x-country solo

Cub Driver wrote in message . ..

Then there comes the day when airports are the most obvious part of
the landscape. They just leap out at you, especially asphalt runways.

I just wish that time would come for traffic too. I still have times
when ATC calls out traffic that I never see. Makes you wonder about
the ones they don't call.

It's hard,
especially for a student, to shed blinders once a course of action is
determined.

Three of us sailed into New London (or perhaps it was New Haven) one
dark night in the days when cans were painted black, and we had a weak
flashlight. With one guy on the bow, we'd inch up to a nun or a can
and read it off, and in the cockpit a second guy would determine where
we were and where away we should head, and the third guy made it so.
After much sweating and swearing we got ourselves safe in the
anchorage.

Next morning we woke up to find ourselves in New Haven (or perhaps it
was New London).

After that exercise in making the world fit one's mental pattern, I
have tried to be more skeptical of the evidence.


all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

Many thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. If/when I get my
ticket, I'll be proud to join the group of able practitioners of the flying
art represented on these newsgroups. A few remarks:

To Harry Gordon: I appreciated the humor--I was pretty upset with myself at
the time.

To Cub Driver (Dan Ford): I liked the story about the approach on the 45 to
the vacant lot. Your sailing trip sounded a lot like my flying misadventure
(in fact, ABC=BDR, XYZ=HVN). My mind certainly tried to make the airport fit
my mental picture, the contrary evidence of my senses notwithstanding.

To Robert M. Gary: I've certainly tried to learn from it. It's all I've
thought about for 24hrs. Your point about ETE is well taken.

To Eric Miller: flight following was suggested, not required. I agree it
might have helped. The blinders were on all the way to the pattern at the
wrong airport. When they came off, it was quite a shock, since I'm actually
quite familiar with the city near XYZ. Suddenly I recognized every
lankmark, and couldn't believe what I'd done.

To Steve Robertson: I have a call in to my instructor about filing the NASA
form. It's already filled out. I understand the different senses of forget
and remember when you said, "...forget about it. But remember it."
Remember will be easy; forget will be harder, upset as I still am.

To Anyone: I was using VORs. Trouble was, I was so sure of where I
(thought I) was, I managed to ignore what they were telling me.

To John T: I like your videos. No visual/radar contact reported by my
intended tower should have been a red flag, for sure. Agreed, knowledge of
the runways was what ultimately broke the spell of being so sure I was in
the right place.

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
Cub Driver wrote in message
. ..

Then there comes the day when airports are the most obvious part of
the landscape. They just leap out at you, especially asphalt runways.

I just wish that time would come for traffic too. I still have times
when ATC calls out traffic that I never see. Makes you wonder about
the ones they don't call.

here in the UK the normal practice is to join the airfield overhead, descend
on the dead side and join the pattern via a cross wind leg over the runway
in use. There is nothing worse than hearing 4 or 5 pilots all calling in
about 5 miles out coming from different directions and all reaching the
overhead about the same time. Me, I just do a couple of orbits until I have
heard the last call "overhead, descending deadside" before entering the
fray.

Even worse, use of the radio is optional and we have a number of aircraft
using the airfield with no radio and they can anywhere and when you think
you are number 3 to land you find out by counting ahead that you are number
5. There is a certain adrenaline rush. The Mk1 eyeball become your best
piece of kit, I can assure you of that.

Dave

Politicians never lie, they only tell their truths.

"Dave" wrote in message
...

here in the UK the normal practice is to join the airfield overhead,
descend
on the dead side and join the pattern via a cross wind leg over the runway
in use.

I was just wondering something about that practice: it means basically that
the (little, noisy) airplanes are flying parallel to both sides of the
runway, although admittedly those on the dead side (flying upwind, right?)
are a little higher than those on downwind.

Around here I've noticed a lot of airfields have one-sided patterns,
presumably because there is something more noise-sensitive on the other
side. Bremerton recently converted from left pattern to east pattern,
although I don't know whether the reason was actually to keep the west side
quieter or because of some hazard. With planes descending on the dead side,
you don't have the option of keeping one side quiet all the time, right?

-- David Brooks

I'm not sure I can offer much in the way of advice. I think this kinda
thing happens periodically, and it's not the end of the world. Especially
(having read ahead) between BDR and HVN (and possibly GON, too)...

The one comment I would make is that the fact that they reported no radar
contact, IMHO, is not enough to justify cancelling the approach (or
anywhere near "unfathomable" as you describe). Had they said "Radar
Contact, 9 miles East" when you thought you were entering the pattern, I
might have been more inclined to ask for immediate help...

