A Brotherly Bond

One of my favorite sayings is "nothing done for a child is ever wasted." In terms of aviation and flying, I feel this sentiment to be especially true. It is oh so important that those of us fortunate enough to be able to fly take the time to get kids interested in aviation. Just think, every time you fly, there may be a kid down there looking up, thinking "wow, I want to be a pilot!"

I am one of the lucky ones, I have my pilot's license and an awesome younger-brother to boot! Though we are 13 years apart, we are undeniably best friends. My brother David is now 11 years old. His current "dream job" is being a coder for the ever-popular game known as "Minecraft." Before this, he wanted to be a film-maker, train conductor, and army man. So, my hopes are still high for a path leading to aviation (though I love and support him no matter what!) 

David and I had previously flown together twice, that is until yesterday when we made it three. Again, this December has been a dream for those seeking to build flight time. Yesterday was decent, we just had to wait a bit for some fog to rise and ice to melt. Davy and I decided to head down to Dansville Municipal Airport (KDSV), then circle back to the Geneseo VOR for...wait for it...MORE HOLDS! Everything went according to plan. 

As you can see, the holding pattern required a bit of wind correction. Yet, my main purpose of the flight wasn't necessarily to prep for my upcoming IFR checkride. You see, just a day earlier, on Christmas, I gave my brother the gift of his first pilot's headset. Also, he received a beginner's mechanic tool set. 

I gave this gift with the full intention of getting David into aviation, and beginning the process of our aviation business. My goal, for those who don't know, is to operate my own flight school/rides business/WWII aviation museum. I plan on owning my own hangar home, out of which the outfit will operate. We will operate a Cessna 172, Piper L-4, Yakovlev Yak-3UA ("Yellow 44"), and share a P-51B Mustang "Lucy Gal." 

I want to get my brother involved in this with me, because he knows how much it all means to me. Also, he has a strong interest in flying, WWII, and aviation as a whole. He is the perfect age to get involved in aviation. After all, I was only a year older than him when I began giving tours at the National Warplane Museum.

Without a doubt, the highlight of our flight yesterday was when David flew us back all the way from the Geneseo VOR to the base-leg for Rochester Runway 7 (KROC.) Though we forgot to grab the seat cushion, he was able to successfully keep our Cessna 152 (N714WS) level and straight (with a little visual help from big bro, of course!) 

You see, folks? This is what aviation is all about, sharing. It is only fitting that our flight occured during the Holidays, a time of year that encourages the same theme of generosity. 

As always, Keep 'Em Flying, and "Never, Never, Never Give Up."

Practice Makes Perfect

What a windy day, today! Yet, for December, having a day of 60 Degrees means flying no matter what. Today, my CFI (Shawn) and I took a "Practice/Mock" Instrument Rating Checkride. 

The 1st "task" on the checkride was to execute a DME Arc, which involves maintaining a certain distance from a navigation fix (in this case the Geneseo VOR), while flying an arc for vectoring or approach positioning purposes. I maintained 5 miles from the Geneseo VOR. Here is a video explaining the DME arc more, for those curious...

After I flew the DME arc, my CFI placed me into some "Unusual Attitudes." This means, he intentionally flew the plane into nose-high, nose-low, turning, slowing, etc. situations. My job as Pilot in Command is to make the proper recovery from these unusual attitudes, whether is be nose-down, wings-level, power-back...or raise-nose, add-power, level-wings. Being able to use the instruments to properly re-position the aircraft for stable, sustainable flight is key to safety.

Next up, we "shot" a VOR-A instrument approach into Canandaigua Airport (D38.) This invoved 1st doing a holding pattern over the Geneseo VOR, and then using said VOR to align/navigate myself towards the airport. Here is the VOR-A approach "plate" for D38...

A "non-precision" approach, the VOR-A does not align me with the final approach course of the Canandaigua Airport runway. This approach simply puts me over the airport and allows me to do a "circling" approach, once I have the runway environment in sight.

Once we went "missed" @ D38, my CFI and I had enough of being abused by the winds aloft, so we headed back to base @ KROC. I executed a final instrument approach into KROC, this time a "precision approach," the GPS-based RNAV for Runway 25...

As you can see on the plate, a precision approach aligns me with the runway, and also has more step-down fixes than the VOR-A. Both of my approaches went well, but getting the Cessna 172 (N904RA) to settle down on the runway was a bit of a chore today. The winds fought me all the way down, and she wanted to fly!

