Flight 53
09-01-96
1975 C-172M
TEB-MGJ-N53-TEB
2.4 dual (X-C)
3 landings
[PAST 50-HR MARK]
"First cross-country flight, dead reckoning & pilotage"
20,000 overcast; wind 030/6
Hurricane Eduard has spared this area, wandering north-northeast, so it's a beautiful day. Not even much wind, at least here on the ground at Teterboro.
I'm happy to learn that our proposed X-C route for today has changed to a slightly shorter one; happy because I've already dipped into this month's rent allotment to pay for this flight.
My next pleasant surprise: no VOR navigation on this trip. C. says "That'd be too easy."
Frankly, I'm relieved, as I'm still more comfortable with pilotage and dead reckoning than I am with radio nav.
My hoped-for savings begin to dwindle as we sit on the ramp listening to about four IFR clearances being issued and read back on the Clearance Delivery frequency (we cannot taxi until we get our VFR clearance).
This has never happened to me before, and it's annoying.
Finally, we're off, on runway 06. First stop is Orange County Airport... a new airport to me, but in a familiar area.
I find it simple to navigate this way, although it can make for a lot of in-flight homework: fly the planned heading, note time of checkpoint passage, check the time against the estimated time to determine groundspeed and ETA at next checkpoint...
fortunately, C. tells me I don't have to do the calculations this time, but we'll go over it later to see if I was doing the first step properly. That's a bit of a relief- dead reckoning is simple, but it can be a chore for a beginner to juggle chart, nav log, controls, and the "whiz wheel"!
The air is surprisingly smooth at 3500 and only a touch of haze films the horizon. Our final checkpoint before MGJ is the town of Monroe, NY... a thrilling sight, not only because it's where it should be according to my plan, but because I recognize it instantly, having lived near there for a few years.
C. seems unsure.
"How do you know that's Monroe?"
"Well, I used to live on that mountain over there, and Monroe-Woodbury High School is right there by the road, and that's the Thruway exit."
I'm not being a smartass again- it's all on the chart.
"Oh."
His lack of enthusiasm surprises me, but later I figure that he'd have rather seen me identify a town that I'd never seen before.
But then again, all the landmarks are on the chart...
I remember to begin our descent, and opt for a long straight-in for Runway 03, as there seems to be no traffic nearby.
The landing is fair- a little too hot, and I bounce a bit.
C. suggests we leave right away, so I taxi back to the approach end. suddenly, a reedy, quavering voice is heard on the CTAF:
"Orange County Traffic... Cessna... on final for Runway Three..."
We both chuckle; this old-timer sounds like a caricature of a whiny old coot. He sounds like he's constipated and possibly having trouble breathing. His approach is a hair too low for my taste, but he touches down just fine, cautiously using full flaps.
We're next. I make a reasonably good takeoff, then turn SW towards Stroudsberg, just across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania.
This leg starts off auspiciously: the wind is behind us, and our perceived groundspeed is impressive. Another exciting feature is that we are now cruising at 4500- higher than I have ever flown in a light aircraft!
I find this to be a very good height for pilotage- high enough to see most features, but low enough to pick out very small details, like the tiny people in that grassy backyard, far below...
But something starts to spoil my reverie. I'm letting the tailwind nudge me off course, and it's difficult to keep on track. The wind must be right on our tail.
I arrive at each checkpoint a little late from the turning, and always a little too much to one side or the other.
It's not a big deal, however- this leg is very picturesque, and the landmarks are distinctive, like the radical s-bend in the river that marks the place where we will cross it. As we fly over the river, C. seems very concerned as to whether or not I see the airport. I can't see it yet, and shouldn't, as far as I can tell...I wonder wht his problem is, then suddenly it becomes obvious. I'm twice as high as usual, and what "should" be ten miles is really more like twenty.
I look over the side to see Stroudsberg float by, far below, and C. slowly shakes his head and orders me to spiral down to the base leg for runway 08. I manage it in one full circle, and make a decent approach out of it.
I am a little apprehensive on final,as this airport seems to be some sort of joke. The runway is very narrow, and seems- well, it's ... wiggly... or is it humped? Both, maybe?
No matter. Got to land there, so let's see.
I bounce twice, and consider a go-around, but we have quite a bit of runway left, so C. offers to help- he takes the controls and has me follow with him. I'm not sure I gain any insight from this, but we get the plane landed without mishap. As we roll out, I'm completely absorbed in trying to keep the plane centered, and I only vaguley hear someone calling final for Runway 26, which just happens to be the same strip of asphalt we are rolling on- in the other direction!
"Unbelieveable", says C. "Look at this guy..."
It slowly dawns on me what is happening, as I begin to brake 23F. The other Cessna is on short final, less than a mile out, headed straight for us. Not only did he dismiss or not hear my radio calls, nor announce his intentions until he was on final... he has somehow committed to final without looking to verufy the runway is clear. The wind is light; he can land any way he chooses, but... this is bad news.
There's no parallel taxiway here; we're planning to back-taxi. And he's still coming.
I key the mic, still rolling.
"Cessna on final for Runway Two-Six at Stroudsberg, you have another plane rolling out on Eight", I casually warn him. "We'll be clear in a moment."
"Uh- I've got you," he replies, but he doesn't S-turn or go around... we're about to turn around to back-taxi on the runway as he comes over the trees, and he sails over us, landing long. I think about my earler idea to go around, and I shudder.
C. is now fuming, and I know I should be too... but I'm feeling humbled that I failed to see him when I should have. As we taxi back, the careless pilot passes us, taxiing on the grass the other way. I've decided now that I have the right to glare at him, but he's looking straight ahead; doesn't glance at us let alone wave in apology.
"I don't like this airport," C. mutters.
He asks if I would mind taking on a passenger here; a friend of A.'s who I later find out is the owner of this aiport.
"Sure", I tell him. "Where is he?" He has a house on the field, and we taxi right up to it and shut down. C. goes inside, and I stretch my legs on the apron and have a quick smoke. I decide it would be nice to live next to a runway.
Soon we have all hands aboard and we're ready to go. There's more inbound traffic, so our passenger suggests I taxi on the grass. This should be fun, I think, never done it before. but I know how:
Full back yoke to keep the nosewheel light with power on the tail; minimal braking... we rumble along on what is really a nice surface, though probably not ideal for taking off or landing in a machine like 23F.
C. is clearly relieved when I get it back onto the pavement. What is it with him?
My takeoff is good, and our return heading takes us near Aeroflex-Andover, a narrow 2000-foot strip with a pretty lake at each end. It's hard to imagine landing a 172 there, looks very short, but I know I will try some day.
This leg goes very well, and soon I'm talking to Caldwell Tower as we cut through their airspace. Then I must quickly request a frequency change to raise Teterboro Tower, as the two Class D zomes are almost adjacent.
TEB clears me for 06, and the landing is made without incident. I notice this time that I've managed to keep 23F right on the centerline.
Next: flight 54- first night flight
Simviation Forums
Flight Simulator and other chat
