Flightblog

Lesson #21: Flying Into Honolulu's Class B for the Written Exam

After weeks of studying, reading, practice tests, posting questions to internet message boards and generally fretting over the outcome of my written test, it is finally behind me. I passed.

Photos here

The LaserGrade test center is at a flight school at Honolulu International, so I got to finally log some cross country time (for the purposes of the private pilot training requirements, a cross country flight necessitates a landing at an airport 50 miles or more from the 'original point of departure').

Fletch and I got an early start, meeting at the hangar at about 7:45am. After all the flight planning exercises, charting a course on the sectional, carefully correcting for wind drift, timing each leg of the trip...I discovered today that it really just comes down to flying the route you can see on the ground. We didn't do much flight planning at all...just preflighted the airplane and left. Our clearance was for a northwest departure and we were in contact with Honolulu Center all the way for flight following. The route of flight was no more complex than flying off the west side of Maui for Molokai, then following Molokai's south shore to the western tip of Molokai, then looking at the sectional for a course that would carry us across the channel to Koko head. About halfway between Molokai and Oahu we spotted the beach at the base of Koko head and got in touch with Honolulu Approach Control.

For all the warnings I've been given about the Class B controllers, they weren't difficult at all. Fletch assured me that I got lucky, they're usually not so polite. Whatever the case, it was quite pleasant having them talk us into the airspace, assigning headings and altitudes, notifying us of traffic and just guiding us across the channel toward the airport. The radio frequency was really, really busy. Every plane landing at PHNL was on the same channel, receiving and reading back instructions at a very brisk pace.

Once west of the Honolulu VORTAC 171° radial, we were vectored inbound for RWY 4R and given clearance to land on RWY 4R. No problem, this was just like home! Fly in for a base leg entry to right traffic for RWY 4R and watch the 747 on final for RWY 8 about 400 YDS away. What a HUGE airplane! As that one was landing, we saw another 747 climbing out above us, directly over our flight path. I caught myself wondering whether we'd get any wake turbulence from their departure and figured since we were on perpendicular headings it wouldn't be a factor.

My final approach was maybe a little fast, Fletch said carry it long since we had so far down the runway to taxi to parking. I rounded out right on time and floated, on the rudder, for a little ways before gently, gently touching down first on one tire, then the other and hold the nosewheel off....a real greaser, I was proud to have Fletch with me to see my landing progress.

We taxied to parking, not a lot different from Maui...the GA side of the airport is way far away from the airline terminal. The GA ramp is about the same size as Maui, with not many more planes. Very familiar. It's going to be quite a culture shock for me when I move to a part of the country where there are whole GA *airports* that are 3x as busy as PHNL!

As we secured the plane, Fletch reviewed the stuff I needed for the test. 'Got your E6B? Got your logbook? Got your medical certificate?'

My medical certificate and logbook? Oh no....ohno....ohno...OHH NNOOOOO!!! Panic began to set in, briefly staved off by denial...but then overtaking me. My logbook was in the desk drawer at Maui Aviators where one of the other CFIs told me to leave it. The medical certificate was taped to the inside cover of my logbook. Oh. No. I started to get angry, angry at the waste of effort and emotion to get over here to take a test that I wouldn't be able to take. Angry at the person who had persuaded me to part with my logbook. Angry at myself for not refusing and just keeping it in my bag. Angry at Fletch for not reviewing the things I would need for the test before we left Maui.

Then I took a step back and saw what was happening. I was in the cockpit of an airplane, faced with a non-life-threatening situation that was entirely beyond my control, and getting angry, visibly angry about it. Highly unprofessional behavior in my opinion. That's just not the kind of pilot I want to be. In my career, I will certainly face far more stressful situations than not having the necessary paperwork for a given operation. Getting angry will not help that career along at all. I'm not sure how, but I have to learn to relax when threatened with stuff like this. My career and crew depend on it.

While I was reflecting on the need for a change in my personality, Fletch called the hangar and talked to John and found out all I need is a note from Fletch authorizing me to take the test along with a photo ID.

It turned out to be nothing.

