off topic... Poker runs
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From: KMHT KFMY
off topic... Poker runs
And you thought ours were fun... I got this in my weekly Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association newsletter.
The Joy of Flight
The poker run
BY COLLEEN TURNER
When I was recently invited to participate in a poker run that involved flying into short, narrow airstrips on which I had never set plane or foot, I hate to admit that I hesitated. A year ago, when I was still in the San Francisco Bay area flying a Cherokee 235 that felt like a comfortable old shoe, I would have jumped at the chance. Now that I was in Seattle, where I had mainly concentrated on sharpening my instruments skills and learning the leading-edge Garmin G1000 platform in a Diamond DA-40, I had to seriously think about it.
Although I was proficient in the Diamond, I didn't have hundreds of hours in it like I did in the trusty old Cherokee. For the past six months, I had been flying on instrument flight plans with air traffic control telling me exactly what to do and when to do it and landing on long, wide runways with clear approach paths. By contrast, the poker run would take me to airfields that were as short as 2,275 feet and as narrow as 20 feet, surrounded by trees and teeming with other pilots eager to land and pick up their cards. Was I really ready for this adventure? I finally decided to go for it, as this would be an excellent test of my stick-and-rudder skills. My husband agreed to go along to help scan for traffic.
On the day of the poker run, the sun was shining brilliantly over Puget Sound and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Today was my day to fly low, admire the beautiful scenery, and take a closer look at any interesting feature on the ground that caught my fancy — no IFR flight plan, no autopilot, and only an occasional glimpse at the magenta line outlining my flight path on the moving map. For a second, I actually fantasized about barnstorming in the Diamond.
Departing Boeing Field/King County International in Seattle, we headed southwest to Sanderson Field in Shelton, our first stop to pick up cards. By the time we approached Sanderson Field, the traffic pattern was already abuzz with several airplanes vying for space. As we taxied to the fixed-base operation (FBO) to pick up our cards, we could feel the excitement in the air — we passed a group of skydivers climbing into Skydive Kapowsin's Super Twin Otter. I wondered if they were full of nervous anticipation about jumping out of a perfectly good airplane from 13,000 feet.
Our second stop was Elma Municipal Airport in Elma, a short hop from Sanderson Field. At 2,275 by 30 feet, this was the shortest strip of the day on which I would have to deftly set down the Diamond. Since it was hot and there was no wind, I was acutely aware that I would have to be mindful of my airspeed. If I came in too fast, the Diamond, unlike the Cherokee 235, which had the glide ratio of a brick, would float halfway down the runway. I gave myself a proverbial pat on the back as I landed just beyond the numbers.
I was grateful that it was a good landing — we apparently had an audience parked at the end of the runway watching all the poker run participants in their magnificent flying machines. It had probably been a while since Elma had experienced such a flurry of traffic. Who says that the only time a pilot manages to grease it on is when nobody is looking?
Onward to Spanaway Airport in Spanaway, our third stop. Along the way, we were treated to stunning views of Mount Rainier, majestic in the distance. Because Spanaway sits under the McChord Air Force Base Class D airspace, we had to remain below 1,000 feet. The traffic pattern is 988 feet msl, which is only 650 feet agl. Without the help of the GPS, I'm not sure that we ever would have found this unobtrusive little airport. While on downwind, I was disconcerted because I kept losing the 2,724-by-20-foot runway. While struggling to keep the field in sight, I was relieved that my husband kept me abreast of the hea
The Joy of Flight
The poker run
BY COLLEEN TURNER
When I was recently invited to participate in a poker run that involved flying into short, narrow airstrips on which I had never set plane or foot, I hate to admit that I hesitated. A year ago, when I was still in the San Francisco Bay area flying a Cherokee 235 that felt like a comfortable old shoe, I would have jumped at the chance. Now that I was in Seattle, where I had mainly concentrated on sharpening my instruments skills and learning the leading-edge Garmin G1000 platform in a Diamond DA-40, I had to seriously think about it.
Although I was proficient in the Diamond, I didn't have hundreds of hours in it like I did in the trusty old Cherokee. For the past six months, I had been flying on instrument flight plans with air traffic control telling me exactly what to do and when to do it and landing on long, wide runways with clear approach paths. By contrast, the poker run would take me to airfields that were as short as 2,275 feet and as narrow as 20 feet, surrounded by trees and teeming with other pilots eager to land and pick up their cards. Was I really ready for this adventure? I finally decided to go for it, as this would be an excellent test of my stick-and-rudder skills. My husband agreed to go along to help scan for traffic.
On the day of the poker run, the sun was shining brilliantly over Puget Sound and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Today was my day to fly low, admire the beautiful scenery, and take a closer look at any interesting feature on the ground that caught my fancy — no IFR flight plan, no autopilot, and only an occasional glimpse at the magenta line outlining my flight path on the moving map. For a second, I actually fantasized about barnstorming in the Diamond.
Departing Boeing Field/King County International in Seattle, we headed southwest to Sanderson Field in Shelton, our first stop to pick up cards. By the time we approached Sanderson Field, the traffic pattern was already abuzz with several airplanes vying for space. As we taxied to the fixed-base operation (FBO) to pick up our cards, we could feel the excitement in the air — we passed a group of skydivers climbing into Skydive Kapowsin's Super Twin Otter. I wondered if they were full of nervous anticipation about jumping out of a perfectly good airplane from 13,000 feet.
Our second stop was Elma Municipal Airport in Elma, a short hop from Sanderson Field. At 2,275 by 30 feet, this was the shortest strip of the day on which I would have to deftly set down the Diamond. Since it was hot and there was no wind, I was acutely aware that I would have to be mindful of my airspeed. If I came in too fast, the Diamond, unlike the Cherokee 235, which had the glide ratio of a brick, would float halfway down the runway. I gave myself a proverbial pat on the back as I landed just beyond the numbers.
I was grateful that it was a good landing — we apparently had an audience parked at the end of the runway watching all the poker run participants in their magnificent flying machines. It had probably been a while since Elma had experienced such a flurry of traffic. Who says that the only time a pilot manages to grease it on is when nobody is looking?
Onward to Spanaway Airport in Spanaway, our third stop. Along the way, we were treated to stunning views of Mount Rainier, majestic in the distance. Because Spanaway sits under the McChord Air Force Base Class D airspace, we had to remain below 1,000 feet. The traffic pattern is 988 feet msl, which is only 650 feet agl. Without the help of the GPS, I'm not sure that we ever would have found this unobtrusive little airport. While on downwind, I was disconcerted because I kept losing the 2,724-by-20-foot runway. While struggling to keep the field in sight, I was relieved that my husband kept me abreast of the hea
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