Lesson 32: Long Solo Cross Country
Wednesday, March 10th, 2004
Take off BFI, fly to Yakima, The Dalles, Chahalis, and back to BFI
Cessna 150, 4 Landing, 5.0 hours
My long solo cross country flight must be 250nm or further. I've selected a route from Seattle to Yakima to The Dalles, west along the Columbia River george, north to Chehalis, then back home to Seattle. The first leg will involve crossing the southern Washington Cascades the others flying over some foot hills. The whole trip involves a large circuit around the volcanoes Mt Rainier, Mt St Hellens, and Mt Adams.
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I depart from Boeing field about 11am and find there is a low bank of clouds to the south, filling the I5 corridor down to Portland. This should clear by afternoon when I am returning. However, it does stretch far enough north and east that I have to divert my outbound route north to climb up over the clouds (all the while maintaining visual reference to the ground north and east of me). I have spectacular views of the cascades and the volcanoes. This leg takes me north west of Mt Rainier, near the Crystal Mountain ski area. Peaks here range up to 7,000 ft so I climb and climb until I'm at 9,000 ft to be well clear.
Just when I am over the largest peaks the engine faulters. This is not simply running rough and low power, it is mostly not running at all. Quickly I think to pull out the carb heat. It start running again. I think all is well, but a couple minutes later it faulters again. Now, I can no longer remember the exact sequence of events. I know that after several minutes I did take the heat off, and that may have been a mistake. For the next several minutes the engine would run rough, I would adjust something, it would run better, then would faulter again. Mainly, I think that it would faulter when I tried to climb and loaded the engine, though I'm not sure of that. Anyway, I was descending slowly and heading toward a larger valley which promised to hold better emergency landing sites.
I had flight following from Seattle Center and several times thought to tell them I was having engine problems. But it never stayed bad long enough that I knew it was time to call someone. And then I was over the valley with good landing sites all the way from here to the airport. By this time I was down to 7,000 ft and the engine was running fine so I continued to Yakima with out telling anyone.
To further unsettle me, approaching Yakima, ATC called and said they could not see my transponder. On the ground at Yakima I asked the tower and they said it was intermittent through my approach. I called Deane and told him about the problems. He thought carburetor ice was unlikely because it was a dry day. He also thought that I would not be able to make it back into Boeing field with out the transponder working. I considered my options: continue the planned route, return over the cascades, or stay in Yakima. I decided to continue my route. I've since reconsidered that decision. Another alternative would be to have the engine checked out in Yakima. I think that may be what I do if in a similar situation. But this time I choose to continue and everything went fine.
I've since come to the conclusion that the engine problems were due to ice. Though the sky was clear, it had been cloudy in the morning, an indication that there is moisture in the air. Applying heat did initially resolve the problem. Removing it later may have allowed it to reform. Also, I don't think I opened the throttle all the way. When the throttle is partially open ice can form on the back side of the throttle valve. One of my adjustments was to move the throttle, which may have broken this ice free. Having done some reading I've concluded the proper response is to put the heat on, applied full throttle to increase engine heat production, and leave it that way longer.
OK, so, flying out of Yakima I was ever attentive to the engine performance. And it performed perfectly normally. I contacted ATC for flight following and had no complaints about my transponder not working. Below me were vast fields and plenty of places to land. To the east spectacular glaciated mountains. I climbed to 8,000ft to cross a ridge then descended into The Dalles.
The Dalles is well provided with runways. There are three, each about 120° from each other, allowing for operation in 6 different directions. One of these is sure to be pretty close to the prevailing wind. I've never had so many options. I choose one runway based on the automated weather and because someone else was taking off from it. Then when I few over the airport I saw the windsock indicated a different runway at which another airplane was waiting to take off so I switched to that. Then on final the windsock was indicating a direct cross wind. Ultimately, it didn't matter - the wind was pretty calm that day.
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Very nice airport. Much, much more laid back than Boeing field. I wish I could have some place like this as my home base. But then, flying out of Boeing I've learned to be comfortable with busy airports and their procedures.
From The Dalles I fly west along the gorge. I and imagined flying low and looking at things. Given the recent engine troubles and uncertainty of what is proper altitude in a canyon like this I climb until I'm well above the rim. Near Hoodsport I pick up Flight Following. At the locks I turn north west toward Chehalis. I divert west to be over better landing sites and am ever alert to engine performance but see no problems at all.
After a quick stop in Chehalis I'm heading back to Boeing field. I choose to not take Flight Following on this short leg and instead listen to the tower frequencies of Olympia and Tacoma as I pass near the airports. There are a lot of planes up here and many are heading toward Seattle. I think that I would take Flight Following again for help spotting traffic.
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I am one of several airplanes converting on Boeing Field at the same time. The guy ahead of me is told to fly the downwind until the tower call's his base (tells him when to turn to land). I am just told to fly the down wind. Before I start my turn the controller comes back and tells me to CROSS the runways mid field, expect right downwind for the right side runway, and to go to the other tower frequency. Unusual, but it makes sense. I read it all back then, because Deane taught me to have the other frequency waiting, am able to quickly change. I hear nothing from the controller as I cross the runways, nothing as I join the right downwind not to very far in front of another cessna. And nothing as the controller instructions the airplanes in front and behind me. As I pass the runway I call and report my position. When I'm well past the point where I would turn base I call again, report, and ask for some direction. The controller asks which way I'm heading. I say "South" because that's where I am currently heading, though I really want to be heading north toward the runway. I hear nothing more. I fly out of the airspace, circle, and call up to report that I'm south of the airport and inbound for landing. I'm given a straight in approach. A moment later I hear Deane call from behind me in the other 150.
I'm on the ground in time to be chastised by the guy who rented the airplane right after me at 5pm, which I'm 40 minutes late for. I forgot when it got dark and figured that 5 pm would pretty much cover me for the whole day.
Lesson 33: Practice
Monday, March 15th, 2004
Take off BFI, fly to Bremmerton, return BFI
Cessna 150, 8 Landing, 1.7 hours
I've completed all my required instruction and solo flights and now just need to build up skills for the check ride. Today I practice emergency landings, turns along a line, landings and take off of various sorts, and turns around a point. I struggle to keep the airplane flying within the given tolerances. I hoped that by this time that would be pretty effortless for me. I'll have to try the older 150, which is a better flyer than 98J.