The Great Western Adventure

Our first leg was 503 nm from Newport News VA (PHF) to Smyrna TN (MQY) then to Addison TX (ADS) for another 542 nm. The weather was getting unstable towards the last leg but with XM WX and ARTCC looking at the storm cells we rerouted around them and kept a healthy distance from the building cells.

The next day we set out to Roswell NM (ROW) for gas and lunch. There were no aliens to be found but the scenery over the desert was spectacular. At ROW we replanned our route because of nasty storms near Albequerque and went south towards El Paso to get around the restricted area enroute to Chandler AZ (CHD) outside of Phoenix. We had a great dinner at the “Top of the Rock” that overlooks the Phoenix skyline.

At that point, we were thinking about heading back to home base and maybe trying to catch a glimpse of the Grand Canyon when we happened to meet a fellow aviator at our hotel who was watching us scheme and plan. His advice was, “You can’t be Lewis and Clark if you almost get near the Pacific and then go home”. Well, that was enough of a friendly poke to rethink the next flight and Catalina Island (AVX) was only 2+30 away so westward ho we went to collect trinkets and souvenirs to keep the homefront pacified. The weather around southern California was beautiful and the airport at Catalina was interesting with the 1500’ drop off at either end. It felt like looking at a carrier deck again, but with no arresting wires! Socal approach was helpful in vectoring us clear of the LAX traffic too.

Out of Catalina, we headed towards Vegas and landed in Barstow-Dagget CA (DAG) in the high desert for gas. We had been reading about flying in the Grand Canyon, and that was our next destination. The G1000 was a big help in allowing us to input lat/long user waypoints to mark the beginning and end of two of the VFR corridors. We got the chart, read up on the procedures and set off for a photo recce of the canyon. We also figured out why we were the only crazy aviators to be flying in the afternoon….the winds were high, it was hot outside and the turbulence was rough. We stayed at the corridor altitudes (11,500 and 10,500) just to have more options if we had to make an emergency landing, but the pictures came out great anyway. We bumped our way over the canyon then decided to forget the second corridor and keep heading to Albuquerque NM.

The last day was the longest flying day. We took off early in the morning as the balloons were rising north of Albuquerque, climbed east between the mountains and over the interstate, then settled in as the terrain below turned from desert to the plains of West Texas to trees again in Oklahoma and Missouri. This leg was 724 nm and took 5+45 to get to West Plains MO (UNO) with perfect VFR conditions. We needed to stand for a while and hoped to borrow the courtesy car but alas it had just had a flat tire. But we talked to a guy in the FBO (Jack Bowman) who happened to be the airport manager for the county (Pomona MO) and he offered to take us to a nearby restaurant that had great hamburgers and local fare. Jack turned out to also be the local auctioneer, guitar player in a country band and motorcycle rider with the local club.

Out of UNO, we filed direct to Bristol TN and actually got it. That seems to never happen in our local neck of the woods. Storms in the southeast were building rapidly and ARTCC and the XM WX helped keep us to the north of the storm systems. We had a few pop up cells but we could visually stay clear and center was getting flight plan deviation requests from everybody including us. The flight from Bristol (TRI) to Newport News was at night and we got to see a picturesque red moonrise. It was a long day with 1500 nm of flying but was worth it to see the landscapes of the states we had travelled across.

A few observations we made:
1. The G1000/GFC 700 autopilot was a great help. We alternated flying each leg and exercised the knobs and buttons to the fullest on the G1000. In 36 hours of flying you have a lot of time to fiddle with every function and button on the system. SVT is a great invention.
2. We planned for an emergency landing in the desert by packing tents, sleeping bags, survival tools and water.
3. We had a backup portable gps and portable radio with lots of batteries.
4. The controllers will generally work with you if you are prepared and considerate of them. Diverting left and right of course to get around cells was never a problem and several controllers offered different routing to bypass storm cells. The XM WX was generally agreeing to what the controllers were painting on their radar. We realized the satellite picture was dated but it did provide a strategic picture.
5. There are some real characters at the airports and places we visited. Talking with those folks really made the trip.
6. After flying a long leg (anything approaching 4+00) we made a pact to go get something to eat and be away from the plane for at least an hour.
7. The next time, we want to stay for a while in some of the places we landed and see more of the towns, attractions and friends. This was a good trail blazer. Now we have no excuses for that DAA fly-in in Utah!
8. The calculated fuel burn was a couple of gallons higher than the actual fuel burn. The fuel gages were dead on accurate.
9. I’d do it again! (But I need a few days to recover).

