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-   -   Off to visit Mom (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=92974)

N941WR 11-09-2012 05:53 PM

Off to visit Mom
 
With a few weeks off between jobs, I decided it was time to stretch my legs. Nothing like what Vlad does but still a bit longer than the usual BBQ run.

After installing a new battery in the -9 on Wednesday, my wife dropped me off at the airport Thursday, just before lunch.

At 17:15Z I fired up the O-360. While the oil was warming up, I plugged in IKW (Midland, MI), dialed in the altitude (8,500’) on the Dynon AP, did a control check and basically waited for the oil temp to climb into the green.

With the oil up to temp I taxied to the end of runway 5 and checked the ignition. Everything seemed normal, so it was time to launch.

While still under the Charlotte Class Bravo I called up Charlotte departure and requested flight following. They were kind enough to give me a squawk as I was passing through 3500’. Then, just about as I cleared their mode C ring, they canceled flight following and suggested I contact Atlanta Center, if I wanted flight following. Heck yes, I wanted flight following, I was heading up over the mountains and wanted to make sure someone had my back, if things got quiet.

Atlanta picked me up quickly and asked me to squawk 7142.

Knowing I was planning on a 520 nautical mile flight I dialed back to about 145 KTAS and LOP. I thought fuel wouldn’t be an issue. Remember, the -9 holds 36 gallons, and is really designed for miserly O-320, not the fuel gulping O-360. At those speeds, the engine uses about 7 GPH.

Up at 8500’ I realized the winds were basically right on the nose and blowing at 30 knots. Thank you Dynon for the wind velocity vector, it is really helpful in calculating the expected fuel (and runway) usage.

Knowing I might have to deal with headwinds on this flight, I had planned ahead and decided to use AOH (Lima, OH) for a fuel stop, if needed. An hour into the flight, after doing some simple math, I called up ATC and changed my destination to AOH, and made a slight deviation to the west. No need to wait until the fuel situation got ugly to decide to use my “out”, so I started heading there, while notifying ATC of the change in destination.

Once clear of the Appalachian Mountains and over Ohio, ATC asked me to drop down 4500’ and deviate east to duck under the Buckeye MOA, which just went active. While it was bumpy down there at 4500’, the wind was now a left crosswind and not a headwind. So, that was good news.

Almost immediately after ducking under the MOA, ATC called to say the MOA just went cold. WTF? So, with the cold MOA above and bumpy air at 4500’, I quickly climbed back up to 6500’ and realized the winds were still on the left wing and not on the nose. Once again, some more calculating and I asked ATC to change my destination back to IKW.

With the slight detour I took towards Lima, OH my flight path was now lined up to scoot over Toledo and just to the west of Detroit’s Class Bravo. So, no deviation required to get around / under Detroit.

As I passed FNT (Flint, MI) the scattered clouds became a solid undercast. A quick right turn lined me up with a BIG hole where I was able to drop under the clouds and continued the rest of the flight at 2500’

The landing was uneventful and when I checked the Hobbs after shutting down I realized it took me exactly 4.0 hours to fly from IPJ to IKW.

The numbers from the flight are even more impressive:

598 SM (520 NM)
4.0 hours from engine startup to engine shutdown
27.42 Gallons of 100LL (60% power LOP)
$150.83 cost of fuel
2 transponder codes
15 frequency changes
7 fuel tank changes
1 snack

Here is where this gets interesting. If I had driven my truck, it would have been a 729 mile drive, taking 12 hours 17 minutes, 39.4 gallons of regular unleaded (based on 18.5 MPG), which works out to $141.86 (based on $3.60/gallon). Add to that the cost of tolls, food, etc. and it would have cost me a lot more to have driven.

For those of you who are still pounding rivets, keep going! It is all worth it!

Don 11-09-2012 08:34 PM

Bill,

Good story - and practical, too. I have owned my 9a two weeks today and the fuel economy is still surprising me. It's not quite as good as my Camry but pretty close. And, as you note, tolls and meals eat up most or all of the savings and you can get to your destination so much faster, too. The only thing you didn't mention is the fun factor - how much fun would it have been to drive to Michigan?