I've gotta' learn to keep my mouth shut and stay cool no matter what. Nobody is going to want to fly with somebody that gets bent every time something unexpected happens, right?

With that drama behind us, I enjoyed a Tiger's Milk Bar and some water and followed Fletch across the ramp to the FBO and availed myself of the much needed facilities there. Then we proceeded out of the 'secure area' (yeah, right!) and across the street to Flight School Hawaii where the test would be administered.

I checked in with the guy behind the counter and was shown to a little desk in a little room with a glass door. The test proctor entered all my personal information in the terminal very carefully and double checked to make sure it was correct. Then he let me sit at the computer and explained that I would go through a brief tutorial explaining how to use the testing software, followed by the actual test. Once the test begins, I will have 2.5 hours to complete the test. OK, OK...lets go!

I went through the tutorial and patiently learned how the 7 functions of the software worked. Then I started the test.

I've been preparing for the test using the Gleim Private Pilot Written Exam Prep. The way the test works, there are 62 questions. The questions are selected (seemingly at random) from a pool of probably 600 questions. The questions cover all areas of knowledge for the Private Pilot License: weather, regulations, aerodynamics, airport and airspace operations, procedures, flying the airplane. It is a daunting amount of knowledge to be responsible for. The test prep book groups all of the questions from the question pool into chapters. Each chapter has a review of the material followed by a practice test with answers and explanations for each of the questions. The best strategy for using the book is to go through and read each chapter and take the practice test. If you are reasonably well read and proficient in the subject matter (and you should be if you're signing up for this test) you will get at least 80% correct. Now, go through each missed question and review the answer & explanation, looking to the reference material that covers that question, until you understand the question and how to answer it. Then go through and re-do all the questions you missed the first time. Repeat as many times as you want.

It's an extremely effective (if not somewhat time consuming) way to prepare for this test. I will certainly be using the Gleim material for my future test prep.

As I answered questions in the test, I recognized questions from my study sessions! It was perfect. I went through and answered all of the questions I was sure I knew the answer to and flagged the ones I wasn't sure of. Then, I went through all my flagged/unanswered questions and selected a best answer from the multiple choice selection. Then I went through and reviewed each question and answer one last time before submitting my test to be scored. There was only one question I wasn't sure of.

I got a 97% with 2 incorrect answers!

70 is a passing grade, but I wouldn't want my family flying with anyone who didn't score at least 95%.

It is SUCH a relief to have this part of my training behind me. I have been studying and worrying about the need to study more for the last 4 weeks and am so relieved to have the test over and done with. Fletch has been assuring me that it's easy and I would do fine, but I wanted more than to do fine...I wanted a high score. My high score confirms the training and studying, all of the hard work I have put into earning my private pilot certificate. The high score I got is helping me to be at ease about the upcoming oral exam and practical test. I've demonstrated once that I know the material, so I can go into the checkride prepared and confident.

Lesson #20: Flight by Reference to Instruments & Night Flying

Man, this was a FUN one! Just when I was starting to get sort of bogged down with flight planning, compass deviation and studying for the written test, we got to have a little fun.

Fletch and I planned to meet at the hangar around 4 o'clock to go for an evening flight and get some hood work in. We took off about 4:30 and headed for the West Side, Lahaina. On the way over I lost my engine (you do realize by now that 'losing my engine' means SIMULATED, don't you?) and had to set up an emergency landing in a conveniently huge, plowed sugar field. I hope if I ever do lose the actual engine, I have such good options for an emergency landing site.

My approach and procedure work through the engine out exercise were flawless and we would have had a nice landing in the dirt. At about 125', Fletch gave me the throttle and we climbed out, continuing on to Lahaina.

As we rounded the corner at MacGregor point, Fletch pulled out the Foggles and the world outside the cockpit disappeared. It was a shame too, since it was so gorgeous outside: sunlight streaming through low clouds to bathe the West Maui Mountains in that soft, orange afternoon glow. Oh well, I'm a pilot...I have this cool instrument panel to look at, who needs scenery, right?

