6/7/08: Long Solo Cross-Country
(The re-posts continue!)
Well, there it was, the last major milestone on my flying lessons: the long solo cross-country. 150 miles, two stops, and nobody in the right seat.
Right. Another beautiful summer day in NC (ok, hot, humid, hazy, but clear skies and calm winds), LET'S GO!
Departure from RDU was nice, due to incoming traffic Raleigh approach had me delay my climb and hold at 2000' for over 10 miles, while vectoring me right over NCSU and downtown Raleigh:
First stop: Kinston, NC (KISO). It's a nice not-so-little airport in the middle of nowhere. The small town of Kinston had the brilliant idea of attracting some jet traffic as a less-busy alternative to RDU or CLT. Well, the airlines never showed up, but they did get a nice 11500' runway, the longest in the state. Forget doing a touch-and-go, let's do a touch-and-go-and-touch-and-go-and-touch-and-go-and-touch-and-go-and-touch-and-go. Err, wait. That's the kind of thing instructors and traffic controllers will kill you for. Just kidding, Kinston Tower! N1305B inbound full stop, taxi back for departure to the north.
Next on the list: Washington, NC (KOCW), about 20-30 miles north. Nice little town on the Pamlico river. Too bad with the usual summer haze, there's no chance of seeing the ocean from here. Anyway, I fly over the city on my descent into the airport:
Nice simple approach, cross mid-field and line up for a left downwind entry, should be on the ground in a few minutes.
*Washington traffic, N1234A right downwind for runway 5, Washington*
Err, what? *cue frantic search through the airport directory to find out how the hell I missed the fact that Washington has a right-hand traffic pattern*
(Note: airports without a control tower typically use a traffic pattern that's essentially a rectangle of left turns around the runway, so everyone knows where everyone else is. Alternative patterns, such as right turns, are fairly rare, and always published in the official FAA airport directory.)
Oh well. You know, a right pattern would've been absolutely perfect for arriving from the south. Too bad I'm already over the airport, and it's going to mean a long circle back to get in on the other side. Might as well take the scenic route I guess?
Up the river, over downtown, and into the new traffic pattern (the airport is in the background behind the wing strut on the last picture). Pretty little town, huh?
And just as a last pleasant surprise, the VASI (red/white lights that show if you're high or low) is out, and nobody bothered to mention anything about this... between the missing VASI and the right-hand pattern, this is not one of my better landings. At least there are no witnesses!
So, out of Washington and back to RDU. On the way, I fly over Greenville:
Wise man that I am, I pay attention to paperrabbit's "Greenville sucks" warning, and just keep flying.
Safely on the ground at RDU, I dig out that airport directory and ask my instructor: where exactly is the right-hand pattern notice? Answer: there isn't one. So, lessons for today:
1) Arrogant idiots who think they have the right to re-define the rules just because it's not technically against the law suck.
2) It's very easy to forgive arrogant idiots when they make you divert around them if the diversion has pretty scenery.
Well, there it was, the last major milestone on my flying lessons: the long solo cross-country. 150 miles, two stops, and nobody in the right seat.
Right. Another beautiful summer day in NC (ok, hot, humid, hazy, but clear skies and calm winds), LET'S GO!
Departure from RDU was nice, due to incoming traffic Raleigh approach had me delay my climb and hold at 2000' for over 10 miles, while vectoring me right over NCSU and downtown Raleigh:
First stop: Kinston, NC (KISO). It's a nice not-so-little airport in the middle of nowhere. The small town of Kinston had the brilliant idea of attracting some jet traffic as a less-busy alternative to RDU or CLT. Well, the airlines never showed up, but they did get a nice 11500' runway, the longest in the state. Forget doing a touch-and-go, let's do a touch-and-go-and-touch-and-go-and-touch-and-go-and-touch-and-go-and-touch-and-go. Err, wait. That's the kind of thing instructors and traffic controllers will kill you for. Just kidding, Kinston Tower! N1305B inbound full stop, taxi back for departure to the north.
Next on the list: Washington, NC (KOCW), about 20-30 miles north. Nice little town on the Pamlico river. Too bad with the usual summer haze, there's no chance of seeing the ocean from here. Anyway, I fly over the city on my descent into the airport:
Nice simple approach, cross mid-field and line up for a left downwind entry, should be on the ground in a few minutes.
*Washington traffic, N1234A right downwind for runway 5, Washington*
Err, what? *cue frantic search through the airport directory to find out how the hell I missed the fact that Washington has a right-hand traffic pattern*
(Note: airports without a control tower typically use a traffic pattern that's essentially a rectangle of left turns around the runway, so everyone knows where everyone else is. Alternative patterns, such as right turns, are fairly rare, and always published in the official FAA airport directory.)
Oh well. You know, a right pattern would've been absolutely perfect for arriving from the south. Too bad I'm already over the airport, and it's going to mean a long circle back to get in on the other side. Might as well take the scenic route I guess?
Up the river, over downtown, and into the new traffic pattern (the airport is in the background behind the wing strut on the last picture). Pretty little town, huh?
And just as a last pleasant surprise, the VASI (red/white lights that show if you're high or low) is out, and nobody bothered to mention anything about this... between the missing VASI and the right-hand pattern, this is not one of my better landings. At least there are no witnesses!
So, out of Washington and back to RDU. On the way, I fly over Greenville:
Wise man that I am, I pay attention to paperrabbit's "Greenville sucks" warning, and just keep flying.
Safely on the ground at RDU, I dig out that airport directory and ask my instructor: where exactly is the right-hand pattern notice? Answer: there isn't one. So, lessons for today:
1) Arrogant idiots who think they have the right to re-define the rules just because it's not technically against the law suck.
2) It's very easy to forgive arrogant idiots when they make you divert around them if the diversion has pretty scenery.