At that time, I had 195 hours and when we got back from Arkansas in October, I signed up. It took through the end of October to get all the paper work in order. Then the plane was in annual during the middle of November. I kept tabs on the mission schedule and looked for ones that I could fly weather permitting. The first one I found was on Dec 5. It was a return flight in the afternoon. It was cancelled the evening of the 4th due to the morning weather forecasting ice. If the patient couldn't get to Dallas, I couldn't take him home. The same trips appeared for the 19th so I signed up for the return leg.
My first flight
On Monday Dec 16th, I went to the airport to fix the landing light. Dave had a new bulb and it took 30 minutes to pull the cover, replace the bulb and put the cover back on. When I got home around 3:00, there was a message from Angel Flight. They needed a pilot to take a lady from Addison to New Braunfels. We would be met there by another pilot who would take her on to Brownsville. Could I do it? I checked the weather and it looked marginal. Sandra had no objection, so I said I would do it.
I called the lady who was staying in a Richardson motel and we planned to meet at Mercury Air at Addison between 9 and 9:30. Then I called the other pilot to confirm handoff time and place. At bedtime, the weather still looked marginal, but possible.
Tuesday morning, the weather looked pretty much as forecast: scattered low clouds in the morning, clearing later. The real problem to me was the 20knot wind from the south. While I was in the shower, Alan called. I returned the call and he said that New Braunfels was completely socked in and forecast to stay that way until early afternoon. Austin was forecast to clear at noon, so we decided to meet there.
I took off from Aero Country at 9:00 for the 10 minute flight to ADS. Clouds at pattern altitude and heavy jet traffic delayed my landing at ADS until 9:20. I went in and ordered 20 gallons of fuel and met the patient. She had come to Dallas for assessment of complications from neck surgery. Other than being on pain meds and wearing a cervical collar, she was ok. We filled out the paper work and launched at 10:00. I had a little trouble being "Angel Flight Four Lima Bravo" instead of "Musketeer Five Niner Four Lima Bravo", but we got clear of Addison and handed off to Dallas center. They were routing me through the clouds, and I requested climb as soon as possible. They quickly gave me 3000' and told me to expect climb to cruise (4500) in 3 minutes. 3000' got us clear of the surface clouds, and there was a high layer at 10,000'. The low clouds were just dense enough that we could not see enough ground at any one time for me to get oriented.
As predicted, we were cleared to 4500'. When center told us to resume own navigation, I asked for a vector to the Waco VOR (the first nav aid). I steered that course and set up the navs. No joy. We flew on. Still no joy. Dallas handed me off to Waco center. In desperation, I tuned nav1 to the Temple VOR (30 miles further out). Waco Center confirmed that the Waco VOR was out of service until 2330 Zulu. Well, thanks! No NOTAM in my briefing, no warning from Dallas center, no nothing. Oh well, Temple was beginning to stir the needle, so all was well. I could relax and enjoy the trip almost. Except that I still had no feeling for our progress.
By this time, we are over open country with better than 50% cloud cover under us. There are some bodies of water visible, but not completely or too far away to match shapes on the sectional. Now, we ain't lost. I have Temple locked in, so all I have to do is keep that needle centered. Slowly, the low clouds west of us thin. We now have virtually clear skies 5 miles west of our course and 30-60% cover under us. We finally identify Lake Whitney and the town of Whitney. We are on course but very slow into the headwind.
All in all, it is beautiful. Thin high clouds over us and the solid blanket of white from just to the right of us all the way to the eastern horizon. Through a larger break in the clouds, we clearly identify Temple, but I already know I have passed over the VOR and am now outbound. I tune nav1 to the Centex VOR (12 miles NE of Austin-Bergstrom) and begin receiving it almost immediately.
The west edge of the cloud cover is ragged, sometimes nearly 10 miles to my right, sometimes under me. As soon as I am handed off to Austin approach, I advise them that we are VFR and will need ground contact to descend. They reply that Austin proper is now mostly clear and the edges are now nearly to AUS (about 7 miles east of downtown). They will keep this in mind for our approach.
"Angel Flight Four Lima Bravo, you are about 2 miles from VORTAC. Descend at your discretion to below cloud cover."
"Roger, Austin. There is an east-west trough just in front of us, will descend through it."
"Roger, come to course 170 and advise when below the clouds."
I pull power and turn west (right) over the opening. It's length is such that I am barely to the tops when the opening ends. However, there is a continuation to our right, so I turn into it. Heading north, this opening is running out when there is another opening to the right. I turn east into it and then south into another when it runs out then west again into another. We come out under the clouds and a turn to 170.
"Austin, Four Lima Bravo is below the clouds at 1700 and on 170."
" Four Lima Bravo, maintain course, we will try to bring you in on a left downwind to 17L."
AUS (Austin-Bergstrom) has 2 parallel runways, 17R-35L and 17L-35R. Currently, the west runway (17R) is closed, so all traffic from Piper Cubs to 757s are landing on 17L. This is a controller's nightmare. They have to plan in 3 dimensions plus time for many aircraft landing at speeds varying from 60 to 160mph. At no time can 2 planes be on the runway at the same time.