Turns, heading holds, climbs, descents...even steep turns. All under the hood with no visual reference of the outside world, just the instruments. I've been reading ahead into the instrument pilot textbook and am loving it. They break the instrument scan down into your attitude and power instruments, then further into pitch, roll and power instruments. It's really neat seeing the relationship between all of the instruments and how you can use them to precisely pinpoint where you are, where you want to go and how to get there...all without being able to see anything but the inside of your white colored glasses.

I'm looking forward to the instrument rating already!

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw ocean and in that brief moment, caught a whale spout in the sea below. I took off the Foggles and told Fletch I was 'going visual' to get a closer look and there below us is a pod of humpbacks, playing in the ocean! The bigger one was rolling over on it's back while the smaller ones flipped their flippers and breached, sending great sprays of water into the air. We descended to 800' and I practiced turns-around-a-point with the whales as my reference. Flying constant radius turns around the pod of whales below. It was really spectacular and something I'll never forget.

After a few turns and taking some pics, we climbed back to 2500' and it was about sunset. I put the Foggles back on and we continued to fly around a little, then Fletch started giving me vectors to Kahului.

'Right 2°, fly heading 185°'

'turn left heading 110°'

'descend and maintain 1500''

'turn left heading 020°'

'go visual'

And there was the airport. In the dark. Tower sent us around for a right downwind to RWY 20 and we came in on final over the ocean, dark waves lapping on the beach beneath us. All the runway lights were on and as we got lower it came into view in the bright landing light on the front of the plane. I flew a great approach and waited to flare...too late. WHAM! We hit a little hard. Fletch says it happens to everyone their first time at night. I guess the reduced peripheral vision makes you feel a little higher than you really are. Whoops.

We taxied to parking in the twilight and secured the plane. Fletch drove us over to Pinata's where we had a couple of combination plates with iced tea (note to self: do NOT drink iced tea in any quantity before getting in an airplane unless the airplane has a potty) while we waited for it to get good and dark. We got done about 7:30 and it was BLACK as midnight out there. The moon wouldn't be up for a few hours so we had some time to get some really good night landing experience in.

Back in the plane and we did my required 10 night take-offs and landings. 3 were to a full stop and all of them were great learning experience. My first trip around the pattern I flew a little too tight a pattern and had to fly a steep final to make up for it, that's no good at night. After that I relaxed and used the engine and flew big rectangles around the runway. We did 5 and then took a break and just went and flew over Kahului and the harbor and out toward Waihee where the lights ended. It was beautiful, seeing the mountains barely with the stars behind them.

As we finished up with 5 more landings Fletch let me learn. He made me land with no landing light. Not so bad. Then he made me land with no landing light and no cabin lights, YIKES! Talk about dark! No instruments, no artificial horizon or airspeed indicator...just a barely perceptible horizon where the stars and ocean meet until you turn downwind to base and the mountains obscure the sky and it just goes ALL black. That was eery. I just flew the sounds and control pressures I know and was maybe a little fast (who knows, we never saw the panel) but still had a fine landing. On the last one we called the tower and got them to turn off the runway lights.

'OK, but landing is at your own risk'

Uh...right, so who's risk is it at when the lights are on?

When we turned onto final there was no runway. Just a big, black hole in the ground outlined by little blue taxiway lights. I aimed for the center of the threshold end and flew right down the pipe to somewhere near the touchdown zone. As we got to 40 or 50' the landing light illuminated the numbers and we were maybe a little off the centerline but not by much. Nailed it on the touchdown markers and that was it.

Night landings done.

2.1
12 Landings

Our Tour of Atlanta Flight Schools

We just got back from a 12 day trip to Georgia, getting a feel for the lay of the land and sniffing around to see if it's a place we could call home. I'm sure many of you will think we're nuts for leaving Maui for 'the Poultry Capitol of the World' (I'm even shaking my head at that one), but after weighing the pros and cons as well as we can, we really think this is the best move our family could make.

One of the many great opportunities this move will afford our family is putting us in a position for me to pursue my flight training all the way through the professional ratings. During our trip, dad and I went around to several of the schools I'd learned about on the internet and then tried to make the decision of which one would be best suited for my personality, goals and expectations.

