Never again on PE - share your mistakes

[jcar]

Ok here is mine. Completed a VFR flight yesterday and upon landing could not maintain directional control on the runway. found that I left the rudder trim full left. I was practicing engine out on the Seneca and did not reset the rudder trim after I switched back to the A36 . USE YOUR CHECK LIST!

[RiteFlyer]

Was instructed to enter right downwind for RWY 30R KBFL, and somehow found myself on left downwind RWY 30R. I was kindly reminded that I’m an idiot and apparently can’t follow simple instructions.
One more reason to make PE part of my daily/weekly routine!

(shameful)RiteFlyer

[AngNov68]

Today was my first flight on pilotedge and it was a total disaster. I can't understand why I am so nervous, just like in real life. I came in to the airport downwind, landed on the wrong side, used the wrong language, didn't repeat the instructions correctly. Good thing it is here and not in the air. Thanks for showing me how much I need to learn. I will get better.

[lwilliams]

....and you did MUCH better than me on my first flight.

It'll get better and easier, my friend!

[arb65912]

Gentlemen, here is another one. I logged in as N1067Q ( Piper Saratoga) , contacted Controller, did two laps of pattern, landed, parked the plane.

Then I took another plane N2067Q ( Bonanza F33A), I contacted Controller, I was asked to confirm my call sign, I did , I was surprised I did not hear from a Controller when I requested Flight Following to Ontario , I contacted again and THAN it came out I was still logged as N1067Q.

When you switch the plane, log off from PE and log back in with the new callsign.

I do not know who was the Controller ( I recognized the voice though...*smile) last night but I wanted to apologize for confusion.

I will be more careful next time.

Cheers, AJ

[Jeff N]

Here's a real dumb one. I checked the focus fields last night and saw KTOA/KRIV and planned a VFR flight accordingly. A few minutes after passing the PDZ VOR, SoCal APP told me to contact tower. "Hm", I thought, "I'm a little far out to call TWR already but okay". I called up 127.65 and said "Riverside TWR, Skyhawk 298CA xx miles to the west, inbound for touch and go". March tower of course questioned which field I was actually trying to go to, and it took me a minute to realize that KRIV is NOT "Riverside"...

Oops...

I just got back on PE this week after a 6 month hiatus, but that's no excuse for not paying more attention during flight planning.

[bruce]

The mission was for three aircraft to fly IFR KSMO to KSAN by way of a TEC Route, seems simple enough.

Checks out which TEC route to use, flying a GA piston so it has got to be one of the PQ's of which there are three to choose from #'s 1, 4 & 8 on the FAA preferred routes site. http://www.fly.faa.gov/rmt/d_prefroutes.jsp

#'s 1 & 8 are out as neither LAX or SAN are in the East configuration, must be #4 (mistake), so far so good, quite simple really!

Load the flight plan into the GPS, (second mistake), check SMO freq., HSI set to 125deg, send flight plan, SMON27. A/c 1 calls KSMO delivery & that's where the problems started.
SMON27 not available, told to fly SMON22 , ok, check out SMON22 on the FAA site. I listen to the chatter bemused.

There is no SMON22, what the #@%, did I mishear, no, we are being told SMON22.
After a bit of a discussion a/c 1 was given the full route, almost as long as Gone with the Wind. Fly this radial, that radial, where the heck is DANAH?
Reprogramme the GPS, figure out exactly how the knob twiddling & needle watching is going to work.

Now it is my turn to call Delivery, at least I have had some warning of what is to come. Having previously copied the clearance, or most of it, I fill in the gaps & off we go.

I guess the Controller was quite pleased to see us land in one piece. After a less than confident start it all worked out ok and some valuable lessons were learnt about flight planning & TEC routes & also NOT to load the GPS until you have been given your clearance! I must thank the Controller for his patience, they have a difficult job.

Why SMON22 does not show as an option when using the FAA preferred route search facility I do not know, so I am firmly blaming the FAA for the initial confusion lol.

Once again my thanks to PilotEdge for some more valuable lessons.

Posted in the hope that our experience will help others. I love a no blame culture

[kullery]

SMON22 is in the database but you need to search with distination MYF instead of SAN.

[arb65912]

SMON22 is in the database but you need to search with distination MYF instead of SAN.

And how do I know THAT?

Bruce did exactly what he supposed to ( except programming GPS too early maybe..) and how one finds SMO22 using database?

I guess, the only way is to search for ALL TEC routes from SMO and SMON22 will be there .....

Great post. Cheers, AJ

[Alex Stjepanovic]

And how do I know THAT?

1. In your preflight preparation/briefing, check the A/FD.

2. See TEC routes described and listed.

3. Find SMON22.