Generally, commercial gets preference followed by bizjets and GA is last. This is not an absolute priority, it is just the order of preference. We were an Angel Flight so tower was going to try to work us in ASAP. She brought us upwind (170 degrees) about 2 miles left of center line.
"Four Lima Bravo, come to 250 and report field in sight."
"Four Lima Bravo going to 250, have field in sight."
"Four Lima Bravo, Contact tower on 118.225."
"Austin Tower, Four Lima Bravo"
"Four Lima Bravo, report Lear on 2 mile final in sight. Should be at 12 o'clock."
"Four Lima Bravo has the Lear."
"Four Lima Bravo turn base now, keep your speed up as long as you can, turn final behind him and cleared to land. There is an MD80 on 7 mile final."
"Four Lima Bravo is number 2 behind the Lear."
That means that the MD80 is less than 3 minutes behind the Lear. The Lear must clear the runway before I can touch down and I must clear the runway before the MD80 can touch down.
I'm flogging the Mouse as hard as I can and showing 120 on base! Do the math. I am 1/2 mile from the centerline, 1/2 mile from the numbers. That mile will take 30 seconds if I cross the numbers at my current speed. But I have to slow to 75 to touchdown. Maximum flap extension speed is 100. I turned a wide radius turn to final still at 120 to cut the distance further and brought the power back to fast idle in the turn. I held the nose down during the turn and when I straightened out, brought it level. In the corner of my eye, I saw the airspeed decay into the white arc, and dropped the first notch. I know how much trim I usually have to use from cruise to final and dumped most of it in. Then the second notch of flaps.
Normally, I fly dropping through 80 over the fence and I almost made that. The wind was 160@18G24, which helped me slow down with no power on. I made an almost excellent touch down (only a slight "skip) and the first turnoff. As I was crossing the hold line, the MD80 touched down behind me. Both the tower and the MD80 pilot thanked me for my courtesy. I was just proud I was able to pull it off!
Back into the FBO and order 20 gallons and buy some snacks from the vending machines. I take off for home shortly before two. The sky is clear, completely and the visibility is phenomenal. At 5500', I can see the cloud deck off to the east, but ahead of me is perfectly clear. I can tell that I am really moving along, and over Temple, I call the controller,
"Gray Center, Four Lima Bravo"
"Go ahead, Four Lima Bravo."
"Uh could you give me a reading on my ground speed."
"Uh, we show you at 150knots."
"Boy, betcha didn't know a Musketeer would go this fast."
"Yeah, you got a pretty good tail wind."
"I came south 2 hours ago as an Angel Flight and it was a different story."
"Yeah, we saw you. Looked like you were struggling a little."
"Give us a break, I was paddling as fast as I could.", "(Chuckle)"
Back to Dallas, and since I am using Flight Following, they clear me into class B and route me around the east side of downtown. I fly almost over White Rock Lake and out over Garland, Richardson and Plano. Right into the pattern at Aero Country. And in spite of the 21G29 wind, make a decent landing. Put the bird to bed and go home. Total of 5 hours for the logbook.
The flight I signed up for
The Thursday flight would consist of another pilot picking up the patient in Marshall, TX in the morning and bringing him to Love Field. The patient would then take a taxi to the medical facility, receive his treatment and taxi back to the FBO. I would then take him home to Marshall. His treatment has an open appointment time and normally is 3 hours from the FBO to the FBO. If I know when he gets to Love Field, I will just have time to eat, shower, fly to Sherman for gas and then back to Love Field.
Thursday morning is cloudy as forecast. Wayne (the other pilot) is instrument rated, so this shouldn't be a major factor. I expect him to call from Love between 11 and 12. At 12:30, I called Business Jet Center (The FBO we use at Love) and they tell me that he arrived about 45 minutes ago. I called Angel Flight and they said that the word they had was that the patient was at the medical facility and should be back to Love about 3:30.
I had already eaten lunch, so I finished up my flightplan, showered, got briefed, filed flight plans and hit the road. No problems with preflight and the flight to Sherman. The winds are 280-300@12G20. The runway at Sherman is 16-34, or 34 will be 30-50degrees off the wind. I enter on a left base and make a textbook crosswind landing, upwind wheel first.
"Love Ground, Musketeer Five Niner Four Lima Bravo at Alpha One Going to Business Jet."
"Four Lima Bravo, taxi to biz jet."
"Uh Ground, which way. I've never been there."
"Four Lima Bravo, left on Alpha all the way to the end."
Business Jet sits back from the rest of the hangars on the east side of the field, which is why I couldn't see it. I taxi in and they guide me under the overhanging canopy. That pull through is big enough for Lears and Gulfstreams! And we park my little Mouse there. It is 3:15 when I go in and learn that the taxi has just called for directions. Good, I go potty, eat a cookie from their goody tray and wait. A Lear pulls in behind the Mouse.
