Srinath flew solo around the Livermore traffic pattern. Just as he turned downwind on one of the patterns, tower cleared him as #2 for 25L and Srinath confirmed he was scanning for traffic (3BE) that was on a 3 mile final. But it was clear he never saw the traffic. He was on base when he asked if he was #1 for 25L and tower reminded him he was #2 behind the traffic which was now on a short final. It turned out that Srinath turned too soon so there wasn’t enough separation with the traffic ahead that had just landed and hadn’t yet turned off the runway. Tower asked Srinath to go around, after which he did a couple more patterns before calling it a day.
Tag Archives: Livermore
Radio bloopers, left and right
The winds today favored traffic on 7R/7L and I taxied to the run up area at 7L. As soon as I requested tower for clearance, another aircraft requested clearance to land, reporting 4 miles out. After it landed, tower asked me to repeat my request. Listen to the tower clearing me for takeoff at (38:06). I was instructed “Niner zero six Mike Delta Livermore Tower make right traffic runway seven right runway seven left cleared for takeoff”. I’ve never done this traffic pattern and it took me a while to understand what it meant. There was noticeable impatience in the controller’s voice as I stumbled through the instructions.
After a few touch and go’s on 7R, I called it a day and turned right on taxiway Quebec. Then a long series of interactions ensued with the ground controller starting at (3:55:18). The problem was exacerbated by the fact that the controller’s radio cut out and I missed critical instructions. Perhaps I should have asked for progressive instructions. Oh well. See the track log here.
Extend downwind
When I flew yesterday, the winds changed on me suddenly and the stiff crosswind was not indicated in the ATIS. I wizened up today and was very careful to notice the windsocks (0:41) at midfield and one end of 25R. Winds were reported from 290 at 4kts and that matched the windsock indication.
The airport was really busy today. You can see the number of aircrafts waiting in the run up area and holding short at (3:34) in the video. I did two patterns today and on both I was asked to extend my downwind leg and tower called my base turn. On the second pattern, tower asked me to come to a full stop because it was so busy. I pulled up near the old fuel station and watched for any signs that the traffic was going to subside. After a while, I decided to call it quits for the day.
At the start of my pattern work, another aircraft asked for flight following (0:00). The track log for today’s flight can be found here.
Calm Winds ?!?
My first time flying solo from start to finish. ATIS indicated calm winds on this morning. Right from the time I took off, the ball wouldn’t be centered and I didn’t realize there was a stiff crosswind from the south (my left). That unnerved me although you couldn’t tell from the video. My turns were shallow and the pattern was really wide. After just one lap around the airport, I pulled off and waited for a while near the fuel station. Thats when I saw that the windsock reflected a stiff wind. I was in half a mind whether to go back up and after a few minutes of reflection, decided to call it a day. This was the shortest duration I’ve flown so far.
ATIS is generally recorded once an hour and as was evident today, if the weather changes quickly then ATIS isn’t accurate. Also, ATIS reflects winds at the surface and the speeds above the surface can be quite different due to the lack of surface friction and other obstructions.
Dual Cross Country to Salinas
It is Srinath’s turn to fly cross country to Salinas (KSNS) and back. It was an exercise in using the VOR and sectional chart to identify landmarks along the way for navigation. En route as we flew to the west of the mountain ranges, downdraft from the winds over the hills caused us to descend even though we were powering our way through. Lick Observatory on Mt.Hamilton was a sight to see along our course. There was an aerobatic Extra 300 practicing along our course and we hoped and prayed the pilot was aware of our presence.
The return flight was bumpy all the way due to the winds streaming over the mountain range. You can find the track log here.
Dual Cross Country
We are flying a dual cross country today to Santa Rosa, then Sacramento Executive airport and back to Livermore. I worked on the planning checklist that I had assembled for the first cross country flight a while ago. I didn’t have time to determine winds aloft which is an important miss because it has a bearing on travel time, fuel consumption and wind correction angles. My plan was to use that checklist together with a paper chart. I had an iPad with Forelight only as a backup.
Winds are from 230@8 at Livermore at the time of takeoff. I used Scaggs Island VOR and then a from heading to Santa Rosa. It was particularly hard to spot the airport because it doesn’t come into view until after crossing Petaluma. Tower cleared us for a left traffic on runway 14. I was fairly high on the approach to Santa Rosa and couldn’t come down quickly enough for the landing so I did a go around. On the second approach there was a Horizon Air commercial aircraft holding short for my landing. We taxied and got our navigational details down for Sacramento before taking off.
