Well isn’t that special…?
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 7:57 am
Erroneous Layout in X-plane.
First of all, my sincere apologies to the landscaping team at Zamperini Field in Torrance. However, the Saratoga tracks are where the taxiways are supposed to be! The story goes like this… It was my first time to KTOA and I was on a standard visual approach to 29R. The landing was superb by my standards (a.k.a. no crash with runway to spare). The fine tower controller advised me to turn left on Charlie and taxi to parking. It was dark but I had the airplane slowed enough to make the turn when I saw it. The thing was… I just didn’t see it. Before I knew it I was at the end of the runway. How could I have missed the turn? I wasn’t drinking (yet). I was awake. I was stumped… I called up the fine controller and confessed my missed turn and he acknowledged me in the usual “you dumb pilot” kind of way. Which clearly at the time, I thought I deserved. There was even reference to the PilotEdge canoe being dispatch to rescue me if I missed the turn off at the end of the runway. No canoe necessary, I made the turn and as I was following the taxi way to the ramp the blue taxi lights ended long before I expected to be at the apron of the ramp. I was still not past the second runway. So in the dark and by the dim taxi light on the Toga, I plugged on. Unfortunately, I was quickly off in the “grass” and completely lost. I disconnected and used the map feature in x-plane to reposition the plane. I noticed that the airport layout was not even close to the actual and current FAA Airport Diagram plate. So beware, the layout at KTOA in X-plane is incorrect!
Safe Flying,
Rob
First of all, my sincere apologies to the landscaping team at Zamperini Field in Torrance. However, the Saratoga tracks are where the taxiways are supposed to be! The story goes like this… It was my first time to KTOA and I was on a standard visual approach to 29R. The landing was superb by my standards (a.k.a. no crash with runway to spare). The fine tower controller advised me to turn left on Charlie and taxi to parking. It was dark but I had the airplane slowed enough to make the turn when I saw it. The thing was… I just didn’t see it. Before I knew it I was at the end of the runway. How could I have missed the turn? I wasn’t drinking (yet). I was awake. I was stumped… I called up the fine controller and confessed my missed turn and he acknowledged me in the usual “you dumb pilot” kind of way. Which clearly at the time, I thought I deserved. There was even reference to the PilotEdge canoe being dispatch to rescue me if I missed the turn off at the end of the runway. No canoe necessary, I made the turn and as I was following the taxi way to the ramp the blue taxi lights ended long before I expected to be at the apron of the ramp. I was still not past the second runway. So in the dark and by the dim taxi light on the Toga, I plugged on. Unfortunately, I was quickly off in the “grass” and completely lost. I disconnected and used the map feature in x-plane to reposition the plane. I noticed that the airport layout was not even close to the actual and current FAA Airport Diagram plate. So beware, the layout at KTOA in X-plane is incorrect!
Safe Flying,
Rob
Cheers, AJ