Alphabet Challenge Leg 16 KPOC - 15AZ
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 5:07 pm
Pilots,
Ok, we're headed back east to a closed/inactive/private patch of dirt in the middle of nowhere where the most interesting terrain feature on the chart is "Beware multiple ditches" that as it turned out would be advice to heed...http://peaware.pilotedge.net/flight.cfm?id=87206
Lessons Learned:
Departure Procedures: Ok, redundant, but look for them EVERYWHERE. There's one to be flown out of here and even a hold if you don't have the manly climbing power of the King Air
I tried to be proactive and let ATC know I Knew about the ODP by starting this flight at PRADO (where the ODP sends you to hold) but apparently they didn't get the message in the flight plan routing OR as is more likely they always issue you the Departure procedure verbiage (that is IF they issue the departure procedure verbiage as we have learned that they don't technically HAVE to and you can fly it anyway - phew - is that mouthful of obstacle clearance "concepts" or what?)
MEA: Since we're all focused on obstacle clearance, and rightly so, I filed at FL190. I wasn't kidding around any more down low I looked up winds aloft which were favorable and more favorable higher up - as I knew because they were UNfavorable on my flight just completed from the EAST! ATC cleared me to 9000 expect FL190 in 5. No problem. Problem was ATC was Under Instruction and left me at 9000 for longer than I was super happy about. So I waited patiently and when I got to my preplanned location in relation to those big piles of rocks ahead of me on the airway I informed the controller as nonchalantly as possible, "N3298S is going to NEED higher SOON". MEA on V16 at SETER is 13000. The controller came back with a clearance to 13000 pretty quickly and I climbed to 13000. I think I saw some goats on the ridges though.
Comms Problems: Nearing 15AZ I was switched (probably late) to LA Center. I called at least three times to Center and got no response. Weird. So I switched back to SOCAL and radio checked. Confirmed new freq. (It was the same) and then called back. This time they answered. Sounded surprisingly like the SOCAL guy. Must be his twin brother. I mention this 1) to illustrate hopefully proper (lost) comms procedure but also to highlight another GREMLIN. Because I had another LOST Comms moment on the next flight. And this was more annoying as it was SOCAL handoff to tower that never came despite three + calls...anyway that's the future.
Ditches: Ok so I canceled IFR to spare everyone another lost comms rigamarole (maybe its a reception issue way out there?) and landed on dusty old 15AZ. I was happy with my VFR nav at the end...follow the road east to the river. turn left along the river. It's at a bend in the river. There! So after stopping in about 1000ft I back taxied and swerved off the runway a bit to clear it for any drones or any of you guys behind me when WHAM! that grey dirt in front of me turned out to be an irrigation ditch right next to the runway! The Gremlins got my engines again - this time on the ground. Touche, gremlin, touche.
Ok, we're headed back east to a closed/inactive/private patch of dirt in the middle of nowhere where the most interesting terrain feature on the chart is "Beware multiple ditches" that as it turned out would be advice to heed...http://peaware.pilotedge.net/flight.cfm?id=87206
Lessons Learned:
Departure Procedures: Ok, redundant, but look for them EVERYWHERE. There's one to be flown out of here and even a hold if you don't have the manly climbing power of the King Air
I tried to be proactive and let ATC know I Knew about the ODP by starting this flight at PRADO (where the ODP sends you to hold) but apparently they didn't get the message in the flight plan routing OR as is more likely they always issue you the Departure procedure verbiage (that is IF they issue the departure procedure verbiage as we have learned that they don't technically HAVE to and you can fly it anyway - phew - is that mouthful of obstacle clearance "concepts" or what?)
MEA: Since we're all focused on obstacle clearance, and rightly so, I filed at FL190. I wasn't kidding around any more down low I looked up winds aloft which were favorable and more favorable higher up - as I knew because they were UNfavorable on my flight just completed from the EAST! ATC cleared me to 9000 expect FL190 in 5. No problem. Problem was ATC was Under Instruction and left me at 9000 for longer than I was super happy about. So I waited patiently and when I got to my preplanned location in relation to those big piles of rocks ahead of me on the airway I informed the controller as nonchalantly as possible, "N3298S is going to NEED higher SOON". MEA on V16 at SETER is 13000. The controller came back with a clearance to 13000 pretty quickly and I climbed to 13000. I think I saw some goats on the ridges though.
Comms Problems: Nearing 15AZ I was switched (probably late) to LA Center. I called at least three times to Center and got no response. Weird. So I switched back to SOCAL and radio checked. Confirmed new freq. (It was the same) and then called back. This time they answered. Sounded surprisingly like the SOCAL guy. Must be his twin brother. I mention this 1) to illustrate hopefully proper (lost) comms procedure but also to highlight another GREMLIN. Because I had another LOST Comms moment on the next flight. And this was more annoying as it was SOCAL handoff to tower that never came despite three + calls...anyway that's the future.
Ditches: Ok so I canceled IFR to spare everyone another lost comms rigamarole (maybe its a reception issue way out there?) and landed on dusty old 15AZ. I was happy with my VFR nav at the end...follow the road east to the river. turn left along the river. It's at a bend in the river. There! So after stopping in about 1000ft I back taxied and swerved off the runway a bit to clear it for any drones or any of you guys behind me when WHAM! that grey dirt in front of me turned out to be an irrigation ditch right next to the runway! The Gremlins got my engines again - this time on the ground. Touche, gremlin, touche.