Gallery Update: My Poor Twin Comanche...

So last month, I was informed by my multi-engine flight instructor out of Aurora that Aurora Flight Training's Piper PA-30B Twin Comanche, the plane I was doing my multi-engine flight training was totaled in a landing accident down in Corvallis after the the renters who were flying made a series of poor decisions (from what I understand); thankfully, there were no fatalities and those on board were able to walk away. Apparently, this occurred at the end of April and I didn't even know about for a month!

This is a major setback for me when it comes to flight training because it means I'm going to have to have to find another twin-engine airplane to complete my multi-engine add-on in somewhere down the road. I decided three weeks ago to terminate my membership with Aurora Flight Training afterwards because there was no point in paying monthly flight club dues for insurance when they no longer had the airplane I want to fly in available (while they're working to get a replacement twin, I just can't justify in waiting on them). It goes with saying, but I have nothing but good things to say about Aurora Flight Training, it's people, and of course my multi-engine instructor. But I am frustrated.

I'm frustrated that I'm going to have to go find another twin-engine airplane to complete my training in somewhere (and likely shell out more money in the process because this Twin Comanche that got wrecked was the best deal out of all the places I looked into for multi-engine flight training!)! I'm frustrated that my single-engine commercial certification and checkride has been dragging for way too long with all the delays, setbacks, and constant rescheduling; I HAD hoped to be done with the single-engine commercial early in the year and I should've had my multi-engine done by now as well (well-before the loss of the Twin Comanche that I flew!). I'm also starting to feel resentful of the fact that I feel left behind. I resent that many of my peers whom I went to school with are already flight instructors and are well-on their way to fulfilling qualifications to become airline pilots. I'm also slightly bothered by the fact that many of my peers and former classmates have had better luck (and track record!) than I have, as they were able to get their certifications done in a shorter period of time and are better-positioned than I am at the moment. I should be in the career field by now at least as a flight instructor, but I'm not...

Not having Aurora Flight Training as a viable option anymore has been a HUGE bummer and once again served to remind me that I've consistently had the worst luck with the one thing in my life that I'm passionate about. Believe me, I'm getting sick and tired of all the setbacks!

Corvallis (CVO) 8

Preview:

Piper PA-30B Twin Comanche (N125RJ) at her final resting place.

Props all bent up, right-main and nose gears collapsed.

My poor Twin Comanche!

Seeing it in this sorry state fills me with a mix of sadness, anger, and frustration.

Nothing more than a pile of scrap.

Anything that is salvageable will likely become spare parts to support other airworthy Twin Comanches, since production of the Comanche and Twin Comanche lines ceased following the great Susquehanna River flood of 1972, wich flooded Piper's Pennsylvania manufacturing plant, destroying airframes, parts, and much of the tooling necessary for production. Rather than rebuild the tooling, Piper chose to abandon production of the Comanche and Twin Comanche lines (which is a shame!) and continue with two newer designs already in production at their Florida facility at the time. 

Pilot Life: Taking My Friends, May & Serafina Flying!

It was another beautiful day to get a local flight in to practice some commercial maneuvers. I also brought along some passengers flying as well! For over a year now, my friend May and I have been trying to find some where our schedules matched so we go out flying; the timing of today matched with the weather couldn't have been more perfect! After I picked up May and her sister Serafina, we drove to the airport and hangar and I proceeded to do my pre-flight and walk-around.

N1636H is becoming my go-to airplane!

After pulling the trusty Piper Cherokee out of the hangar, we hopped in and I gave the usual passenger safety briefing. I got the engine started up and powered on the avionics and picked up the ATIS information Salem was currently broadcasting. I picked up taxi clearance and proceeded towards Runway 34; as per the usual procedure, I got the engine run-ups done. After getting a takeoff clearance I got the plane airborne with two very-excited passengers!

I proceeded to do a downwind departure to the south towards Albany. Weather was forecast to deteriorate starting tomorrow, but I was already starting see fog and low clouds further south; I was planning on keeping things local in order to make effective use of my time to practice commercial maneuvers anyways, so I kept us just northeast of Albany near Jefferson and Stayton, all the while remaining clear of Salem's Class Delta airspace. After doing some clearing turns and scanning for traffic both visually and with ADS-B, I talked with my passengers regarding the commercial maneuvers I needed to practice; I also made frequent position calls on the Albany CTAF frequency.

The first thing I did was chandelles, and as soon as I pitched the airplane up, May and Serafina both screamed with excitement! Something tells me they liked this maneuver! After gaining some altitude from a couple chandelles, the next thing I did was steep spirals, so I pulled the engine power pack to idle with carburetor heat on and began a circling descent over a point. After two laps (I gotta get back to doing three!), I leveled with about 1,300 feet between us and the ground, perfectly set up to do some ground reference maneuvers, particularly Eights on Pylons. After determining two points about equal distance from each other, I executed the maneuver, drawing a figure-eight from a God's-eye-view. After a couple laps, I took us out further northeast towards Stayton and Aumsville, just east of Salem and climbed.

Selfie with May and Serafina! A nice day to take these lovely ladies flying!
(Photo credit: May Pinto-Haynes.)

After clearing the airspace around us, I let May take the flight controls while we were flying over Highway 22 and guided her on doing some gentle banks and turns; she didn't do too bad! After that, I decided to take us back into Salem and call it a flight, I positioned for a straight-in approach for Runway 34, picked up the weather, and called up the tower controller, who cleared us to land.

