Date Night

I let my night currency lapse over the summer but with the early sunset, I headed out last week and completed three take offs and landings to a full stop.   Now that I was current I could once again carry passengers at night.  Who better than my wife so I planned a date night.  

Technically this would not be a full night flight.  We would depart just after sunset which does not count as night, night starts at 30 minutes after sunset.  Landing currency only counts an hour after sunset.  As you can see from the pictures, It's not really dark right after sunset.    We headed up to the airport around 4:50, gave the plane a good preflight and checked the lights.  We spun the props at offical sunset, 5:26 which meant it was still rather bright.  

I went ahead and put on all the internal lights as darkness sneaks up on you and it's best to be fully set up.  On departure we headed North up the coast.  I was hoping to make the sun rise.  You can bring the sun into view by climbing if it's just after sunset.  You are just playing with the geometry but today we had solid clouds out West so there was no bringing the suns disc back into view. 

Heading to Saint Simons we went from twighlight to darkness and by the time we were making our turn to head home, the people on the ground were in the dark.  We still had a gentle glow at 3,000' but it started to fade quickly.  Soon it was really dark, night had arrived and it was time for us to land.  My landing was good, not perfect but not jarring and with no other traffic, I let the plane roll down the runway and saved my brakes.

The taxi back to the hangar was quick.  I had dimmed my hangar lights which was good as there was plenty of light to see but it was not blinding.  We had the plane put away, the chocks set and the hangar closed in short order.  Part two of the date was dinner at Safe Harbor seafood.   It's been a while since I have gotten back to the place and it's still great.  Fresh seafood and I like sitting out on the river.  We even got to see a large car carrier making her way out to sea.  And yes the iPhone does make night look like day.

I really enjoy night flight when I have a second engine and we started strategizing dinner locations for future dates.

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.