A little bragging. :)
07-08-2010, 11:34 AM
#1
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Aug 2009
Position: C-172 PPL
Posts: 176
A little bragging. :)
I did my 3-legged, long solo yesterday (14 CFR 61.109(a)(5)(ii)).
Flew KBFI, KEAT, KBVS, back to KBFI, going the long way, up Lake Chelan and past Stehekin. This is some incredibly rugged and remote territory. Gorgeous mountains, but also scary, as there seem to be NO landing spots in case of an emergency.
I tracked the flight using a Spot Messenger, and the trip is visible here.
The weather was perfect, and the whole trip was awesome.
I was a bit nervous before the flight, both about pilotage-navigation (no GPS, minimal VORs), and about the high altitude, mountain flying. But everything worked out great, and I got a bit of a buzz after completing it.
One step closer to PPL.
Flew KBFI, KEAT, KBVS, back to KBFI, going the long way, up Lake Chelan and past Stehekin. This is some incredibly rugged and remote territory. Gorgeous mountains, but also scary, as there seem to be NO landing spots in case of an emergency.
I tracked the flight using a Spot Messenger, and the trip is visible here.
The weather was perfect, and the whole trip was awesome.
I was a bit nervous before the flight, both about pilotage-navigation (no GPS, minimal VORs), and about the high altitude, mountain flying. But everything worked out great, and I got a bit of a buzz after completing it.
One step closer to PPL.
07-08-2010, 11:51 AM
#2
Super Moderator
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,945
Awesome. One of the coolest things I have ever done in my flight training. You really feel like for the first time you are taking over the world by plane.
Hopefully you stopped somewhere in the middle and treated yourself to a 100 dollar hamburger.
Hopefully you stopped somewhere in the middle and treated yourself to a 100 dollar hamburger.
07-08-2010, 11:57 AM
#3
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Aug 2009
Position: C-172 PPL
Posts: 176
$100 Hamburgers
Sadly, no....
I was on a tight schedule to get back home for a meeting.
So it was a quick drink via vending machine in Wenatchee, and an immediate taxi-back/take-off in Skagit.
There will be plenty of time for hamburgers later.
I was on a tight schedule to get back home for a meeting.
So it was a quick drink via vending machine in Wenatchee, and an immediate taxi-back/take-off in Skagit.
There will be plenty of time for hamburgers later.
07-09-2010, 04:35 AM
#9
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2009
Position: 127.0.0.1
Posts: 2,115
Congrats!!!!!! That's a big one.
I have fond memories of mine. Ded Rekoning from Columbia, SC to the coast. Learned 2 things on this leg. Cities put their names on the water tower (thank you Walterboro), and I need to sync the whiskey compass with the DG every 15 minutes.
Second leg was "keep the ocean on the right, land on the left", as I flew up the SC coast on July 4th. Lesson 2 learned. Take money and credit cards with you as I got stuck overnight due to pop up thunderstorms. I was taken care of by a sympathetic hotel operator. Very lucky to get a room and transportation to/from the hotel.
Third leg. Myrtle Beach back to Columbia. Departed just before more thunderboomers came thru. It's a radio transmission I'll never forget. Lightening visible (but safely out of the way) off in the distance, clear skies homeward. "Cessna XXXX squawk VFR, frequency change approved, <pause> GOOD LUCK.
Learn something on every flight and never get complacent!!! Again - congrats!
I have fond memories of mine. Ded Rekoning from Columbia, SC to the coast. Learned 2 things on this leg. Cities put their names on the water tower (thank you Walterboro), and I need to sync the whiskey compass with the DG every 15 minutes.
Second leg was "keep the ocean on the right, land on the left", as I flew up the SC coast on July 4th. Lesson 2 learned. Take money and credit cards with you as I got stuck overnight due to pop up thunderstorms. I was taken care of by a sympathetic hotel operator. Very lucky to get a room and transportation to/from the hotel.
Third leg. Myrtle Beach back to Columbia. Departed just before more thunderboomers came thru. It's a radio transmission I'll never forget. Lightening visible (but safely out of the way) off in the distance, clear skies homeward. "Cessna XXXX squawk VFR, frequency change approved, <pause> GOOD LUCK.
Learn something on every flight and never get complacent!!! Again - congrats!
07-09-2010, 06:46 AM
#10
Line Holder
Joined APC: Feb 2010
Position: CFI/CFII/MEI
Posts: 92
Congratulations! Hope you got some pictures! My long XC was from 20N - KGFL - 1B1 - 20N. Got to see the entire hudson valley from the catskills to the adirondacks right through Albany's Class C.
One thing about the trip that got my nerves was a 3000 foot overcast creeping in just north of me so once i landed at GFL i was outta there just as quick. Picked up flight following from albany till i got south enough from the airspace and landed at 1B1.
After that was smooth sailing. Enjoy the rest of your training and good luck!
One thing about the trip that got my nerves was a 3000 foot overcast creeping in just north of me so once i landed at GFL i was outta there just as quick. Picked up flight following from albany till i got south enough from the airspace and landed at 1B1.
After that was smooth sailing. Enjoy the rest of your training and good luck!
