Real World Coast to Coast now available

Keith Smith
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Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Real World Coast to Coast now available

Post by Keith Smith »

Real World Coast to Coast was launched this week with introductory pricing through this Saturday. This video features detailed briefs, flight and debriefs, covering a trip from New Jersey to Southern California, including a mix of VFR/IFR, towered/non-towered operations, day/night flights and "The World's Most Expensive Tire Repair" at LAX.
RyanK
Posts: 148
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2014 11:00 am
Location: Stevens Point, WI

Re: Real World Coast to Coast now available

Post by RyanK »

Just got started and it's great stuff as always. Looking forward to watching the last couple flights in the PE coverage area.
Talan2000
Posts: 207
Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2014 8:59 pm
Location: McKinney, Texas, USA, Earth

Re: Real World Coast to Coast now available

Post by Talan2000 »

Excellent so far (I'm about halfway through).

I appreciate the unexpected happening - an outstanding opportunity to learn something new -- like the "P-time" expiration after two hours on your departure. And I find the debrief/briefs to be particularly useful.

I can certainly understand how and why you were fatigued after that first flight! I was exhausted after watching it - especially with what seemed to be really horrible comms. I kept asking myself -- man why doesn't he climb (to get better reception)? I understand the reluctance about the headwinds, but you sure were a whisper away from lost comms. Glad it all worked out in the end, and glad to see you address that and the Alt NA at your chosen alternate -- that would be a very easy mistake to make.

A very helpful series for the IFR student and VFR pilot.

Thanks

T
Keith Smith
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Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Re: Real World Coast to Coast now available

Post by Keith Smith »

Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Yes, that first flight was a tough start. The raw flight footage was actually 3hrs 20mins of flight time while the video time is just a shade over 2 hours. If you were tired watching the edited run, you can only imagine what the actual flight was like. The first few edits of that flight were considerably longer (2hrs 50mins and 2hrs 30mins if memory serves) but they were still just too long for all but the most hardcore/diligent viewers, so we made the call to cut it down even further. There's nothing of consequence that was taken out on that first flight, afaik, just more of the same drudgery in the weather. Boy, did it ever feel good to see the ground around KRDU, you probably heard it in my voice.

And then, when the comm issue was finally resolved, I wish I could've gotten a do-over on the whole flight :) Thankfully, the flights got easier after that.....until some tough decision making regarding the HND arrival (not sure if you're up to that yet).

Thanks for the feedback, enjoy the rest of the trip!
Jim Parish
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Sep 21, 2013 4:41 pm

Re: Real World Coast to Coast now available

Post by Jim Parish »

Just want to throw my 2 cents in here and agree that this is proving to be enjoyable and educating - recommend it to any pilots. It's like getting a lot of "I Learned About Flying from That", (thanks, Flying magazine), in another highly instructable format.

Jim
Ryan B
Posts: 856
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:37 pm

Re: Real World Coast to Coast now available

Post by Ryan B »

I watched the preview video, and it looks great! I can't participate in the series now but I hope a lot of people check it out! I believe it was your YT videos that first led me to you (and vatsim). Always enjoyed your videos Keith!
PE ID: 29
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awreaper
Posts: 28
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 1:56 pm

Re: Real World Coast to Coast now available

Post by awreaper »

Just finished the series. Great training aid. Its like actually sitting in the cockpit with Keith as he flies. I learned a lot and got a real kick out of watching Keith flying around SoCal and the PE area and finishing at my "virutal" home airport of KCRQ.
Keith Smith
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Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Re: Real World Coast to Coast now available

Post by Keith Smith »

Glad you liked it. You might have chuckled at my decision to circle for the rwy 6 instead of landing into the sunset. :) I hated to throw a wrench in the works, but I didn't want to take chances.
awreaper
Posts: 28
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 1:56 pm

Re: Real World Coast to Coast now available

Post by awreaper »

It's all about being safe and you made the call to do something that you thought was more safe. I can't fault someone for that.
Talan2000
Posts: 207
Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2014 8:59 pm
Location: McKinney, Texas, USA, Earth

Re: Real World Coast to Coast now available

Post by Talan2000 »

Wow, what a useful series. Just finished watching the TAOS - Henderson leg. (Had to take a break to pass my instrument checkride :)

I'd say that descent was pretty stressful to watch! Busy comms, very dark, and terrain. I'd warrant that the stress/fatigue of that had more to do with the taxi snafu than any latent hypoxia.

I enjoyed your lengthy debrief and appreciated your focus on engine out / risk mitigation.

That said, like so many of the worst case scenario accident reports (which this of course wasn't), it's seldom the penultimate decision that's the cause of coming to grief - it's the initial one...and I think in this one it was clearly letting yourself get so delayed departing Taos -- which set you up for a stressful nighttime arrival (which to me is of more concern than dark/light overflight of a giant ditch you aren't going to survive crashing into anyway :).

In particular, I thought the risk of "the ridge" east of Henderson was far greater, and the recipient of much less preflight/in flight concern that the engine out/glide concerns. ATC helpfully alerted you to high terrain several times when it was beyond obvious, but when you are descending down like a brick towards a ridge ... not a peep.

Descending at 1500+ fpm trying to get down fast into an unfamiliar dark airport, it would have been really easy to smack right into that ridge. Too easy.It's all hindsight and so easy for the peanut gallery second guess, but I wonder if telling henderson you were going to stay high (enter at high key, extend the downwind to the edge of the bravo (which I know from PE abuts the delta really close to the north), or even doing a 360 to descend might not have given you a greater margin of safety for that approach. You sure had to deal with a lot of unexpected variables -- terrain, high, fast, aircraft incident, switched runways, unusual back taxi instructions, semi-testy tower/ground, crazy circling follow me truck (how many times have you ever used on of those?).

Your debrief was correct - it's all about risk mitigation and then risk management. Thanks for putting together the series to let the peanut gallery live vicariously... I must confess that I find myself prowling the online sites looking at Lancair 360's now :)

T
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