One thing is for sure: There are a lot of really, really good flight schools in the Atlanta area. We were really impressed!

I believe I have settled on American Air Flight Training at Peachtree-Dekalb airport just inside Atlanta's I-285 perimeter and about an hour and a half from Gainesville.

I was introduced to American Air several weeks before the trip by Ken Rosengren, one of the CFIs who teaches there. Ken read a post of mine at flightinfo.com asking for information about schools in the Atlanta area. He sent me a private message telling me about the American Air, where he's been working since last summer. I was really impressed with Ken's willingness to go into detail with me and really communicate with me about the differences he's seen between his school and some of the other schools in the area.

I think one of the reasons I was able to trust him on this was that he's a CFI...and a new (at that school) CFI at that! Hardly any motive to paint a false picture of the school or to boast about things that aren't true, right? I mean, what's in it for Ken if I train there? Not like he's working off a commission or anything.

He just gave me really solid info and insights into his perspective of the airport.

It was a really good start.

When we visited, we noticed that the professionalism just continues from there. Steve Shaner, the chief instructor, is another great guy. We sat in on a instrument rating ground class he was teaching and were both sort of moved by how thoroughly he covered the material associated with that course. During the break he took a minute to explain to us that you can do your ratings anywhere, but that what they emphasize is training pilots to a degree of competency and professionalism that will put them in a position to get the job.

The emphasis on training professional pilots was what I think did it for me. I want to train at a school where they know how to turn out competitive professional pilots.

Then there was the icing...

After our visit and tour, Ken joined us for lunch at the Downwind, a Greek restaurant upstairs from American Air in the huge Epps building. Great food, great service and delicious sweet tea. While we chatted about flying and the industry and the airport, I sat and watched the ramp in front of Epps Aviation. In the 45 minutes that we sat there and ate, no less than 10 charter flights came and went through the ramp at Epps. There were a couple of Lears. A couple of King Airs. A couple of Pilatus PC-12s and a Baron...all busily taxiing, loading, fueling, arriving, departing. I couldn't believe how BUSY this place is! They have EVERYTHING, from single engine turboprops to piston and turboprop twins to small jets all the way up to a BIG challenger! It's like pilot heaven! When it dawned on me that I could train down the hall from the place that flies all these gorgeous planes, it was decided.

Dad and I left there to drive down to Hartsfield for a tour of Flight Safety International arranged by another internet friend, Tommy C. Tom is an intern with Flight Safety and I swear has one of the coolest job descriptions of anyone I ever met. Tom 'fills in' on the simulators. He's a rated CFII with about 450 TT and has taken every class FSI has to offer. King Air, Lear 25/31/60, Citation, CRJ...this guy has done recurrent training and checkrides in all of them. Amazing! After the tour he put my dad and I in the Lear 60 for some pattern work. Absolutely incredible! It was so real it was like being there...I flew a jet! Tom talked my dad through the avionics and told me to simply fly the flight director and we did that all the way through the loop around the pattern, final approach and landing. I landed us safely on 9R at Hartsfield and came away from the experience knowing one thing for sure: I want to fly jets!

Keep an eye on Tom, this guy is definitely going places. He's someone we'll be very, very friendly to whenever we get the chance.

Later the next week I came back to American Air for a flight with Ken. We went up in the Warrior for a 1.3 orientation to the area and introduction to AAFT procedures and the new aircraft. I fell in love with the airplane and got a chance to see someone fly like they know what they're doing! While we were admiring the scenery and I was noting the distinct lack of decent emergency landing fields, Ken told me about this tiny little airport with a crooked runway surrounded by golf courses and condos. I'd heard about it before, someone I know once had an actual emergency landing there. It was as small as I'd heard. Ken took the airplane and slid us into a tight, descending turn that put us right on runway heading at about a perfect approach height and airspeed. It was so cool! One quick motion and we were stabilized on final for this tiny little runway. I was impressed.

Throughout our flight, even though I was nervous and totally unaccustomed to the high power, low wing airplane, Ken made me feel like a pilot. He praised my strengths and chalked my weaknesses up to inexperience with the plane and ultimately told me I was doing great. What a great CFI! I'm definitely looking forward to working with this school and hope that Ken is there when I get started.

