They investigate under blue skies

I had to be down South Monday morning.  When I planned the trip the forecast was good but going to sleep Sunday it was calling for Fog.  At 7 AM it was Foggy with 1/4 mile and 200'.  JAX was calling it 100'.   Saint Augustine was clear so I knew I had a good alternate if I could get out.  And yes, under part 91, legally I could depart in this weather.

I took my time and ended up at the airport at 8:00.  At the house it was foggy but heading up the highway it was clear until I got near the airport and then it was foggy.  The fog often clears quickly so after snapping a few pictures, I started getting the plane ready.  

We got a slight breeze about 8:20 and parts of the field started clearing, I also heard a few departures.   At 8:24 it was clear at my hangar but not the runways and after being able to see the golf course, it had once again become hidden in a blanket of fog.  

While I had a strong desire to get going, I reminded myself that the NTSB will most likely investigate your fog based accident under blue clear skies.  I took a short walk down the taxiway to better assess the conditions and stretch my legs.  After watching a bit I saw that the North West side of the field was possibly worse but that like my hangar, runway 23 was clear.

Satisfied I had a way out, I fired up, grabbed my clearance and requested a 23 departure.  Winds were 320 at 4 so it was a bit of a crosswind but not really.  Lining up for departure, there was a wall of fog at the departure end of 32.  Ahead of me I had better than 6 miles visibility and no clouds.  I had a clear runway I could return to just in case as well.

On departure I could see the fog bank covering the from the end of 32 to the river.  It was not thick and likely on departure would have been in the fog only 10-15 seconds.  Though I had a VMC departure, enroute, I did get to cloud surf a bit until the skies cleared South of Saint Augustine.  I was a few minutes behind schedule but I was happy with my decisions.

Atlanta Day Trip - Bugs bugs bugs

We decided to go visit our Nephew and while I have typically flown into Peechtree, PDK, the fees and fuwl cost seemed a bit high to just stop by for lunch.  Also I wanted to take them on a qiuck ride and PDK can be a pain to get in and out of due to the volume of traffic.

I decided to try Gwinnet county airport.  It was 10 minutes farther for my brother but 5 minutes closer for us.  On the fee side the fuel minim was 20 vs. 30 gallons and no other fees compared to PDK which also had a parking and Security fee.  Gas was also almost $2 less per gallon.  Traffic wise, it was easy in and out and when we went on the ride it was quick.  They have rental cars so this may be my go to in the future.

I had filed direct and the computer gave me direct.  I did not believe it.  PDK means taking the WRGNZ3 arrival and even though it would be just as easy to just vector for LZU as it is further East, they don't.  We did the normal, JAX APR, JAX Center, ATLCenter and just before ATL approach I was asked to look up the WRGNZ3.  I said I was familiar and to go ahead.  Frankly did not really care as the difference was less than a minute.  

The funny thing is that once you cross WRGNZ and start the arrival they almost immediately vector you.  You just need to go through the gate.  We had great weather except for 25 knot headwinds but it was smooth so all was good.  It's a short 251 miles so the headwind only added 10 miuntes.  Actually, all was good until we were established on final.

We were cleared to land, configured, stable and then I saw the first splat.  Then it started pouring bugs.  My recently cleaned plane got pounded.  Upon landing the wings, engines, spinners, nose, windshield looked like they had been hanging out in Florida during love bug season.  I cleaned up the windshield and took my passengers for a quick ride and once again outbound and inbound we got covered.

Returning to the airport, I cleaned the window again and some from bugs from the nacelles.  We headed off for some BBQ  and I hoped that later in the day the bugs would move.  That was wishfull thinking.  on departure we picked up another set.  

We had filed direct but was given radar vectors EATWO MADDI DBN direct.  On departure we were given 180 heading and 3000, then direct MADDI, which is pretty on course, before long it was 9000 and direct home.  All these fixes that we never really go to.  I was curious weatehr EATWO is supposed to be EAT - WO or EA TWO.  I sort of liked EAT - WO.