Mistakes happen. Those are the kinds of things that you learn from. No one
was hurt, and I'd bet you won't have any serious negative repurcussions to
your license...

The only thing I would have done differently, though is that I would have
told the instructor about the screw up. If nothing else, he might have
taken the time to review your planning and helped you learn from the
situation.



"Joe Johnson" wrote in
m:

Scenario: student pilot on x-country solo. About 50hrs.

Planning went fine. One long outbound leg (to satisfy the FARs) and
two shorter inbound legs to fulfill the three landings requirement.

Outbound leg: went great. Course maintained and all visual landmarks
nailed, within a minute of expected time. Landed, got logbook signed,
took off on 1st inbound leg.

First inbound leg was to a class D field close to home (call it ABC);
VOR on field. Dialed in the ABC VOR and looked for visual checkpoints.
Instead, approached another class D field nearby (call it XYZ). Not
to make excuses, but ABC and XYZ actually have some geographic
similarities: distance & direction from towns of about the same size,
as well as similar relation to highways and bodies of water, etc). The
visual checkpoints enroute were also close to each other. However,
student ignored two key pieces of evidence that wrong field was being
approached:

--ABC tower reported no radar contact (why student continued approach
to XYZ is therefore unfathomable).
--VOR indicated progressive deviation from course (also not
surprising).

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. (No mention
either way of violation for busting the XYZ class D airspace.
Student's main concern is actually to learn from this error, violation
or no).

Trip continued to ABC as planned and on to home. Congratulations
offered for completing x-country solo. No mention of error by student
or instructor.

Suggestions solicited & greatly appreciated...

To Anyone: I was using VORs. Trouble was, I was so sure of where I
(thought I) was, I managed to ignore what they were telling me.


You don't have to be a student to "pull that trick" :-(. I go so lost up in
WI a few weeks ago that I am still surprised that I found my ultimate
destination not to mention the airport I started from. And I did exactly
what you did - "I can't be where that VOR says I am. It must be wrong!" We
all learn, even after passing the checkride. Hang in there and learn from
your experience. You'll do fine (I hope I learned from mine - I will find
out in a few days). And thanks for your comment.

Harry
PP-ASEL

To Eric Miller: flight following was suggested, not required. I agree it
might have helped.

I went on my first solo XC last sunday. I was on flight following with
Norcal and Oakland Center. I ran unintentionally after also getting
a lost due to mixing up the 2 nav/comms. into some decreased visibilty
(probably around 3-5 mile visibilty). I asked for
a vector to the nearest airport. They knew where I was (you get
a unique squawk), my
altitude and I was a solo student pilot just by saying "request
vector to nearest airport due to weather." Within seconds
they gave me a vector. Literally maybe 20 seconds total between
the beginning of my radio call and the end of theirs.
Fortunately by the time they finished their read, I was through
the weather and I figured out my error and knew the right
way to STS. I reported "negative. I'm through the weather and just
figured out where I am. Will go direct to STS." From then on,
they spoke to me every 2 minutes babying me. No problem. That
is what I pay my tax dollars for.....basically a sort of insurance.
No need to identify myself, no wasted time trying to have them guess
where I was, no hogging up the radio when they are trying to deal
with United and American Airline heavies, etc. They point
out traffic to me almost all the time. They are literally
a second set of eyes. I'm literally afraid to fly around the
bay area without them. I don't understand why people would fly
around when it is available. Even for short hops, use them.

In your case, you could have said, "solo student pilot, unfamiliar,
am I X miles in this direction of the airport?" They would give you
vectors, would probably contact that tower and notify them of the problem.

Use them. They are your friend. Don't be afraid to talk to them
on the radio. You aren't the first student either. Only way to
learn is doing it. At first I was lost. Now I fly through
Class B (I got signed off on that), Norcal, Oakland Center, whatever
and I rarely have a problem with radio communications.

Gerald

I can't be where that VOR says I am. It must be wrong!"

and the compass (must be wrong 'cause I'm descending),
and the heading indicator (must've precessed)...

The mind is very powerful when it thinks it's right, against all the
evidence. The painted numbers on the runways were hard to explain
away...that finally broke the spell!

Thanks Gerald. All points well taken. I'm training at a busy Class D field
on the fringe of Class B, so I'm very comfortable with busy controlled
airspace and radio communication. That wasn't the issue. I guess I thought
this flight was so easy, I didn't need the flight following. The terrain
was all familiar and conditions were as CAVU as CAVU gets (I could see stuff
I know was 40 miles away). In fact, in retrospect, I got fixated on the
wrong city and wrong airport from perhaps 20 miles away and ignored the
evidence that I was off course.