perjantai 21. elokuuta 2009



We arrived safely to home Wednesday 19.7.2009 evening. The trip was finally over and i felt so good to be at home with my cats. There is lot of stories to tell, many blog articles are waiting to be published. i just need to finish them and chose pictures attached. We got around 200Gigabytes of picture and video material with our EOS 5D mk II .

Our route was following N756DS route in Great Circle mapper

That makes about 9000 Nautical miles and that is not counting yet my Instrument training in Palo Alto or that many legs were not great circle but airways via fixes. You can find more precise tracks and IFR plans from Flightaware N756DS

torstai 20. elokuuta 2009

N756DS video

I quickly collected some video clips from our collection. I created this first because I really loved the
scenery in the Kulusuk, really beautiful mountains:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6aLdd7ZYmU

maanantai 10. elokuuta 2009

Palo Alto to Oshkosh, over the rockies via northern route


After i passed my instrument check ride on Wednesday, we decided to leave as early as possible in Thursday morning. We knew that the trip is over 1700 nautical miles so we can't get it done in one day. Limiting factors are that it needs three to four refueling breaks, Oshkosh airport is closed 8pm and we don't like to cross rockies in darkness.





We knew that there is overcast clouds around 1000..1500feet every morning in SF-bay until 10amm but sun is raising at 6am. We decided to leave hotel 4.30am, went to Palo Alto ( KPAO ). We packed the plane and filed IFR plan with Aopa flight planner web site. Palo Alto tower was closed at this time. We tried activate our IFR plan from ground but radio connection was so bad that we could not do it. Also activation from air was not an option, ceiling around 1000 ft and we were surrounded by mountains and San Francisco Class B airspace. The controller asked us to call him via phone and we got our plan activated via phone. We took off about 6am and climbed immediately inside of cloud. "Climb 3000 expect 6000 within five minutes, fly runway heading, turn 060 within one nautical mile" . There was now in practice what instructor said, the five minutes is essential because there are mountains inside of these clouds and to get top and over mountains we needed more than 3000ft. I got maybe 5 minutes actual inside of clouds and then we climbed to beautiful morning sunrise over the clouds. It was looking a like mountain tops were islands n sea of clouds. After half of hour flight controller cleared us to climb 13000ft for crossing the rockies. When we were fling over 12500ft, it is mandatory to pilot use supplemental oxygen if flight lasts over half of hour. We had also pulse oximeter, small device that measured oxygen saturation from fingertip and we followed all of the time oxygen levels.





After we crossed first part of the mountains, we landed after three and half hour flight to Elko for refueling. The good point in this northern route is there is not so damn hot on aground. In Elko, local FBO had once again excellent facilities for flight planning and we filed IFR plan to Casper . We crossed great salt lake and salt lake city, then long, long flight over dry plains where was growing about nothing.




When we get more near by Casper, plains started to graduately turning more and more green. I Casper . We did know that we can't get to Oshkosh today and it became soon dark. Once again helpful person in local FBO booked hotel for us in our next stop Sioux Falls. We activated or IR plan and continued to Sioux Falls.



Soon it was completely dark and just few lights around. When it was dark and airport was unfamiliar, we decided to ask ILS approach even it vas complete night VFR weather. Once again friendly local FBO called hotel shuttle for us andwe were in bed around 11pm, long day when we woke up around 3am.




Next morning we woke up 6am, too little sleep but it is still better than nothing. We had still three hours flight to Oshkosh. We took off from Sioux Falls 7am and headed towards to Oshkosh. We flew as VFR, weather was good and it is easiest to get Oshkosh as VFR. We used VFR flight following for beginning of our trip but then before Oshkosh, Notam requires us to switch transponder to standby 20 miles before Oshkosh. Transponders just could not work there when there is hyge amount of aircrafts around. We were flying over scattered cloud layer but when we came more near by we decided to descend under of clouds. Oshkosh air traffic controller is very exceptional, airplanes fly pre defined routes just in listen only mode. Then when we were over the Fisk village, tower just said "Diamond Star over Fisk, rock your wings", "Well done" we did it and then he said that turn left , follow road to base runway 31. There was other airplanes landing from right donwind and we just fitted between then as zipper. Finally we were in Oshkosh !!!!




