Catalina, CA (AVX) Pirep

I took a 5 day trip out to California to visit the wife who is commuting
to the left coast every week for a 6 month business project. I wanted to
check out flying into Catalina for a $100 hamburger.

Rented a clean 172 from Benbow Aviation, (I wanted to rent their Archer
since I normally fly an Arrow, but an email mix-up got in the way of
that) and an instructor. The instructor was necessary for a Catalina
checkout since the landing can be tricky with cliffs on both ends of the
runway.

The wife had told me she wouldn't be coming along but was only fooling
and so for the 3rd time in 3 years, went flying with me at the controls.

The trip over was glassy smooth, not a bump to be felt. I hardly needed
to touch anything except to change frequencies. Only a few clouds below
us as we crossed the channel.

We landed on rwy 22 which is the upslope runway and can give you a
pretty good illusion of being too high on final. I was taught to fly a
slightly high glideslope on final, so no problem. I landed with room to
spare, and although it wasn't the smoothest landing, it wasn't the
smoothest runway either.

The burger place is 50 yards from the tiedowns and we bought lunch for
Seth, while we all ate and watched the buffalo wander about the hills.
Buffalo burgers don't seem to taste much different than beef.

Back into the plane and an uphill takeoff from 22, still smooth as glass
in the air. Back to TOA, approaching from the south over PV and the
radar domes. A much better landing this time with a simultaneous stall
horn and chirp of the tires.

I think I did well enough and the air was smooth enough that the wife
will consider going up with me a bit more often.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

"Cartoons with a Touch of Magic"
http://www.wizardofdraws.com
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

I think I did well enough and the air was smooth enough that the wife
will consider going up with me a bit more often.

The heck with Catalina, Jeff -- this was the true victory! :-)

(Although flying to Catalina is a long-time dream of mine, too...)

Thanks for the PIREP. Someday...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Glad you had a good flight. Catalina is a fun runway. Out of curiosity
what altitude did you take on the way over?


"Wizard of Draws" wrote in message
...
I took a 5 day trip out to California to visit the wife who is commuting
to the left coast every week for a 6 month business project. I wanted to
check out flying into Catalina for a $100 hamburger.

Rented a clean 172 from Benbow Aviation, (I wanted to rent their Archer
since I normally fly an Arrow, but an email mix-up got in the way of
that) and an instructor. The instructor was necessary for a Catalina
checkout since the landing can be tricky with cliffs on both ends of the
runway.

The wife had told me she wouldn't be coming along but was only fooling
and so for the 3rd time in 3 years, went flying with me at the controls.

The trip over was glassy smooth, not a bump to be felt. I hardly needed
to touch anything except to change frequencies. Only a few clouds below
us as we crossed the channel.

We landed on rwy 22 which is the upslope runway and can give you a
pretty good illusion of being too high on final. I was taught to fly a
slightly high glideslope on final, so no problem. I landed with room to
spare, and although it wasn't the smoothest landing, it wasn't the
smoothest runway either.

The burger place is 50 yards from the tiedowns and we bought lunch for
Seth, while we all ate and watched the buffalo wander about the hills.
Buffalo burgers don't seem to taste much different than beef.

Back into the plane and an uphill takeoff from 22, still smooth as glass
in the air. Back to TOA, approaching from the south over PV and the
radar domes. A much better landing this time with a simultaneous stall
horn and chirp of the tires.

I think I did well enough and the air was smooth enough that the wife
will consider going up with me a bit more often.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

"Cartoons with a Touch of Magic"
http://www.wizardofdraws.com
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

Yossarian wrote:

Glad you had a good flight. Catalina is a fun runway. Out of curiosity
what altitude did you take on the way over?


4500.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

"Cartoons with a Touch of Magic"
http://www.wizardofdraws.com
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

I hope ya brought your 'water wings' GRIN

Glad to hear that you could come out to California! I've lived here
(Northern Calif) almost all my life and never get tired of the weather. The
only exception would be the shortage of IMC weather (with a few exceptions)
on my IFR lesson days.

I've never been/flown to Catalina but I have some flying friends who have
and it is quite an adventure - including the approach to the runway on the
island grin

--
--
Good Flights!