I go outside for a smoke break. I come back In and Call the house to leave a message for Sandra that we probably won't depart until after 4 and don't expect me home until after 8. I go back out to the counter and the Lear pilot is asking them to move the Cherokee so he can leave. I tell him that calling it a Cherokee is an insult. He looks again and says "well I need that Piper product moved."
I tell him that is still an insult, that is a Beechcraft. We chuckle about it and compare flying notes while 2 men outside pull the Mouse by hand around the pillar which supports the canopy. He departs and I go out and clean the bugs off my windshield. I go back in and kid around with the girls behind the counter. The patient walks in at 4:15. I go potty again and we load up.
I fire up and get ATIS.
"Love Clearance Delivery, Angel Flight Four Lima Bravo at bizjets with Zulu, ready for clearance."
"Go ahead, Four Lima Bravo."
"Depart Love, direct Quitman VOR, direct Marshall ASL"
"Four Lima Bravo, Stand by."
I run the rest of the startup checklist.
"Angel Flight Four Lima Bravo, ready to copy."
"Four Lima Bravo, go ahead."
"Four Lima Bravo, Turn to (garbled), contact departure on 124.3, squawk 4656."
"Squawk 4656, contact departure on 124.3, I missed initial heading."
" Four Lima Bravo, turn right to 340, climb and maintain 2500."
"Climb 2500, turn RIGHT to 340?"
"Correct. Right to 340"
"Oops, I'm accustomed to using 35 and right from 35 to 340 didn't make sense"
"(Chuckle)"
Switch frequencies.
"Love Ground, Angel Flight Four Lima Bravo, at bizjets, ready to taxi."
"Four Lima Bravo, yield to the Lear entering bizjets, then taxi to 31R."
"Four Lima Bravo sees the Lear."
As we taxi back to the south end of the airport, I finish setting up the panel. Set com2 to 124.3, set nav1 to 114.0 (Quitman VOR), check altimeter setting. At the end of the taxiway, do the runup checks. Change com1 to tower frequency.
"Love Tower, Angel Flight Four Lima Bravo. Ready for departure."
"Four Lima Bravo, hold short. Have a Citation on 2 mile final."
"Four Lima Bravo, holding short."
I move up to the hold short line and we watch the Citation come in.
"Four Lima Bravo, taxi into position and hold."
"Four Lima Bravo, position and hold."
We pull onto the runway and line up. We can see the Citation turning off about Alpha 3.
"Four Lima Bravo, cleared for takeoff."
"Four Lima Bravo is rolling."
We take off and turn right to 340.
"Four Lima Bravo, contact departure, 124.3"
"Four Lima Bravo"
Switch to com2 and wait for opening.
"Dallas Departure, Angel Flight Four Lima Bravo"
"Four Lima Bravo, continue on course, climb and maintain 2500. Expect turn to enroute heading in three."
"Four Lima Bravo"
As predicted, the instructions to turn come and we turn to 090. Just east of Addison, we get instructions to climb to cruise altitude (3500). It is now 4:50. Thirty minutes until sundown. We go out over Lake Ray Hubbard in almost perfectly smooth air. I can see a few clouds just above our altitude to the east, the remains of the clouds in front of the incoming front. The patient is dressed in jeans and a polo shirt. As the sun goes down, it is getting cool in the cockpit. I am wearing a lightweight sweatshirt, so I am comfortable, but he is giving the appearance of being uncomfortable. I reach in the back seat and pull up my windbreaker. He smiles and wraps up in it.
We are over Lake Fork as the sun sinks below the horizon behind us. The pink and purple light on those few clouds is breathtaking. Passing the Quitman VOR, just southwest of Winnsboro, I am beginning to see lights on the ground. I turn 15 degrees right on course to Marshall. As "city" lights begin to come on, I can see Gilmer 20 miles ahead. After Gilmer, it is 35 more miles to Marshall. We pass over US259 and I can now see the lights that I hope are Marshall 25 miles ahead. The airport is east of town, and I start looking for the beacon.
Airport beacons are green-white-green-white at about 20 cycles per minute. They are easy to recognize, but hard to spot if there are lots of other lights around them. I have it identified for sure about 10 miles out and start our descent. Descending over town, I announce and enter the standard left downwind for 33. We taxi up to the terminal at 5:50.
They leave and I saddle up. It is pretty simple. Keep the lights of Longview to my left until I get to the Quitman VOR. By then, at 4500', I can see the lights of Dallas, 60 miles away.
It is getting cold in here. I push and pull all the knobs on the climate panel, but no heat!. I am almost shivering. The OAT is 30 degrees and I only have on a light sweatshirt and my windbreaker. I laid the sectional across my lap to look up the Sulphur Springs VOR for cross checking position and when I went to put it back on the other seat, discovered that it provided some warmth for my legs. It stayed on my lap the rest of the flight.
By the west end of Lake Fork, I can identify the McKinney lights. Over Lake Tawakoni, I can locate the McKinney airport beacon. Approaching Lake Lavon, I can see the radio tower just southeast of Aero country. McKinney is reporting winds less than 8, but I make the worst landing of the day at my home 'drome. Another 4.3 hours.
