Desert Pilot Podcast

Today I flew some instrument approaches into Gateway (IWA). I like flying into a towered airport because it is more like flying a real approach would be. Although it wasn't too busy today the controller vectored us past the final approach fix. oops, good thing it was just practice. Then after that we flew to Coolidge (P08) and did a GPS approach and came back. Like always you can see my flight in 3D   by downloading the file and opening it using google earth .

Ok so I didn't go too far south just down to Marana Regional Airport (AVQ). I still need a little more time to build up my time for commercial. On the way to Marana I stopped at a little airport called Phoenix Regional (A39) just north of Case Grande and I got out and walked around. Most people don't so I wanted to check out what was there. on the ground at A39 there was this house right on the taxi way that looks like it is a foreclosure (I could get it for cheap) very nice looking, few broken windows but other then that looks good. these are two very large radial engines that look like they've seen better days. It looks like a Baron, cool paint job, needs a little work. this office/hanger was also right on the runway and no one was in it. Also there is 100LL at A39 I never knew, doesn't show it on the charts. I didn't take many pics at AVQ seemed like an ok place might have to go back and try the restaurant out. Here are some old planes there....

I finally got my GPS to work when I was practicing VOR and ILS approaches into Case Grande (CGZ). You can see the crazy patterns to fly an approach. That's why I may seem like airlines are turning the wrong way sometimes. click here to get the file above to view in 3D using Google Earth

This week I went on a  Civil Air Patrol  flight. This mission was really awesome it was to go out and have the Air Force practice intercepting us. I was flying scanner and finished the scanner training up. Here are a few photos from the flight.

A friend from the Phoenix Pilot Group , Dave needed to go to Greenlee Co. ( CFT ) and wanted to practice some instrument approches for his instrument that he is working on. When he asked if I wanted to go and be a safety pilot I didn't really have to think long about it, I love to go flying. It was a good long flight in a Cessna 172. We did some VOR tracking and went to CFT then flew over and did a GPS approach into Safford ( SAD ). Then came back through the mountains and a ILS into Gateway ( IWA ). It was a good day. Here are some pics. On the ground at CFT it was a nice little strip nicer runway then SAD actually Dave getting out at SAD Good old Safford Regional Airport I think it is a really nice field and has lots of potential to be great. It has 2 great runways and lots of room, they need to have a good fly-in there. Flying out. It looks like I'm really short in this pic and I did realize how low my seat was until after I took it. click here to get the file to v...

My wife is getting pretty good with photoshop and I just wanted to show off her handy work. This is what she did some of the photos from a flight I had last week .

Check it out! The STS-128 crew on the International Space Station answered my question that I submitted a few weeks ago. My question starts 3:25 in the video. This was also live on NASA TV. thanks to the crew of STS-128.

Last night the Phoenix Pilot Group (PPG) had a full moon fly-in. I flew up with a guy name Andy and his son Jacob, in his friends Mooney. We headed out of Falcon Field a little after 6pm. We flew around Sky Harbor (PHX) and headed west to Blythe (BLH). We checked on the common frequency and found we were the last of 3 heading over but since the Mooney we were in was turbo charged we had no prob catching up. We headed through some rain that really wasn't too bad just we couldn't see for a little bit. After landing in BLH we walked over to a truck stop and had dinner then headed out in the night sky. Andy, Jacob, and I Flying in a little weather Inside the Mooney Sunset (thanks to Ken ) us eating dinner, we were the only ones there at the Union 76 truck stop full night moon the route back click here and view our route in 3D in Google Earth

Wednesday, Rock a friend of mine. Took me up for the first time in his Cirrus SR22 . He let me fly left seat and can I just say WOW. Cirrus aircraft are everything they advertise to be. Rock took off from Deer Valley and came down to Falcon Field to meet me. I know the map at the bottom isn't the cool new tracking GPS one. I forgot my GPS in the car but there was plenty of GPS on board. The plane had an integrated Avidyne PFD and MFD linked to 2 Garmin 430's and a Garmin 496 all with xm weather and storm scope. The plane was great to fly. It didn't feel like it was over powered but had plenty of power to get anywhere fast. The cockpit was one of the most roomy and most comfortable that I've been in. Everything in side just felt right it seems like the Cirrus guys where really thinking when designing this aircraft. The controls seemed to be right in the place they should be. Just all around very nice. We flew up to Sedona. I never been there, I don't know why I just ...

I talked about how I was checked out to to fly the CAP aircraft on my own time and I am but I'm going for mission pilot. In order to start the training for mission you have to finish 2 flights as scanner he is the guy in the back behind the pilot looking for things below. On the 1st I took a mission. It was early, like 4:30am in the morning, we flew south of Gila Bend and in the interest of OpSec we'll keep it at that what we did. All you need to know that it was fun and am just a little closer to mission pilot. The bird early in the morning. flying out out the back beautiful morning sunrise Me backseat flying