The good news was that we had a nice tailwind. The trip only taking only 1:18 in the air.  That time we saved was then spent removing bugs.  I sprayed, let them soak, wiped, added a bit of soap, wiped again and then CC followed up with more water and wiping.  Overall a great day and nice to have easy weather.

Appalachia

We had had a good time visiting Northern, West Virginia a few years back but we had missed some sights down South.  I decided we would head to Blacksburg as this would allow us to sightsee both West and Regular Virginia.  When we arrived Sunday, the weather was going South fast but we still had goals.  

We drove West to the Appalachian trail.  The trail is almost 2,200 miles long and crosses 14 states.  We would not do the entire trail, in fact we would only do a miniscule portion.  We joined at the foot of a cool suspension bridge, walked all the way across and all the way back and then about 10 feet more.  So in absolute terms I can now say I have walked the Appalachian trail.

After the strenuouse hike we headed about a mile down the road to Dismal falls.  That weather was coming and it started to drizzle but we persevered.  We made the super easy hike, about 500 feet to get to the falls.  Compared with the online pictures, the water flow was very low so Dismal was an apt description.  It was actually a nice area but lacking in falling water.

After an arduous trek back to the car we headed off to a covered bridge and then finished at the Virginia Tech gardens.  They were quite nice but those skies were getting really dark.  We found a local place with good reviews, Taqueria El Paso.  It is a grocery and restaurant.  We ordered some tacos and Carnitas and shopped while the food was prepared.  

We headed to our hotel to eat and watch the rain roll in.  Luckily as the storms hit the mountains and broke up so nothing severe hit us, just some rain which cleared out quickly.

We awoke to severe clear skies and headed South to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a scenic drive.  We started at Maybry Mill which was constructed in the late 1800's but frankly was not much of a mill due to low water flow.  It is known to be quite picturesque and while it was nice, it is a bit oversold.  The shutdown meant some of the bathrooms were closed but some were open so it was not a big impact.

We headed East along the parkway and enjoyed some nice overlooks and some nice fall colors.  This was not technically a foliage trip but we arrived at a good time so we enjoyed the colors.  We ended in Roanoke at Mill Mountain where we strolled the garden, looked at funny bikes, enjoyed the view of the city, saw the Roanoke star up close and personal and took a quick hike.

Our next stop was Roanoake downtown, it was quaint bit underwhelming.  The city boasts the city market which was billed as a food mecca.  In reality is has 8 shops and only 3 were open.  To be fair they sell the city hard in the online info. it would be better to say they are a nice friendly midsized town.  The rest of downtown was a nice stroll and we walked over a bridge to see the MLK statue.  The bridge is over the railroad tracks and as we returned we saw the Amtrak train pulling into the station.  Given the paucity of train service in the USA, it was an unusual sight.

We headed back to Blacksburg and took a hike around campus and saw the war memorial.  The Virginia Tech campus is pretty as campuses go.

When I started the idea of visiting all of the lower 48 states I had intended to go to Beckley, WV for two sights.  Well we ended up going further North for our WV visit so it was just lingering on my list.  As a child I remember taking a coal mine tour and thinking it was very cool.  I also learned during that tour thatno way would I be a coal miner.  In the 1950s the town of Beckley bought a coal mine and turned it into a tourist attraction.  The mine originally was only a few feet high as it followed the coal seam.  I can imagine it was miserable.

After acquiring the mine, they cut through the rock to make the tunnels 5-6 feet tall.  They added lights and made the place quite nice.  Arriving, we bough tickets which included a small museum and more.  We had some time till the next tour left so we soaked up some coal mining history.  Coal mining historically was more dangerous and very poorly paid.  The companies required the miners to buy their own equipment, including the black powder to mine the coal.  

Then the company rented the miners there homes, paid them in fake money and made them buy their supplies from the company at inflated prices.  Miners then got to work in terrible conditions that were always attempting to kill them.

Luckily by the time we arrived, the miners had unionized and instituted safety measures.  The tour was conducted from a small coal train.  We rode down into the mine and learned about its inner workings.  At one point they turn out the lights and you really learn the meaning of dark.  After the mine tour we visited some replica buildings showing how the miners lived in the 1900s.  

