Mith's Log set 2 - KELP-KBFL

Flight Date: January 26 2006
Departure: 08h22 (15h22 GMT)
Arrival: 10h22 (17h23 GMT)
From: KELP - El Paso Intl - Usa
To: KTUS - Tucson Intl - Usa
Nbr of Passengers: 2

Flight Distance: 232 Nm Landing Speed: 75.95 kt
Time Airborne: 01h46:22 Landing Touchdown: -216.15 ft/m (nice)
Flight Time (block): 02h01:18 Landing Pitch: 1.89°
Time On Ground: 00h16:30 Landing Weight: 2954 lbs
Average Speed: 131.48 kt Total Fuel Used: 172 lbs
Max. Altitude: 12286ft Fuel Not Used: 312 lbs
Climb Time: 00h09:04 Climb Fuel Used: 23 lbs
Cruise Time: 01h20:10 Cruise Fuel Used: 123 lbs
Average Cruise Speed: 149.76 kt (M0.23) Cruise fuel/hour: 92 lbs (calc)
Descent Time: 00h17:08 Descent Fuel Used: 25 lbs

Passenger Opinion: Exceptional flight (100%)
-Are pleased to have landed right on schedule.

Overall Flight Result: Perfect

Pilot Bonus points: 330 points
You made a very nice landing. (+50)
Perfect Flight, no problems and very satisfied passengers. (+150)
You landed at the scheduled airport. (+30)
Precise arrival time at destination.(-00h01:19 difference) (+100)

Boy, if I'm going to continue carrying passengers I'll definately need to start charging them for the flight. I've been generous so far, but this plane is expensive to keep in the air. Not to mention the cost for fuel. Some of my passengers have insisted on paying, but I haven't yet brought up the issue of paying to travel first with them.

While I was roaming the streets of El Paso last night I purchased a camera so I could take pictures when I have a chance while flying. It turned out to be good timing as we headed over some mountains on our way to Tucson (KTUS).

I''ve attached one picture here. I'm not sure what these are called, but they are 28nm East of CIE. It felt good to see some real mountains again and grass after all that desolate terrain we flew over.

My passengers seemed to have really enjoyed the trip. We were at 12,000ft with very little cloud cover. Those ATC at Tucson, however, are a different story.

We were approaching Tucson when I was instructed to descend from 11,000 to 9,4000. From what I could tell they had me pointed downward toward a rather huge and not-too-friendly looking mountain. A moment later after I had descended below 10,000 feet they instructed me to climb back up 11,000. Obviously they realised what they had done and didn't like the idea of my little plane in a hundred piecese on that mountain. I didn't like that idea either especially with me in the plane.

I'm also mastering landing to an art form. My taxiing skills still need a lot of fine-tuning though. Oh well...time for an earlier dinner and another attempt to reach my friends here. I told them I was coming, but they're not answering their phone.

Flight Date: January 27 2006
Departure: 20h00 (03h01 GMT)
Arrival: 20h29 (04h29 GMT)
From: KTUS - Tucson Intl - Usa
To: KYUM - Yuma Mcas Yuma Intl - Usa
Nbr of Passengers: 1

Flight Distance: 187 Nm Landing Speed: 56.96 kt
Time Airborne: 01h15:18 Landing Touchdown: -305.38 ft/m
Flight Time (block): 01h28:26 Landing Pitch: 1.19°
Time On Ground: 00h14:29 Landing Weight: 2764 lbs
Average Speed: 149.69 kt Total Fuel Used: 133 lbs
Max. Altitude: 6171ft Fuel Not Used: 351 lbs
Climb Time: 00h05:06 Climb Fuel Used: 14 lbs
Cruise Time: 01h01:28 Cruise Fuel Used: 107 lbs
Average Cruise Speed: 162.84 kt (M0.25) Cruise fuel/hour: 105 lbs (calc)
Descent Time: 00h08:44 Descent Fuel Used: 11 lbs

Passenger Opinion: Good flight (88%)
-Were irritated by the excess G-forces. (+2.95).

Overall Flight Result: Perfect

Pilot Bonus points: 30 points
You landed at the scheduled airport. (+30)

Well, I know not to go to Tucson ever again. I didn't meet up with my friends so I decided to go to a restaurant in the area. While I was eating there some character decided he didn't like me. He kept making rude comments about my weight. Yes, I am a big guy, but don't make fun of me within earshot.

I stood up and offered the guy a chance to apologize to me for the comments. He refused and started up again. Anger got the better of me and I popped him square in the face. He must have thought I would just walk away, but not this old, fat man.

Needless to say, I got a visit from the police. The lady who was with the man told them they would not press charges because he was being an ass. I did, however, get a nice but embarassing escort back to the airport. It never looks good when that happens. All they said was 'don't ever come back' and I don't intend to.

Surprisingly I still got a passenger after that little show. One of the mechanics that servicced my plane asked where I was headed and if he could get a ride to Yuma (KYUM). He paid for his ride by not charging me for the work he did on the plane. When he wasn't snoozing Alonzo was quite a wealth of information.

