Alphabet Challenge Leg 11 - KKNB - KLGB

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Talan2000
Posts: 207
Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2014 8:59 pm
Location: McKinney, Texas, USA, Earth

Alphabet Challenge Leg 11 - KKNB - KLGB

Post by Talan2000 »

Pilots,

This flight was perhaps most memorable for the fact that I did NOT have a dual engine failure in the King Air for the first time in a while ! Whoo hoo! SOme combination of engine anti-ice ON and Boost Pumps - On and retarded power settings is keeping the turbines turning.

http://peaware.pilotedge.net/flight.cfm?id=86963

Also notable was the fact that I heard the other half of the radio calls from that Speedy T-38, PACER38, blazing through the Alphabet Challenge ahead of us all. Presumably at 400KIAS and under 10,000. Yes I've looked at your PEaware flight profiles. What else am I gonna do at 200kts for hours on end :)

In fact, I asked Center to put PACER38 in a few holds to slow him down, but he must not have heard me because he never replied. Now if only I could find a decent T-2 or TA-4 or T-45 to represent the Navy in this little race. I guess I could pretend I am a T-44.

Lessons Learned:

ADF - The little NAVAID that Could: I was pleased to file AZC MMM to get started since AZC is an ADF. Retro Monday baby! There's a big stretch of nothing navaid wise west of the Canyon and I thought I'd need it. So I tuned it in and even ID'd the darn thing but it the ADF needle NEVER came alive. So bummed. I had to just resort to plugging it into GPS (retro chic). Then I got the Mormon Mesa @ 49NM out and switched over to NAV1. I'd love to hear if you guys are able to pick up AZC enroute. (I was at FL180).

See the Airport: I annoy myself with my ability to lose sight of the airfields in close/and or have difficulty acquiring the fields visually when being set up for a visual approach under IFR. Frustrates. I guess it's a situational awareness that builds and it must have a lot to do with the fields NOT having realistic scenery ( I can find KSNA all day long and KSAN doesn't seem to be a problem either :) Hope you can see more clearly.

Copilots Challenges: They are demanding. I think I had two diaper changes in flight (no, not for me thank you but she's only 12 months) and lots of bouncing on my knee on this flight. So if ATC gets annoyed at, "Say again please" I can assure you I have been screamed at by someone in much closer proximity :) The much more experienced 3 yr old copilot was taking a nap. He's great at reminding me "Put down your landing gear daddy! No, put them down MORE! :)"
flyingdrill
Posts: 271
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2014 4:15 am

Re: Alphabet Challenge Leg 11 - KKNB - KLGB

Post by flyingdrill »

A long flight, but not too bad in the Malibu with a 200+ KTS ground speed. A little bit of excitement at the end, when I was putting down a bit of flap on the ILS, and pressed what I use as the flap button on another joystick, but I've mapped as mixture on this one. Whoops! Cut the engine! When I realized what I'd done, I quickly got the engine restarted, and regained the glideslope for a greaser of an arrival :D

Now for some shorter flights!
bbuckley
Posts: 232
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2015 4:30 pm
Location: Jupiter, FL

Re: Alphabet Challenge Leg 11 - KKNB - KLGB

Post by bbuckley »

Thanks to the controllers for one of the best IFR training experiences I’ve had since early IFR training many, many years ago.

I just flew leg 11 of the alphabet challenge (Kanab UT to Long Beach). Take off and departure were uneventful (but I had to race to miss getting run over on the runway by a drone Lear that taxied up through the dirt to depart after I was already on the runway).

A really cool thing was using ASN and REX4 TD I got to request and get a deviation to the north around Needles, to avoid a really neat looking thunderstorm. I saw that there were a few storms there on ForeFlight before takeoff but was a little surprised to see them in flight. Great experience though. I was flying a Phenom 100 at 16,000’ (Phenom 522PM).

I do all my current RW flying in an Archer, so getting used to the Phenom has been a challenge. The hardest part is getting it slowed down especially in a descent so I try to get set up early on the approach so I don’t find myself 30kts fast and high on short final.

