Dont apologize, Marcus...this was my bad all the way around. I missed a bunch of opportunities to make the right decision . I really appreciate your taking the time to explain the proper procedures to me! Trust me, if I hadn't read a recent post from Keith (no ESC key in a real plane...fly your way out of the problem!) I would have probably disconnected... But I'm glad I stuck it out because I learned something! Thanks Keith, and thanks Marcus... That's two errors I will NOT make again.
Getting so caught up in setting radios and radials for the VNY9 departure I totally skipped over the . . . expect radar vector to VNY VOR/DME in my mind and went DIR VNY. Great start indeed.
Lesson to be learned: Just go to bed when you're sleepy and don't do VNY9 in a /A when it's close to your bedtime. In my flying days we used to call it "get-home-itis." Well, tomorrow is another day, and another opportunity.
Just had my first flight on pilotedge. I will never again approach the LAX Class Bravo unprepared looking for VFR transition! Flown plenty of bravo transitions in the real world, but I didn't have my sectional ready for this one, nor did I proper flight plan.
I have just more than 100 hours of real-world flight time and I'm currently working on my instrument rating. I have 80 hours on PE and countless more in PC sims over the years. So I'm not the most experienced pilot but it's not my first rodeo, either.
Today I flew from KSEE to KVCV. Clearance Delivery gave me the KSEE 27R departure procedure which is one of those text-only DPs you find in the Takeoff Minimums pages. I really don't know why they don't published graphical DPs when the chances for flying into the side of a mountain are high but they do. This particular one calls for a right turn to heading 165 before joining a VOR radial.
I had the procedure all worked out, nav radios set, and auto-pilot configured. After takeoff I raise the gear and...hit the Heading button on the autopilot. Naturally, the AP banks the plane left. I'm in VMC so I notice the terrain and immediately know something isn't right. I avoid the terrain visually and proceed to the 165 heading and fly the planned route from there without incident. The controllers never acknowledged my error.
Once I was safely on my way I flipped ForeFlight back to the DP text. "...climbing right turn on heading 165..." Face palm! This is why planes get nicknames like Doctor-Killer. Had this been the real world in IMC, I most likely would have killed my family, not exaggerating.
So what went wrong? I've even flown this DP before. Well, there were about 10 other people on the network at the time. My tower controller was a trainee who was doing the best she could to get things moving and probably didn't even notice what I was doing. I was already established on the heading once was turned over the more experience departure controller (Keith). To him everything probably looked normal. I had installed some new plug-ins and spent time in the run-up area configuring my cockpit view instead of re-reading the DP just prior to takeoff. And I broke my own rule of not letting the AP start flying until I'm already established in a procedure after takeoff because I feel that manually flying it requires so much more concentration that you're less apt to make a mindless mistake just like I did here.
In short, lots of distractions and not enough concentration.
This is why I love PE so much. If I'm going to make that mistake, make it here rather in the real world. I'm sure a few doctors would like to have had that opportunity prior to make their "never again" mistakes.
Well, tonight was a definite comeuppance for me --- not that I haven't had any number of "egg-on-face" moments on Pilot Edge. (Too numerous to count or recount...)
Flew from KSEE to KWHP this evening. Quite a busy evening, which I love actually -- right up to the point where things got too far outside of my comfort zone (by about a mile or so!) KWHP has always been one of the more difficult airports for me to land at, especially at night -- tonight was no exception (understatement of the year.)
The simulator's weather for once did not seem to agree with the network's weather, (I had winds 288@10 with gusts to 20), which was just enough to toss me about a bit and fix my attention as I circled to land on Runway 30 on the VOR-A approach into KWHP. Visiblity was 10 miles, not a problem with that. Approaching from over VNY, Whiteman was very easy to spot. But once I leveled my wings on the circling approach I could not visually pick airport back up out of the mix of city lights. This happened to me before on this very approach a few months ago, but I practiced this a number of times off-line to "work the kinks out." Right. Sure. You betcha.