Overall, the "mock" checkride went well, but I have to improve on my cockpit flow/speed. I need to be able to do things without thinking twice. I am close to this, but just need a bit more practice. Thus, my CFI and I will fly once or twice more in the RedBird flight sim to practice this. Things are getting exciting, and I am very optimistic!

So Close, I Can Taste It

The practice for my IFR checkride has been continuing. This December's awesome weather continues to provide me with ample opportunities to tear up the skies. This past week, I flew on Friday, and twice on Sunday. 

Friday's flight was interesting. I took the "smaller" Cessna, the 150L, up for a hop. I was going to practice holding patterns and a DME arc, but once I got up there, I decided just to enjoy the flight and sight-see. You see, every now and then, a pilot has to "just have fun." The time I flew counts towards my commercial license, anyhow. Furthermore, the weather was beginning to turn south pretty quick,. so I didn't want to commit to any procedures in case I had to split for KROC fast. It was a fun flight!

Sunday was awesome. I flew with two great pilot friends of mine. First, in the AM, I flew with my buddy Robert J. Serving as my "safety pilot" (allows me to fly with "foggles" on for instrument practice), Rob and I shot down to Penn Yan airport (KPEO.) I did an RNAV-LNAV (GPS based, lateral navigation) instrument approach, which was smooth. I was very happy, I am really feeling confident and consistent here, now. After the Penn Yan stop, we flew over to the Geneseo VOR (GEE) where I practiced my holding patterns once again. The results were good, as you can see. I am very happy.

Sunday afternoon was great fun as well. Naomi W., my friend from the Warplane Museum, split time with me doing some instrument practice. We did more holding patterns, and each did a VOR-A approach (one into Leroy, and one in Batavia.) These are "non-precision" approaches, but good to practice!

Now, I am awaiting a date on my IFR checkride, so stay tuned!

"Hold On..."

Today, just one day removed from my previous flight, I took to the friendly skies once again. I did the exact same thing today, practiced holding patterns. For those curious, I have attached a Youtube video here to clarify exactly what is "going on" here.

Yesterday, as you saw in my "Tracklog," the wind blew me away from the VOR quite a bit, and I found that I needed a LOT of wind correction. Today, the wind was much calmer, but I still needed to fly "into the wind" a bit to compensate. The holding patterns from today look a lot more "ovate" and racetrack-pattern like, which is good!

Christmas Wrapping (Up)

'Tis the season, despite a lack of snow of the ground or bone-chilling temps. I'm not complaining any, as this awesome "El-Nino" climate has given me ample opportunity to continue my flight journey. This past week, I have flown twice already. On both flights, I accomplished some necessary "to-do" items on my flight training list.

First, I fulfilled my cross-country flight time requirement of 50 total flight hours. This was done with a special guest as my passenger, my Mother, Mary Anne!

To earn the remaining 1.4 hours needed for my cross-country time, I elected to take a trip down to Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport (KITH.) I have flown here many times before, and it is a beautiful trip. The coolest part is when you fly over the old Seneca Army Depot, and see the albino deer running around. We saw just that when we flew on Sunday! Canandaigua Lake was looking good, as well...

The trip went by flawlessly, and mum enjoyed her ride. On the way back to Rochester Int'l Airport (KROC), I elected to practice a holding pattern over the Geneseo VOR (GEE.) Okay, so you may be asking, what IS a VOR? Well, here's the definition...

"Very High Frequency Omni Directional Range. A ground-based electronic navigation aid transmitting very high frequency navigation signals, 360 degrees in azimuth, oriented from magnetic north. Used as the basis for navigation in the National Airspace System." - FAA

So, a VOR serves me, the pilot, as a navigational aid. That's all fine and well, but what is a holding pattern, and why are they done over a VOR?

"The primary use of a holding is delaying aircraft that have arrived at their destination but cannot land yet because of traffic congestion, poor weather, or runway unavailability." - Wiki

Since the VOR is a recognized landmark, WITH a navigational feature, it serves as a great point for holding. For pilot's flying in IFR (Instrument Flight Rules), flying a proper holding pattern is essential. 

Here below, you see the track of my flight from KROC>>>KITH>>>KROC, and further detail of my holding pattern "racetrack" over the Geneseo VOR (GEE.)