So, off we went to Yuma and the flight was pleaesant until the landing. I got to do a visual vectors landing in some nasty fog. Oh well...I got us back down to Earth in one piece and now to bed to head over to Los Angeles tomorrow. I'm sooooo dreading this part. I expect to be in holding or waiting a while to land since it's so busy there.

Edit: I forgot last night to add this. As we were leaving KTUS I had to turn the plane around to head to Yuma. Litle does my escort on the ground know that I flipped them off as we passed overhead. Alonzo got a kick out of that and I felt a little better too.

Flight Date: January 28 2006
Departure: 17h20 (01h20 GMT)
Arrival: 18h52 (02h53 GMT)
From: KYUM - Yuma Mcas Yuma Intl - Usa
To: KLAS - Mc Carran Intl - Usa
Nbr of Passengers: 2

Flight Distance: 206 Nm Landing Speed: 67.95 kt
Time Airborne: 01h22:58 Landing Touchdown: -306.15 ft/m
Flight Time (block): 01h32:46 Landing Pitch: 2.46°
Time On Ground: 00h11:01 Landing Weight: 2985 lbs
Average Speed: 149.63 kt Total Fuel Used: 156 lbs
Max. Altitude: 10026ft Fuel Not Used: 328 lbs
Climb Time: 00h13:56 Climb Fuel Used: 33 lbs
Cruise Time: 00h53:41 Cruise Fuel Used: 98 lbs
Average Cruise Speed: 170.58 kt (M0.26) Cruise fuel/hour: 109 lbs (calc)
Descent Time: 00h15:21 Descent Fuel Used: 25 lbs

Passenger Opinion: Exceptional flight (100%)

Overall Flight Result: Perfect

Pilot Bonus points: 180 points
Perfect Flight, no problems and very satisfied passengers. (+150)
You landed at the scheduled airport. (+30)

As I sat in my hotel room this morning looking over maps I realised something...why fly to Los Angeles when Las Vegas is within reach? Needless to say here I am in Las Vegas (KLAS). Don't expect any updates from me for a day or 2. Hopefully I can win a bunch of money to reccoup what I lost when I got to the airport in Yuma. The tires on the right side needed replacing on the plane; must be my rough landings.

Two nice ladies accompanied me here to Las Vegas and we're about to hit the town together. I sure do hope my wife never reads this. Remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Flight Date: January 31 2006
Departure: 17h31 (01h32 GMT)
Arrival: 19h17 (03h18 GMT)
From: KLAS - Mc Carran Intl - Usa
To: KBFL - Meadows Fld - Usa
Nbr of Passengers: 2

Report:

Flight Distance: 192 Nm Landing Speed: 104.93 kt
Time Airborne: 01h24:56 Landing Touchdown: -234.62 ft/m (nice)
Flight Time (block): 02h01:06 Landing Pitch: -1.83°
Time On Ground: 00h36:25 Landing Weight: 2945 lbs
Average Speed: 136.31 kt Total Fuel Used: 160 lbs
Max. Altitude: 12063ft Fuel Not Used: 324 lbs
Climb Time: 00h12:16 Climb Fuel Used: 33 lbs
Cruise Time: 00h53:48 Cruise Fuel Used: 96 lbs
Average Cruise Speed: 144.95 kt (M0.23) Cruise fuel/hour: 107 lbs (calc)
Descent Time: 00h18:52 Descent Fuel Used: 30 lbs

Passenger Opinion: Exceptional flight (100%)

Overall Flight Result: Perfect

Pilot Bonus points: 230 points
You made a very nice landing. (+50)
Perfect Flight, no problems and very satisfied passengers. (+150)
You landed at the scheduled airport. (+30)

What a weekend!!! I'm definately coming back to Las Vegas a lot. I had a wonderful time and so did those 2 ladies that flew with me. We did a lot of fun things, some of them unmentionable.

But, as always, good things must come to an end. On to Bakersfield (KBFL) I flew with 2 more passengers. We didn't get any turbulence so it was a very smooth flight.

After I checked myself into a nearby hotel here and let myself fall into the bed without even worrying about the bags I just threw on it. Ithen turned on my cell phone.

My phone had quite a busy time the past few hours. More importantly, Berta from a few days ago called me and gave me a number to call when I get back to Seattle. She didn't say much more than that. I called her phone back to aqcknowledge that I got her message.

I also got another of those friendly messagessaying that I'm ready to be certified C2. Just havve some paperwork to fill tomorrow and I'm one step closer to the big planes.

Yet another call wasa from my wife wondering where the hell I'm at. I think I will need to haul it tomorrow. I think I'm close enough to make one flight tomorrow and get back to Seattle. It'll be cutting it a little too close than I'd like though. I'll know more tomorrow; right now I"m too tired to be fumbling over maps and charts.

Also, one of the passengers was nice enough to take a photo for me as we took off from KLAS. Very nice shot of the airport and strip.

-- Sorry, ImageShack is being a pain to me right now. The pictures are at my blog at http://spaces.msn.com/mithflyer/
-- I'll post the proper links here once I've fixed my 'problem'.