In the dark
I got to the hangar at 4:30 and did my preflight. I had more than 3 hours of fuel on board, so the plan was to take off at dusk, bore a small hole and then go to McKinney for some Stop and gos. After that, go to Sherman for fuel and then back to home. After preflight, it was only 5:00 and sunset was 5:40. Having some time to kill, I left the plane just inside the hangar door and went to Dave's. Nothing doing there, he was just leaving for a lesson.
Back to the hangar, fire up and head out. There is a "tap tap tap" in the headset. It is vibration specific and not on the radios, so since I am solo and don't need the intercom, I go ahead. By the time I get to the end of the runway, I have got the volume and squelch thoroughly messed up hunting down the cause.
I take off and on climbout, switch to McKinney ASOS to check the altimeter. This is when I discover that messing with the intercom/radios, I have forgotten to preset the altimeter and the DG. Set the altimeter, turn on the transponder and I'll set the DG when I get level.
Heading to the northwest at 2500', I set the DG and look around. All the rain of the last week has left the ground very wet. The low late afternoon sun angle is causing every puddle to the west to glint like a mirror. But I notice something else. The sun is at least one diameter above the horizon. I check my watch and it is only 5:15. That leaves 25 minutes until sunset. I have peaked a little early!
Oh well, I'll piddle towards Sherman and get there just at sundown, then do the TKI landings on the way back. There is some cloudiness north of the Red River, but I can see up 75 under the clouds for miles. I land there and fill the bird completely, talk to the FBO and go potty. Taking off, it is now just about completely dark. I had readjusted the squelch before landing and now the "tap tap tap" is back. It finally dawns on me that the sound can only be caused by something in the back seat vibrating against the mike on the other headset. I calmly reach back and unplug the headset from the jacks on the back of the trim pedestal. Blessed silence!
Long before Melissa, I can see the runway lights at McKinney. I am listening to the tower and as I cross Van Alstyne, 14 miles out, I call in;
"McKinney tower, Musketeer Five Niner Four Lima Bravo, over Van Alstyne, Inbound for stop and gos."
"Four Lima Bravo, make straight in approach to one seven, report four mile final."
I slide a little to the left to line up with the runway from 10 miles out. I immediately notice that even with McKinney reporting winds calm, I am drifting noticeably to the right. There is definitely some easterly wind at 2000'.
I know that Melissa is five miles out and at night, there are no more lights until 380 1/2 mile north of the runway. How do I report 4 miles? The best I can do is wait a short time after crossing 121 (the south edge of Melissa) and then report in.
"McKinney Tower, Four Lima Bravo, South of 121 on final."
"Four Lima Bravo, I said report four mile final."
Well, shut my mouth! I steamed and fumed a bit while continuing to slip to the left to maintain runway alignment. Then I meekly said, "McKinney, I think I am now about four miles out."
She sweetly replied, "Roger, Four Lima Bravo. You are number two behind the Diamond on base. Report Diamond in sight."
"McKinney, Four Lima Bravo has the Diamond turning final."
The Diamond (Katana) was doing touch and goes. He swung way to the right turning final. I guess the easterly wind goes almost to the surface! As he took off again, "Four Lima Bravo cleared to touch and go, make left closed traffic."
"Four Lima Bravo will make stop and go, then left traffic."
I did three mostly good landings then headed back to Aero Country. There is an 800' tower just southeast of the runway. Far enough south to be well clear of the crosswind legs and far enough east that I use it to approach from the north. That line leaves me enough room to turn back north onto the downwind leg. Turning west from McKinney, it is clearly visible directly ahead. I climb back to pattern altitude (800AGL, 1600MSL) and fly straight for it. The runway lights at Aero country must be turned on by clicking the mike 5 times. They only stay on for 10-15 minutes.
I ease slightly right of the tower and when it is off my left wingtip, Call the approach and turn towards the field. I click for the lights while I am setting up for downwind. Then I look for the runway. It ain't there! I see the dark area where it is supposed to be, but no lights. Am I in the wrong place? No, I am passing over the elementary school which is under the turn from crosswind to downwind. Oh, well, I'll fly the approach and click the mike again on base. If I can't see the lights then, I'll abort and consider my options.
On base, I look at the spot I am accustomed to seeing the runway and there it is. I turn final and another gotcha appears. They have resurfaced the runway and there are no markings. It is BLACK asphalt with plenty of grass and weeds around it. In other words, all I can see is the rectangle of runway marker lights seemingly floating in a black sea. My landing light is in the wingtip and lights the area in front of me to the left, but it is good enough to assure me that my height is good as I come over the fence. I make the flare a little fast and feel my way down. Nice landing when there is nothing out front but black!
Annual time again.
The Mouse's annual was done in November 2001. This means I either get it done in November 2002 or stop flying after November 30, 2002. The normal practice is to fly the month out and put in for the inspection on the 1st. But, this year, the first is on Sunday. We may need that day at the end of the Thanksgiving weekend. So we get the annual done during the month, and early enough to guarantee it being done before Thanksgiving.
On the 13th, the weather forecast for the next weekend looks bad, so I go bore a hole that afternoon practicing steep turns and slow flight. Then I turn over the logs to Dave and tell him to start. And by the way, the right brake still don't work.