After landing to runway 31 we was thinking that soon we get plane in parking and in the exhibition area but it was not so simple. In Oshkosh aircraft is guided to right place based what sign you put on your window. GAP is General Aviation Parking, GAC General Aviation Camping, EAC is Experimental camping etc. We were guide from one crossing t other, all around all exhibition area then all around runway 21 to passenger terminal area in most opposite corner of airport. It took one hour to taxi in crass with aircraft with small wheels and wheel pants. I wonder why they guided us so far when there was a lot of free places before it. Do they have some strange algorithm not re-using aircraft parking lots if someone has used it couple of days earlier ? I can't find any sense that at all. When we got our plane in parking, there was small man in small tractor selling tie down rope and hooks so that we get our plane tied down. Guide also said that there is buss transportation to exhibition area. We were thinking that is is fast and we can come to pick up our stuff later. I was so, so wrong. it took three hours from landing until we were inside of exhibition area. One hour for taxing plane and tiedowns. Then one hour waiting buss and buss trip all around Oshkosh city and then final last hour queuing tickets in main gate. Little bit later we learned that in case of our plane would be parked some location before passenger terminal, there would be 5 minutes buss ride about every 10 minutes, and separate small aircraft entrance with much less queue.

When we finally got in, i must say that Airventure was really worth of it and we will be there also next year but the Airventure is subject of other blog entry.

Palo Alto, completing the IR training



I started my IR training in West Valley Flying Club ( www.wvfc.org ) in San Francisco area . The plan was to get fast and cheap instrument rating. Soon I noticed that if you really like to get easy IR as as quickly and fast, the San Francisco bay area is worst possible choice. If you like to get good IR with it you can fly about any busy airspace, it is excellent choice.


First surprises were that American airspace system and regulations differ a lot from European ones and San Francisco bay area airspace structure is really complicated and busy. Helsinki area is about small village compared to SF-bay area. There, Palo Alto, just one of dozens local general aviation airports has as much GA-airplanes that exists in all Finland. It was also surprise that radio fraseology differs a lot from European one and if you are non native English speaker, busy fast IFR radio communications needs some time to adapt.




It is also not the fastest and cheapest to start IR training with Cirrus SR20 with Avidyne glass cockpit. When I started the training, Cirrus was our number one alternative and WVFC did not had Diamond in this time. They charge $199 or $214 for SR20, $164 for C172/G1000 but Steam Gauge Cessna or Piper you may get around $100 . Cirrus is also not considered as ordinary airplane for WVFC, it needs minimum 11 hours type training and special check ride called phase check.



Flying club as like WVFC was not a fastest way to get training, there is also other members booking planes and flight instructors and therefore you can't fly when you want to do so. Some flight schools may designate plane and instructor for you all of the course. This Flying club system is just not most cost efficient if you are not local but coming from distant country and need to pay hotel and car rental for every day you are flying or not. Also Silicon valley is not the cheapest place to stay.




When i started my flight training 2008 I Strongly underestimated my schedule, I scheduled one month period for flight training. It was strongly underestimated, i just could not got booked enough plane and instructor to get training completed. I spent many days just for keeping vacation, that was not bad idea at all in SF bay area. IR Training is also and work, so it is not bad idea to have some free time between sessions. I had plan to return autumn to complete training but this did not happen. In 2008 trip I also learned that many things can go wrong in paperwork. I had plan to get FAA Medical and FAA PPL . When i was already in Palo Alto, FAA told to me that they did't approve my translated medical records because they are not translated by FAA approved translator. Even today, i don't know what is and where to find FAA approved Finnish to English translator. For next trip, I asked doctors to write their statements in English and sign them as originals to avoid this translation problem.



I returned spring 2009 continuing my instrument training, I chose cheaper C172 G1000 plane that the club had more of them than Cirrus SR20's and i got in practice designated flight instructor. I think that also economical depression affected so that instructors and planes were no longer so booked than spring 2008 . Now I also has basically all paperwork done. I had European JAA and FAA medical and i had file application for FAA Restricted PPL .