Our next stop was the New River Gorge Bridge.  It is a national park and we were surprised to find the visitor center open.  We took in the bridge views and then took a scenic drive down to the river.  To show the height of nerdiness, we drove to a bridge, parked and walked across the bridge so that we could get a better view of the bigger bridge.

We also stopped along the way for more bridge views and finished our outdoor sightseeing with a quick walk to a another less than impressive waterfall.  The trail had a nice bridge over a nice stream but the waterfall was small and you stood at the bottom which made the view sub optimal.

Our final stop was back in Beckly at a local arts center.  It was billed as unique artists, it was nice but not so unique.  They did have a good variety of arts though.  We grabbed some Thai food on the way back to the hotel which was quite tasty.  As we returned some un-forecast rain rolled in but we were warm and dry.

On our final we headed day past Roanoke to the Natural Bridge State park.  Natural Bridge is pretty much like it sounds.  They have a nice welcome center where you pay the park fee and then you walk down 137 steps to get to the park lower store.  Here you can either show your receipt or if you forgot to pay, you can buy admission.  From there it is an easy .1 mile hike to the bridge.  Think Arches but taller and much less orange.  Also there is a stream that runs through it.

A historical sidenote, George Washington surveyed the area and it must have been his rebellious youth phase as opposed to his rebellious, rebellious phase because he carved his initials in the arch.  Beyond the Natural Bridge the trail continues another .9 miles to a waterfall.  The fall is "mid" to use the vernacular of our youth.  The walk is nice along the stream though.

There are several cool sites along the path too.  There is a lost river where some of the stream runs under the rock.  Way back when, miners broke through the rocks and exposed a portion so they could have access to the water.  There is a cave where revolutionaries dug salt peter to make gun powder and there is a nice crossing of the stream where we saw a Grey Heron.

After the Bridge, we continued up to Shenandoah National Park.  We were prepared at the entrance gate with our America the Beautiful park pass but the ranger managing the station waved it off.  Apparently during the government shutdown they don't collect fees.  We drove the South portions enjoying the fall colors and stopping along the way to look at the views.  For Winnie the Pooh fands, we can say this was really a Windsday.  We decided not to hike due to immitted time and the fact that most of the hikes were pretty long.

Overall Appalachia is beatiful.  The people were friendly, the infrastructure good and lots to see.  I think after some of the parks out West the East is having a hard time competing.  Don't let my grumbling above stop you.  We had a great time, it was relaxing and loverall a great trip.

Sunny and Rainy

We are travelling again.   It has been a while, we did a trip out West in May but since then, other than a short trip to Chesapeake, most things have been close to home.  We typically take a trip to the Upstate of South Carolina this time of year and I almost planned another but I was in the mood for something new.  Looking around I settled on Blacksburg Virginia.

Weather is always important and I had been watching the forecasts.  Initially it was supposed to be sunny but as we got closer, the forecasts started to turn.  There was a strong front sliding across the country.  The good news was that the morning would be nice and we would be well ahead of the front.  We departed just after 8:00 AM and headed up the Coast.  We had a strong crosswind but as we crossed Savannah it swung around and started providing a nice tailwind.

It's only 423 miles but for a variety of reasons we chose to make a fuel/comfort stop.  We dropped into Wadesboro, NC just West of Charlotte.  It's unattended on the weekends but the gate code and the FBO lobby code is the Unicom frequency.   The ramp gate code makes you guess but the FBO had the clue printed on the door.  I had called ahead the week before and gotten the codes so we were good.

It was a good stop and they even had a Welcome to North Carolina sign.  The one downside was their fueling hose was a bit short.  The previous person had left the hose in the taxi area so I stayed a bit farther from the pump to keep the right engine clear.  

It was going to be tight as to whether I could reach the left filler port but I used an old trick and ran the hose under the nose which gave me the slack I needed.  

Departing, we checked in with Charlotte and they soon handed us to Greensboro Approach.  After checking in it was really quiet, for a long time.  I called approach to make sure we were still connected and the controller said we were the only one there so we had our own controller for a bit.  It was Sunday morning but I expected a bit more traffic.