Guess what? The weather did not go to hell. It was beautiful that weekend. That's the way it goes. Dave promised that the bird would be ready by next weekend. But the weather was bad and getting worse. We went to Pottsboro to visit my daughter instead. I had an Angel flight scheduled for Tuesday, but weather cancelled that. Instrument rating wouldn't have helped, there was ICE forecast!
We drove to Canton for Thanksgiving with Marie in absolutely fabulous weather. The weather was supposed to hold until sometime Sunday, so we started planning.
Another hundred dollar hamburger
We needed to go west for a change. After reading all the comments on Airnav, I chose Graham, TX. The recommendations for Sonny's Barbecue were glowing. Don't need to get up early, if we are only going 100 miles for lunch. We plan to launch around 11:00, so leave the house at 10:15.
Aloft, the air is clear, with only a few high clouds. There is a fairly stiff wind out of the north-northeast. Out over Denton, to Decatur and Bridgeport. This is the same route I took on my first solo XC. After Bridgeport, we are now over new territory. This is the edge of the high plains. From Bridgeport, US380 climbs through small canyons and between mesas. I used to drive that when we camped at Possum Kingdom lake.
This is semi-arid country, covered mostly in cedars and scrub oak. As this is November 30, it is all dry and lifeless looking with an austere beauty. The oaks have shed their leaves and the thickets are a gray ground cover. The cedars have turned a deep reddish brown.
From Bridgeport, US380 bears off to the north to Jacksboro. We fly on, on course to Graham, passing 10 miles or so south of Jacksboro. We pass a few miles south of Bryson and can now see Graham 10 miles ahead. Unicom warns us of tricky winds on the approach to 3 and as we pass over the field, we can see the wind tee veering between 3 and 35. The pattern and approach are good and the landing is only a bit firm. We finally figure out where the office is and taxi over and park. Sandra goes in while I button up and take our FBO picture.
Graham is in oil country. Most of the business is oil field related and there are many fine houses on the road into town. But Sonny's is closed. We drive on into town and around the square. There is some sign of the usual antique shops, etc that occupy the downtown area in most old towns nowadays, but nowhere open to eat. We drive back out of town to 380 and around to the airport again. No place to eat. Back downtown and out the other way. Motel and restaurant row! We stop at a place called Sanderson's. Sandra ordered a Chicken Fried steak and I ordered the brisket. Hers was a real steak, hand breaded and smothered in real gravy. Mine would melt in your mouth and was covered with a sauce that was among the best I have ever eaten.
Stuffed and happy, we head back to the airport. Climbing out, a feeling of euphoria came over me. This is what I needed. This is why I learned to fly. This is why we own an airplane. And it is all worth it.
We steer northeast toward the Bowie VOR. From there, we bend a little more eastward to Gainesville. Now, the plane is also full and we head home. Other than having a Cessna try to drop on top of us on the downwind, no problem. If he wants to land first, be my guest. I do a 360 and all is well.
Lights and no light
More bad weather comes in and it isn't suitable for flying again for a week then I come down with the mother of all sinus infections. Before the antibiotics can arrest it, it is joined with a bronchial infection which slowly degenerates into a simple chest cold with a runny nose.
After 8 days of that, and 2 weeks out of the cockpit, we have to take advantage of good weather on Dec 14. We planned to fly the east side of Dallas to Redbird for dinner in the airport cafe. Then come back across Dallas (through the Class B) and piddle around over Frisco and Plano looking at the Christmas lights. I called the cafe to insure that they were open. They would be open until at least 9. I asked what the special of the day was and was told that there is no special on weekends. No problem.
We arrive at the airport about 4:30 and go to Dave's first. I pick up the manuals, logs and bill for the annual and brake work. Then back to the hangar. A leisurely preflight and we takeoff, angling out to the southeast. We fly down the east side of Dallas at 2500' with the sun just beginning to touch the horizon. As we get south of tall buildings that look gray in the dusk, they light up from the low sun. Over the intersection of LBJ (I635) and I20, I get the Redbird ATIS and call in. As I turn west towards the airport, the last of the sun leaves the ground. We are still in the sunlight, but all the ground is now in shadow. Cars on I20 now have their headlights on.
Tower calls my base and we turn in with the buildings of downtown Dallas just off the right side. I turn final number 2 behind a Piper doing a touch and go. The landing is good enough that I see Sandra's thumbs up in the corner of my eye as I raise the flaps on rollout. We taxi up to the terminal and shut down. I go potty and we walk into the cafe. They stop serving food at 4:00! It is just the bar until 9:00.
We get clearance back across Dallas and take off. Over the top of Love and Addison and out over the Frisco Mall. I spy an area of intense residential lights at eleven o'clock and make a hard left trying to put them on the right side. I roll out westbound and have them now just coming up on our right. The neighborhood is about 1 1/2 miles square and virtually every house is lit up. The effect from above is marvelous! I circle around it and back to the east over West Plano almost to Central Expressway. Then another 180 to the right. Almost back to Frisco Mall, I turn back east and announce to Aero Country.
I am hearing some traffic for Northwest Regional which uses the same frequency as Aero Country. I click the mike 5 times to turn on the runway lights as I cross the centerline.
"Aircraft trying to turn on the lights, you are clicking too fast."
"Four Lima Bravo is at Aero Country, and the lights just came on."
"Oh, sorry. They must be better than ours"
Landing at a small dark (Nothing but low intensity runway lights) airport with no landing light is a little tricky. I only misjudge the height by about a foot. The landing is firm, but wouldn't register on the Richter Scale.
