Pilot Life: Flight Down to Richfield for Breakfast!

This morning, I along with bunch of other pilots and instructors from Platinum Aviation flew down to Richfield, Utah to participate in a fly-in breakfast activity; Platinum Aviation does a Saturday activity once a month where they take the planes somewhere to have some fun and this was the first of the year and my first time to participate in one. This was also my first cross-country flight since getting my license! My aircraft of choice for this morning's fly-in was the good ol' Piper Cherokee Cruiser. I was also asked by a fellow dispatcher if I could let Troy, one of his friends fly with me; as it turns out, he's a "high-time" student pilot with over 100 hours who hasn't flown in 30 years and is considering getting back on the saddle. I welcomed the addition as he could get some informal experience and act as a crew member!

I brought the Cherokee down to Richfield for the fly-in. Not only that, but I think my bad luck with N7625F is behind me too!

After arriving at the airport at the crack of dawn, I immediately went to pre-flight the airplane. I then towed the plane over to the fuel pumps and added the needed fuel for the trip down. We then met for a short briefing, discussing what our discreet frequency for communicating among each other is and where to park upon arrival. Afterwards, we broke to get ready for departure. Because the school's Piper Cherokee is the slowest plane in the fleet, we had to be the first to depart, which we did. After engine start-up (with some difficulty) and run-ups, I taxied us over to Runway 12, and we got airborne. I made a right crosswind departure and we were southbound. We also borrowed stratus receiver and we were able utilize ForeFlight on my iPad to help with navigation. Once I leveled us off at cruising altitude and got some considerable distance between us and Spanish Fork, I switched over to the discreet frequency we would communicate on; eventually, I was talking with everyone flying the Platinum Aviation fleet! I also let Troy in the right seat take the controls for the duration of the flight en route, and I have to say, he did really well in maintaining heading and altitude! For him, it's just like riding a bicycle.

Flying southbound!

Having flown to Richfield several times now, I already knew the route since I was recycling one of my old flight plans and routes from the previous cross-country flights I did to there. Our flight took us via waypoints at Nephi, the Sevier Reservoir, and Salina-Gunnison Airport before reaching Richfield. Once we were ten miles out, I retook the controls and got ready for the descent and landing into Richfield. I tuned into the AWOS frequency and got the latest weather and wind conditions. I descended down to pattern altitude and entered the left downwind for Runway 19. I configured the plane for landing and made a smooth touchdown on the runway. I then cleared us off the runway via the next available taxiway and taxied to the ramp area on the west side of the airfield where breakfast was being served!

A view of the mountains as we neared Richfield.

We parked the plane, shut the engine down, disembarked and met with everyone for a delicious breakfast! After finishing eating and having a good time, I stepped out to take a few pictures.

Everybody enjoying their breakfast!

Some of Platinum Aviation's planes on the ramp at Richfield.

Group photo of the Platinum Aviation entourage!

It was eventually time to hop back into our planes and head home. Some of us had to taxi over to the fuel pumps and top off our tanks, and we were one of them. The fuel pumps for the Richfield Airport were on the east side of the field and we had to taxi across the runway to get there. I taxied us over to the pumps and called first dibs, since our Piper Cherokee was the slowest plane and therefore needed to be the first one out to get a head start. After refueling was complete, Troy and I hopped back in the plane, got the engine started up, and I taxied us away from the fuel pumps to a spot where we could do the run-ups. After run-ups were complete, I taxied us over to Runway 19 a short distance away. We held short for an aircraft landing on the opposite Runway 01. Once the landing traffic was clear, I taxied onto the runway and we took off. I made a left-crosswind off the departure end and then climbed through the downwind leg northbound. After putting some distance between us and the airport, I let Troy take the controls for the duration of the flight.

After departing Richfield.

I then took over monitoring the flight and engine instruments as well as radio communications, including talk with the other aircraft on our designated discreet frequency. We also again, made use of the Stratus and ForeFlight on my iPad to watch for other air traffic. The route heading home was more or less the same; we flew via the Salina-Gunnision Airport, the Sevier Reservoir as our visual waypoint, and finally Nephi, all while keeping in constant communication with other aircraft from the Platinum Aviation fleet.

Eventually, Spanish Fork came back into view. I took over the controls while Troy made use of my iPad to watch for traffic; the airspace around the airport was the busiest I've seen, so I was glad to have someone with me this time to help keep an eye out for traffic and use ForeFlight as a tool to ensure safety of flight. Winds were favoring Runway 12 according to the AWOS, so I crossed over midfield above pattern altitude and swung around to enter the left downwind for the favored runway; we ended up following a Cessna 172 that was part of the entourage.

We followed N736ML into Spanish Fork for landing. 

Once on the downwind, I configured the plane for landing. I descended, made my base turn, and got established on final approach. I touched down on Runway 12, rolled out, and got us clear at the next available taxiway. After going through the after-landing checks, I taxied us back over to the ramp. Once we got to the ramp, I shut the engine down and called it a successful flight and cross country outing. I had to laugh because while we were the first ones to depart Spanish Fork, we were the last ones to arrive back after all this was done!

After a quick post-flight inspection, we handed the Cherokee over to an instructor and his student and Troy and I called it a morning well-spent!