TknoFlyer's Hangar

20100724 Landing KJYO

This is the end of the third approach of the day (GPS 17 KJYO). I know, I know. I have so many landings at my home field posted, but this landing was too smooth to pass up.  :)

Weather: 28006G15KT 10SM CLR 36/21 A2997

20100724 GPS 26 KLNS

This is the second of three instrument approaches today and is my low approach to Lancaster, PA (KLNS). Nice gentle approach with nothing particularly significant. You'll hear me negotiating my IFR trip home during this one.

Weather: 29012KT 10SM FEW042 32/23 A2994

20100724 ILS 36 KRDG

I went up today for a few instrument approaches. This is the first of the three for the day and picks up as I'm getting vectors to the final approach course for the ILS 36 approach into Reading, PA (KRDG). All of them were flown faster than normal to help break in new cylinder parts we recently had installed.

This one if the first time I've ever been to Reading, PA. Next time I'll have to land and check out the environs.  :)

Weather: 27007KT 7SM CLR 31/23 A2991

20100627 Departing KMQI

This is my taxi and departure from Manteo, NC (KMQI). With the hot weather I wanted to get airborne as quickly as possible, so I departed VFR and activated my IFR flight plan in the air. (I'd be talking to the same controller anyway. Listen up for the Pilatus activating his IFR plan from the ground. You see this plane at the beginning of my taxi.) The Washington Center (ZDC) controller was rather busy this day and it took him a while to get around to giving me my clearance.

Weather: 20004KT 10SM CLR 34/25 A2971

20100625 Landing KMQI

This is my landing at Manteo (KMQI) in North Carolina's Outer Banks.

The winds favored runway 5 and I'm approaching from the north. Yes, I was one of "those pilots" on this day. It's OK for you to laugh. Luckily there was nobody else in the pattern, so at least I didn't annoy anybody but me. Learn from my mistake...

Weather: 06008KT 030V070 10SM SCT060 SCT090 30/23 A2999

20100625 Cloud Skipping

Here's a time-compressed sequence from my trip to North Carolina's Outer Banks (KMQI). There was a thin cloud layer for several miles with the tops right at my cruising altitude of 7000 feet (2134 meters). Not quite canyon flying, but it was akin to skipping along the tops. :)

20100625 IFR Departure KJYO

This is my IFR departure from Leesburg, VA (KJYO) enroute to the Outer Banks of North Carolina (Manteo (KMQI), to be specific). This captures AWOS, clearance, takeoff and initial contact with Potomac Consolidated TRACON (PCT).

Weather: 31003KT 10SM CLR 37/13 A3002

A Note on Posting Comments

My little corner of the web generates a rather modest amount of traffic - at least legitimate traffic. I appreciate all the folks who come here to enjoy my videos and other aviation related content. I especially appreciate all those who take the time to respond with a comment or two.

Unfortunately, virtually all of the comments posted on my site each day are nothing but auto-generated spam - to the tune of up to 75 per day (on average). It's gotten to the point I just don't have time to wade through them all. So, I'm implementing a change.

Don't worry. I still allow comments, but only from "members". Here's how it works...

Much like Blogspot or other popular blog sites, you'll need an account to post a comment here. Simply click the "Join" link at the top of the page to create an account. I don't really care what personal information you provide. You don't even need a valid email address. After creating your account, you can log in anytime to leave a comment.

I will not spam you nor will I sell or share your information with anybody.

I do apologize for the inconvenience, but I hope you'll understand.

Thanks for visiting!  :)

100523 GPS 17 KJYO

This is the last of today's approaches in actual conditions - and this was the "lowest" weather I've ever had coming into my home field. AWOS was reporting 4 miles in rain, but I didn't have the runway in sight until about 1 mile from the threshold.

I also taught myself a lesson. It may not be clear from the video, but there were a couple of other planes coming in to Leesburg behind me. ATC gave me the standard "cancel IFR on this frequency or via the RCO" along with a note about another aircraft behind me. Standard stuff and I usually try to accommodate the flow of traffic by cancelling as soon as practical. So, as soon as I had the field in sight and was confident of a safe landing, I dialed up ATC to cancel. On short final. Then had to wait a couple seconds for an opening. Then was stepped on and had to re-transmit. On shorter final. Then I was amused when he gave me the standard "cancellation received, maintain your current beacon until on the ground" (standard for the airports in the DC SFRA) - as I was practically rolling on the runway.

The lesson: Don't bother trying to accommodate everybody while dealing with landing on short final. If it's not crucial to the safe outcome of your flight, let it ride the extra few seconds it will take to complete your flight. My flight ended safely and I didn't feel stressed about it, but I did find myself asking why I felt compelled to cancel that close to the field. Next time, I'll wait until I'm down (or have more than 50 seconds to touchdown).

Weather: 00000KT 4SM RA BKN006 BKN010 OVC014 20/19 A3015

100523 GPS 5 KFDK

This is the second of my approaches today. The weather over Frederick, MD (KFDK) was better than either Martinsburg or Leesburg and the only real entertainment I had on this approach was listening to the "Err Froahn" (Air France) flight being worked by ATC.

Oh, and there was a bit of fun not captured here where I was climbing out of the Martinsburg approach asking for the GPS 5 into Frederick (which should have been essentially a straight shot from one approach onto the initial approach leg of the other) when ATC cleared me all the way to the other side of Frederick to Westminster VOR (EMI). It was straightened out quickly enough, but it did cause a raised eyebrow in the cockpit.

Weather: 06007KT 10SM SCT010 BKN030 OVC055 22/20 A3018

100523 GPS 8 KMRB

This is my approach in IMC to Martinsburg, WV (KMRB). Besides being the first approach in actual conditions I'd flown in a few months, this approach was also interesting in that it demonstrates the need for all parties to pay attention. The tower controller asked me to "report CEBER". I responded that I would although that waypoint didn't ring a bell. It didn't show on the Garmin 430's display of the approach nor did it show on my copy of the approach plate, so I called her back and asked for her to confirm which point she wanted me to report. "Final approach fix" was her response. Ah. That I could do. See, I was on the GPS 8 approach, but CEBER is the FAF for the GPS 26 approach. The point here is to make sure all parties understand intentions and expectations.

Weather for the approach: 01003KT 10SM FEW004 OVC014 18/18 A3016

100523 Departing KJYO

The weather and schedules (both the plane's and mine) aligned today to allow me to get in some approaches in actual conditions. It had been a few months since I'd been in any serious actual IMC, so I was feeling a bit rusty. Today's flight was planned from Leesburg, VA (KJYO) to Martinsburg, WV (KMRB) then over to Frederick, MD (KFDK) before heading back home. This is the departure from KJYO and the video captures AWOS, clearance delivery, takeoff, and initial contact with ATC.

Weather conditions at takeoff were 04006KT 5SM DZ OVC008 22/19 A3014.

100307 KFRR-KJYO

Just a simple flight from Front Royal, VA (KFRR) to bring home the plane after its annual inspection. The folks over at Front Royal Aero Services, Inc. do a fantastic job.

100221 KJYO-KFRR

Short night VFR flight to drop off the plane for an oil change. The snow is the leftovers from the "Blizzard of 2010" that dumped 30 inches on Leesburg, VA (KJYO) back on February 5-6.

091129 Landing KJYO

Here's my approach and landing at Leesburg, VA (KJYO) after this year's Thanksgiving trek home.

OK, OK, so big deal on yet another landing at my home field and not even IMC to make it interesting, right? Sooo, I figured I'd "look out the window" on the way in to view the sights. Let me know what you think.