Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

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pjdavis
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Location: Freeland, MD

Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by pjdavis »

Hi Group,

Last Tuesday I did my dual cross country. I am flying a Bristell NG5 out of Lancaster. The trip was 123 miles. Of course I could not use the GPS for the 1st 2 legs. The final leg from KYHV (York PA) to KLNS Lancaster it was made available for my use. I was surprised That I found all my way points. I felt really good. I scheduled the my solo x-country for last Thursday. Unfortunately, it was fogged in and the plane was scheduled 2.5 hours later so I could not go. The schedule is getting tight So Friday afternoon I could get wto hours in the airplane for pattern work work and practice area. MY instructor came back in from a flight and told to stay put as he was getting beat up in air. So Monday afternoon I am back again - we did the flight plan, I did the pre-flight an was ready to go. I was told that Wilmington,DE was calling for 230 at 12, gusting to 17 (wind not available at KLNS.) lasting to 6 PM. The climb out was rough once I leveled out at 2,500 I was really getting knocked around and it seemed constant. I admit I was getting nervous and decided to head back. I contacted the tower, received my instructions, began my turn and decided to proceed to my original destination - again contacted the tower with my decision. This is what I experienced.....It was a very bumpy ride which was one hit after another - in other words it felt constant. I am sure my sub-consicious over control made it feel worse. I never experienced felt it so much as this. At that point I stopped looking for my way points and just flew the plane. Listened to the weather for KMQS (Chester County) rw 11 would have an 80 degree xwind. I took that. Not a good landing - but not that bad. I immediately noticed the departing airplane were coming off of rw 29. Needless to say I was not thinking fluently - did not think of checking with Unicom.
I called my instructor asked for advice. Yes I was the pilot in command so it was my decision. We discussed the next leg and determined it would be the same. The winds were picking up at KLNS and unexpected rain was beginning. He told me to sit tight and they would fly over to me. I will admit at that point I did not want to be the pilot on the way back. But I did, as we hit the bumps he reminded me about locking the controls, etc. It helped and also things began easing up too - I could see the end of the front. I did a great landing, we talked it out more - but I think I have developed a fear. The worse part is the next week or so is not looking good - heavy winds, etc. The schedule is getting real tight all of the sudden and it is getting hard to find an am spot. Excuse my long post - but I am looking for advice, experiences and most of all I do not think I know the difference between gusty winds and turbulence and or chop. I will discuss this with my CFI - so for now Dear Abby are you reading this? Yes I was told when the it gets tough - the tough get going - my toughest part of Monday was admitting I was frightened.

Thanks!

PJ
Nomore767
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by Nomore767 »

I remember an old salt once told me me, when I was starting out learning to fly, "if you've never been frightened as a pilot in a plane then you're not a very good pilot".
At the time I wasn't sure what to make of that statement but as the years passed and the flying hours accumulated I found that I was occasionally scared and sometimes frightened but learned from it.

Don't beat yourself up too much. I think from your post you acted like a 'pilot' and made PIC decisions that were both smart and sensible. Being PIC often means having to handle the unexpected and dealing with weather conditions worse than forecast and revising your plans and intentions, and acting accordingly. Sounds like you did well and your CFI has taught you well.

Turbulence, especially in light wing-loaded LSAs, can be an uncomfortable nuisance, and yes scary too.
I've been frustrated dealing with an errant transponder in my RV-12. Currently there is a hole in my panel with a few wires and cables hanging out but the other day I decided to fly to check a few things out before calling the avionics manufacturer. On the ground the weather was benign, calm winds and pleasant temperature. Aloft, however, the turbulence was continually annoying and occasionally brutal. I bumped my noggin on the bubble canopy with a couple of severe jolts. I decided to abort the 'test flight' and return to home field where the turbulence subsided in the pattern and I landed in the same calm wind I left with. Go figure.

RV-12 is back in hangar with a hole in the panel with wires coming out!
pjdavis
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by pjdavis »

Nomore767 - Thank you I appreciate you sharing your thought and experiences with me.
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drseti
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by drseti »

Howard, what model transponder do you have? I have a used but tested and yellow-tagged Garmin GTX-330 left over from my ADS-B upgrade, if you're interested.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
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drseti
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by drseti »

Howard, what model transponder do you have? I have a used but tested and yellow-tagged Garmin GTX-330 left over from my ADS-B upgrade, if you're interested.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
Nomore767
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by Nomore767 »

Paul,

Its an SV-XPNDR-261 from Dynon which is basically a Trig TT-22 if I'm not mistaken.

Thanks for the offer, I'm still trying to work with Dynon tech support, although I put the unit in the hands of the avionics shop on the field (mistake!) and it's been out a southeastern avionics shop since 12th Jan and I still don't know what the exact problem is. Hoping to get it back today and then I can deal with Dynon in earnest. Fortunately, Dynon has a 3 year warranty whereas Trig only offer 2, so I'm sticking with Dynon for now. Hopefully I can get the unit back in and per Dynon get some error codes/screen shots etc to forward to them.
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drseti
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by drseti »

That's the same transponder I just installed to achieve ADS-B Out compliance (hence the now surplus Garmin). Dynon tech support is great!
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
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MrMorden
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by MrMorden »

Turbulence in small airplanes can be very uncomfortable. I find that it helps to just kind of "roll with the punches" -- instead of trying to control your way through every bump, just let the airplane move around a bit, and just concentrate on staying in the ballpark on heading and altitude. Understanding that the airplane is *going* to bounce and buck, and that you don't have to fight it, can help a lot.