We made an uneventful landing on 34 and taxied off the runway. I was going to get fuel, but the self-serve pumps weren't working, so I just taxied back to the hangar. After disembarking, I pushed the plane back into it's hangar with the tow bar proceeded to do the usual post-flight clean up before calling it a successful flight.

Another good day of flying with good people to accompany me, done!

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...

Pilot Life: Instrument Rating Aircraft Montage

With my hard-earned Instrument Rating in hand now as of yesterday, I thought I'd take a look back at all the planes that I've flown, logged time in, and practically played a role in my Instrument flight training up until this point. Unlike my private pilot training (which was done in nothing but Diamond DA-20 Katanas!), there's a bit of variety in terms of aircraft types in the airplane single-engine land category and class as far as the segment for my Instrument training goes! And of course, during the course of my Instrument training, I took a couple tangents and had some fun in the process.

Platinum Aviation Diamond DA20-C1 Katana Eclipse (N968CT). My first Instrument training flight as well as my first instrument approaches were done in this aircraft! This Katana was also my go-to airplane for when I went out on my own to practice instrument approaches in VFR conditions! I also got one cross-country flight flying under the hood up to Ogden under my belt with a safety pilot flying this Katana!

Platinum Aviation Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee Cruiser (N7625F). While in the Utah, this plane became my cost-effective, go-to cross-country time-building aircraft!

Platinum Aviation Diamond DA-20-C1 Katana Eclipse (N802CT). The plane I earned my Private Pilot Certificate in! I also used this plane to shoot practice non-precision Instrument approaches on my own a few times. Also notched one cross-country flight under the hood up to Ogden with a safety pilot in this Katana that will always have a special place in my heart!

Platinum Aviation Diamond DA-20-C1 Katana Eclipse (N992CT). I never got to shoot any approaches in this plane as I was unfamiliar with the GPS system on this aircraft; I did however take a few friends and family flying in this plane just to build time. Sadly, this plane was totaled in an accident not too long before I moved out of Utah.

Platinum Aviation Diamond DA-20 Diamond Star (N321PF). A little TAA time just to get myself checked out in a Diamond Star and get my first taste of a glass cockpit!

Piel CP-30 Emeraude (N5TX). I got to log some more tailwheel time with my uncle Sam in this baby!

Mooney M20F Executive 21 (N9716M). I got my first taste of flying a complex airplane as I also concurrently began working towards some commercial requirements with my uncle Sam!

AvCenter-Idaho Falls Cessna 172N Skyhawk II (N2207E). While I didn't use this plane in particular for Instrument training, I used this plane to get checked out in the Cessna 172 in preparation for flying my uncle Alan's Cessna 172.

Cessna 172N Skyhawk II (N5174E). When it was under my uncle's ownership, this is the plane I spent a significant chunk of my Instrument training time and time-building in! And this plane is the reason why I moved back to Oregon! I'm grateful for my uncle Alan, who offered me this plane when I needed it!

Infinite Air Center Piper PA-28R-180 Arrow (N4958J) "Julie." After failing the oral portion of my Instrument checkride the first time, I flew this airplane with my instructor to finish getting the ten total hours of complex time needed towards my commercial requirements, which made for a good tangent to fill the time as I waited for ground school!

Valley Flyers Cessna 172M Skyhawk II (N12382). I also joined the local flight club and as a result, gained access to a small fleet of airplanes! I did my club checkout with an instructor in this plane and got to practice an LPV approach using the GPS that it was equipped with.

Valley Flyers Cessna 172M Skyhawk II (N515ED). After getting checked out with the club, I flew this plane on my own just to get back into a glass cockpit and play with some ideas.

Valley Flyers Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee Cruiser (N1636H). After transitioning back into a Cherokee as part of my Instrument training, I was actually having trouble with flying the airplane type (much to my surprise!). In order to help me get used to operating the type again as part of the transition, I used the flight club's Cherokee on my own time; this plane did help me in the long run.

Infinite Air Center Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee Cruiser (N98241) "Jane," the plane I picked back up Instrument training in and the plane did my checkride in, earning that hard-fought Instrument Rating in!

Pilot Life: Instrument Rated!

As of today, after a little under two years after earning my Private Pilot Certificate and a little over a year of additional training and time-building, I have passed my checkride and received my Instrument Rating! This was a long-time coming considering the setbacks I've experienced, particularly throughout this year. But I'm glad I finally got over this hurdle and I'm ready to embark on the next phase. As for the checkride itself, I did it with a different examiner from the one I started with (mainly due to him being booked solid until October now!). I actually got through and passed the oral portion last week on Monday, but had to discontinue due to weather (mainly thunderstorms) in the general area that prevented us from flying in the first place! Regardless, I was so thrilled and relieved to have actually passed the oral last week after my utter failure back in March! The discontinuance from last week put me at the mercy of my examiner's schedule (who is a corporate pilot), but I found out yesterday that she would return early from a trip she had been assigned, so it was a scramble to get ready for today!

N98241, the Piper Cherokee that eventually saw me through to the end of Instrument flight training!

