Flight 107

09-17-00

C172M

0A7-W91-2N8

5.1 solo; two landings

[LEG ONE]

"Superb weather- mild xwind @ 7500 in Va. area- found W91 very easily- great landing!!"


  This days' flying begins well- with only high scattered clouds, the area north of Hendersonville shows its lush beauty, and the mountains are receding behind me. I am content, and so is the airplane. As I approach Pilot Mountain, a tall, flat mound in the woods near the Virginia border, I snap a picture of it, with Mr. Mysterioso standing watch in the foreground. Soon the Mt. Airy NDB waypoint is behind me, and eventually I come upon the sprawling beauty of Smith Mountain Lake. This time, arriving at the dam first, I have no trouble locating the airport, and make a very good approach and really satisfying landing.
The drill that follows is routine now: postflight inspection, close flight plan, refuel, bathroom break,beverage, briefing, run-up, depart.



[LEG TWO]

"Tricky wind- poor nav, but letdown to 2N8 went well...landed long(!) What a long, strange trip..."

"Over 24 hours flying in 4 days!! more flying than I did all last year!!"


As I settle in for this final leg, I find myself changing heading quite a bit to compensate for shifting wind that is increasing in intensity. But it is mostly a tailwind, and soon we're zipping along at about 170 knots groundspeed! This is good, because I now feel hurried- very suddenly, my bladder feels like it is going to explode. I am not worried, because I have prepared for this by packing a couple of "Travel Johns"- bags that contain a chemical that will turn any liquid to gel instantly, allowing easy storage without risk of spilling urine all over the carpeting. But I see that it is one thing to read the directions, and another to actually use this thing without pissing all over oneself. I have to loosen the seatbelt a little, try to scoot up in the seat some, unzip my fly, get "Little Elvis", as he's sometimes known, to cooperate with this plan, hold the thing in place, and do what I must  (must!) do... all while keeping 3KK on an even keel without varying altitude, as the frenzied wind keeps whipping us along.

  Finally I am in position, and can relax and relieve myself, happy that it is actually working... then Charlotte hands me off to Baltimore.
  I somehow free up a hand to jot down the frequency, and find myself talking to ATC while peeing into a bag. It is a very new and interesting experience, and I almost want to tell them about it. I toss the very full bag into the back seat and start hunting for the next waypoint.


By the time I get near Philadelphia's airspace,I realize I'm a bit lost... the wind is veering again, and my planned waypoints are not sufficient to deal with this. But I don't stray very far, and get sorted out by the time I'm abeam the big airport. I am now talking to Philadelphia Approach, and they alert me to some heavies climbing eastward. They are all easy to spot, and are "no factor".

The descent to 2N8 goes well vertically, but not horizontally. Marlboro Airport is just not where it should be... I decide I'm west of course, and turn east, but soon find myself right near Old Bridge Airport, several miles east of my goal. I am puzzled by this error until I realize I'm very tired. Knowing I'm a little worn-out becomes a distraction as I make my approach to my home field, and I end up landing quite long on that challenging runway, realizing as I finally stop 3KK near the very end that I should have gone around and tried again.

I am drained but exhilarated, proud but ashamed, and generally sad it's all over... but very happy to be home safe!

And no squawks from 3KK; not a single problem of any kind!! She is an excellent airplane, and I am very proud to have brought her home safe, as well. For days after this trip, whenever I am seated, I will find myself unconsciously shifting to compensate for her gentle rocking and bobbing, even though I am sitting on the ground... and it will make me wish I was flying her.

As I pay for my fuel in the office, a man approaches me to talk to me about that landing, and offers a friendly lecture, which I've heard before from others who know this field well.I am patient about it... it doesn't bother me until I find out later that he owns the airport!! I seem to have bad luck with who witnesses my bad landings!   

But overall it was a well-executed adventure, and I learned more in those 24 hours of flight than I ever did during my training, or in all the hours since I got my "license to learn".