After spending almost 2 weeks there, we were sufficiently persuaded that we bought a lot to build a home on! It's a gorgeous acre of woods in a really nice subdivision that would sell for $250K here on Maui. At $30K we felt like it was a great deal and are totally excited to commence with the upcoming exciting chapter of our lives.

If there's anything at all to it, I hope that God's faithfulness and goodness are on display as this story unfolds. Me of all people, being treated by Him to a life as good and as rich as this...I just can't believe it sometimes. Give Him the praise and the glory for the wonderful, kind and loving things He has done. Amen.

Lesson 19: First Solo 'XC'

Had a terrific solo flight to Molokai and Lanai today! It was simply spectacular.

The weather was beautiful: scattered clouds at about 3500', temps in the 80s, light trades, 20mi visibility...one of those days that's just perfect for flying.

Almost all of my flight planning skills returned to me as I reviewed the sectional and weather data at the hangar. As I made my preparations I made notes on my kneeboard about almost everything. Weather enroute, alternate airports, radio frequencies, fuel requirements, emergency gear on board. My preflight inspection was uneventful and yielded a perfectly airworthy (if not somewhat old and underpowered) airplane, so after one last bathroom stop, I mounted 3-2-Lima and headed out to the runway.

One thing I've noticed my last couple of flights: I'm not seized with apprehension as I taxi and talk to the tower controllers anymore. The first couple of flights I made after getting chewed out by ATC were really nerve wracking. Glad that's passed!

Lined up, transponder to ALT, flaps up, carb heat off, mixture for best power, throttle to full and RPMs in the green, oil pressure in the green, maintain directional control...airpseed alive, 60KIAS and rotate, positive rate of climb, pitch for Vy and climb for 1000'. That is what I do every single time I take off. Each point I say out loud as I do/check it.

Fletch and I were talking about a student who almost stalled the airplane on takeoff by over pitching for the climb out. I thought about how I fly the airplane during this critical phase of flight and considered that as long as I continue to do it the way I'm doing it, this can't happen to me.

Pitch + power = performance. How fast you climb or descend will be a product of the wing's pitch and the engine's power setting. Pitch up, go up, slow up. Pitch down, go down, speed up. The way I understand and experience flight, pitch (raising or lowering the nose of the airplane) controls airspeed. Pitch up = slow down, pitch down = speed up. Power controls climb or descent; to climb apply power, to descend retard power. It's a lot more complicated than that, there is a complex relationship between airspeed, angle of attach (pitch) and power, but the overview/simple explanation explains almost all situations encountered in flight. It is deeply ingrained in me that climb is a product of power, airspeed is a product of pitch.

During takeoff, what is my sequence? "..60KIAS and rotate, positive rate of climb, pitch for Vy and climb for 1000". With power set to take off, I pitch for best rate of climb (Vy) airspeed and am rewarded with the airplane's maximum sustainable climb rate. As long as I hold Vy and max power, I will climb at the airplane's best rate of climb. So, that's what I do. I've learned what pitch angle gives me Vy and use my visual references ('what it looks like') to set that pitch angle on the climb out. Occasionally I'll cross-reference the airspeed indicator, but it's not even necessary anymore. You learn what 67KIAS looks like and what it sounds like and can fly it (+ or - 5 kts) by just looking out of the airplane.

So why would you keep pulling back on the yoke once the plane has slowed to Vy? Why would you pitch for any other airspeed? Pilot's who do that aren't pitching for an airspeed, they're pitching for a perceived climb angle. But an angle won't give you performance unless it is matched with the ONLY corresponding airspeed and power setting for that angle.

Anyway...

After my takeoff I flew to the north west, toward the northernmost tip of the West Maui mountains. Maui Tower handed me off to Maui departure until I dropped off the top of their scope and then I contacted Honolulu Center for flight following radar services. It was just beautiful. My waypoints arrived beneath me on time, the air was smooth and visibility was just perfect. It got especially awe inspiring when I got to Molokai and flew past the Molokai sea cliffs at about 3000'. Waterfalls flowed off the cliff into the sea and I enjoyed a spectacular vantage point of a spectacular geographic feature.