For reference, the Geneseo VOR is located on the Genesee EXWY. There exist 3 different entries methods for establishing oneself into a holding pattern, the Direct, Parallel, and Teardrop entries. The details are a bit confusing for me to explain on here, but, the above hold was made Direct. Now, as you can see, the oval/"racetrack" is not quite symmetrical. For one, I had to factor in for wind. This threw me off a bit, but I was able to correct. 

Today, I flew the smaller Cessna 150L for the sole purpose of perfecting my "holds" a bit more. My main focus, right now, is wind correction (as mentioned above.) Well, with wind being 10KTS today, Gusting to 24KTS, it was the perfect opportunity. Again, I headed to the GEE for holding practice. I departed KROC @ a heading of 212. This lined me up on the 018 radial FROM the GEE VOR (reciprocal course.) This is how a pilot navigates to/from a VOR, by use of radials (ex. 360, 180, 090, 045, etc.) 

Wow! That's a lot of weird shaped ovals, right? Well, as I mentioned, winds were coming from the West today at a speed between 10-30 knots. Again, the GEE VOR is located in the upper left of the above pic, on the Genesee EXPY. The blue line that lies closest to it was my last pattern flown, today, and it was indeed the closest. You can trace this line backwards to see an almost proper racetrack pattern (tho factoring in wind, this is actually fairly decent.) For 3 patterns before this, I had to gauge my wind correction factor, and I was finally getting a handle on it towards the end. I am happy.

Next Up! (ETA Dec 31st)

- FAA Instrument Knowledge Written Exam

- FAA Instrument Check Ride

Summer Throwback: L-16 Flyin'

Hey friends! Was going through my GoPro videos, last night. I found a few from my 1st season as an L-16 pilot for the National Warplane Museum, this past summer. Hope you enjoy! I can't wait to get back in her this Spring...

For a little background, the L-16A "Grasshopper" was a light-aircraft used for Liaison and artillery spotting during the Korean War. Made by Aeronca, the L-16 started off life as a civilian 7AC "Champ." Our museum's L-16A was converted from a 1946 7AC.

The "Long" Cross Country: Complete

Last Friday, the weather was "good enough" (for late Fall in WNY) to take the final cross-country flight needed as a pre-requisite to me taking the Instrument Rating checkride. So, my CFI and I took advantage, and we embarked upon the epic journey.

First, let's see a summary of the flight's path (via FlightAware.)

To recap, as mentioned in my earlier blog post, the flight had to be (per FAA) at least 250 Nautical Miles, with 3 different instrument approaches at 3 separate airports. Furthermore, the "legs" between each airport along the route had to me at least 50 NM apart. This made my planning somewhat simple, as I knew that Rochester to Griffiss to Elmira and back would give us that separation required.

Leg #1 (KROC>>>KRME)

The 1st leg was fairly smooth the whole way, we had a generous tailwind, so we arrived in a timely manner. I planned to do a VOR approach into KRME, as my 1st of 3 procedures, on the flight. VOR stands for "Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range, and it is used as a navigational aid for pilots. A VOR approach is considered "non-precision," because it does not necessarily align with the landing runway. Here's a GoPro snippet of me flying the approach and going "missed," which simulates if I had not seen the runway by the time I reached the MDA (Minimum Decision Altitude.)

Leg #2 (KRME>>>KELM)

The 2nd leg of the long cross-country journey was were things got "interesting." And, by "interesting," I mean I had my 1st experience with WIND SHEAR. Yup, that's right! What an experience it was, as well. I actually am glad to have "felt" it. The event occurred shortly after going "missed" @ KRME. I had just leveled off at 4,000', and was on course to KELM. Obviously, the tailwind we had been gifted en route to KRME from KROC was now a headwind, and my groundspeed reflected that. I noticed that the headwind was making flight a bit bumpy, when suddenly, we were "twisted" sharply to the left by wind shear. It felt like nothing I had ever felt before while flying, and it was very brief. However, I managed to regain my correct heading and airspeed shortly after. The rest of the flight was relatively uneventful, it just took a while because of the headwind.

Once we arrived in the Elmira area, I began to execute an ILS approach (Instrument Landing System.) ILS is considered a precision approach, because it provides both vertical and lateral guidance to the runway, like a crosshair...

The approach went well, I just need to refine my operation of the nav equipment for the different types of approaches. We decided to land at Elmira and take on some fuel. This was perfect, as I could use the stretch and free FBO (airport gas station) coffee! While at KELM, I saw this unique bird on the ramp, a Fairchild SA-227. 

