Flight 94

03-18-00

C172

N07-12N-N07

1.5 solo; 2 landings

"pilotage; DR; S-turns; steep turns; MCA...nice short landing at andover- stopped b4 midfield!"


scattered hi clouds, lite NW wind, @10 F

The plan today is to successfully navigate over to Andover/Aeroflex, and make a nice landing there.

I'd failed to spot the little airport on an earlier flight, so I take a long, hard look at the chart during the week before the flight. I'm amazed at how easily I'd missed it- there's a wealth of distinctive landmarks in the vicinity.
Determined to do better this time, I stride out into a very cold but dry morning to preflight good ol' 25L. I notice her electric engine preheater is plugged in- excellent. After checking the paperwork, I hit the master and lower the flaps.

KA-POPP!!!

What the-?!I stop the flaps where they are, fearing the worst. Should I have done my walk-around first? Surely, something was stuck in there... loose branch? A wrench?

Breaking my usual routine, I duck under the wing to look. Hmmm. A few dozen drops of water had seeped between the leading edge of the flap and the trailing edge of the wing and frozen solid, effectively gluing the two surfaces together. I hadn't seen frozen droplets on the windscreen or anywhere else earlier as I approached the plane... odd. Turns out there are a few more small but rock-hard blobs of ice on top of the wings, and even a couple on the windscreen that I'd missed. I've seen frost on planes before, but this is weird. I theorize that it was blown off the hangar roof by the wind and froze instantly on contact. whatever. I recycle the flaps... they seem fine. I finish my preflight normally, carefully picking off what blobs of ice I can.

The wind is kind this morning; good takeoff. But I realize something's wrong as I glance at the altimeter on climbout- I'm not sure, but I think I forgot to set it. I'd followed the checklist, but missed that particular instrument. Or did I?
Decision time. Forge ahead, hoping to acquire a local setting via radio, or land immediately and set it for field elevation? Well, the local skies are busy already, and this flight is all about precision... besides, I muse as I turn crosswind, it can't hurt to make a practice landing here first, before tackling N12.
I rely on the visual relationship between strut and runway to determine altitude, noting that I seem high, according to the altimeter. Indeed. After landing, my suspicion is confirmed. I reset it, then check it again before takeoff. Won't do that again...

Right... time for some good pilotage. There are several small lakes enroute- a mixed blessing, as they are always less distinctive from the air than they appear on the chart. All goes well, and soon I get the urge to do something other than following a straight line. There's a nice long stretch of hiway below, so I decide to do some S-turns. No problem there: been a while, but I make 3 passes and am satisfied that I can still do that properly.

Encouraged, I decide next to try something new- a chandelle. I make a right clearing turn, then dive a bit for more airspeed. I forget to start the shallow turn right away as I climb back up, but the downhill side works much better. Fun. But I'm forgetting my plan- on to Andover!

My capers have left me astray of my course, and it takes a few minutes to get re-oriented. I climb to pass high over the field, wanting to get a good look at it.

It's very pretty down there in the crisp morning air. I turn around to set up a normal 45 entry to downwind, and as I cross the runway at 2000, I see a Husky taking off, climbing out over the pond north of the field.

  My descent and entry are good, except for a little crowding on downwind. I try to work with it instead of jinking out, then foolishly turn base too soon... at the top of final, I see I'm way too high for this distance. I could probably salvage this, but that's not what I'm here to do today. I go around and focus hard on a mental picture of the pattern as I gaze over the lovely late-winter landscape.This time I wind up over-compensating: final is a bit long, but it gives me lots of time to set up. There's another pond just south of the runway; so close to the threshold I begin to think I might flare over the water and still put it on the numbers, but decide to wait just one or two seconds more, flaring just about at the threshold. 25L plops onto the runway gently, stall horn blaring... there's a taxiway/ramp area midfield, might just... yes!! I brake gently, just one brief, firm push, and I find myself less than halfway down this 2000-foot runway. Cool.

I decide to roll down to the end, just to appreciate how much runway I've got left.... nobody else is in the pattern or on the taxiway.
  According to the AFD, transient aircraft are limited to 2 landings... I think about trying another, check my watch, and opt to head home right away.

I like this little airport: you fly low over water coming and going, regardless of wind. Not the safest arrangement if the engine quits, but very comforting to know for sure there's nothing sticking up near the glide path. And it's just fun.
I turn east, following the power lines leading back towards N07. Another good approach and landing; good flight.