There were hills close to Santa Rosa on the east so it wasn’t possible to depart left crosswind. We headed straight out, built up altitude before turning east. Along the way we spotted Vacaville and Davis and it was dusk by the time we neared KSAC. The landing was after sunset. The home stretch was largely uneventful in the dark, with the flashing red lights on windmills guiding our way back home.
Three learnings today:
- situational awareness – know where you are at any point in time through dead reckoning.
- Pre-flight – pay attention to terrain and winds aloft. There were hills close by and to the east of Santa Rosa. My plan to fly due east wouldn’t have been possible without adequate altitude to clear the terrain.
- Dont trust the traffic pattern published in the AF/D. Santa Rosa was published as right traffic for Rwy 14. Tower instructs the traffic pattern.
Solo at a towered airport
The winds were a light 6kts from 250. Steve mentioned that 123 airplanes landed at the airport for the Super Bowl. Five Rivers Aviation expected about 80. The aircraft turned around quickly so they didn’t have to close 25L as was previously expected.
Srinath flew a few patterns around the airport and on a couple of them we followed twin aircraft. Then Srinath was asked to fly his first solo – at a towered airport (KLVK). By now the winds have shifted to 230@7kts.
Solo touch and go
I’m exercising my solo privileges today. For the first time, I drove to the Livermore airport and flew 906MD entirely by myself and parked it back in the northwest tiedowns.
Weather was perfect; calm winds and very good visibility. I started off with right closed traffic clearance for 25R. Soon I was asked to extend downwind and then switched to 25L. Even though I landed fine on 25L, I was uncomfortable making left traffic. I requested traffic control to switch me back to 25R and while they initially asked me to make one more touch and go on 25L before switching me, they soon put me on 25R.
After 5 touch and go, I called it quits. The landings were all pretty good today!
Super Bowl Traffic
It was a busy day today. Super Bowl is scheduled to be played in Santa Clara in 4 days and people are starting to fly into town. The weather isn’t great with the sun going down and rain about to come in. Srinath flew with Steve today and they stayed in the traffic pattern – left traffic on Rwy 7L. Today while in the traffic pattern, they negotiated two jets, a King Air, an RV, a Mooney and other aircraft. Once the downwind was extended all the way to Dublin before the tower called left base turn.
Headwinds & Tailwinds
Srinath was on the left seat today and he started with a soft field takeoff and left downwind departure. At Tracy, winds were from 310@7kts where he did a soft field landing. The sink hole just past the threshold of rwy 30 is to be respected. There is usually an appreciable downdraft as the plane passes over the sink hole so anticipate it and increase the power a little bit. As you clear the sink hole and approach the threshold, ease back on the power and the word I keep hearing Steve repeat is “patience…patience” to wait for the runway to approach the aircraft. In other words, descend slowly for a gentle touchdown.
Next we headed for New Jerusalem by making a left 270 over the runway and passing over mid-field. The runways at both Tracy and New J were slick and wet from rains and that calls for extra caution while using brakes. We landed twice at New J, the second landing took up quite a bit of runway so we turned around. And since the winds were low (estimated 8-10kts), Steve asked Srinath to take off on rwy 12 so he can see how the tailwind leads to a significantly longer ground roll before takeoff.
Next, we headed to Byron against stiff headwinds from 310@15kts. We heard a Piper (58K from our club) on the radio practicing patterns and a glider coming in to land at the airport as well. This was a great practice session anticipating where the traffic would be as we executed a straight-in approached for rwy 30. Steve had a little fun on the radio with Mike (CFI on 58K) when he recognized the voice. Srinath and I both had questions for Steve as we were trying to figure out the spatial locations where the three aircrafts would be as we approached further. Since 58K was on final and we were coming up on 5 miles, we anticipated that we’ll land before 58K comes around for its next pattern. What we didn’t factor into the equation was the fact that we were going against a stiff headwind in a low power setting for landing and 58K would be gunning its engines for takeoff, followed by a stiff tailwind towards us on the downwind leg. Our ground speed was only 40kts and then 35kts as we got lower and closer.
Mike couldn’t spot us so we announced that we were a quarter mile shy of the second canal. What Steve meant was the second canal seen from our approach the runway i.e. the closer one to the airport. Mike understood that we were on the second canal from the airport i.e. the farther one from the airport. So he announced that he was turning base in front of us. We were all taken by surprise when he announced that and saw 58K turn directly towards us. Steve immediately took evasive action by banking left and as soon as we turned, Mike was able to see us and apologized for the mixup. We let Mike land and in the meantime we did a left 360 and lined up to land on rwy 30.
Srinath capped off the training with a few touch-and-go’s at Livermore performing short approach landings.
Crab Tales 