Due to a low cloud ceiling in Salem, my instructor and I flew up together from Albany. He gave me the option to fly under his instruction or watch him do an approach and kind of relax a little bit prior to the checkride; I took the relaxed approach! But I also acted as his crew member on the quick flight up. My instructor shot the RNAV 13 approach into Salem and we landed there uneventfully. My instructor planned on having another one of his students pick him up in Salem and go do a flight lesson and I briefly met with my examiner to brief the plan of attack. I filed two IFR flight plans for us, but we ended up waiting an extra hour in order to let the weather clear up, which was fine, because I was able to use the time to go over the approaches we planned on doing and get myself into a relaxed state. The weather did improve as forecasted so it was time to finish this checkride and put behind me another challenging chapter of my flying career so far!

After doing a pre-flight walk-around together, we hopped in and got the plane started. I got our IFR clearance to Corvallis and taxied out to Runway 13. After run-ups, we eventually got our IFR release from Seattle Center via Salem Tower and got cleared for takeoff. On departure, I flew us on the Salem Four Departure and got in contact with Seattle Center (I also went under the hood, as instructed by the examiner); from there we got radar services and then handed off to Cascade Approach. I requested the ILS 17 to a missed, which was granted. I briefed the approach plate and shot the approach to the best of my abilities; my examiner (who is a cool person!) was taking notes and giving me quick pointers as needed, otherwise I was in control of the plane. After going missed, plans changed. We wanted to do some holds over the Corvallis VOR and then do the VOR-A approach into Corvallis with a Circle to Land procedure, but it was a nice VFR afternoon and there was a lot of VFR traffic in the area along with bigger and faster IFR traffic in the area, meaning Cascade Approach couldn't approve some of our requests.

My examiner on the other hand, was totally on her A-game and came up with a Plan B for the checkride, and I was surprisingly cool with it; I was actually surprised at myself for how I handled what was turning into (the way my examiner describes it!) the checkride from hell! We did manage to get one holding lap over the Corvallis VOR before Cascade Approach advised us to get away from the airport. We then cancelled the IFR plan (we didn't even activate the second flight plan I had on file for the return to Salem!) we were on and went VFR to do some maneuvers, mainly recovery from unusual attitudes partial panel; needless to say, I had no problems doing them! After that, my examiner tried to get us another approach in, preferably a VOR one. After being unable to get a proper approach clearance request, she decided to wing it and had me do an abbreviated approach by way of the VOR-A approach into Albany with a circle to land procedure; I was NOT expecting to do this approach at at all! Once again, I briefed the approach plate. Because we couldn't start this approach from the Corvallis VOR as normal, my examiner had called out heading vectors to fly to get established and I then utilized DME to judge my distance to properly establish my location relative to the VOR and the airport.

Eventually, my examiner had me take off my foggles and I headed into Albany visually. I had to make a circling approach, which I executed for Runway 34. After getting on a stabilized final approach for the runway, my examiner called for a go-around and we departed out of Albany straight-out; I wondered if the Infinite Air Center guys wondered what we were doing if or when they saw us! I turned us out towards the east and my examiner had me go back under the hood; all we needed to do was an RNAV approach and the checkride can end! My examiner took a moment to tell me I was doing well in spite of all the original plans not happening. I confided to her that it was okay and I was strangely, having the time of my life on this checkride! I think all the extra time I spent brushing up on my knowledge and skills preparing for this day so far was paying off...

My examiner tried several times to contact Seattle Center (since we were now north of Albany) to request the "practice" RNAV 31 approach in Salem. Eventually, the request was granted with a new squawk code for the transponder, and of course a clearance for a "practice" approach into Salem. We say it's a "practice" approach, but it was still totally legit as far as the checkride was concerned! Once again, I briefed the approach. Needless to say, I executed the approach as I have done many times before and landed uneventfully back into Salem and the checkride was over after taxiing back to the Salem Air Center ramp and shutting down. I passed!!!

Following a post-flight debrief in my examiner's office going over what was accomplished, what little improvements I can make, and considerations for the future now that I'm Instrument rated, I received my new temporary airman certificate and my examiner cut me loose. Special thanks to Lisa Dahl for being an incredible examiner despite administering the checkride from hell (by no fault of our own!) when working around ATC went wild!

With certificate in hand, I returned to the airplane, where I did my pre-flight, hopped in, got the engine started, and picked up my taxi clearance for departure with Salem Ground. This was actually my first time flying solo in this Cherokee! Following a quick run-up at the Runway 34 run-up pad (and reporting some foreign object debris I spotted in the run-up area to the ground controller!), I departed Salem via Runway 34. Following a left-downwind departure heading south, I exited the Class Delta airspace towards Albany. I positioned myself for a 45-entry for the left-downwind of Runway 34 at Albany. After extending to allow what looked like a hot air balloon pass the short-approach end of the runway, I made my landing. After taxiing off the runway and to the ramp, I parked the Piper Cherokee the flight school affectionately refer to as "Jane" and shut the engine down, one last time in this airplane...

After hopping out, I was greeted by my flight instructor, Devin, and the operations manager of Infinite Air Center, Tony.

With my instructor, Devin Burroughs after getting back to Albany!
(Photo credit: Tony Hann.)

After receiving words of congratulations and a few pictures for Infinite Air Center's social media, I finished up with my post-flight checks and buttoned down the airplane before heading home following what turned out to be a long day!

