Looking Back on a Long Journey

This is my fourth year with the Baron.  I now have 719.5 Baron hours and 745.5 Total Multi time.  Overall I am just shy of 3300 hours total time.  When I started flying  in the 80s, I just knew that I wanted to fly.  After my first lesson, I was totally hooked and looked forward to any flight time I could get and frankly just enjoyed flying around for no particular reason.

After getting my private, I started working on my instrument and this lead to the commercial, not becasue I wanted to fly for money but because I wanted to get better.  I have yet to make a single $ as a pilot, I have spent a few though.  I got my multi in the early 90s as part of my learning journey but did not really want or need a twin back then.

Like most people I started with trainers, 152s, 172s, warriors and the like.  My first plane was a fraction of a Mooney.  The Mooney moved me to a 145 knot cruise and openned up many more adventures.  I sold my original share bacause I moved and bought into another mooney which I flew for 17 years until my partner stopped flying.

By this point my flying had started to evolve and I was doing more public interest flying and travel.  I chose to step up to the F33A Bonanza which meant 170 knot cruise, more comfort, and more capability.   I ended up selling this plane and buying another F33A as work forced a minor detour in my flying.  I flew about 1200 hours in the Bonanza and it increased my horizon, literally.

I had been eyeing twins for quite some time.  You know, clicking through the ads, reading articles.  It was a big jump becasue I was not initially convinced the twin would be safer for me.  I knew that Piston Twins are marginal performers after losing an engine and that the joke about a twin having a second engine to get you to the crash site had a bit of truth.  Twins were also a bigger investment and cost more to fly.

As my career was winding down, I made the leap.  I finally had the time to devote to training and proficiency and a mission to make the twin worthwhile.  I remember one trip crossing the Appalachian Mountains in the Bonanza and thinking my emergency landing options were pretty slim.  So in 2020 I started looking at those ads a bit closer and in December 2020 one plane caught my eye.  I was not sure about it but it was only 30 minutes South.  My wife said what do we have to lose, let's go see it, so we flew down and in 2021 I had the Baron.  As a bonus I was now moving 190 knots.

Looking back I am pretty happy with the numbers this year.  I stayed instrument and night current/proficient.  I flew 13.3 instrument hours with a good bit of actual and 13.6 hours at night.  I shot 34 instrument approaches and completed an IPC.  Trip wise I did fast trips to Pensecola, Savannah, Misouri for the eclips and Washington DC to see my daughter graduate.

We also did the our big cross country of over 5000 miles and touched 13 states along the way.  I clocked 213.7 total hours in 2024 which was down 3.3 from 2023 but I did have some downtime with a leaking fuel cell.  Overall a great year and a continuation of my journey.  Airplane is in annual now but already planning new adventures for 2025.  Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!

One Last Approach

 

I took the plane down for annual this morning.  The plan was to do it around 10 AM but after the front came through Sunday, the weather was terrible this morning.  Low IFR everywhere.  Ironically I awoke to blue skies at my house.  While I could look up and see the sun shine that was not the case at departure or arrival.  I had a good sense that things would clear though.

It cleared on the North end first and I worked on stuff while refreshing the New Smyrna weather every so often.  Around 10 AM Daytona went to 1900' and New Smyrna was up to 600'.  I figured it was time to get going.  Departure weather was basic sunny and arrival had bumped up to 900'.  This was good enough for the minimums on all of the possible approaches so off I went.

The flight down is a short 82 miles but with the instrument approach it would be close to 100.  I levelled at 6000' and as I passed Saint Augustine the clouds started to fill in.  I picked up the AWOS, configured for the 25 approach and briefed the plate.  Checking in with Daytona they told me to expect 25.  A short time later they said, just kidding, they were switching to 7.  

The minimums on 7 are 500' vs. 303' but I figured that meant the weather was holding.  It was also better in that it would allow me to roll out and turn onto the mechanic's ramp.  After some quick vectors I was intercepting final.  I was expecting 900' but broke out at 1500'.  The visibility was excellent and I made a smooth touchdown to cap off my 2024 flying.  A quick review of my annual list with the mechanic and then I waited a few minutes for my buddy to pick me up.  We had a quick pop through the clouds and a nice ride home.

Not clearing till afternoon

I had planned to fly mid day but awoke to fog and a forecast for IFR through early afternoon.  CC was going to come along so I told her we would likely have to scrub the flight.  I still needed to be at the airport for a 9 AM meeting so off I went. The weather I was seeing was a lot better than forecast.  I called CC and said we were on for 10:30.

As the picture shows, not very IFR at the airport.  I finished my meeting and headed over to the plane to get ready.  The coast was clear but inland was still cloudy.  I figured this would make for a picturesque flight.  On departure I pulled the power way back and started a slow climb.  When flighttseeing, no need to burn a lot of gas and go fast.  As advertised the weather was clear by home but cloudy around the rest of town.  Leveling at 3000 we slid over to the West side and passed over Cecil field.  

The smooth air and puffy clouds were crying out for a practice instrument approach.  I already had flight following so after briefing the plate, I called approach and asked for an IFR clearance.  I was soon cleared and vectored for the GPS 36R.  The controller kept me high and tight so it was good practice.  The clouds were soft and not too deep.  We broke out at 1,200' and soon went missed.  Tower had us fly runway heading for a bit but we soon had a left turn to 270 and were back on approach.

Approach was busy so we waited our turn and climbed to 3,000' where we were able to check in and cancel IFR.  We then enjyed flying back to the coast and CC did some practice followed by a return to the airport.  I had an acceptable touchdown and we were soon pushing the plane back into the hangar.  Forecasts are great and all but you need to not be too reliant on them.  I was supposed to fly Saturday and the forecast was for good weather.  Well that didn't happen and I spent the day on the ground.