I was disoriented, and had lost visual contact with the runway, so called the Tower and went missed.
Tower handed me off to SoCal Departure and I flew the published missed approach. The holding pattern at CANOG gave me time to re-gain my composure and resolve, and I tried the approach again. Again I lost sight of the airport while circling to final. This time I just requested a go around from the tower, and was given the okay to make left closed traffic. Finally I was able to get the plane down safely onto the runway - but the gusts/tubulance continued to play havoc with my already taxed and deflated confidence, and I bounced the touchdown. My mechanic would just love me for that.
After taxi and shut-down, I reviewed my flight path -- looked about like a plate a spagetti superimposed over a backdrop of the San Fernando Valley. Ugh.
Where things first went off the rails for me, was first I didn't clarify an instruction I was uncertain about, and it stuck my attention a bit -- "Cleared Circle to Land RWY 30 VOR-Alpha Approach, Report the Circle." I was unsure exactly when and what to report to tower. I foolishly didn't get this cleared up before continuing, and it nagged at my concentration while trying to stay close enough to the airport to be within the obstruction clearances for the CTL.
Secondly, I didn't give enough respect to the fact that CTL landings can be the most difficult category of landings, and didn't properly consider the contribution of the gusty winds to the approach.
Thirdly, I wrongly discounted my earlier experiences/difficulties with this EXACT approach and simply didn't use good judgement in my dogged determination to "get it right this time." I conveniently forgot the fact that my earlier practice to work the kinks out of this approach were DAYLIGHT practice landings, but my difficulties each time have been NIGHT landings. Two different critters.
Lastly, I let my "dogged determination to get it right" determine my course of action. Probably a worse line of motivation than the familiar "get-home-itis."
I'm sure there are many capable pilots on PilotEdge that can fly this safely and capably, but I am not there yet. I violated the cardinal rule of "Pilot know thyself and thyne own personal limits." Thankfully -- zero fatalities, virtual or otherwise, but I learned a good lesson.
Thank you Keith, and all the controllers for the opportunity to learn and practice from the safety of our homes!
Great posts, one and all. Don, a quick note in case any controllers just spit their coffee out all over the screen, the clearance was, "cleared straight-in VOR-A approach, circle to land runway 30." Then, once handed off to tower, tower instructed you to 'circle southeast of the field, report the circle."
The 'straight-in' portion of that clearance is a reference to skipping the 'hold in lieu of procedure turn' at CANOG.
"Report the circle" means that you should advise the tower when you are breaking off from the final approach course and are maneuvering visually for the runway. This is their queue, at a non-radar field like Whiteman, to look out the window to see if they can visually locate you and then issue the landing clearance.
Btw, circling approaches during the day are considered hard work. Circling at night is considered to be pretty hairy. FWIW, most airline SOPs don't allow any circling, and most pilots are not excited by the prospect of circling at night.
The simple fact is that finding airports at night is non-trivial. Approaching them from the side and then trying to circle into the pattern from below pattern altitude is incredibly hard because of the lack of visual queues. Runway lights are not visible until you're lined up with them, so you're basically relying on the airport beacon and the outline of the airport area to try to visualize where everything is. Don't feel like you're missing something which should make this simple and repeatable. What you're experiencing is the very reason why most people don't circle at night.
Don't [accidentally] file KBFL to KONT (with an alternate of KSNA) when you meant to file KBFL to KSNA (with an alternate of KONT) and expect to end up at John Wayne.
That is all
-Cyrus Kapadia. A few RW hours in a C172, then a 15 year hiatus. Joined PE in Dec'12, then took a break. Now I'm back, learning fast and loving it. If I'm on, it's usually between 22h and midnight EST with Baron 258E, Skyhawk 176CM or Learjet 66L.
Keith Smith wrote: in case any controllers just spit their coffee out all over the screen, the clearance was, "cleared straight-in VOR-A approach, circle to land runway 30." Then, once handed off to tower, tower instructed you to 'circle southeast of the field, report the circle."