Now that I have my Instrument ticket, I want to extend my gratitude to quite a few people who all played a role in helping me get to this point in receiving my hard-earned Instrument rating:

First, I want to thank my current CFI-I, Devin Burroughs for helping me finish up Instrument flight training and for all those flights we did together in both the 172 and Cherokee.

I am also grateful for operations manager of Infinite Air Center, Tony Hann, who was just as invested in seeing me complete the Instrument portion of my flight training and for his overall support.

I'm also grateful for my uncle Alan, who helped kick-start a huge chunk of the flying I needed to do as far as requirements for the Instrument rating was concerned by offering me the opportunity to use his Cessna 172 to practice flying countless approaches in and to build the flight time I needed. He was also my go-to safety pilot many of those times!

I also want to thank my first CFI-I back from my days in Spanish Fork, Utah, Harold Rice, who got me started with my Instrument training and showing me some of the basics, in a DA-20 Katana of all planes!

And I can't forget to thank my second CFI-I (my first here in Oregon!), Craig Ulrich, who helped me pick up Instrument training where I left off after I moved back to Oregon, and not to mention the 250 nautical mile IFR cross-country flight we did in the dead of night!

And lastly, I want to thank my friends and family for the overall support and motivation to keep me going despite the setbacks and hiccups and when things were looking down at times.

With Instrument done, now it's a matter of staying current and proficient. Like my private, Instrument took a lot longer than I wanted it to... At least now I can finally focus on the single-engine commercial rating followed by the multi-engine add-on. Time to aim for the next target!

Pilot Life: Night Currency in the Cherokee!

My night currency expires in just a few days and I haven't flown all week! So naturally in continuing a good habit of keeping my currency with specific pilot privileges in check, I did a local night flight to reset the clock on my night currency. And to add to the challenge, I did it flying the flight club's Piper Cherokee, since I still don't have a lot of night hours in the type; I figured that this would hopefully be a good way to start off this coming week out right.

Getting night-current by flying N1636H!

After arriving at the hangar, I went through pre-flight checks as well as the walk-around; I took my time with pre-flight so I can time my departure well-after Salem Tower closed for the night and the clock was an hour past today's sunset time in order to ensure the night hours I'd log tonight were legit. Once it was dark enough and the pre-flight was done, I pulled the plane out of the hangar and hopped in. After getting the engine started and situated, I taxied out to Runway 34. After engine run-ups, I taxied onto the runway and got airborne.

I had originally planned to fly down to Albany and even Corvallis to do some landings at different airports, but I decided against that and stayed local in the traffic pattern at Salem. I did my first three landings on Runway 34, doing standard left-traffic pattern laps each time; my first landing was a touch-and-go to help me get the sight-picture I was looking for when it came to night landings and my second and third were both stop-and-go landings followed by a short-field takeoff with 10 degrees of flaps applied.

For my next three landings, I decided to switch things up by moving over to the longer Runway 31. It was around this point the airport-based firefighters (Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting - ARFF) got their trucks out and began their nightly rounds of inspecting the taxiways and runways, and they seemed to enjoy seeing an aircraft work the pattern as it seemed to make their jobs a little more interesting. I too enjoyed having the opportunity to interact with them a little bit over the radio as we coordinated with each other a little bit to make sure neither of us would come into conflict with one another. I have to give the ARFF folks a shout-out here for everything they do!

Once again, I did a touch-and-go landing on Runway 31 followed by a lap in the pattern to execute another stop-and-go landing before doing another short-field takeoff with 10 degrees of flaps applied. After doing one more lap in the pattern, my sixth landing of the night was a full-stop. And it looked like I was calling it quits at a good time because ARFF crew were about to begin inspecting the runway I was using. Without delay, I cleared the runway and communicated to the ARFF crew to let them know they could proceed out onto the runway. As for me, I taxied over the fuel pumps to top off the tanks a little bit before bringing the plane back to the flight club's hangar. After the usual post-flight, I rolled the trusty Piper Cherokee back into the hangar just as the moon was starting rise above the horizon and closed up shop.

Pilot Life: Local Solo Flight in the Cherokee

I did a local flight out of Salem today, and this time, I got to do it in the Valley Flyers club's Piper Cherokee; after making some inquiries with some of the higher-ups, I was given approval with a club checkout by them without having to do another checkout flight (which is the usual procedure) given that I already have over 40 hours logged in the type and I demonstrated competence during my initial club checkout in one of the Skyhawks, a privilege I certainly don't take lightly! The purpose of today's flight was to go out and practice some basic attitude instrument flying (standard rate/timed turns), staying at altitude, and working on my instrument scan, all things that I've been struggling on in my recent flights with my instructor. Plus, I haven't been done a solo flight in a Piper Cherokee since my days in Utah, so I figured I could use the flight club's plane to help me practice and "rehearse" so to speak in preparation for getting back into the Albany-based Cherokee.

Valley Flyers Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee Cruiser (N1636H), the third Cherokee airframe to add my logbook. This Cherokee is the flight club's only non-Cessna aircraft in their fleet.

After taking a second to figure out which hangar the Cherokee was housed in, I went straight to work and got the pre-flight done before pulling the plane out of the hangar. I hopped in, got the engine started, got my taxi clearance after getting the ATIS information, and taxied the Cherokee out to the run-up pad. After a successful run-up on the engine, I got my takeoff clearance from the tower and got airborne with and departed to the south on the left downwind. I leveled off at 2,500 feet and headed to an area just east of Albany to practice the maneuvers I wanted to do. I mainly practiced timed turns, compass turns, as well as standard rate turns all while maintaining altitude; I also took the time to get a feel for this particular Cherokee.

