Sorry we missed you, John. The tower operator at OSU was a bit sarcastic,
but I must have sounded kinda squirrelly on the radio. The left runway is
the one on the left! Doh!

That haze was pretty bad. I actually had to stay on the gauges a lot to
keep on course. As you point out there was no horizon at all, and all I
could see of the ground was a cone perhaps 4-5 miles around us. I was three
miles out from OSU before I spotted the runway. My main concern was not to
line up with CMH! I understand a 737 did just the opposite a few years ago
and actually landed at OSU. Talk about a career-limiting goof!

I like flying VFR, because I prefer looking outside than concentrating on
the panel. Haze like last week's becomes a problem because I find that I
have a lot of trouble staying on course while scanning for traffic. If I'm
looking for traffic, I'm not concentrating on the gauges, and without any
horizon, it's easy to drift into a shallow turn. I did a bit better this
time than in the past, but I did have flight following helping with the
traffic.

The seven hours Susie mentioned was just the return flight, including
preflight, runup, and the stop in Latrobe. From driving away from Dave's
house, to pulling into our driveway. We saved a couple of hours, but I
found it much more fun than following I 70 all day, which I've done on
numerous occassions. Will she go again? We'll see.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)

I don't have to like Bush and Cheney (Or Kerry, for that matter) to love
America

"john smith" wrote in message
...
Gosh Bob, you must have arrived about the time I was departing Don
Scott. I had to fly to Oakland-Troy Michigan (7D2) to pick up my wife
that afternoon. I departed OSU at 4 PM. I filed IFR due to the thick
haze. Up around Mansfield (KMFD) there were a couple of buildups with
the bases at 6,000 MSL. In-flight visibility was 8 miles with no visible
horizon.
I departed Oakland-Troy at 8 PM to return to OSU, again IFR. Night,
thick haze, no horizon. This was not a flight I would have made VFR,
given the conditions.

Sorry you encountered our "nasty" tower operator. That guy is so surley
we are filing complaints with the FAA. OSU has had a contract tower
since the late-80's or early-90's. That guy is the worst I have ever
come across, anywhere... well, except maybe Wakashau WI.

The area between Latrobe and Harrisburg is notorious for making its own
weather. That was one reason the old FSS's were set up so close together
at Pittsburgh, Johnstown and Altoona.

You forgot to tell your wife that the drive time was 9 hours each way,
for a total of 18, more than double the 7 hours by air.

Thanks for the write-up.