I made too many mistakes to record them all here and the controllers (RADAR and TWR) were both fantastic! Firm in corrections but professional and accurate. Sorry for all my blunders… some of which were:
1. Read back of altitude and speed crossing instructions on the STAR.
2. Was assigned 190kts and I held that until I was getting vectors to final for the ILS 30 then I slowed down to ~150kts to drop the gear and the final flaps configuration. Well I didn’t ask the controller if I could slow down and that caused havoc with his sequencing for KLGB so I got a well deserved reprimand and vectors for spacing.
3. Still very unfamiliar with the Phenom G1000 and AFCS, so while I was trying to go from APR to HDG (since the sequencing vectors were taking me across the final approach course) and adjust the ALT settings this annoying voice was yelling “Glide Slope” at me until I fiannaly saw I was so far below GS that impact was only a few seconds away… I calmly climbed back up hoping no one on the scope noticed and landed with no further issues.
4. I thought I’d simply get a left on taxiway D, J2 then cross 25L to Signature but nope… the taxi took me through Burbank I think. I fumbled through the read backs, messing up several times and the gracious controller said “No problem, that’s what we’re here for”. Absolutely first class.
Thanks again,
Bruce
Commercial / Instrument / KMLB
Keith Smith
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Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Re: Alphabet Challenge Leg 11 - KKNB - KLGB

Post by Keith Smith »

Bruce, if it helps, speed restrictions on an approach are cancelled when the approach clearance is issued, unless they are then restated.
bbuckley
Posts: 232
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2015 4:30 pm
Location: Jupiter, FL

Re: Alphabet Challenge Leg 11 - KKNB - KLGB

Post by bbuckley »

Thanks. Good to know, and it makes sense. In this case I hadn't been cleared yet, still on vectors to final. It's just that getting that airplane slowed down takes a long time so I started early (without asking or even advising). :oops:
Commercial / Instrument / KMLB
stevekirks
Posts: 589
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2014 6:00 pm
Location: KSGF
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Re: Alphabet Challenge Leg 11 - KKNB - KLGB

Post by stevekirks »

Flew this in the FlyJSim 737-200 in X-Plane with a simulated passenger and cargo load just to see if I could could make it off the ground. No probs at all...

Took off, headed west to Mormon Mesa, then Boulder City, then the classic HEC.KAYOH5 arrival. Made the turn late after DAWNA but Joe was distracted with some new pilots and didn't ding me on it. Got back on course and asked for the visual for runway 30 and KLGB. All in all, a pretty basic flight, but when you're at 32,000 feet, there's not much to worry about except the level of coffee left in the pot...
Steve Kirks (sKirks on Twitch)
KSGF--I-10 rated
Student Pilot
I invented the Alphabet Challenge, what's your excuse?
Alphabet Challenge
Keith Smith
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Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Re: Alphabet Challenge Leg 11 - KKNB - KLGB

Post by Keith Smith »

Steve, don't forget the ident issue and a vector for radar identification!
stevekirks
Posts: 589
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2014 6:00 pm
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Re: Alphabet Challenge Leg 11 - KKNB - KLGB

Post by stevekirks »

Fair enough Keith!

I had a problem on the way out of Kanab where the IDENT function of the transponder wasn't working. It wasn't on the aircraft "go- no go" list so we continued with the departure. Good thing the controller was an old salt and remembered how to pick me out of the clutter with heading changes. I mean this guy sounded so old, I'd bet he INVENTED ATC.

Then again, he may have just had an accent. Hard to say.
Steve Kirks (sKirks on Twitch)
KSGF--I-10 rated
Student Pilot
I invented the Alphabet Challenge, what's your excuse?
Alphabet Challenge
zerofay32
Posts: 131
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:34 am
Location: Grove City, Ohio

Re: Alphabet Challenge Leg 11 - KKNB - KLGB

Post by zerofay32 »

I completed this leg last weekend. No issues. I was a little nervous about the STAR since I haven't done one since the I-Ratings, but the KAYOH5 is pretty tame.

Steve, we are kinda chasing each other. I'm hoping to get some legs done this weekend now that the first 330+ NM leg is out of the way (it was rough flying at 150kn GS). With any luck, I'll be doing Leg 12 this evening. Maybe we'll see each other in the days to come. I've been flying the challenge in Twotter 2612J.

Fly Safe 8-)
Andrew Fay
PilotEdge V-3; CAT-11; I-11; Skyhigh 10
Commercial Pilot/Instrument ASEL/AMEL- KOSU / Commercial sUAS
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