Pilot Life: Rescue Flight Up to Aurora!

After getting back to Salem following my quick cross-country flight with my friend Carolina, I got a call from one of the board members of the flight club asking if I would be able to fly up to Aurora and pick up an instructor and his student, who experienced mechanical issues in the Cessna 172N Skyhawk my uncle sold to the club. After getting over the initial surprise at the request, I accepted. This was turning out to be a not-so-good day for the club fleet; one of the M-model Skyhawks had an emergency landing due to intermittent engine failure and is now grounded as of earlier in the day, the other M-model 172 is apparently gone for the weekend, my uncle's former 172 now having mechanical issues, and the club's high-performance Cessna 182M Skylane is gone for an extended period of maintenance, leaving just the club's sole Piper PA-28 Cherokee. Not only that, but it turns out that I was the only pilot available who was checked out in the Cherokee when I got asked to do this favor!

After asking one of the club members to give my passenger, Carolina, who I just took flying a ride home (exercising the privilege of being members of a tight-knit aviation community group!), I did a quick pre-flight and walk-around and pulled the Cherokee that I just got done flying BACK out of its hangar and hopped in!

N5174E had some issues while up in Aurora.

So I got called in to take N1636H to rescue some stranded pilots!
(Also because I happened to be the only one checked out in the club's Cherokee who was available at the spur of the moment!)

After getting the engine started and got the latest ATIS information, I got my taxi clearance from Salem Ground and taxied out to the Runway 34 run-up pad, where I did my engine run-ups and checks. After getting cleared for takeoff, I got the trusty Cherokee airborne and flew north. Aurora isn't that far away, so I immediately tuned into their ATIS to get the weather before calling up tower there; they sequenced me in behind an aircraft shooting an Instrument approach for Runway 35. I will admit, I do get nervous flying into Aurora on occasion just because of how busy they are on a day like today. I just kept a watchful eye out and made an uneventful landing on Runway 35. I requested taxi over to Willamette Aviation on the north end of the airport where the stranded club members were, which was granted.

After pulling into Willamette Aviation, two pilots came up to the plane; without even shutting the engine down, I unlocked to door to let them in. I got acquainted with club instructor Scott and his student Barak, who informed me that the 172N was having magneto issues. Glad to have me come pick them up, I proceeded to take these two guys back to Salem. I called up Aurora Ground and requested taxi for a south VFR departure. After getting taxi clearance, I taxied the Cherokee over to the run-up area. After getting the run-up done, I requested takeoff clearance; I had to wait for some traffic up the pattern, but I eventually got us airborne. Tower also requested that we extend our upwind due to an incoming corporate jet coming in from the north.

After being instructed to turn left downwind from the runway, I set course for Salem. Flight instructor Scott, asked if we could play with the Cherokee's autopilot that's now coupled with the new Garmin GNX 375; we ended up flying back into Salem on autopilot! I picked up Salem's current ATIS information and then called up tower, who instructed us to make a right downwind for Runway 34. After making an uneventful landing, I taxied the plane over to the fuel pumps, where we topped off the tanks. After that, we taxied back to the hangar, where Scott and Barak helped me push the Cherokee back into the hangar for the final time today.

They thanked me for flying up last-minute to pick them up and we went our separate ways after that. In spite the brief chaos when I got asked to do this and the overall not-so-good day (I never said this was bad day!) with the club fleet, I'm glad I was able to lend a helping hand because that's what we members of the tight-knit aviation community do for each other, we help each other out when $#!% hits the fan. On top of that, the club board agreed to not charge me for this flight as well, so I got a free hour of flying in today!

Pilot Life: Taking My Friend, Carolina Flying!

With the nice weather, it was a good day to go flying. I'm on the verge of lining up a flight instructor from the flight club to help me finish my commercial flight training, which should start really soon. But in the meantime, I took today as an opportunity to take Carolina, one of my church friends flying on a round-robin cross-country flight down to Hobby Field in Creswell, Oregon. It's been a while since I did a cross-country and I've never been to Creswell's airport before, so this was a good opportunity to add another airport to my logbook (with all the Instrument flying I've been doing up until a month ago, I really haven't gone anywhere!)! I met up with Carolina and took her to the hangar where the club's Cherokee was stored, where I did the pre-flight and walk-around.

My first cross-country flight in N1636H!

After pulling the plane out of the hangar, we hopped in and I taxied us over to the self-serve fuel pumps by the FBO (because the tanks were low!) where I topped off the tanks. Once I restarted the engine after getting fuel, I got our taxi clearance from Salem Ground (after getting the current ATIS information, of course!) and did the run-ups just short of Runway 34 at Salem. I got our takeoff clearance and we were airborne and proceeded to depart south on the downwind; little did I know it at the time, but today would be a not-so-great day for the Valley Flyers fleet. One of the club's Cessna 172M Skyhawks was in the area and the pilot declared an emergency coming back inbound. I listened over the tower frequency on the radio and it turns out he was experience intermittent engine failures, which was a scary thought! Thankfully, the pilot was able to land uneventfully and safely on the runway; I'll gladly buy him a drink of his choice for a job well-done!

N12382 declaring an emergency was just the start of today's "curse!"

After observing that little scare, it was back to business as I flew us down south towards Albany, Eugene, and eventually Creswell, all the while pointing out points of interest to Carolina, who was taking in the view. Also, since the last time I flew the club's Cherokee, it has received some upgrades, including a new Garmin GNX 375 GPS and transponder, which complies with the upcoming January 2020 ADS-B mandate; it was a touch-screen GPS and I immediately fell in love with it! Needless to say, I used this new toy in the Cherokee to help me navigate towards Creswell. Once we were past Albany, I called up Cascade Approach and requested VFR Flight Following, which was promptly granted. Aside from a few traffic advisories as we approached the Eugene-area, it was a routine flight; I was just glad I could get this rather quick cross-country flight logged!

Selfie time!
(Photo credit: Carolina Pachas, my lovely passenger!)

I got the Creswell weather from the local AWOS frequency and Cascade Approach cut me loose so I could go enter the left downwind pattern for Runway 3 there and do a touch-and-go landing. I came into the pattern with about three other aircraft already in the pattern with two more also inbound, so I made sure to sequence myself as appropriate and kept a vigil eye out for other traffic! After getting my touch-and-go following an extended downwind, I departed the area northbound and got back on with Cascade Approach for the return leg to Salem; again, it was an uneventful flight aside from Cascade Approach messing up my tail-number and call-sign when they handed us off to Seattle Center! I was one with Seattle Center for a few minutes before cancelling Flight Following as we were close to Salem at this point.

I contacted Salem Tower and we got cleared for straight-in approach for Runway 34. After an uneventful landing, I taxied us straight back to the hangar, shut down, and pushed the airplane back into its hangar with the tow bar prior to going home, or so I thought!

To be continued...