Perfect Proficiency Flight

Mary and I have developed what we call our "Perfect Proficiency Flight," (or
"PPF") and I was wondering if anyone else has done the same?

You know what I mean. Maybe you haven't flown for a while, and you need to
get back up to speed, but the thought of working the pattern after all these
years just isn't your cup of tea. But you want to get your edge back,
preferably without taking all day or spending a zillion dollars.

Our goals in a PPF a

- Experience the full regime of flight at a fairly high degree of intensity
- Enter controlled airspace and work with ATC.
- Land at an uncontrolled airfield.
- Land on a short runway.
- Do it all in less than 1 hour of flight time.

Our solution? The Amana Colonies (Iowa's biggest tourist attraction See
http://www.amanacolonies.com/welcome/index.html if you're curious) has a
small grass strip, located in the town of Amana. It is 2400 feet long, 75
feet wide, charges a voluntary $5 landing fee (there's just a box with
envelopes), and is within easy walking distance of many great restaurants,
shops, a working woolen mill (the last one in the Midwest), and a terrific
microbrewery.

It's a 17 mile flight. When the people in the shops ask us where we flew in
from, they always (and I mean ALWAYS) laugh when we tell them that we came
from Iowa City. To them (and to many pilots, frankly) it's hilarious that
we would bother to fly such a short distance for (what they see as) a visit
to the shops -- but it works out great for us.

In that 0.3 hour flight, we do EVERYTHING that we need to do on any flight,
from getting a weather/TFR briefing, to pre-flight, to interacting with
traffic in our local pattern, to navigating, to setting up the radios and
transponder, to talking with ATC (Amana is under the Class C airspace of
Cedar Rapids), to landing on a short field. On the way out, it's the
reverse, plus we get to practice short field/soft field departures. And,
back when I was actively practicing IFR flight, I could shoot an approach
back into Iowa City, too.

Total time? 0.6 hours. Flight intensity due to short duration/high work
load? Moderate. Fun factor: Priceless!

What do you guys do to stay sharp?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay,
I swear the State of Iowa needs to make you their spokesman and Head of
Tourism.

Patrick
student SPL
aircraft structural mech

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:FOkPe.280576$_o.172492@attbi_s71...
Mary and I have developed what we call our "Perfect Proficiency Flight,"
(or "PPF") and I was wondering if anyone else has done the same?

You know what I mean. Maybe you haven't flown for a while, and you need
to get back up to speed, but the thought of working the pattern after all
these years just isn't your cup of tea. But you want to get your edge
back, preferably without taking all day or spending a zillion dollars.

Our goals in a PPF a

- Experience the full regime of flight at a fairly high degree of
intensity
- Enter controlled airspace and work with ATC.
- Land at an uncontrolled airfield.
- Land on a short runway.
- Do it all in less than 1 hour of flight time.

Our solution? The Amana Colonies (Iowa's biggest tourist attraction See
http://www.amanacolonies.com/welcome/index.html if you're curious) has a
small grass strip, located in the town of Amana. It is 2400 feet long,
75 feet wide, charges a voluntary $5 landing fee (there's just a box with
envelopes), and is within easy walking distance of many great restaurants,
shops, a working woolen mill (the last one in the Midwest), and a terrific
microbrewery.

It's a 17 mile flight. When the people in the shops ask us where we flew
in from, they always (and I mean ALWAYS) laugh when we tell them that we
came from Iowa City. To them (and to many pilots, frankly) it's hilarious
that we would bother to fly such a short distance for (what they see as) a
visit to the shops -- but it works out great for us.

In that 0.3 hour flight, we do EVERYTHING that we need to do on any
flight, from getting a weather/TFR briefing, to pre-flight, to interacting
with traffic in our local pattern, to navigating, to setting up the radios
and transponder, to talking with ATC (Amana is under the Class C airspace
of Cedar Rapids), to landing on a short field. On the way out, it's the
reverse, plus we get to practice short field/soft field departures. And,
back when I was actively practicing IFR flight, I could shoot an approach
back into Iowa City, too.

Total time? 0.6 hours. Flight intensity due to short duration/high work
load? Moderate. Fun factor: Priceless!

What do you guys do to stay sharp?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

("W P Dixon" wrote)
I swear the State of Iowa needs to make you their spokesman and Head of
Tourism.