Satisfied, I proceeded towards Albany Airport to practice some landings. Approaching from the east, I crossed over at midfield and made a direct pattern entry, left-traffic for Runway 34. From there it was like any other day of flying, as I executed two smooth touch-and-go landings, followed by a full-stop on the third landing I did. I rolled off at the end of the runway and taxied back to Runway 34, where I made a straight-out departure northwards back to Salem. After getting the ATIS information, I called up tower and requested a straight-in approach for Runway 34 there. Once again, winds were variable and they offered me Runway 31 when I was about four miles out; I accepted my new landing clearance for Runway 31 and made an uneventful landing.

I taxied off and got my ground clearance to go to the fuel pumps, where I topped off the tanks to tabs. After I got done refueling, I put the plane back in the hangar. Hopefully this flight will help me overcome the struggles I've been having recently. It was also nice to fly solo in a Cherokee for the first time in a year!

Pilot Life: A Full Cessna 172 with Amy, Hannah, and Ammon!

A good day to go flying (kind of!) and another first me today, and that being I took full house in a Cessna 172 by taking three of my friends flying! Today's flight consisted of me taking Amy, Hannah, and Ammon, people I play recreational sports with on a weekly basis out to the coast (albeit, briefly) for a scenic flight.

Flying with all seats filled in N5174E, a first for me!

After picking up my friends at the agreed upon place we'd meet, I took them over to the hangar, where I did the pre-flight. After that, I pulled the plane out and got everyone on board and did a passenger briefing before starting up the engine. I picked up the current ATIS information before calling up Salem Ground and requested taxi clearance, which I promptly got. I taxied us over to the run-up by Runway 34 and did my before-takeoff checks; everything looked good, so I called up tower and told them we were ready to go. Cleared for takeoff on Runway 34 with a left-crosswind departure to the west, I got us airborne and pointed the nose towards Newport. The plan was to fly the Oregon coast, but the weather there would say otherwise. On the way, Amy took a selfie!

Obligatory selfie while airborne with good friends Amy Chirinos, Hannah Taylor, and Ammon Teubner!
(Photo credit: Amy Chirinos)

I invited Amy to take the controls and try her hand at flying the airplane under my supervision. As we traversed the mountains separating the valley from the coast, it became apparent that there was some cloud coverage all along the shoreline; a quick listen to the Newport AWOS confirmed what seemed to be not-so-ideal conditions to fly the coast northward; I ended up making the decision to scrub the second intended leg of the flight and proceed back to Salem after doing a landing in Newport. We made an uneventful landing on Runway 34 there after overflying the city and making a standard pattern entry. I also made the landing a full-stop and taxied to the ramp so my passengers could switch seats.

After my passengers rotated seats, I taxied us out for departure. After doing a quick run-up, I got us airborne off Runway 34 and proceeded back to the northeast towards Salem. Once again, we traversed over the terrain while staying out of the clouds that lingered over the coastal area. Eventually, we got back into the Willamette Valley and clear skies, a rather stark contrast! From there, I invited Ammon, who was now in the co-pilot seat to take the controls and try flying the airplane, again under my supervision. I also tuned in to the Salem ATIS to get the weather there. We kept going southeast until we were around Millersburg before contacting Salem Tower, where I requested a straight-in approach for Runway 34.

About four miles out, Tower came back on and asked if I'd be interested in side-stepping over to Runway 31. I accepted the new clearance and got quickly established on a three mile final for Runway 31. After making an uneventful landing, I requested taxi over to the fuel pumps, where I topped off the tanks as part of my general housekeeping and courtesy to the Valley Flyers flight club. Amy and Hannah walked back to the hangar while Ammon and I hopped back in the plane and taxied over there, where we wasted no time in towing the plane into the hangar after engine shut-down because another one of the flying club's Cessna 172s was about to start their engine!

Namely, THIS Cessna 172, N515ED!

After we got our Cessna 172 back in the hangar, my passengers and I cleaned the plane, namely on the front windscreen and the leading edges of the wings and struts as they accumulated a nice (not to mention, disgusting!) bug collection! After we were done, Ammon got another selfie of us with the airplane!

After getting back to Salem! Making memories like this have been the highlight of my so far insignificant flying career thus far.
(Photo credit: Ammon Teubner)

After clearing out all my equipment from the plane, we closed up the hangar and headed out. I dropped off Amy, Hannah, and Ammon where I met up with them before going our separate ways. Even though today's flight didn't go according to plan, we still had a good time enjoying each others' company and it was a positive note for me to end the week on. Thanks for flying with me guys!

Pilot Life: Taking My Friend, Miranda Flying!

Another fine day to fly, another excuse to take a passenger out for fun; we were supposed to do this flight yesterday, but thunderstorms in the area made me play it safe and thankfully, today was a better day. Today, I took up Miranda, another one of my church friends for a flight out to the coast, which I thought she would enjoy.

My personal plane of choice in the Valley Flyers fleet (obviously!), N5174E!

