Sometimes it ain't all CAVU and smooth...

ppragman · May 24th, 2008, 14:10

Day before yesterday was a 7.6 flight hour day. It was a money maker, but my last flight was a helluva flight. At 7:00PM I walk back into dispatch to see if I'm done, the dispatcher looks at me, and passes me more paperwork, and with that I blast off to Akhiok. Granted, Akhiok is only an hour away direct, but with the wx beginning to pack in on the south end of the island, the time has come to earn my keep. Loading up my one passenger, and a company ramper to help unload.

As I was leaving, dispatch shouts that the wx cams (Akhiok doesn't have a working ASOS) are showing white caps on the water right across the field, and it looks like its packing in. So I blast off and make it through the first three passes (which, though rough, were relatively uneventful) in about 20 minutes later. As I pass three saints bay, the wx lowers to 1000OVC and 2 miles (beautiful) however, it is really rough. As I start to poke through passes over to deadman bay, I turn up a valley, and with a jolt, and a rushing sound of wind I'm sucked through to the bay, where I'm rocked all the way down to Akhiok.

At Akhiok the visibility is at about a constant 2 1/4 with rain and mist, and blowing about 45 at about a 60 degree angle to the runway. Going from crab to slip I run out of rudder and am almost out of aileron when I crab into the wind, add power and push my way back over to the windward side of the runway. As I flare, I notice that I'm losing my battle iwth the wind so time to chop and drop. Flaps up, power at idle, and bam the right main slams into the ground. Fighting the wind and pulling into parking I unloaded my pax and got the hell out of dodge.

After blasting off with about a 100' takeoff roll in Akhiok with a hell of a crab angle, and drving all the way around the south tip of the island I finally made it back to kodiak with fuel to spare after 2.2 for a 1.1 flight. Just another day at the office.

-pat

PGT · May 24th, 2008, 14:43

ah you cowboy types...

Flyin_bryan · May 24th, 2008, 15:13

PGT · May 24th, 2008, 15:20

hey at least it's not...

May 24th, 2008, 14:10	#1
ppragman Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Anchorage Posts: 673	Sometimes it ain't all CAVU and smooth... Day before yesterday was a 7.6 flight hour day. It was a money maker, but my last flight was a helluva flight. At 7:00PM I walk back into dispatch to see if I'm done, the dispatcher looks at me, and passes me more paperwork, and with that I blast off to Akhiok. Granted, Akhiok is only an hour away direct, but with the wx beginning to pack in on the south end of the island, the time has come to earn my keep. Loading up my one passenger, and a company ramper to help unload. As I was leaving, dispatch shouts that the wx cams (Akhiok doesn't have a working ASOS) are showing white caps on the water right across the field, and it looks like its packing in. So I blast off and make it through the first three passes (which, though rough, were relatively uneventful) in about 20 minutes later. As I pass three saints bay, the wx lowers to 1000OVC and 2 miles (beautiful) however, it is really rough. As I start to poke through passes over to deadman bay, I turn up a valley, and with a jolt, and a rushing sound of wind I'm sucked through to the bay, where I'm rocked all the way down to Akhiok. At Akhiok the visibility is at about a constant 2 1/4 with rain and mist, and blowing about 45 at about a 60 degree angle to the runway. Going from crab to slip I run out of rudder and am almost out of aileron when I crab into the wind, add power and push my way back over to the windward side of the runway. As I flare, I notice that I'm losing my battle iwth the wind so time to chop and drop. Flaps up, power at idle, and bam the right main slams into the ground. Fighting the wind and pulling into parking I unloaded my pax and got the hell out of dodge. After blasting off with about a 100' takeoff roll in Akhiok with a hell of a crab angle, and drving all the way around the south tip of the island I finally made it back to kodiak with fuel to spare after 2.2 for a 1.1 flight. Just another day at the office. -pat __________________ 15"MP 2400RPM Flaps - 30 degrees Sink Rate - Pegged Airspeed - 80kts Fully knowing why they call it the lead sled - Priceless.

May 24th, 2008, 14:43	#2
PGT Old Skool Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: IA & MN Posts: 3,063	Re: Sometimes it ain't all CAVU and smooth... ah you cowboy types... __________________ PPL Working on IR

May 24th, 2008, 15:13	#3
Flyin_bryan Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Phoenix Posts: 172	Re: Sometimes it ain't all CAVU and smooth...

May 24th, 2008, 15:20	#4
PGT Old Skool Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: IA & MN Posts: 3,063	Re: Sometimes it ain't all CAVU and smooth... hey at least it's not... __________________ PPL Working on IR

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