x-country solo

No. I was talking to SWF tower - a controlled field 9 miles east of MJG -
the uncontrolled field whose downwind I was entering...

I miswrote, tho - he would have called me 9 miles West of his field...

A Lieberman wrote in :

Judah wrote:

As I am coming up on the downwind, I call in - entering the midfield
downwind for 9. A few seconds later he asks me to ident. A few seconds
later he tells me he "Radar Contact, 9 miles east of the airport."

I'm looking at a runway now, figuring I'm about 2 miles out entering
the midfield downwind. After asking him to say again, I realize what's
going on... Orange County (MJG) is about 8 or 9 miles east of SWF. I'm
setting up for Runway 8 at Orange. Fortunately, it's not a controlled
field,

Huh? An UNCONTROLLED field has radar facilities???

I don't have a sectional for this area, but is it possible you were
talking to Center / Approach or Departure rather then MJG Unicom?

Allen

MJG is west of SWF...

Were you at POU?

"Judah" wrote in message
...
"Joe Johnson" wrote in
. com:

The only reason I use the above example is because it actually happened to
me on my first night Cross Country. I was headed to Stewart (SWF), a Class
D, from HPN (White Plains) where I am based. Field in sight, called the
tower, and they instructed me to report entering a left downwind for
Runway
9.

As I am coming up on the downwind, I call in - entering the midfield
downwind for 9. A few seconds later he asks me to ident. A few seconds
later he tells me he "Radar Contact, 9 miles east of the airport."

I'm looking at a runway now, figuring I'm about 2 miles out entering the
midfield downwind. After asking him to say again, I realize what's going
on... Orange County (MJG) is about 8 or 9 miles east of SWF. I'm setting
up
for Runway 8 at Orange. Fortunately, it's not a controlled field, so there
was no issue of busting. Plus this was before 9/11, so it might not have
been a big deal even if it was.


But you want to know what the real kicker is?



My instructor was sitting in the right seat, had flown to both those
fields
many times before, and his blinders were on just like mine were! This
flying stuff gets the best of all of us every now and then!

Judah was talking to SWF.

I don't have a sectional for this area, but is it possible you were
talking to Center / Approach or Departure rather then MJG Unicom?

Allen

A momentary brain cramp... I'm more certain that we were at Orange than I
am that he called us 9 miles East of the field... He probably called us 9
miles West of the field, and I was just having a moment of dyslexic
directional capability. Sometimes I even forget that trick about taking
your left hand and making an L.




Anyway, the point was that student pilots aren't the only ones that make
those kinds of mistakes...


"Joe Johnson" wrote in
. com:

MJG is west of SWF...

Were you at POU?

"Judah" wrote in message
...
"Joe Johnson" wrote in
. com:

The only reason I use the above example is because it actually
happened to me on my first night Cross Country. I was headed to
Stewart (SWF), a Class D, from HPN (White Plains) where I am based.
Field in sight, called the tower, and they instructed me to report
entering a left downwind for Runway 9.

As I am coming up on the downwind, I call in - entering the midfield
downwind for 9. A few seconds later he asks me to ident. A few seconds
later he tells me he "Radar Contact, 9 miles east of the airport."

I'm looking at a runway now, figuring I'm about 2 miles out entering
the midfield downwind. After asking him to say again, I realize what's
going on... Orange County (MJG) is about 8 or 9 miles east of SWF. I'm
setting up for Runway 8 at Orange. Fortunately, it's not a controlled
field, so there was no issue of busting. Plus this was before 9/11, so
it might not have been a big deal even if it was.


But you want to know what the real kicker is?



My instructor was sitting in the right seat, had flown to both those
fields many times before, and his blinders were on just like mine
were! This flying stuff gets the best of all of us every now and then!

Judah wrote:

As I am coming up on the downwind, I call in - entering the midfield
downwind for 9. A few seconds later he asks me to ident. A few seconds
later he tells me he "Radar Contact, 9 miles east of the airport."

I'm looking at a runway now, figuring I'm about 2 miles out entering the
midfield downwind. After asking him to say again, I realize what's going
on... Orange County (MJG) is about 8 or 9 miles east of SWF. I'm setting up
for Runway 8 at Orange. Fortunately, it's not a controlled field,

Huh? An UNCONTROLLED field has radar facilities???