After meeting up at the previously agreed upon place, I drove Miranda over to the hangar where the plane was kept. I did the pre-flight in the hangar, then we taxied over to the fuel pumps to top off the tanks (the plane hasn't flown since I last took it two days ago!). After that, we hopped back in and got the engine started, picked up ATIS, and got taxi clearance to Runway 34. After doing run-ups, I requested takeoff clearance and we were airborne. We departed the area on the downwind before turning southwest towards Newport. On the way over, we took a selfie!

Obligatory selfie en route to the coast!
(Photo credit: Miranda Thomas, my lovely passenger!)

I navigated towards Newport via GPS as well as with the VOR there. I picked up the weather and got an idea where the winds were coming from. The cost came into view and I flew us right over the town and made an extended left downwind entry for the traffic pattern. Airport in sight, it was a standard, uneventful touch and go landing on Runway 34. From there, we flew northwards along the shoreline, allowing Miranda to take in the view; it was an absolutely gorgeous day to fly the Oregon coast!

All along the way, I made sure to make position calls on the respective CTAFs for each airport we passed by. I also made sure to stay at least 2,000 feet above certain protected areas as there were a few to note along the shoreline. I took us as far as Tillamook and just a little further north as we had to check out a few rock formations there. After cruising the coast, I took us back inland; from Tillamook, I took us straight out towards the Independence/Monmouth area on the western reaches of the Willamette Valley. Upon reach the valley, I invited Miranda to take the flight controls and try her hand at flying the airplane (under my supervision as PIC, of course!). For her first time, she did alright!

Once over Independence, I took us directly south for a little bit before turning back north just north of Millersburg; I also took the time to get the updated ATIS information, which clearly changed since we've been gone. I positioned us for a straight-in approach for Runway 34 for Salem and contacted the tower stating intentions. We were cleared to land on Runway 34 and made a successful and uneventful landing. As per flight club housekeeping and courtesy, I taxied us to the fuel pumps and topped off the fuel tanks. We also took the time to take a few more pictures, mainly for Miranda. Afterwards, we taxied the plane back to the hangar, towed it inside, and proceeded to clean the wings before closing up shop and going our separate ways.

Needless to say, another satisfied passenger, another wonderful day to share my passion with someone who has never experienced the world General Aviation!

Pilot Life: Taking My Friend, Josh Flying!

I haven't done one of these flights in a while, but I had the opportunity to take a friend up flying again, starting with my good friend Josh as today was his day off. Better yet, I got to reunite with a plane I haven't flown in for a few months, the Cessna 172 I've built a good chunk of my total flight time in! After my uncle sold his 172 to the Valley Flyers flight club, they got to work on it to prepare it for club use. In addition to the other club aircraft, we still have access to my uncle's old plane, which is nice because it's the plane I've been used to the most since I've flown it a lot.

I still have access to N5174E (which I refer to as my "ex-girlfriend!") as part of the deal in joining the Valley Flyers, so I got to fly her again today!

After picking up Josh and arriving at the airport, it was straight to the hangar where the plane was kept and I did my pre-flight. After pulling the plane out, we hopped in, got the engine started, and I picked up the current ATIS information. I called up Salem Ground and picked up our taxi clearance to Runway 34 and the run-up area. As per the usual, I taxied to the run-up area and did my engine runs and checks; everything looked good, so I called up Salem Tower and informed them we were ready for takeoff. Tower asked us to hold short of Runway 34 for departing traffic on Runway 31. Soon we were cleared for takeoff and I got us airborne and turned out to the west.

Obligatory selfie en route to McMinnville!
(Photo credit: Josh Elliott, my passenger and good friend!)

The original plan was to head out to the coast and take in the view, but the weather out there was crap. So we headed to McMinnville to practice some landing. I picked up the AWOS information and made my CTAF radio calls and entered the left-downwind for Runway 22. It was a little turbulent all throughout, but nothing I couldn't handle. I did a touch-and-go, followed by a stop-and-go, and one last touch-and-go landing on Runway 22 before heading back to Salem.

En route, I picked up the updated ATIS information again; winds shifted from favoring Runways 31 and 34 to being variable, so it was no surprise that Salem Tower instructed me to make a straight-in approach on Runway 16 when I called them up. After an uneventful landing, I taxied off the runway; I was intending to pick up fuel, but Salem Ground informed me that the fuel pumps were out of service, so I just taxied the plane back to the hangar. I shut the engine down, pushed the plane back into the hangar, and did my post-flight checks before closing up shop. My passenger, Josh had a good time.

It sure was nice to break the monotony of flight training and taking someone up for fun again!

Pilot Life: Back in a Glass Cockpit!

One of the flight club's Cessna 172Ms is equipped with a glass cockpit set-up and I decided to take it out for a local flight this evening! It's been a year since I last sat in a glass cockpit , which was in the DA-40 I have only a few hours in back in Utah. While the set-up I flew today is a far cry from the bigger G1000 set-up, I honestly felt comfortable with the G500, especially in an aircraft type I have nearly 200 flight hours in already; plus, I'm a lot more experienced now compared to last year. The other factor that really turned me away from the glass cockpit in Utah last year was the hourly rental rates; here with Valley Flyers, it's a bit more affordable!

Cessna 172M Skyhawk II (N515ED), the second plane in my entire flying career so far where I got to play with a glass cockpit!