The weather at Blacksburg was advertised as clear but coming over the mountains we had an overcast layer below.  Roanoke wanted to know our approach request.  They could only get us down to 5,200' so to be safe we set up for the GPS 13 approach but coordinated that we would take the visual if it worked out.  About 15 miles out, we hit a clear area and picked up the field.  With a clear path in, I cancelled IFR, descended a bit to stay clear of the clouds and entered the pattern.  

You get a  nice view of the Virginia Tech campus and stadium on downwind.  When we called in the FBO had given us the winds and when we cleared the runway there was a follow me golf cart which we followed to a parking.  

I was concerned that there were no tie downs but once shut down the lineman pulled out straps and got us hooked up.  We had the front coming in so I reconfirmed they would not need to tow me, put up DO NOT TOW signs in the windows and  put in the control lock, including the rudder pin.  It is a pain to get in and when the winds are light, I often l leave it out.  

The winds had been calm at Blacksburg when we were about 30 minutes out but now they were starting to blow.  The blue and clear skies were looking cloudy and I was glad we got going and took advantage of the the calm before the storm.

Heading home we had great weather.  It was cold overnight, down to 39 so we decided to head back around 9:30 AM when it was closer to 50.  Starting the plane, the engines were at 45 degress, not great but well within limits.  Once running we sat for several minutes to get the oil into the mid 80s.  We were parked on a slight uphill and the plane was not gonna roll without some power.

We used the wait to set everything up and to call clearance.  Roanoke has a remote frequency so we picked up our clearance and waited.  I had filed and was given a route to T201 which goes around the East of Charlotte.  I was not sure the computer would give it to us but it did and I was hopefull that would be our route.  Once warm, I powered up to about 1200 RPM and got rolling.  By the time we taxied out the oil was above 100 degrees and after the run up we picked up our IFR release and headed out.

The winds were screaming from the Northwest and I assumed we would have a rough ride, it was surprisingly smooth though.  With the cool air we were soon at 8,000 feet with about 30 knots of tailwind scooting along.  After we were handed off to Greensboro I got the bad news.  We had to reroute.  Either a lot more East or a lot more West.  West looked better as it was shorter so we turned towards BZM VOR and then we were told it would be direct home.  

Our 30 knot tailwind became a 25 knot headwind but it was only for 55 miles, then we could turn and start zooming South again.  Well, Greensboro handed us off to Atlanta and he had another reroute all the way to GENOD.  We had fought our way 40 miles West and now he wanted us to go another 55 miles?  Also as we headed West it got a lot bumbier.  I made a decison.  We were in severe clear with 100 mile visibility.  I cancelled IFR and started a climb to 8,500 and turned direct home.  

I asked Atlanta if Charlotte would let us through the Class B.  He checked and they would not.  This was not an issue, I figured this would be the case so we kept climbing to 10,500.  In smaller lower powered planes, climb rates are anemic up that high but the Baron has plenty of power and I just set up 500 feet per minute and left the power alone.

10,500 solved our class B problem but the winds were more from the West so we had just a bit of tailwind and sometimes a bit of headwind.  I also started thinking ahead and our route would just clip the restricted areas by Savannah.  I add SAV VOR to our route and the slight change fixed everything.  Charlotte had no issue with us at 10,500 and it was a bit easier not being IFR.  As we cleared the class B I told them I was going back to 8,500.  Normally 10,500 can be a bit faster when the winds are favorable but today lower the winds were more from the North so we dropped back into a 15 knot tailwind.  

Leaving Charlotte we slid over Columbia, I forget how close they are, only 77 miles and today with the visibility I watched Charlotte international slide under the nose and there was Columbia.  Columbia came and there was Savannah and pretty soon we were descending for home.  I could see the river and where the airport was when we were 50 miles out.  Being VFR came in handy agian as we could descend as we chose and with the smooth air I was able to optimize our profile.  The trip home clocked in at 2:18, 2 minutes longer than predicted and used 1 gallon more than planned which was not bad with the rerouting.  The drive is close to 9 hours.