that the clouds were straight ahead right at 3,000' so I asked the tower (I was still talking to KCMA) for 2,500' to go under them. (In hindsight I should have asked for higher to go above them, more options that way). As I was approaching Ventura I could see the clouds were getting thicker ahead and lower. Knowing that I had clear skies behind me and inland I began a shallow climbing right turn back towards clear skies. I probably was going through clouds (very thin patchy stuff, what my CFI called "visible moisture" when flying with him) for maybe a second and was in clear skies. I went back to 3,000' and stayed a few miles inland from my planned route and completed the flight in clear skies.

Santa Barbara was clear skies and great visibility, it was just a bank of clouds sitting off the coast by Oxnard and Ventura. Could I have gone down to 1,000' right along the coast, or 500' over the water just off the coast and been fine? Maybe. Had I continued trying to stay under the clouds and inland were I had planned my route there is a good chance I would have ended up as a smoking hole in the side of the hills along the coast. Here is a picture along my route of flight. I would have been under those clouds that stop just about at the coastline, but you can see that the hills are much higher.