Cecil E. Chapman, Jr.
PP-ASEL

"We who fly do so for the love of flying.
We are alive in the air with this miracle
that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"

- Cecil Day Lewis-

Check out my personal flying adventures: www.bayareapilot.com
"Wizard of Draws" wrote in message
...
Yossarian wrote:

Glad you had a good flight. Catalina is a fun runway. Out of curiosity
what altitude did you take on the way over?


4500.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

"Cartoons with a Touch of Magic"
http://www.wizardofdraws.com
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

My first trip I was that low too, but now my FBO insists on a continuous
climb to the middle of the channel for better glide distance if your engine
quits. 4500' in a 172 is only like 7 miles glide.

"Wizard of Draws" wrote in message
...
Yossarian wrote:

Glad you had a good flight. Catalina is a fun runway. Out of curiosity
what altitude did you take on the way over?


4500.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

"Cartoons with a Touch of Magic"
http://www.wizardofdraws.com
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

On Fri, 24 Oct 2003 20:55:12 GMT, "Yossarian"
wrote:

My first trip I was that low too, but now my FBO insists on a continuous
climb to the middle of the channel for better glide distance if your engine
quits. 4500' in a 172 is only like 7 miles glide.

1. Say the channel's 26 miles wide. Take away seven miles on either
side, and you're left with 12 miles over open H2O. That's six minutes
at 120 kts. Six minutes with no rpm changes in which to have a
catastrophic engine failure. Contrast with flying over the San
Gabriels.

2. Not counting flight-test crashes like the Cook Challenger and the
Wing Derringer, amphibs, and prangs landing at Catalina itself, how
many GA planes in the last 50 years have fallen out of the sky over
the channel? Not many, I'd say. (NTSB.gov is 404 at the moment.)

3. What's the risk of a mid-air while climbing in circles over Palos
Verdes?

When I was based at TOA (pre-Bravo), I used to cross at six to seven
thousand, but I often thought I'd have been marginally safer avoiding
the short-term engine heating and cooling by staying lower.

Don

Cecil E. Chapman wrote:

I hope ya brought your 'water wings' GRIN

Glad to hear that you could come out to California! I've lived here
(Northern Calif) almost all my life and never get tired of the weather. The
only exception would be the shortage of IMC weather (with a few exceptions)
on my IFR lesson days.

I've never been/flown to Catalina but I have some flying friends who have
and it is quite an adventure - including the approach to the runway on the
island grin

--
--
Good Flights!

Cecil E. Chapman, Jr.
PP-ASEL


As we climbed in, the instructor threw a life vest in the back for my
wife, looked at me and said, "You look like a good swimmer."

I wasn't worried. There's plenty of traffic in the channel and I had a
lot of confidence in the plane after going over it in preflight with a
pretty jaundiced eye since I'd never seen it before.

I was born in Northern Califonia (Carmel) and spent my teen years in
Southern California, so that wasn't the first time I've been there. I've
camped and snorkled at Catalina many times. I do miss the weather and
the beach.
Looks like I might have an actual IFR lesson this Sunday.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino

"Cartoons with a Touch of Magic"
http://www.wizardofdraws.com
http://www.cartoonclipart.com

I too cringed when I read Jeff had crossed at 4500', but that doesn't mean
you need to START the trek across the channel at 8500' or better. In fact,
your max altitude is only needed at your max glide distance--the halfway
point--so a normal climb from TOA/LGB/SNA or wherever is fine, followed by a
gentle descent into AVX once you're more than halfway there.


"Don Tuite" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 24 Oct 2003 20:55:12 GMT, "Yossarian"
wrote:


3. What's the risk of a mid-air while climbing in circles over Palos
Verdes?

"Yossarian" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
et...
My first trip I was that low too, but now my FBO insists on a continuous
climb to the middle of the channel for better glide distance if your
engine
quits. 4500' in a 172 is only like 7 miles glide.

Made many trips across the channel in a 172 taking off from CRQ. I'd usually
opt for 6500. Not so much for safety reasons but I liked the view better
higher up.

-- Chris.