Also, slow down. It's easy to think "I just want this to be over" and try to go a little faster to get through the bumps, but try to resist the temptation. Of course you know that staying close to maneuver speed is smart for safety in strong turbulence, but it also has comfort benefits. Slower speed means less inertia, and the bumps will be less sharp. In my CTSW the difference between turbulence at 110kt and at 80kt is huge; at 110kt it feels like you are getting hit in the spine with a hammer on every bump, and at 80kt it's more like just being gently pushed around.

But don't get discouraged! My first couple of times through rough air, it was pretty scary and uncomfortable. Now 500hrs into my flying, it's more just an annoyance. The trick to acclimating to anything, is to just keep being exposed to it. It doesn't sound like anything that happened on your flight was dangerous, and so just keep that in mind and realize that flying is an adventure, and any real adventure has to take us out of our comfort zone sometimes.
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
pjdavis
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by pjdavis »

Thanks Andy! I have about 9 hours of solo - so I still feel a bit nervous away from the pattern - that I know I will overcome. I have hit the bumps before during solo flights - but this felt like I was in big rapids - so I felt....well you know! But my underwear remained clean! So I guess that is the next after flying the airplane!
Nomore767
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by Nomore767 »

Andy makes some good points.

Quite often getting a 'pirep' from another student or pilot can really help you decide whether to fly or not. As you're a new student it would behoove you to discuss with your CFI ( if he hasn't done so already) your own personal limits, as well as what the CFSuggests along with flight school policy. With more time under your belt you can revise those limits to where yore still comfortable.

When I flew the bumpy flight last week I tried a few different altitudes. Eastbound at 2500 I had slight bumps which increased through 3500 feet and almost diminished by 5500. Climbing through 4500 just below the scattered clouds there were a few strong thermals providing good jolts. Good for glider pilots not so much for LSA. I was shooting to get to 5500 which was above the scattered cloud layer expecting smoother air and was rewarded.
That said the winds aloft were shearing from the ground to 5500. I had a strong tailwind but like a canoe in a fairly strong stream I went along with the flow. As soon as I changed course and got the strong flow at an almost right angle I got some good jolts, not unlike the canoe in the stream now being tipped over as it goes across the stream. As Andy suggested, I reduced power, slowed down, and selected a different altitude.

The point is that this where the dull ground school course about winds aloft, cloud types, and temperature lapse rates impact your actual flying. As a pilot you absorb the info and relate it to your actual conditions and make decisions as to how you conduct your flight...as an 'aviator'.
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foresterpoole
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by foresterpoole »

PJ I think you made a good choice, you used your head and realized where your limitations were at the time. Kudos for confronting your fear, not panicking, and remembering to fly the airplane and not become a passenger. I believe this because I'm reading your post instead of reading an NTSB report. At the present time I'm hitting a wall dealing with the same thing. So far I've planned 5 X-country flights, every time I've checked the TAF's and they looked OK, briefing looked OK, but an hour of so before the METARs were telling a marginal story, winds very close to my cross wind personal minimums (5 kts) and I cancelled (or chickened out depending on your perspective). I tried one time and while I felt comfortable, looked at a fast moving front on radar and deduced it would be too close for comfort. I did an hour of local solo flying between two airports before the clouds started building, so I think I made a good decision to stay local. I think my CFI is getting a little impatient, but he has always commented "good call." Stay focused and positive!
Ed
Nomore767
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by Nomore767 »

Its good to realise that you guys that are starting out are rightly limited to good weather, reasonable winds and daylight. As you enhance your skills and build experience you can qualify for higher ratings and certificates. Fly at night, IFR, higher and faster, or for compensation. You can add specific ratings such as tailwheel or seaplane, and attend courses/seminars such as mountain flying, high density airports, grass strips etc In other words, there's always something to learn.

The point is that your frustration will (hopefully) decrease as you build time and experience.
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MrMorden
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by MrMorden »

Here's a nice little blurb on turbulence:

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/1 ... ail#228581
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
pjdavis
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by pjdavis »

Andy - thank you for sharing this with me!

Ed - thank you for sharing your experience with me.

I don't remember any of this being cover in ground school. Nor do I recall this being discussed in detail with my CFI.
RTK
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Re: Aborted Solo Cross Country - Got thrown arounbd in the Sky

Post by RTK »

Hi PJ,

I've got a challenge for you.

When you're driving home in your car (or around town this weekend), I want you to VERY CAREFULLY feel for how the car sways around turns, and all the road irregularities and bumps from potholes or speed bumps.

I say this because, as you've grown experienced as a driver, you've mentally tuned out some of these inputs as "normal" and just operate the car. You don't worry about the car leaning a few degrees in a turn, or driving over rough pavement. But if you can recall back to when you were a new driver, every sensation registered and you took heed of those inputs.

Now think of your flights. Your first flight with your CFI may have been a little uncomfortable. Maybe a few flights where you performed steep turns or stalls were uncomfortable. But you got used to them. The same thing with turbulence. It's uncomfortable, but you'll get used to it knowing the plane will still fly. You just need to make sure you keep the aircraft at or under maneuvering speed so you can use more deflection of the control surfaces without overstressing the controls. As PIC, you are in charge of determining when "enough is enough" and finding a suitable place to land the plane if turbulence becomes too great. Remember... you don't have to be anywhere. Take your time and make the right decisions (as PIC) on whether to continue a flight or not.

And don't fret... WX changes constantly. You may find that clear skies and calm winds may be around the corner. Just keep an eye on the WX.
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