Take some pictures on your way back and tell us how it goes.

hydroguy2 11-10-2012 09:40 AM

Good trip and planning options.

Next time try a different power setting. I do 8.2gph and >170ktas. So your same trip would be just over 3hrs and about the same fuel used. On our KOSH trip this summer traveling with a couple other RVs, I took off last and landed first at each stop. I was usually done fueling when the others landed and took less doing it.

YellerDaisy 11-10-2012 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by N941WR (Post 715226)
If I had driven my truck, it would have been a 729 mile drive, taking 12 hours 17 minutes, 39.4 gallons of regular unleaded (based on 18.5 MPG), which works out to $141.86 (based on $3.60/gallon). Add to that the cost of tolls, food, etc. and it would have cost me a lot more to have driven.

Very nice!! Cheaper, quicker, better view, less stress/road rage, and much more fun - can't argue with that.

N941WR 11-10-2012 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydroguy2 (Post 715362)
Good trip and planning options.

Next time try a different power setting. I do 8.2gph and >170ktas. So your same trip would be just over 3hrs and about the same fuel used. On our KOSH trip this summer traveling with a couple other RVs, I took off last and landed first at each stop. I was usually done fueling when the others landed and took less doing it.

Good idea Brian. My real challenge is running LOP due to my carb. I typically start leaning it at 65% and when I get down to my LOP setting I'm at 60% power or a little less.

Doing the math in Excel it looks like your power settings only costs me 15 miles and should allow me to complete the trip 30 minutes faster and the fuel burn difference is negligible. Looks like I have something to try on the way home. Thanks for the suggestion.

Vlad 11-10-2012 04:49 PM

How do you manage this Bill?

Quote:

and basically waited for the oil temp to climb into the green

I NEVER get my oil temp in the green before takeoff. Even in Yuma, AZ with this level






Could be gage error? Mine is round from Vans.

hydroguy2 11-10-2012 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by N941WR (Post 715459)
?.....My real challenge is running LOP due to my carb. ......

I forgot you have a carb and a fixed prop. That may affect the numbers somewhat. Still a fun test to run.

N941WR 11-10-2012 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydroguy2 (Post 715493)
I forgot you have a carb and a fixed prop. That may affect the numbers somewhat. Still a fun test to run.

What can I say, I'm cheap!

The real problem was the headwinds knocking my ground speeds down. At some point I just pull back and conserve fuel but I'm not sure I'm doing that any more.

N941WR 11-11-2012 08:30 PM

Weather was moving in so rather than hanging out Up North, I decided it was time to bid Mom farewell and head home today.

With the sun shining and the wind blowing, I loaded up, but not before I took some pictures.

This is more for my southern friends. The first time my Texas born, Oklahoma raised wife saw this she simply said, “We are never coming here in the winter!”

This is the snow blower they use at IKW.

Local lore is that the monster digested a drain grate and tossed it without slowing down.

And to make sure they stay on the taxi and runway, they put these little stakes out. The idea is that the first few snows aren’t that deep and once they clear the path, they will be able to see where they should clear on subsequent snows. Also, those little sticks won’t hurt the snowblower.


Lower Michigan sure is flat!


This is the Fowlerville Proving Ground:

As near as I can tell, it is a contract facility and not owned by any specific auto company.

And this is the Chrysler Proving ground in Chelsea, MI


This was kind of odd. There are four houses in a row and rather than putting in pools, they each dug a pond.


I’m not sure what racetrack this is or if it is even a racetrack, it could be another proving ground. It sure looks like fun. I do know it is not Mid-Ohio but it is in Ohio some place.



My planned fuel stop of AOH (Lima, OH) didn’t work out so good. It was just before noon and no one was answering the Unicom. “No big deal,” I thought, I still need fuel. Well, the runway was east / west and the winds were out of the south. At pattern altitude the Dynon was showing the winds directly out of the south at 30 knots. Oh, this was a fun landing! All I have to say is that I was very happy they have a 150 foot wide runway because I used 74 feet of that width to get down.

