Scott & Tanya Card RV9A build log (N4822C)

I did a couple of minor firsts today.
After completing an oil change, I decided to go for a little ride. Clouds were overcast to broken at 1800′. I launched VFR solo and bounced along underneath for a few minutes. The big stupid grin was well in place as usual. I saw a big bright spot on the ground up ahead a couple of miles. I fed in full power and 2600 rpm. As I approached the bright spot, I measured its diameter with my eye to be sufficient. Up I went. Out the top of the hole, it was a beautiful blanket of bright white calm clouds below me. I spent a little while entertaining myself VFR on top in the smooth air.

Headed back toward home, I contacted Austin Approach and got a local IFR from present position and requested the GPS 29 approach at Georgetown. I got a squawk and was cleared for the approach. I had never done this sequence of local popup IFR just for the approach. I told approach that I was direct the initial approach fix and headed down to 3000′. I was in the layer at about 4500′. This was another first for me. I’ve never flown single pilot IFR in actual conditions. It was perfect conditions for such an exploration. Another pilot onboard really does reduce the work load.

I arrived at the IAF at 3000′ and flew the approach by hand. Approach was calling VFR traffic below. I asked them to keep an eye on them as I was IMC. As I turned inbound down hill to the final approach fix, I broke out with well over a thousand feet AGL. I called the field in sight and got the frequency switch. After a touch-n-go, I did five more in different configurations. What could be more fun for an hour on a Tuesday morning?

Before we continue and anyone scoffs at us, let’s remember that we just came back from a very fun Las Vegas trip the week before my birthday. OK, on to what turned out to be a perfect birthday weekend. Saturday brought us a dark, gloomy sky all day that dropped about 3 inches of rain on us and up to 7 inches in the region. Since we are in an extreme drought and Lake Travis is at 50 year lows, rain was one of the best presents around. On Sunday, the gloomy remained, but it was much brighter with very little rain - a perfect day for my first real IFR flight. I’ve done some flights that are a few tenths actual IMC during climbs and decents on trips, but the approaches were always visual. I haven’t gone out yet to really explore this whole approaches in the clouds thing. Scott dutifully took up his seat next to me as a safety measure and helped with some of the button pushing. It was a simple flight, to Austin for a low approach and back, but it was extremely enlightening. I was pretty wiggly as we first entered the clouds and started dealing with the heading and altitude changes from Austin approach. Fortunately, I eventually got that under control, and the rest of the flight went off like a training run. I still think it is amazing to be completely surrounded by clouds, but be in a clear pocket so as to not actually be in one. What a visual treat. I guess the next perfect IFR day belongs to Scott.

As we taxied in, the tower wanted to know if Austin treated us well. Come to think of it, Austin did treat us very well. Since that isn’t always the case, I thanked the tower as it seems they may have smoothed the path over for me when they called Austin to get our clearance.

How about a few aircraft performance numbers from our Vegas trip.
On the way out there, I recorded: 12000′ MSL, 13600 Density Altitude, 18.9″ MAP, 2350 RPM, 6.8 GPH, 145 kts True, and still had a demonstrated 450 FPM climb capability.

Another recording was 8000′ msl, 9700′ DA, 22.2″ MAP, 2350 RPM, 7.0 GPH, 151 kts True.

Another recording was climb from 3000′ msl to 15000′ msl, decent to 1000′ msl, 2hrs block to block, burned 14 gal. At 15000′ msl (16800′ DA) we were doing 134 kts True on about 6.5 GPH and only 16.5″ MAP.
Note this was all on IFR flight plans. Any off course indications that you see on instrument pictures were approved deviations from ATC (for weather).

No alarm clock was needed thanks to the room next to us full of children with no adult supervision during the night hours. We were up and out the door with lots of time to get to our 7:45 briefing with flight lead, Dula. Somehow, we ended up at #2 off Dula’s wing. I’m not exactly sure how that came to be, but we were extremely lucky. Maybe the bag of cookies had something to do with it. Either way, we are going to have to figure out how to get some Blue Bell ice cream to Dula next trip to Vegas. Mark had a great trip planned for us. We launched all 13 RVs and joined up over the Colorado river south of Hoover Dam. Then he led us up the river and around the dam for another amazing view. It sure was nice having the local tour guide to help keep us out of trouble. A quick shot over to 1G4 to peer into the Grand Canyon once again and then up to the Valley of Fire. Wow - that was some color. Dula got us cleared through the class B airspace for a pass by the strip. Dang smoke - couldn’t even get the colors on the hotels. Regardless, it was quite impressive to see the strip from that angle. A pass over Red Rock Canyon - yep, the rocks are red. With the Garmin screaming Terrain, Terrain, as we headed toward a ridge, Dula turned us back toward Boulder City. He kept the helicopter traffic from crossing the runways while the 13 ship was landing and kept after them until all 13 planes were safely on the ground. What a fabulous tour - thanks Dula and Pat!

Scott didn’t get too take in many of the views since we were in a formation. Instead, he decided to make it a little training day for himself. He spent a lot of the time in route, but he’d pull in at times for some nice closeups of the belly of Dula’s RV. I even got some time with the stick and throttle in route. Needless to say, I stunk. This could be very cool when we get the 8 flying.

We fed 22C, tucked her away in the hangar, said “see ya later” to the flight of 13, and went in search of a shower and food. After some munchies and a $10 vodka seven, we dropped by Subway to grab lunch for the Sunday trip home. A dry Subway sandwich with packets of mustard and mayo for spreading on the go works great.

Back to the airport for the hangar party around 5. We managed to laugh away yet another evening. We sang a really horrible Happy Birthday to Deb and Rosie. We sure had a great time for their birthdays and hope they did, too.

The flight back Sunday wasn’t a problem since 22C doesn’t mind flying high. We flew at 15,000 from Andrews to home to stay above the cloud layers. The IFR ticket made getting up over the deck nice and easy. A few more tenths of actual in the log book. Of course, we still had to deviate for the afternoon storms that were popping up all over Texas, but nothing too far off track, and certainly nothing unsafe. It was sure nice to hear the voices in the tower welcoming us back home.

I never thought we could sleep so well in a hotel. Scott and I were wiped out from the flight Wednesday and then sleeping under the stars that even the hotel bed felt comfy. We woke up fairly early local time since we are two hours ahead of Vegas and trekked out to the airport for our Grand Canyon flight before it got hot. We flew through the Fossil and Tucks corridors, with Scott making some S-turns so that I could try to get some good pictures. It is a pretty impressive flight - even though we are still up pretty high and the visibility pretty poor due to the smoke floating in from the California fires. I didn’t get very many good pictures due to the haze. We wandered around the area a bit more, took a quick detour to look over the spot that we camped on the river, and headed back to Boulder City.

We tried to find some oxygen on the field to replenish for the flight home but came up empty. Luck struck again, and we ran into Dula at the FBO, and he sent us to Henderson Executive with perfect instructions. We had some lunch at The Landing, on the field, while the bottle was filled. Unfortunately, they put a nice gash in bottle while they were at it. $20 on the counter and back for a little rest before the first of Rosie & Deb’s birthday dinners. Beer, wings, and pizza at a local dive - just what the doctor ordered. We laughed away the evening, and I lost the coin toss to determine PIC for Saturday’s flight. Off to bed to be at the airport for the 7:45 briefing.