Operated by Ameriflight, this is one cool airplane!

Leg #3 (KRME>>>KROC)

For the last leg of our flight, the headwind remained intact. However, the flight went well despite the bumps. The best thing a pilot can do in this kind of turbulence is "ride the waves," and attempt to maintain a consistent attitude. Within a matter of time, we arrived at KROC where I began my final instrument approach, a GPS/RNAV procedure. Another precision approach, the GPS really streamlines the instrument landing process. My last approach went very smoothly, and I'm happy for this. My practice and patience with approaches is finally beginning to show, my confidence is growing.

Here's a "tracklog" of my long cross-country flight. Note the drop in airspeed after 10:30am, when we turned into the headwind from KRME>>>KELM. Interesting stuff!

As always, my friends, thanks for reading! If you like what you've seen here, please consider supporting my pilot journey via GoFundMe. Thank you!

IFR Long Cross Country Flight

Hello friends!

Just a quick update. My latest flight training endeavour includes taking the "long cross-country" flight, towards my Instrument Rating. The FAA defines a cross-country as any straight-line flight of 50NM or more. For the long "XC," towards the IFR rating, the FAA requires at least 250NM and 3 different types of instrument approaches. I will expand more on the details of instrument approaches later on, lots of details there!

I have planned to fly TOMORROW, starting from Rochester (KROC), and going to Griffiss (KRME), Elmira (KELM), then back home to KROC. For my 3 separate approaches, I plan to do a VOR approach into KRME, ILS into KELM, and RNAV in KROC. The wind from the aviation weather forecast indicates wind from 220-290 degrees, so the runways align nicely for this.

I will be bringing my GoPro along for the ride, and hope to get some footage to share with you all shortly after! This cross-country will be followed by my FAA Instrument Written Exam, on Saturday. After the completion of these two items, I will be eligible to take my Instrument Rating Checkride!

Be sure to track my flight, in real-time tomorrow (starting @ 9am.) Here is the link! http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N904RA

A Pilot and His Toys (Part 2)

I continue to go through some recently unearthed toys of mine, from my childhood. This post, I want to focus on this Matchbox Learjet toy! Many people who know me also know that I have a "thing" for corporate aircraft (though not *quite* as strong as for warbirds.) One of my aviation goals in life is to fly a Learjet 45, Cessna Citation-Mustang, Mitsubishi MU-2, or Piaggio. 

I distinctly remember the day I got this Learjet. It came from the Marketplace Mall KB Toys, when I was still a toddler. I remember it being ironic, because I only knew Matchbox as the company that made toy cars. So, imagine my surprise when this DHL corporate jet jumped off the shelf to my attention! My parents must have taken notice at my infatuation with it, as I emerged from the now-extinct KB Toys with my "1st" Learjet. As I recall, it was out of the packaging by the time we went to the Disney Store (also defunct), which was right across the concourse.

See, for pilots, a passion to fly a certain plane can start with something as simple as a neat, unique toy...

Ask A Pilot! (Part 1)

One of the most enjoyable parts of my pilot journey, thus far, has been talking with others about the details of flying. I love to talk about all things flying and airplanes, and it's been a real pleasure for me to explain things to people along my pilot adventure.

So, I open it up to you, my friends! What would you like to know about flying, airplanes, or becoming a pilot? Ask away!

Frustration

For those who struggle to meet their goals in life, or find failure after failure, there can be a looming sense of frustration present. However, I argue that this sense of frustration is equally present in those highly successful individuals. Perhaps it's the "nature of the beast" for Type A personalities, but I have found that the more success I encounter, despite my happiness for my accomplishments, I become frustrated at some point after.

I feel that the reason for this frustration is that I am so driven to make my end-goal a reality right now, though in reality, these things take time. For those who are new to my dreams, here's a quick summary. After I earn my Instrument Rating, I plan on buying my own airplane, a WWII "L-Bird." This will allow me to build cross-country and total-flight time towards my Commercial Pilot's License, the next step in my training to become a Professional Pilot. I wanted to buy an L-Bird anyways, even after obtaining my Commercial, so I could sell plane rides, do "war gaming" missions, and eventually flight instruct with it. 