When I returned after one year since i had my previous instrument training, it needed several hours training just to get level where I was year ago when i left. In Spring 2009 i did written test and got basically training program done but once again bad luck with paper work. I got my FAA Restricted PPL based on European pilot's license but i was unable to get appointment booked to San Jose FSDO and therefore I was unable to have Check ride.



Now in this trip, i finally had everything done. I had training done, I had all medicals in my hand, i had appointment booked to San Jose FSDO and I had check ride booked. The trip from Florida to Palo alto took couple of days longer than estimated and we needed to re-schedule my check ride to Monday 27 July. Now i had couple of days time to refresh my IR skills before check ride. Then Monday i was thinking that everything is ready and we started ground part of checkride but it was interrupted n beginning because there was couple on flight instructor signatures missing from my logbook. The Check ride was then re-scheduled Wednesday 29.

In Wednesday, we finally were able to begin my checkride. I had Tom Hornak as my check ride pilot. At first he went thru my application and logbook, then checked airplane documents, maintenance records etc. Then he did tho oral part, series of good questions like what i would do in complete radio failure situation, some details from approach plates, how to get weather briefing etc. Then started actual check ride, I filed flight plan to Stockton ( KSCK, route SJC V334 SUNOL V195 ECA ). In Stockton we did VOR rwy 21, touch an go, then continued GPA A to Tracy ( KTCY ) and that approach we did as partial panel. From tracy missed approach we did couple of holds and then ILS rwy 25R to Livermore. That was the check ride and I was really happy and relieved when Tom said that I passed. Finally long lasting dream and couple of years long project was completed.




About actual training, my instructors in West Valley, Scott Stauter and Brian Elliot give excellent instruction. Wvfc had excellent facilities, wide variety of planes to chose, starting from old steam gauge Cessnas to modern glass cockpit Diamond Star DA40, TwinStar DA42 Cirrus SR20 and SR22 and several G1000 Cessna 172 . They also have Frasca G1000 simulator that we used as mush as we could for my training. There is several good reasons to use simulator. With simulator you can practice mush more approaches in same time, you can practice more fault conditions than in real plane and it costs 100 dollars less for hour than aircraft.

Then there is question, should you get your instrument training with glass or with steam gauges. As my personal opinion, if you plan to fly modern glass cockpit planes, you should get your training with glass. Flying glass needs so much different skills. Reading the attitude indicator , altitude and airspeed is the easy thing. Much more skills is needed to program flight plan, selecting approaches etc. Your most busy times comes when you approach your target airport, get weather and you are cleared to approach. In this situation you need to program right approach into system, brief it to yourself and be all of the time up to date with radio traffic and on course fly the plane. You can practice most of the things in ground but then real thing is to do it in busy conditions in flying airplane. Partial panel is also completely different with glass and steam. In practice difference between Cirrus with Avidyne/GNS430 or Diamond with G1000 is not as big at all. Garmin logic to program flight plans and approaches is very similar in both of these.

Other question is that should you get your IFR training done in some peaceful little city or in busy San Francisco bay airspace.If you like to get it done cheaply and fast, small city flight school may be good choice. If you like to get your skills to level where about no airspace is too busy to you take SF-Bay but remember
that you may not got it done with minimum hours.

Now, i have crossed north American continent twice and passed many big cities Class-B air spaces but i have not yet found as busy as SF-bay area . Some rumors tell that Los Angeles area is even worse but i have not yet had change to try.




Lessons learned. Best is not cheapest and fastest. If you fly glass, take your IR with glass even it costs more. If you plan to fly in busy airspaces get your IR there but you need more hours. If you need split your training to multiple chunks, it causes some penalty, may be 10 hours to get level you where uou were when you left. If you are flying IR in flying club, verify that you have plane and instructor available or you can't keep your schedule. Be prepared that what ever you try, some factors may ruin your schedule. Prepare your paperwork lot of advance, book appointments to FSDO etc lot of advance. Remember, that if there is something wrong in papers, it may took two months round trip to fix it.

