First Trip Inside a MOA

Had my first flight into a MOA on Monday. Departed CHD in 54288. Flew between P08 and Florence avoided restricted airspace R2310. Contacted ABQ CTR to verify that the OUTLOW MOA was COLD.

Landed at E67. I need to plan plenty more of these types of flights. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

E67 inside the OUTLAW MOA

Departed 08 & climbed east before turning back west

Climbing out West back to CHD

Sharing the Ramp

Took this photo on the ramp at KIWA last week. Love sharing the ramp with military aircraft.

N54288 KIWA Ramp

Working On Landings

Flew CHD to DVT yesterday via the Phoenix Class Bravo airspace. Been thinking long and hard about my landing technique during the week. I added in more aft trim as suggested by my Facebook friends. Seemed to work. I also held off the weight on the nose gear as with a soft field landing. I think this will have to be my new technique going forward.

Loved the ATC aspect of yesterdays flight. I'm very lucky being able to fly in and around class bravo airspace.

KDVT arrival video - GoPro DVT Video

Right Seat To KPHX

Had the chance to fly right seat into KPHX today. Flew with a fellow pilot from CHD in a Piper Warrior. It was pretty much the same routine as my PiC flight in December 2012. 

Gotta love flying into Class Bravo airports. It's certainly a highlight for me here in Arizona.

Can't wait to do this again next month!!

View from Cutter Aviation

Holding Short 25L KPHX

KC135's at KPHX

P08 Departure Video

P08 Departure Video - GoPro Departure Video

P08 Arrival Video

P08 Arrival Video - GoPro Arrival Video

Coolidge Pancake Breakfast (P08)

Attended my first pancake breakfast at P08 last weekend. I had to disappoint some of my non pilot friends back home on Facebook because I showed no photos of actual pancakes! Same here i'm afraid! Just planes.

This was my first visit to a non towered fly in. I wasn't quite prepared for the number of aircraft flying in at once. It was quite a buzz. And I certainly wasn't expecting landing on the active whilst someone else was still on the runway. As with all other flights, I loved working the radios.

Approach was fun. Had to keep my speed at 90-100KIAS for long as possible to ensure spacing behind me! Will certainly be heading back in March!

Update

I am having a short break from flying whilst I save my $$$ for some serious flying in February and March. I have flown three times in 2013. The first flight of the year was actually a right seat non PiC flight with a fellow pilot here in Phoenix. We were due to fly to KPHX for lunch at Cutter Aviation, however when we called up CUTTER RAMP OPS overhead FIREBIRD LAKE VRP, they informed us that lunch had been cancelled.

My second flight was flying from KTUS->KCHD->KTUS as a Safety Pilot in the right seat for another Pilot performing his instrument training.

I have also attended a couple of seminars. One was the Chart Challenge by AOPA. The other was a FAA Safety Seminar relating to KIWA airspace here in Phoenix. I recommend you attend your local seminars. The Safety Seminar was a great reminder how not to take flying for granted.

I'm enjoying the short break. Things will pick up again in early February. Stay tuned............................

PA-28 @CHD

Departing CHD

Overhead Firebird Lake

2012

At the start of 2012 I had no idea how exciting the year would be. I came over from Ireland with 45 hours JAA instruction which were spread over 11 years. 

Flight training was really good. I was lucky to find a great school with an excellent CFI.  However, I failed to prep for the new PTS which was released in June. As a result, I failed my checkride on the emergency procedures. A week later, I went back and nailed the flight.

Since then, I have never looked back. I have relished every 0.1hr in the sky to learn and improve my ATC and piloting skills.

Although there are many good memories, there are four highlights for 2012;

1 - Class Bravo Transition Through SFO
Within two weeks of passing my checkride, I found myself in the left seat of a C172SP transitioning the class bravo airspace over SFO. Talk about having to nail those RT's with ATC. GoPro Video

2 - #AOPA12
I really wanted to fly to KPSP, but it wasn't to be cost effective. I elected to drive. Really enjoyed meeting people from Twitter. Very much enjoyed having an article written about me. #AOPA12 Article

3 - KLUF Civil Fly In
Things like this don't happen to a low hour Pilot from England. Spending two days at Luke Air Force Base was simply the best thing I have done in the US so far. It was great being able to spend two days with them. Even better they allowed me to fly in there in a rented C172. GoPro Video

4 - Flying With Others
Since passing my checkride, I have not flown with an empty right seat. I have flown with over a dozen different people in the right seat. This has been very rewarding.

2012 HOUR SUMMARY
54hrs PiC
100.4hrs Total

TOTAL HOUR SUMMARY
145.9hrs - Total (including JAA + FAA)

KPHX Vids

Enjoy the two video's of my arrival and departure into KPHX earlier in the month.

Arrival Video - GoPro Arrival Video

Departure Video - GoPro Departure Video

First Class Bravo Airport

A couple of month ago I heard that a FBO based at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport were going to start holding monthly lunches. The good part - they were to waive the landing fees!!

I made arrangements with my local FBO to rent N54288. A week prior to the flight, I called Cutter to give them my tail number.

On the morning of the flight, I checked the TAF's. I knew there was a low pressure and cold front coming through, but it wasn't due until much later in the day. There was a window, but I was vary that the winds would pick up later.