In my previous (enjoyable) visits to Iowa and The Alexis Park Inn:

(Interesting) Amana Colonies ...BTDT.
(VERY FUN!!) Pella, Iowa Tulip Festival ...BTDT
(Relaxing) Wander over 400 miles of Iowa back-backroads at 48mph (cruise
control setting) ...BTDT

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library it next!!!
http://hoover.archives.gov/


Montblack

Hmmm,
If you go there you may leave in a state of depression

Patrick
student SPL
aircraft structural mechanic

"Montblack" wrote in message
...
("W P Dixon" wrote)
I swear the State of Iowa needs to make you their spokesman and Head of
Tourism.


In my previous (enjoyable) visits to Iowa and The Alexis Park Inn:

(Interesting) Amana Colonies ...BTDT.
(VERY FUN!!) Pella, Iowa Tulip Festival ...BTDT
(Relaxing) Wander over 400 miles of Iowa back-backroads at 48mph (cruise
control setting) ...BTDT

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library it next!!!
http://hoover.archives.gov/


Montblack

W P Dixon wrote:

Jay,
I swear the State of Iowa needs to make you their spokesman and Head of
Tourism.

No ****. Imagine what he would say about a state that was actually
worth seeing.

I swear the State of Iowa needs to make you their spokesman and Head of
Tourism.

No ****. Imagine what he would say about a state that was actually worth
seeing.

Heh. You just keep thinking that Iowa is a flat, barren wasteland with
nothing but corn to see.

It helps to keep the riff-raff out...

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
I swear the State of Iowa needs to make you their spokesman and Head of
Tourism.

No ****. Imagine what he would say about a state that was actually worth
seeing.


Heh. You just keep thinking that Iowa is a flat, barren wasteland with
nothing but corn to see.

I've driven across Iowa several times ... it IS flat and barren. :-)
I wouldn't call it wasteland though as it does grow lots of corn!

I must admit though that I found Kansas even more boring to traverse on
a motorcycle than Iowa. I literally started falling asleep riding my
motorcycle across Kansas! I didn't even think that was possible up
until then.


Matt

I've driven across Iowa several times ... it IS flat and barren. :-)
I wouldn't call it wasteland though as it does grow lots of corn!

I must admit though that I found Kansas even more boring to traverse on a
motorcycle than Iowa. I literally started falling asleep riding my
motorcycle across Kansas! I didn't even think that was possible up until
then.

Yeah, back when we lived in Wisconsin (and rode touring motorcycles all over
the country) we used to hate the ride from Illinois to the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains, simply because it was so flat and boring.

Only later did we realize that, by sticking to the interstates, we made
great time but had denied ourselves the true beauty and terrain of the
Midwest. Remember, the interstate system is *designed* to be flat and
boring. Once we figured that out, and got off of I-80, Iowa, Nebraska and
Kansas became just as much fun to see as the rest of the country.

Even Illinois has pretty parts, although they're harder to find once you get
away from Lake Michigan. (And that part of Illinois has been all but
destroyed by development.) Down-state Illinois is truly what people tend
to think of as Iowa-like -- pool table flat and treeless to the horizon.

Iowa, believe it or not, is remarkably hilly. We've been searching the
area, casually, for the last 18 months, trying to find a piece of land flat
enough to put an airstrip on. We thought that this would be a relatively
simple job, and have been quite amazed to find that there is little flat
land in our area. And go over by Dubuque, and you'll find entire parts of
the city carved into incredibly steep hillsides.

Get off of I-80. Take some back roads. Really *see* the country for what
it is.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005, Jay Honeck wrote:

Heh. You just keep thinking that Iowa is a flat, barren wasteland with
nothing but corn to see.

The following link deals with some research involving a nearby state, but
your state's tourist bureau, chamber of commerce, etc. may see fit to fund
some similar research regarding Iowa.

http://www.improb.com/airchives/pape...i3/kansas.html

-Dan

Jay Honeck wrote:

I swear the State of Iowa needs to make you their spokesman and Head of
Tourism.

No ****. Imagine what he would say about a state that was actually worth
seeing.


Heh. You just keep thinking that Iowa is a flat, barren wasteland with
nothing but corn to see.

I've been there. You guys bring in some terrain while no one was looking?