After taxiing in, I realized the FBO was closed and no fuel was available because no one was there to drive the fuel truck.

Back in the plane for what would promise to be an entertaining departure. Lucky for me, neither the landing nor the takeoff did any more than scrub off some rubber.

Climbing to altitude I elected to head on to DWU (Ashland Regional, Ashland, KY). As I motored along, I kept thinking about another crosswind landing similar to what I had just survived at Lima, OH. During the letdown to DWU I looked over my left shoulder and just a few miles away was PMH (Greater Portsmouth Regional, Portsmouth, OH) with north / south runways and airplanes on the ramp. That was an easy choice! I circled down and entered the downwind for 18, landed into the wind, and topped off the tanks.

Dang it, I can’t speed even when I’m flying! The truth is the pilot / officer was doing speed control and stopped at PMH for fuel and lunch.

N941WR 11-11-2012 08:36 PM

Just south of Huntington, WV I noticed two separate forest fires. Since I was on flight following I asked them if they were aware of the fires, they weren’t. So I deviated slightly to the right and flew directly over one and told them to mark my location. Then I made a 90 degree left turn and deviated 10 miles to the east where I again had ATC mark my location as I flew over the second fire. My good deed of the day complete, I turned south, back on course.





They were very thankful for the notification.

West Virginia is a beautiful place but there sure aren’t many places to land down there!


I was tired and didn’t get the fuel receipt when I landed at my home airport (they bill me every month) so I don’t have all the numbers for the return trip. The big number was 4.5 hours from engine startup to engine shutdown. That is not surprising because my notes are covered with comments like this:
235/40 XW 25
221/40 XW 18
250/49 XW 37
219/45 XW 31 – TAS 155 GS 123

It wasn’t until I got close to IPJ that the headwinds started to die down.

I was able to text my wife an ETA from the air and she pulled up to the hangar just after the fuel truck left.

N941WR tucked in for the night:

Vlad 11-12-2012 05:28 AM

Great picture Bill. Don't overspeed :D




rjcthree 11-12-2012 07:48 AM

Ah, Da Beav
 
That's BeaveRun. Turn 7, unloads underneath you as it slides into an off camber left. Peeled two tires off the rim. :) The Beav can be split, short course for carts, long for everybody else.

Not as technically demanding as Nelson's (to be fast, you have to HIT your points at Nelsons, there is really only one fast line depending on car type, but a little out of position isn't going to send you off track), but less forgiving of stupid (the Beav can get you, but there are a couple fast lines).

Rick

Vlad 11-12-2012 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjcthree (Post 715860)
That's BeaveRun. Turn 7, unloads underneath you as it slides into an off camber left. Peeled two tires off the rim. :) The Beav can be split, short course for carts, long for everybody else.

Not as technically demanding as Nelson's (to be fast, you have to HIT your points at Nelsons, there is really only one fast line depending on car type, but a little out of position isn't going to send you off track), but less forgiving of stupid (the Beav can get you, but there are a couple fast lines).

Rick




Say it again Rick :D

bsacks05 11-12-2012 06:27 PM

Nice write up, Bill! Nothing like travelling in the -9. I just wish I had the limitless fuel card like Vlad. I was gonna go shrimpin today at Jekyll Island, but a little cold and a maxed out monthly fuel budget kept me grounded. :(

chriscencula 11-12-2012 10:34 PM

Guess the aerial ticket-issuance 'business' is good in Ohio these days - I remember years ago when most of the CHP planes were either 150's or 152's... The one in your picture looks a 'bit' bigger :) (Also has a nice shiny paint job)

pat 11-13-2012 08:04 AM

Hey Bill, Nice shot of our summer yard art up here in Michigan! That beast of a snow blower is quite a site to behold when its in action.
Thanks for the visit.

N941WR 11-13-2012 08:57 AM

Pat,
Your -8A looks great! You are very close
BTW, did you get my emails?


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