I don't have a sectional for this area, but is it possible you were
talking to Center / Approach or Departure rather then MJG Unicom?

Allen

Roger.

First time I was at SWF, I was impressed by those big transport planes (?
C-130).

"Judah" wrote in message
...
snip
Anyway, the point was that student pilots aren't the only ones that make
those kinds of mistakes...

True, Jay, but when the electricals fail, it's back to the MkI
eyeball, map, magnetic compass, and timepiece (you DO fly with watch
on, right?)

My first solo XC, I was on the second leg, looking out for the airport
- just SE of town, town's on the south side of a lake. Check the ET -
just about there, where the ^&T& is the field? The second hand ticks
over - I SHOULD be there NOW. Look out the side window (in a C-152)
and the runway is directly below. Made a believer out of me - plan
the flight, fly the plan.

Recently went out to do some grass-field work on the day after a snow
- even in the pattern the field was hard to see! (Yes, it had been
plowed.)

Corrie

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:8NGBb.496070$Tr4.1350042@attbi_s03...
Mistake discovered near XYZ pattern (runways obviously didn't match). ABC
tower (still in radio contact) notified. Then XYZ tower contacted,
mistake
acknowledged, and profuse apologies offered.

I believe you have described the scenario that explains why moving-map GPS
has taken over the cockpit.

True, Jay, but when the electricals fail, it's back to the MkI
eyeball, map, magnetic compass, and timepiece (you DO fly with watch
on, right?)

Yep.

However, I also fly with TWO GPS's (both with battery back-ups), TWO VORs,
TWO Com radios, and a VOR/DME. I believe in the "belt and suspenders"
school of flying...

As Mary and I are fond of saying, if we ever get lost in Atlas (our plane),
we *deserve* to be lost! :-)

(BTW: In ten years of flying, I've experienced two complete electrical
failures -- both at night, both "pre-GPS", both in rental planes during my
first two years of flying.)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote
If I were you, my very next action would be to get on Ebay, and buy yourself
a nice, used GPS. They can be had quite cheaply, and it'll allow you to
relax a bit (I *know* you're going to be up-tight about this experience for
a while!) and concentrate on flying the plane.

IMNSHO that's the worst possible advice. Joe, don't do it.

What happened is no big deal - file a NASA form if it makes you feel
better (they're free so no reason not to) but trust me, this isn't the
kind of thing the feds bust people for. Student pilot briefly gets
lost, but sorts out the problem and lands safely - talk about a
non-event. Yes, you inadvertently busted some airspace - no harm, no
foul. Part of the reason you go on solo XC is to get lost! It's a
great learning experience, and it sounds like you've learned a lot.

Virtually everyone I know got lost on a student solo XC flight, myself
included. Some triangulated with the VOR, some buzzed a water tower
to read the name of the town, and I even know one who landed in a
farmer's field to ask directions. With time, you get better. You
learn to pick out landmarks and runways out of the haze. You learn to
keep track of your position. And eventually, you just don't get lost
anymore unless you want to.

The reason for the solo XC requirement is to give you experience.
With the GPS, you wouldn't have had this experience - just the hours.
Learn to do without it - because it won't always be there.

I know a pilot who had to land in a field - she couldn't find the
airport after her GPS batteries died. Don't be her.

Michael

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:8YMBb.502876$Fm2.482609@attbi_s04...
snip
If I were you, my very next action would be to get on Ebay, and buy yourself
a nice, used GPS. They can be had quite cheaply, and it'll allow you to
relax a bit (I *know* you're going to be up-tight about this experience for
a while!) and concentrate on flying the plane.

I wouldn't do that right away. Back in the pre-GPS days, learning
how to pick your destination airport out of the clutter was a
necessary part of training. Like general pilotage, it's a skill you
have to develop and practice. I had a few mix-ups like the OP, but
consider them valuable learning experiences. They helped me to develop
my cross checking skills so that I could verify my position more
positively.

I find that it's a skill that still comes in handy when flying to
airports that are not in the GPS database (I'm too lazy to enter them
manually).

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)