Holding my heading, flying toward Kalaupapa I let Honolulu Center know I'd be off frequency to touch and go at Molokai and changed frequencies. As I made my initial call to Molokai tower, it dawned on me that I didn't know which runway to use. No problem,I'm sure the tower will clear me for the current active.

'Molokai Tower Cessna 7-3-3-2-Lima inbound for touch and go with Whiskey'

'Cessna 7-3-3-2-Lima make right traffic RWY 23 and be advised Dash 8 on final for 23'

'3-2-Lima, right traffic 23, looking for the Dash'

Then I realized I had no idea which of the 4 runways was 23. As I flew toward the airport, I tried to use my DG to get a compass heading for the airport layout but 230 on my DG was splitting the difference between 2 runways. I was lost.

'Molokai Tower, Cessna 7-3-3-2-Lima unfamiliar with the airport, which runway is 23?'

I made headed for what I thought was a right downwind for 23 only to see the Dash way below me on final.

'Molokai Tower, Cessna 7-3-3-2-Lima has runway in sight, making a right 180 to enter left base for 23'

'3-2-Lima, cleared touch and go, runway 23'

Great lesson. Part of flight planning is getting familiar with ALL available information (airport layouts?) that will affect my flight. No problem, just take a airport/facilities directory and stick it in the kneeboard.

My landings were nice and after 2 I bade 'good day' to Molokai Tower and departed to the south, outbound on the MKK 142 radial for Lanai.

I tracked the VOR across the channel to Lanai, happy to be back with Honolulu Center and a little embarrassed at getting lost in the pattern on Molokai. Bet the Dash crew got a good laugh out of that. Hey, no problem...I'm still a STUDENT pilot, right?

Inbound to Lanai I heard Honolulu Center talking with a King Air crew on the ILS for Lanai. Moments later I got the traffic advisory and held just outside the pattern to watch them fly their approach. The King Air appeared to my 1 o'' clock flying fast for Lanai RWY 5. I could hear them on the radio, following ILS procedures all the way down. It was cool, sounded really professional. I had fun imagining how busy it must be in the cockpit of a King Air on an ILS approach and then how expensive that must be! 2 guys flying simulated instrument approaches in an $1100/hour airplane!

I flew one touch and go then went around for another. Flew a short approach on the second one and went around right before getting low enough to round out. I was a little fast and a little far down the runway and just didn't like it. No problem. Reset the stopwatch and go back to Honolulu Radio, who immediately handed me off to Maui Approach.

As I flew across the channel toward Maui, I watched the King Air fly steep turns below me and whales playing in the clear blue water off Maui...gorgeous!

The controller handling approach was totally new. I heard her talking to an Archer flying up the coast from Lahaina and she had to get his tail number 4 times. Then she gave him his location, '10 miles west of the Kahului VORTAC'. Heh, first time I'd ever heard a controller reference the VORTAC instead of the airport. Then it was my turn'

'Maui Approach Cessna 7-3-3-2-Lima inbound for landing'

'Cessna what?'

'7-3-3-2-Lima'

'7-3-2-Lima radar contact 12 miles west of the Kahului VORTAC say altitude'

'7-3-3-2-Lima is 3000'

'What's your tail number?'

'7-3-3-2-Lima'

'roger, 7-3-3-2-Lima, make straight in runway 2'

'7-3-2-Lima what's your aircraft type?'

'7-3-3-2-Lima is a C-152'

'7-3-3-2-Lima I need you to do at least 100KTS'

'7-3-3-2-Lima is a 90KT airplane flying into a 20KT wind'

'7-3-3-2-Lima, ok...just fly as fast as you can'

'7-3-3-2-Lima, making good time, straight in runway 2'

I thought I would never get handed off to the tower ;) It was fun, as I listened to the approach controller struggle with her radio work, it reminded me of how I'd just screwed up over at Molokai and how we're all students, doing our best to get through this thing called aviation without killing ourselves and trying to learn as much as we can in the process.

Another excellent flight.

1.7 PIC