And at last but not least, IFR if fun, i don't regret that i started . I think that getting training in SF-bay and with glass was right choice but it definately was not fastest or cheapest one.

keskiviikko 5. elokuuta 2009

Pueblo to Palo Alto , Over the rockies and thru the burning hell





We started Tuesday 21st waking up early morning and got ourself to airport around 8am morning.It is best time to cross mountains in morning when air is not yet hot and most of cumulonimbuses appear in afternoon. It was once again Karoliina's turn to fly, we decided to go as VFR via pass thru mountains. In IFR minimum enroute altitude
should be highest point enroute rounded upper thousand feet plus 2000 feet. In VFR is enough not touching terrain. We were uncertain how well Diamond would climb in worm air with three full size adults inside and we decided not to take any rists. We still needed to climb to 12500 ft but Diamond did it without any problems.



First leg and mountain crossing went without any problems in excellent weather. Our first stop was in Farmington, New Mexico (KFMN), elevation 5500ft. This airport had nice FBO with air-conditioned restrooms facilities for flight planning we took tanks full of fuel and planned to go Grand Canyon, KGCN .






The route to Gran canyon was really great scenic route, sceneries familiar to most of us from western movies . First we flew over monument Valley and then over grand canyon. When we arrived Gran Canyon, there was thunderstorm just over airport and we decided to go on.



We landed Kingman, KIGM, elevation 3360ft . That place was like burning hell, temperature around 40 degrees of celsius. We got there in place where was no cover from sun, airport staff advised us that restrooms are in passenger terminal and there was no other
way back to apron expect left someone open to gate and we did not find any flight planning facilities. The place was also graveyard of DHL american fleet.


From Kingman we continued to Lancaster, KWJF, hot but not so hot than Kingman and there was even some wind to make it to feel more comfortable. There was also good facilities air conditioned building to do flight planning. We decided to file IFR plan to Palo Alto via route PMD V197 EHF AVE V137 ROM V485 LICKE and it was Kate's turn to fly IFR . When we took off, it was evening twilight and soon it was completely dark night but weather was good. I must say that I don't feel comfortable to fly in night in mountaineus terrain. If engine quits, there is no way to chose good
place for forced landing. In plains, there is good possibility that terrain under is not so bad.



We landed Palo alto 22.56, we had some probems to get taxi and finally got to our motel Standford Motor inn around 1am.I must say that i felt really exhausted, long and hot flight day.

If ypu would like see more pictures, please look our N756DS Picasa callery

St Louis to Pueblo, CO , Beauty and Beast






We kept Sunday just for resting with our friends, in Chrissi's and Randi's place. On Monday morning we checked weather and noticed that there is front with thunder storms moving across our route. We filed IFR plan to Salina (KSLN) via route 1H0 SNYDR V12 OJC V508 TOP V4 ZITIK KSLN but then we saw thunderstorms front of us and decided to land in Topeka (KTOP) to wait front pas us. We waited couple of hours in Topeka FBO weather briefing room and followed from Nexrad thunderstorms moving south east. After thunderstorms passed, we filed IFR plan to Hays (KHYS) via route
V4 SLN V508 KHYS. At beginning of route we needed to fly in rain but still in VMC.



We landed to Hays in perfect VMC conditions and sunny weather but there was big cumulonimbus growing nearby and it looked threatening. We decided togo on as
quickly as possible and now it was Karoliina's turn to fly. We filed route to Pueblo via V244 but
soon we needed to ask defer from our course because there was really beauty monster, huge thundercloud from our right side. I have never seen same time s beauty but also so threatening thundercloud before. It did not cause a actual danger to us because is was easy to see and avoid. I just looked lightnings sriking from cloud to ground. There was other thunderstorm to go around that just passed Pueblo. We were able to land Pueblo without any problems.




In Pueblo, there was local FBO, Flower Aviation, they booked Hotel to us and arranged transport. We spend night in La Quinta inn after long and challenging flight day.