Sky High #8: Palms and Needles

[Keith Smith]

Sky High Charters scenario #8 is now available for active members here: https://www.pilotedge.net/pages/skyhigh-8-palms-needles

Points of interest:
_ DME arc on the SID
_ speed restriction and circling restrictions on the approaches at KHII
_ ODP out of KHII
_ circling minimums on what otherwise appears to be a straight-in approach at KPSP

Full scenario list and overview of Sky High Charters available here: https://www.pilotedge.net/pages/skyhigh ... -scenarios

[RichardCarrillo]

This raises the question: Is it possible to knit with the ends of the needles pointed high to the sky?

[Pylet]

Flew the Sky-8 today. Inbound from Needles on the CLOWD1 arrival the controller instructed me to “cross CLOWD at and maintain 10,000”, which I mistakenly heard and read back as “cross CLOWD at or above 10,000”. The controller didn’t catch my mistake and I proceeded on.

I reached CLOWD at 13,000 in a continuous descent. The controller inquired why I was passing CLOWD at 13,000 and 3,000 above my assigned altitude. I explained my instructions were to cross CLOWD at or above 10,000. The controller stated “there’s no such thing as at or above, you will always be assigned an altitude to maintain, your instructions were to cross CLOWD at and maintain 10,000.” The controller then failed me for the SKY-8 so I proceeded with the flight normally and I was instructed to “proceed direct TRM and cross TRM at or above 4,000.”

I reviewed the audio (http://audio.pilotedge.net/2020/5/2020-5-8_15_17510.mp3) and the controller absolutely said cross CLOWD at and maintain 10,000. I also read it back as cross CLOWD at or above 10,000. The error was mine for mishearing the instruction, and the point of a read back is to verify comprehension and accuracy to provide an opportunity for clarification and avoid a mistake. This is a lesson for both me and the controller.