Dreaded Words in Avn

[Jamesdub]

Yesterday, conducting single pilot IFR op’s working with the local approach control I received vectors for an RNAV approach. About the same time I rolled out and hit a descent altitude he asked; ‘Do you have something to write with I have a number for you to call when you land’. I mean my brain turned to mush and basically poured out my ears. I went from surfing on the spinner to hanging on to the tail tiedown ring. I could hardly concentrate on chores at hand wracking my brain of what I could have possibly done wrong.
Configured for landing, aligned on final and broke out around 900’. Cancelled IFR and reported the base then asked what he needed to discuss.
He chuckled and said, “Oh, that was only if we lost commo on approach (satellite field) and you needed to close your IFR”.
Turkey – wished he’d told that while I was copying the number!!

 

[N4843W]

Re: Dreaded Words in Avn

Been there. Just makes you feel like it's the end of the world, that's all. Like last week I got an FAA letter advising me I would be contacted about some infraction and to sign my Pilot Bill of Rights notification and send it back.
WTF ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Turns out I was supposed to re-register earlier in the year and missed it Well, I never updated the plane ownership from old office to new office, so did not get notification. My bad and I suppose there is a fine or something, but what a relief ... only registration. I was afraid they had nailed me for doing slow rolls and Immelman's over the lake in front of the in-laws cottage.

 

[CAVUCO]

Re: Dreaded Words in Avn

That's just mean…or cruel … or both

 

[TKutchera]

Re: Dreaded Words in Avn

Its the FAA. "We're here to help" and "We arent happy till you arent happy."

Tim

 

[proppilot]

Re: Dreaded Words in Avn

I think the FAA stole that from Air Canada

 

[Sherman]

Re: Dreaded Words in Avn

Received my Aircraft Registration Renewal Letter in July. Paid my $5 online few weeks ago. The Card came in the mail -no envelope, no privacy, to Columbia address last week. Camellia brought pile 'my mail' down to the Tree Farm. Found it in the pile.
Couldn't believe so 'efficient'! Good now to November 2018. Keep original Registration (1992) in my Pilot Logbook front cover across from Pic of N112HT at FDK.

One thing about the SFRA out from Ft Meade,FME. Once you finally get through to Flight Service and file the SFRA flight plan, and call Potomac Approach on the 'land line', they answer on 1st ring, waste no time giving squawk code & Departure frequency. Departure Frequency not always the 'standard sector 119.7. GO figure.

 

[RNC]

Re: Dreaded Words in Avn

"Advise ready to copy, I have an amendment to your clearance"

There's a guy who works ZFW east who gives ridiculous stuff. Last time it was "direct cash NDB Sierra Yankee papa then direct fingr, then at 3 DME from fingr heading 275 until 3 DME from another point" and all of that was a minor shortcut from the star named after fingr. Just give me the damn star, guy, and save us both some trouble.

On the flip side of the coin the best words ever heard are "all restricted areas between you and destination are cold, you're clear direct El Paso" coming out of SoCal back to TX.

 

[Jamesdub]

Re: Dreaded Words in Avn

Neal,
Last fall we were departing GKY Arlington (after watching Bama welcome USC into the 2016 season).
Wanting to be on top of my game (getting out of a busy Class B smoothly) and not embarrassing myself in front of the my significant flying other (wife) I started a couple of days before departing studying the 'many' SIDs.
The morning of departure I called the tower and gave them a basic description of departing IFR to the east and what should I expect. "Hey Partner! come on out we'll get you out of here" is the response I got.
At the FBO I ran into a local CFII on the computer checking wx and asked him the same. "Oh don't worry about it, they'll get you out of here". Okay,(?) I'm sure they will - - but???

So, get my clearance from ground and it's nothing like FltPlan.com had recommended.
Please don't be me wrong, this is not my first Rodeo and I'm practically on a first name basis with Hot Lanta class B so I'm semi comfortable with the process.

But in this case; my 430w had the SID so I loaded it- but my tablet had yet to spool up and my DoD Pubs didn't have this particular SID so I didn't have a good visual of the flow (which I think was going to take me to Oklahoma then to Alabama)(not really, but it was hardly oriented toward my destination).

Off we go into the clouds when Dallas clears us to what seemed like the last waypoint of the SID, (you know the drill; just as you are reaching your assigned altitude and setting the quadrant up for cruise) so 'Direct' I go and freq change to another controller who says, whooa, go back to an intermediate waypoint and continue with the SID. Having just deleted the waypoints I thought I no longer need, Now I'm lost like last years Easter Egg. I asked the controller to 'spell' the waypoint and he immediately took offense and told me it was part of my clearance then sensing my concern asked if I would accept a 'cleared direct destination' which I gladly accepted. Yee Haw . . .
I think my wife was too busy looking at the 'BIG' city through the clouds to pickup on the sweat pouring off my forehead . . .
In reality Dallas was good to work with and I am probably my worst critic but it could have gone smoother . . .

 

[RNC]

Re: Dreaded Words in Avn

Dallas is way better now, so you won't have to suffer such things next time.

The problem was that the airspace was divided in half, one freq for north approach and one for south. That's all fine and peachy but outside of the bus (SWA) going to Houston every hour, no one is going south, everyone is going north. There are only two VORs in the city, one next to Love and one next to KDFW. They naturally don't want you flying over those in the middle of the day so the result was that everyone /A had to be vectored for their SID. That wasn't that big a deal on south, but north was too busy for that.

So north was a mess and south was all chit chat about the weather.

They have since divided it into thirds and added RNAV SIDs for props. If you look at them they look like turboprops due to having 10k MEAs but don't be fooled, you can file/get one. With the caveat that your equipment codes for GPS and FMS are all correct. If they're not the computer will reject you back to a /A SID.

So double check your GPS codes on the new flight plan form and file one of the RNAV sids (even if it has a 10k MEA just file lower, it won't care) and you'll get one of those instead.

They all wind up at imaginary points due north or due south of the airport you left from, and then hang a hard right or hard left toward some point along the route you were probably going anyway. The transitions are all hundreds of miles away since they were designed for turboprops, so by the time you get a chance to screw something up center will give you direct.