TknoFlyer's Hangar

081107 Departing KBCB

After enjoying watching Virginia Tech beat Maryland and spending the night in my neighbor's cabin near Blacksburg, it was time to head home. This is my departure from KBCB with an airborne activation of my IFR flight plan. Weather was wind from 200 at 5 knots and CAVU.

081106 Landing KBCB

This is my approach and landing at Blacksburg, VA (KBCB) to see the Virginia Tech football game. Weather was light winds favoring runway 30 and CAVU (ceiling and visibility unlimited) conditions.

The video picks up as I'm passing to the west of Roanoke, VA.

081106 Climbing Through Clouds

This is a time-compressed capture of my climb through cloud layers on my way to Blacksburg, VA (KBCB). The video picks up just as I enter the base of the clouds west of Leesburg, VA (KJYO).

081104 Landing KJYO - Part 5 of 5

After a good night of approaches in actual conditions, it was time to come home on the GPS 17 KJYO. Weather was calm winds, 2 miles visibility in drizzle and 1100ft overcast. The video picks up after I've intercepted the final approach course on the GPS 17 approach.

081104 GPS 14 KOKV - Part 4 of 5

Here's the condensed GPS 14 approach into Winchester, VA (KOKV). The video picks up with me climbing out on the missed after my ILS 32 approach and you can hear me negotiating the GPS 14 KOKV approach to be followed by the GPS 17 back home to Leesburg (KJYO). Weather conditions at the time were winds from 020 at 5 knots, 4 miles visibility in mist and 1400ft overcast.

It's too bad the camera isn't nearly as sensitive as the human eye. The cloud deck was lit up nicely over Winchester and had a soft white glow that highlighted the features of the clouds. Still, breaking out of the deck over the city shows up well enough.

081104 ILS 32 KOKV - Part 3 of 5

Continuing on the instrument proficiency flight, this is my approach on the ILS 32 into Winchester, VA (KOKV). Weather conditions at the time were winds from 020 at 5 knots, 4 miles visibility in mist and 1400ft overcast.

081104 ILS 3 KCHO - Part 2 of 5

This is my approach into Charlottesville, VA (KCHO). Weather at the time was winds out of 030 at 8 knots, 2 miles visibility with light rain and and 800ft overcast.

081104 - Instrument Proficiency: Part 1 of 5

I needed to get in some approaches and the weather cooperated by providing a nice stable pattern of overcast clouds in the area with ceilings low enough to force real approaches while providing enough of a ceiling to have plenty of maneuvering room to get into a number of airports in the area.

I was able to get in six approaches (ILS 3 CHO, GPS 8 OMH, GPS FRR, ILS 32 OKV, GPS 14 OKV, GPS 17 JYO) with a course reversal hold at FRR. It was a good rust-knocking flight with some interesting false horizons above the deck.

This video captures my clearance and takeoff from Leesburg, VA (KJYO) on my way to Charlottesville, VA (KCHO) for the first approach of the night.

080824 Highlights KFFA-KJYO

The flight home from First Flight was interesting - at least to me - with plenty of opportunity to play with clouds.

080824 Departing KFFA

This is my departure from First Flight Airport (KFFA) in Kill Devil Hills (Kitty Hawk), NC heading home to Leesburg, VA (KJYO).

I'm using a new camera that is much lighter than my previous one. Combine the lower mass with a fairly significant wheel shimmy (the infamous "Cessna Shimmy") and takeoffs look much bumpier on camera than they really are. It's an ongoing research challenge...

080824 KMQI-KFFA

If there is such a thing as the aviation mecca, it would have to be First Flight Airport (KFFA) in Kill Devil Hills, NC. We were unable to land there due to weather the last time we flew to the area a few years back, but the weather was extremely cooperative this time around and I was able to make a logbook entry for "KFFA".

AOPA built a pilot center back in 2003 as part of the Centennial of Flight celebration. This center is next to the tie-down area and features a lounge/meeting room, computer room, and rest rooms. "Squawk 1200" for entry and be sure to sign the registry. I'd heard there were no ropes at KFFA, but almost all tie-downs had ropes when I was there. All the rooms were clean and air conditioned. Be sure to sign the registry.

This airport had some of the more trickier winds I've dealt with. The winds were light and about 60 degrees off the nose, but the tall trees relatively close to the field seem to produce a vortex that, while easily manageable, was enough to make me dance on the controls a bit for a smooth touch down.

080822 Departing KLKU

This our continuation to Manteo, NC (KMQI) to enjoy a beach weekend getaway on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Potomac Consolidated TRACON (PCT) had already granted my clearance before I landed at Louisa, VA (KLKU) so it was a simple matter of departing VFR and contacting them to continue my route. (Very helpful, those PCT controllers.)

This takeoff was at dusk - my favorite time to fly - which means the ground detail can be seen and it's highlighted with all the lights.

Speaking of helpful PCT controllers, after departure I immediately got a "direct Richmond (RIC)" routing and before I got to Richmond I got a "direct destination" routing. Very nice.

080822 KJYO-KLKU

This is the first leg of our trip to North Carolina's Outer Banks (actually, Manteo, NC (KMQI)). We got a last-minute request to drop off a friend at Louisa, VA (KLKU) and we were able to accommodate him since it wasn't much out of our way.

This video shows the sunset over the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains as we took off from Leesburg, VA (KJYO) and approached Louisa.

080817 Landing KOKV

Night currency flight to Winchester, VA (KOKV). Nothing special, but it was a beautiful evening at my favorite time to fly: just as the sun's going down when you can still see the ground, but all the lights come on to highlight the landscape.

080817 More Deer

Almost two years to the day after my deer strike, the deer came out to challenge me again. This time I came away from the encounter without incident during taxi, but I did wonder if it was an omen I should heed. I decided to do my run-up and make the call then and it turned out the deer retreated to the grass on the west side of the field where they would not be a factor for my takeoff. They were the last wildlife I saw for the night.