Air Refueling in the KC135 from John Armstrong on Vimeo.

Here at GlassPilot we enjoy sharing information about modern aircraft and the impact the technology is having on the way we fly. Sometimes we like to share unique experiences and flying destinations for our readers to enjoy.  In this video we have the opportunity to share the experience of a recent flight on an Air Force Air Refueling Tanker. I was invited on a Civic Leader orientation flight.  The entire process was truly amazing.

In a typical refueling the KC135 might give an F15 3000 lbs or 500 gallons of fuel in only minutes.  The F15′s follow the tanker and the boom operator guides the fuel nozzle into a special fitting on the top of the aircraft. The song on the video seemed to fit as it says, “follow-me home and give me 5″. In one refueling mission the KC135 can deliver more fuel than the average driver would use in over 40 years of driving!

Though there are lots of engine gauges you’ll see that they don’t have anything on our modern GA panels! In fact, the aircraft was built the same year I was born and has been updated with glass avionics systems. In this updated form it is still the workhorse of the Air Force for refueling today. I think you’ll enjoy the video, check it out.  JA for GlassPilot.com

One of the most amazing things about our new digital glass panels we lucky pilots get to enjoy is their connection to the satellites. We not only use the GPS satellites for easy advanced navigation but we also obtain our current weather radar, Metar, Sigmet, Airmet, TFRs, Freezing levels, winds and more via satellites.

This wonder of technology is made possible through the delivery of the data from the XM Radio (nasdaq: XMSR) satellite network. Yes, this is the same network that many of you use to entertain yourself in the cockpit of your Chevy or Lexus as the case may be.

We can also enjoy the many channels of audio while we fly too. Don’t underestimate the enhanced enjoyment this little addition brings. I’ve enjoyed many a sunset evening coming in to land with just the right tune playing in the background and a smile on my face…it is the perfect crowning touch to our new digital cockpits and it’s quite refreshing.

Speaking of refreshing…sometimes it is necessary to “Refresh” the activation signal to our Garmin G1000 unit either the first time or again after a change to the system or if something is not working quite right. The process is actually quite simple and only requires that you have your digital identifiers from your unit known as the Data ID and the Audio ID. With that info in hand you can go to www.refresh.xmradio.com and follow the instructions below.

	To refresh a radio previously activated through the Listener Care Center, XM’s eCare Website, or an Automotive Trial, please follow the instructions below. Position your XM radio antenna so that it has a clear view to the sky. If using a home unit, make sure the antenna is located in a south-facing window. Turn on your XM radio and tune to Channel 0 to obtain the 8-digit XM radio ID. NOTE: Please check your ID code carefully. None of the following letters are used: “I” (eye), “o” (oh), “S” or “F”. Tune your XM radio to Channel 1 and verify that you can hear the XM Preview Channel. Enter the 8-Digit XM Radio ID Here:

SVT First Look Video

Thanks to our friends at AOPA
you can watch the
Synthetic Vision First Look Video.

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My kids never seem to stop being amazed that when I tell them there were no computers, CD’s, iPods, or anything digital when I was young.

Yes, we’ve come along. Up to this point aviation has been to a certain degree the last hold out in the digital revolution. Not so any longer. We have recently pasted a “tipping point” where the transition to digital flight for general aviation has radically accelerated and flying will never be the same again. There is much to know about these advanced machines and that is where GlassPilot.com comes in.

GlassPilot.com is intended to help pilots and aspiring pilots be exposed and educated to the value, potential, safety, and comfort these advancements bring while providing access to the evolving tools, training options and support available to help them enjoy the full advantages of flying “glass”.

So, come along and enjoy the ride with us!

GlassPilot.com