Justin’s Pilot Reports (PIREP)

I headed off to the airport this morning with a forecast that called for some scattered clouds and light winds. I’d filed an IFR flight plan for a quick hop from San Antonio Intl Airport to Stinson Municipal Airport where I planned to do some pattern work. I’d also planned to do the VOR 32 Approach to Stinson and hopefully get some “credit” with some actual IFR time during the approach.

Mother Nature had other plans about the weather…

This is an excerpt of Putting that IFR ticket to good use….
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Working two jobs (usability specialist by day, professional photographer by night/weekends) and a beautiful, 16-month old daughter have kept me very busy. So busy, that flying and blogging about flying have been quite infrequent.

Back in April I completed a thorough Instrument Proficiency Check with my flight instructor. It was a great experience because it demonstrated how quickly your IFR skills can get rusty.

I’ve also been busy cycling and have started commuting 1-2 days by bicycle to work to save gas, improve fitness and help the environment while I’m at it.

This is an excerpt of It’s been too long….
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For many pilots that operate out of large airports, the ATC advisory “Caution, Wake Turbulence”, is frequent on the airwaves. Pilots learn during flight training that the violent wake vortices from a large, jet aircraft are to be given a wide berth. The turbulence is behind the aircraft and descends below its flight path. It can be affected by wind so generally “behind and below” a larger aircraft is just someplace most of us flying light airplanes should avoid.

Here is a recent AOPA article that highlights the devastating consequence of encountering this turbulence and the reminder that flying at nearly full speed into such turbulence is a recipe for disaster…

This is an excerpt of That invisible threat….
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Sad news for aviation enthusiasts, the F-117A Stealth Fighter will be retired as of April 22nd, 2008. I’ve always enjoyed the look and mystery of the F-117A and it will be sorely missed…

Here’s the full article with details:
Air Force’s stealth fighters making final flights

This afternoon, I had the good fortune to occupy the right seat in a friend’s RV-9A, for a flight from San Antonio, TX to Llano, TX - home of the famous Cooper’s BBQ. This was my first flight in a RV and first impressions were very, very positive.

Now, let’s pause for a moment. For those of you who may be thinking that RV stands for recreational vehicle let me enlighten you. The RV is a series of airplanes created by Richard VanGrunsven who started Van’s Aircraft, Inc. in 1973 when he was a “skinny, young engineer from rural Oregon who set out to build a better airplane.”

This is an excerpt of The RV-9A experience….
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A few weeks ago I was having an end-of-year luncheon with several coworkers at the Tower of Americas. This unique building rises 750ft above downtown San Antonio and features a rotating restaurant that provides diners with an impressive 360 degree view.

Needless to say, the Tower is a prominent VFR landmark that is used frequently by approach controllers at San Antonio International as a waypoint for vectoring General Aviation traffic to the airport.

This is an excerpt of Two steps forward, one big step back….
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