Well, if the controllers didn't spit coffee witnessing my approach in the first place, I've made sure of it now. Clearly I had some confusions that kicked the proverbial snowball down hill...
Keith Smith wrote: The 'straight-in' portion of that clearance is a reference to skipping the 'hold in lieu of procedure turn' at CANOG.
"Report the circle" means that you should advise the tower when you are breaking off from the final approach course and are maneuvering visually for the runway. This is their queue, at a non-radar field like Whiteman, to look out the window to see if they can visually locate you and then issue the landing clearance.
Ahhhh! Thanks! That clears up that point for me now!
Again, PilotEdge is a great learning experience and I've tremendously enjoyed my time here.
Hi Don, I wasn't meaning to call you out on your recollection of the instruction. My point was only let people know what the original instruction was, because as you'd written it, they might say, "well no wonder the poor guy was confused, the controller gave him a weird clearance."
The flight from Poukeepsie (KPOU) to Sullivan County International was un-eventful. Landing 33 I squeeked it in and parked at the terminal building ramp area. I met my father and off to my folks house for an afternoon that led to a wonderful home cooked meal! During my stay, a summer time squall line passed and the winds howled. I remember looking at my dad and saying "pop, I am not in a rush o leave." About an hour later, the sun was out and the wind was dead calm. A typical summer afternoon of HHH (Hazy, Hot, and Humid) My dad gave me a ride to KMSV and we had a coffee at the airport diner. I did the preflight, checked my panel, and off I went wagging my wings to dad as I departed. 270 degrees would get in in the vicinity and I know by looking at the mountain range to look for Mohonk Mountain house tower... a landmark that is known to see several states on top of the Mohonk Mountain Range at 4,400 feet MSL. So off to a %%00 VFR altitude wel clear of the mountains.... and as I approached, into a thick soup of hazy that made verticle ground visibility a strain. I knew enough to climb above the haze, but flew this route so many times that I just stayed "in the soup". Wings level, ground visible, heading the same as every other time.... no sweat!
As I crossed over the 4,300 mountain range, suddenly everyting went white! I knew I flew into clouds. Still, no problem, another 5 minutes and I will be over the mountains and into an area where I could decend to 1500 feet if I had too. Only a band of dark clouds appeared and rain drops began to appear on the window.
ZOOM! down to 3000 feet as I applied full power in my Cessna 172 at climb attitude. everything in my nature wanted me to pull further up but I focused on the airsp[eed indicator and let it at 70 knots. I never flew in rain before and the sound of it hitting the aircraft was like pellets wanting to make their mark well beyond the surface. Then the sleet began and it made the sound of a high pressure hose hitting my aircraft. It sounded like it was about to break thru SOMETING in my poor little Cessna 172.
I went into instant IFR training hood! Looking at my attitude, altitude, and airspeed. Only.... I was in a 30 degree bank and my airspeed went down to 55 knots! Push, turn, get it under control. Only I was zig zagging and undulating in altitude way past any standard that would be considered safe. For about 30 seconds, I was in panic! Way too short to make a safe decision, yet way too long that if I had not been "LUCKY" too have had enough altitude, that this post would never had been made.
In an instant, the drum beating on the fusalage was ending and the ground became visible. Like a light switch, I exhaled and found my horizon... the real horizon, and I flew out of the squall. Dutchess weather reported severe clear and calm and I landed without incident. I radioed up the FSS that is at Dutchess and reported that a squall line was minutes away from the airport. Tied my aircraft down and as I walked into the FBO, felt rain drops begin to fall on my back.
Maybe not scarey to most, but for a pilot with just over 25 hours, it was a hoot!
. I really appreciate your taking the time to explain the proper procedures to me! Trust me, if I hadn't read a recent post from Keith (no ESC key in a real plane...fly your way out of the problem!) I would have probably disconnected... But I'm glad I stuck it out because I learned something! Thanks Keith, and thanks Marcus... That's two errors I will NOT make again. 