When I looked in my logbook, and saw that by the time I got my Instrument Rating I'd have 175 hours total flight time, I figured I'd do some "number crunching." 175 hours leaves me with 75 hours of total flight time until I'm eligible to obtain a Commercial License (250 total hours.) I calculated it all out, and found that by buying my own L-Bird, and building time, I'd actually save money in the process (compared to just renting the plane from my flight school.) Now, granted, I still will need 10-15 hours of instruction and flight time in a high-powered/complex airplane, but it still comes out to be more affordable with my own plane, plus, I was going to buy it anyways down the road.

So, all of this being said, I have reached a bit of a point of frustration (despite my timely achievements.) I plan to complete my Instrument Rating by December. After that, I plunge head-first into Commercial Pilot training...but there's a catch. Sure, I could start training in the flight school's Cessna and build time that way. However, given the option of owning my plane now, and saving money from renting in the process, I feel that buying my L-Bird first makes the most sense. For this reason, I find frustration. "Why," you ask? The easy answer is "money," but this is not an easy situation. To make a long story short, I am having trouble getting financed for the plane. I have been building my credit responsibly for two years now, yet everywhere I seek a solution, my history of employment income is not enough to satisfy potential lenders. This frustrates me, because I can afford it. I even began early repayment on my far-less-than-average student loans.

I am frustrated because I have done everything in my power, and everything necessary, to get in the best position to buy an airplane, and further my journey towards becoming a professional pilot. Yet, I am put in a "holding pattern" by those who hold the key to my progress in that sector. The only thing holding me back is this loan issue. Beyond that, I am free to fly. I've been able to come up with a solution to every other "road block" encountered so far in my pilot journey. How do you think I can solve this one?

A Pilot and His Toys (Ep. 1)

As I've talked with more and more pilots and "avgeeks" during my time flying, I have realized a common theme among us all. Growing up, we all had some form of airplane model(s) or toy(s) in our possession. For me, die-cast airplanes were the dominate play-things in my toy chest. In fact, the very first toy that I received was a popper-airplane, when I was still in the hospital shortly after my birth.

From here, the collection "snowballed." As I progress through my journey to becoming a professional pilot, I feel the need to reflect on the things of my past, the things that have led me to where I am today. I'll start by showing off this neat little toy...

This plane, believe it or not, was the object of my affection for WEEKS before I acquired it. It all started during one of my many trips to the National Warplane Museum. My parents and I perused the gift shop one day, and this little guy caught my eye. It was SO COOL! First of all, it looks like a WWII fighter plane. Second, you can see through it. Last but not least, you can pull it back, release it, and the machine gun rattles like it's firing! I was hooked.

For weeks, I was patient and behaved. I can't recall exactly what else I did in that time, except pine for this toy, but the day finally came and my parents bought it for me. I was (and still am) the happiest boy on Earth for owning this little charm. 

My Pilot Journey (Part 1)

The amount of progress that I have made, both in life and pilot training, in the last 3 years has really made me feel the need to reflect. They say that "time flies" when you're having fun, and while true, the "fun" is not a constant. Within the past 3 years, there have been a lot of other factors surrounding my flight training that go beyond "just flying." 

I graduated from St. John Fisher College this past May, with my Bachelor's of Science in Marketing and a Certificate in Museum Studies. Immediately after graduating, I pushed on with my flight training. First, I received my "checkout" in our (National Warplane Museum's) Korean War Aeronca L-16A "Grasshopper." At the same time, I began to train for my Instrument Rating. For those who don't know, the Instrument Rating is an "add-on" to a Private Pilot's License, which allows the pilot in command to fly in conditions of reduced visibility and less-than-optimal weather.

The highlight of my flying, during this past Spring/Summer, was my airshow "debut." As many of you know, I have grown up around the National Warplane Museum (Geneseo, NY.) After I received my L-16 checkout, I made it known that I wanted to be in my 1st airshow, and that I would be honored to fly in our "Greatest Show on Turf." Well, long story short, thanks to the generous folks at Geneseo, it happened! I flew with "Big" Austin, that is Austin Wadsworth. It was the single coolest experience I have had, to date.

Picture by, Mike Porcari

Currently, I am one long-cross country flight (250 Nautical Miles, with 3 Instrument Approaches), ,one FAA Written Exam, and one Instrument Checkride away from earning my rating. As I progress in this blogging adventure, I aim to share more with you all, including GoPro videos of my flights, post-flight debriefings/summaries, and all the good stuff that a pilot can share. All that I ask in return is your support in my mission to become a professional/warbird. Whether it be financially, through GoFundMe, or even emotionally, through the kind messages that I love receiving, your help makes me fly.