After the hassle of grabbing a set of keys to the airplane (the club is in the process of moving hangars), I did my pre-flight and got the airplane out of the hangar. I hopped in and got the engine started before taking a few minutes to study the G500 layout, instruments, and equipment. I picked up the latest ATIS information and called up Salem Ground for my taxi clearance.

The G500 setup in N515ED. A guy can get used to this!

After doing my run-ups holding short of Runway 34, I called up tower and requested takeoff clearance, which was granted. I got airborne, and departed to the south on the left downwind. From there, I headed to Albany to do some landing practice! As usual, I entered the left downwind for Runway 34 there; I did a touch-and-go, followed by a full-stop landing with a taxi-back for departure. Once I got airborne again, I headed out to the northwest towards Independence to fly the valley. I also wanted to take the time to get used to the glass cockpit setup a little more.

Eventually, it was time to head in. Salem Tower closed while I was out so Class Delta airspace rules were no longer in effect, meaning Salem Airport is an uncontrolled airfield with Class Echo rules applied. I set myself up to make a straight-in approach and landed on Runway 31 (because I haven't gotten much use out of that runway!); all my landings this evening have been pretty smooth! I taxied over to the self-serve fuel pumps and topped off the tanks (as per club standard operating procedures and courtesy to other club members). After I was done refueling, I taxied the plane back to the hangar to put it away and called it a night.

I haven't flown as much as I wanted to the past few months since my uncle sold his plane to the club (April was because of Instrument ground school refresher and a lot of rainy weather, and I don't even want to think about what I've gone through recently in May!). Hopefully, the Valley Flyers club will allow me to keep flying at an affordable rate. But it sure was fun flying with glass cockpit again tonight!

Pilot Life: IMC in the Cherokee

So last week, there was a little setback as the Cherokee had some engine maintenance that had to be done, meaning that some of the flights I was supposed to do last week had to be pushed back until today; I also have some polishing up to do as far as procedures and personal habits are concerned, hence why I have flown out of Albany for nearly two weeks now. I'm hoping to get a checkride done by the end of the month (here's hoping!). As for today, I went up again with my usual instructor and shot some approaches into Corvallis and we even got some actual IMC conditions!

Getting some actual instrument time in N98241!

After doing the pre-flight and walk-around in the rain, we hopped in, got the engine started, and taxied out. We picked up our IFR clearance on the ground via phone with Cascade Approach before getting airborne off Runway 34. Once airborne, we flew the obstacle departure procedure out of Albany towards Corvallis and got into radio contact with Cascade Approach; from there we got radar vectors before proceeding with some full-procedure approaches all the while keeping in mind the improvements I needed to make (I have made it my personal mission!). We first shot the VOR 17 approach into Corvallis via the DME arc; we were in and out of the clouds throughout the flight.

As per the usual, we went missed before requesting the RNAV 17 approach via the procedure turn back to Corvallis. Again, we went missed after shooting the approach down to minimums. We were then going to shoot the approach back into Albany, but my instructor decided to cancel on our way down during the second approach into Corvallis due to time constraints, so we flew back to Albany VFR. We made an uneventful landing on Runway 16 after approaching and descending down to traffic pattern altitude and taxied back to the ramp.

Following logbook entries and a debrief, we called it good. As far as polishing up and kicking some personal habits go, today's flight saw quite a bit of progress and improvement since my mock-checkride with the chief flight instructor two weeks back. I fly again tomorrow (weather pending!) and I'm hoping for a repeat as well as continued improvement when personal performance on my part is concerned!

Pilot Life: Flying Club Checkout Flight

So the flying club known as Valley Flyers based in Salem is the organization that my uncle sold his Cessna 172 to. As part of the arrangement and deal, my uncle and I received membership to the flight club with certain fees and dues waived for the next twelve months, meaning that all we have to pay for are the hourly rental rates on the planes and any instructor time. The Valley Flyers club has a fleet of three Cessna 172s (two M-models plus my uncle's N-model), a Piper Cherokee, and a Cessna 182 Skylane, something I have my eyes on as I intend to get a high-performance endorsement in that plane. As for today, I did a club checkout flight with one of the instructors of the club in one of the M-model Skyhawks, which was personally exciting because I'm now adding another variant of the Skyhawk family to my logbook.

Doing a club checkout flight in a Cessna 172M Skyhawk (N12382), one of the oldest planes in the Valley Flyers fleet. After the N-model, this is the second variant of the Skyhawk family to be added to my repertoire!

My instructor and I got together at the hangars where the club aircraft are stored and we went over things ranging from club rules and policies before doing the pre-flight and walk-around. We pulled the airplane out of the hangar, hopped in, and got the engine started. We picked up the current ATIS information before calling up Salem Ground to pick up taxi clearance. We taxied out to the run-up pad by Runway 34 and did the run-ups. After that, I called up Salem tower and told them we were ready for departure, and we got our takeoff clearance. We got airborne and turned out to the east and cleared the Class Delta airspace.

Once leveled off, I executed a clearing turn before my instructor for the day put me through a few basic VFR maneuvers, which included steep turns, slow flight, a power-off stall, and simulated engine-out with a simulated emergency landing. After that, we headed to the southwest a little bit before turning back towards Salem; the ATIS information changed while we were out so we got the latest weather information before calling up tower, to which I requested a straight-in for Runway 31. I requested the option because my instructor was going to evaluate my landing before determining if I needed to practice a few or not. Despite having not flown a Cessna 172 since mid-March, I absolutely nailed the landing, so we went full-stop as my instructor was pleased with the landing!