I flew with another Pilot from the same flight school who had the same CFI. It was to be a great learning experience for both of us!

Inbound KPHX - Flight time 17mins! I called up PHX APP 10nm south. I was given a heading direct to base and cleared to land once approx 4nm out. I landed on 07R. Talk about a greased landing!

Lunch - Had a great $100 hamburger whilst watching the KPHX arrivals and departures. Spent about an hour on the ground enjoying the excellent service provided by Cutter.

Outbound KPHX - This was more complicated. I screwed up the Clearance Delivery RT with ATC. But I recovered. I then encountered poor visibility on the way back and had to deviate to remain in comfortable VFR conditions. I arrived back after 30mins to a windy CHD. I really felt that I put my Pilot skills to the test on this flight.

The monthly flight into Cutter is now on my schedule for 2013! This was probably one of my last flights for what has been a tremendous year in Arizona in terms of flying. Roll on 2013!!

14nm Trip

Base Entry 07R

Landing 07R

A Personal Welcome From Cutter

Cutter Ramp Photo

Departing KPHX

Fat Albert visiting Arizona

Yesterday was exciting enough taxiing behind Paul Bonhomme at CHD. Didn't think it would get any better than that.

Today I visited KIWA to see Fat Albert on the ramp!

Paul Bonhomme

Went flying today. First flight in two week. I was on the GND freq, shortly after receiving the latest wx info. I heard a British accent on the radio requesting taxi clearance to the active runway. I didn't think anything about it until I saw a British flag on the tail. I couldn't believe my luck. I had just taxied behind Red Bull Air Race British Pilot Paul Bonhomme!!!

Paul Bonhomme

getintoflying.co.uk

Please check out one of the latest aviation blogs coming out of the UK. Jonathan is a Navy Search and Rescue Pilot. He has started a blog with the aim to help people get started with flying either as a hobby or a career.

A mutual friend hooked me up with Jonathan after which I was given the chance to write a guest blog . I chose to write about my recent visit to Luke AFB.

http://www.getintoflying.co.uk/guest-blog-an-english-pilot-abroad

Jumper Away.................

I always enjoy flying to Eloy (E60). It's small non towered airport located approx 30nm south east of my home base. It's a very busy airport for parachute jumping. I believe there are two or three different schools offering jumps.

On Saturday I flew down there for another $100 hamburger flight with a good friend from work. As with most flights, I wasn't disappointed with what was taxing around on the ramp.

Arizona SkyDive Twin Otter

Shorts Aircraft (haven't see one of these for years!)

The Mighty DC3 <3 td="td">

Twin Otter Departing 02 E60

On the way back, I dropped by KIWA for a touch and go. ATC always provides a great service there. 1.3hrs added to my total time.

Short Final 30L KIWA

Departing KIWA

Passing Through 50hrs PiC

Last week I passed through 50 hours Pilot in Command (PiC) time. Wow, what an amazing 50 hours. I can't believe how much I have done.

Seems that I have been taking someone new flying for the first time every week. So far, no one has not enjoyed themselves. Last week was no exception. A work colleague wanted to visit the Pima Air and Space Museum down in Tucson. Seemed a perfect time to take him flying for the first time. I rented a C172 on Friday morning and we flew down to KTUS before spending time touring the Museum and the attached military aircraft boneyard (309th AMARG Boneyard).

This was probably my fourth of fifth visit to Tucson International Airport. I always relish flying to this airport. It offers a real mix of traffic. You have anything from GA aircraft through to civil airliners and fast military jets. 

It's an interesting place to visit from a Air Traffic Control perspective. KTUS lies within Class Charlie airspace. With the mix of traffic, one can always expect some pretty fast paced instructions from ATC. My arrival was no exception. I counted at least four radar vectors due to landing military and civil airliner traffic. For a brief moment, I imagined myself immersed in the cloud getting vectors for an IFR approach to minima!

Arrival Video - GoPro YouTube Video

Departure Video - GoPro YouTube Video

Key Takeaways - Need to work on eliminating my flat landings! Shorten some of my replies to ATC, ref: my initial call to Clearance Delivery.

Enjoy these sample photos from my trip. Here's to another amazing 50 hours PiC!

Air Force One - Kennedy era

Boneyard Photo

Phantoms

Never been as close as this to one of these

F-16 and MD-80 at KTUS

50hrs PiC

Today I flew to KTUS and passed through my first aviation milestone as a Private Pilot. I passed through 50 hours Pilot in Command time. More details on follow on what was a great flight.

KSDL Air Fair 2012

Scottsdale Airport held their annual Air Fair at the weekend. Poor turnout from the Public, but I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of GA, civil and military traffic. Next year, I plan to fly into this event.

L-35

NAS Leemore F-18

Oregon F-15

F-16 Cockpit

NAS Leemore F-18

KIWA always delivers

KIWA is only 10nm from my home plate. But I love visiting there on the weekend. The airport always turns up some great military traffic.

Beale AFB T38A

C-17

KLUF Arrival Video

Enjoy this fourteen minute video of me flying into KLUF last week for the 2012 Civil Fly-In.

Click link - GoPro YouTube Video