We cleared off the runway and got our taxi instructions back to the ramp. We taxied over to the fuel pumps to top off the tanks before putting the airplane back in the club hangar and did a quick debrief. After my instructor signed off my logbook and officially checking me out to satisfy insurance purposes and club rules, we were done and went our separate ways.

Special thanks to my instructor, Chris for getting me checked out with the flight club! I'm looking forward to this new chapter in my flying, not mention flying out locally from my current hometown airport!

Pilot Life: Partial Panel Approaches in the Cherokee

My third flight in Infinite Air Center's Cherokee, more approaches, and additional challenges, all part of the effort to get me prepped for the check-ride. As far as flight training simulating instrument conditions go post-refresher ground school, things are going fairly well, better than I initially expected to be honest.

My third flight in N98241, my "side-chick" airplane "Jane."

After the usual business of pre-flight, my instructor and I got airborne and I went under the hood. We shot two approaches into Corvallis after getting our IFR clearance from Cascade Approach, the RNAV 35 and the VOR-A approaches both under partial panel, without the use of the attitude indicator and heading indicator. The approaches went pretty well as far as I could tell. After doing the approaches, we practiced some holding patterns and entries.

Once done with that, we headed back to Albany and landed. Following logbook updates and a debrief, we called it a day. I'm happy that I'm doing fairly well considering that this was my third flight in a Cherokee Cruiser. More importantly, the ground school I attended earlier this month seems to have helped.

Pilot Life: Instrument Training & Refresher in a Cherokee

It's back to Instrument flying in preparation to pick back up where I left off. The three-week-long Instrument ground classes ended last week and we're starting to get some decent weather again. I finished up and earned my complex endorsement over the weekend, finishing up a little tangent I took in flight training. However, I won't be utilizing my uncle's Cessna 172 anymore because it's been sold; a flight club in Salem was looking to buy and and add another plane to their fleet and they ended up eyeing my uncle's plane. Kind of bitter-sweet, as I will miss having access to the Skyhawk that I've done the bulk of my time-building in, but the flying club that bought the plane is offering my uncle and I some benefits and associations regarding club membership that we'll get to make use of in the months ahead (more elaboration on that later!).

With my uncle's Cessna gone for now, I'm going to utilize a Piper Cherokee in Infinite Air Center's fleet, primarily because it has the same instrument and Garmin GPS setup as the 172 I've been flying in. So as far as equipment is concerned, it won't be too much of a transition for me. Plus I already have over 20 hours in the Cherokee Cruiser from time in Utah, so I'm fairly familiar with the aircraft type; I actually found it quite nice to be flying a Cherokee again!

As per the usual, I met with my flight instructor and we briefly went over the particular Cherokee I was going to complete my Instrument training in. After that, I stepped out and did my pre-flight and walk-around, which not surprisingly was the same as the Piper Arrow I've been flying recently minus some of the extra "bells and whistles" I was introduced to regarding the former.

Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee Cruiser (N98241), nicknamed "Jane" by the Infinite crew. It feels kind of nostalgic flying a Cherokee again (this airframe being referred to as my "side-chick" airplane!)!

After walk-around was complete, we hopped in and went through the checklist procedures, got the engine started, and taxied out to Runway 16. After doing the engine run-ups according to the checklist, we got airborne. For the first time in a little over a month, I went under the hood and picked up our IFR clearance from Cascade Approach, with request for radar vectors for the ILS 17 approach into Corvallis. While I was picking up our clearance, my instructor conducted a airborne VOR check for the Cherokee's two VOR receivers as they were past due. Other than that, I followed ATC's instructions as they vectored us to the final approach course for Runway 17 into Corvallis; I made sure to brief the approach plate on the way as well.

Overall, I flew the approach fairly well, considering that I haven't shot any instrument approaches since February! Of course, little mistakes were made on my part, but it's all part of the learning process (there's ALWAYS something to be learned on every flight I take!). We went missed on the approach and then requested radar vectors for the RNAV 17 back to Corvallis. Once again, I briefed the approach and once again, I followed ATC's instructions. Another decent approach was shot before I went missed once more according to proper procedure that I've been taught over and over again. Our last instrument approach requested for the day was the VOR-A back to Albany for a full-stop landing. As usual, I briefed the approach. Using the Corvallis VOR as our initial approach fix, we made the procedure turn and headed inbound on the final approach course to Albany. After passing the Corvallis VOR and made the first altitude step-down, we cancelled IFR with ATC and they cut us loose. I continued down to the minimum descent altitude for this approach and my instructor eventually had me come out of the hood.

We crossed over the Albany Airport at midfield and entered a modified left-downwind for Runway 16 and got configured for landing. We came in and I made my first landing in the Piper Cherokee in a while, which thankfully was a descent one, albeit landing a little long; it'll take some getting used to! After clearing off the runway, I taxied us back to the ramp, where I shut the engine down and secured the airplane. After the post-flight checks, we debriefed and logged the flight. My instructor is fairly confident in my flying regarding Instrument procedures and today's flight went pretty well considering that I hopped in a semi-unfamiliar airplane for the first time.

A good first day back in the saddle and a pleasure to be back flying in a Piper Cherokee again!