Lesson 48 - Friday Aug 27th

Riverside X-Country

Finally, we get a good day to go to Riverside, skies clear, dry stable air, reasonable visibility.

When I arrive at Justice, Craig tells me the 8148H has already been pre-flighted, as we need to get off quick, as we are making an extra stop at Corona Airport to drop off Rob and another guy who are picking up a Justice plane that is over there for servicing.

So off we go, asked for a left climbing 270, climbed out a bit slower with the two extra bodies, turned right at shoreline, then right again towards the north end of Santa Monica Beach, then intersected the 132 Radial, turned right, and flew over SMO and then LAX, reporting as normal in the Special Flight Rules Area on 128.55

When I exited the SFRA, I turned towards Compton airport, which I could not really see, but new roughly where it was.  I quickly saw it, and contacted Socal Approach on 127.2, requested flight following to Riverside, and then headed off along the 91 freeway, at 3500 feet.

Aft that Craig kept me on my toes by asking me to spot airports, and asking me to identify other airports.  We continued along the 91, we get handed over to the various Socal controllers, and eventually get to Riverside.

We make left traffic, runway 27, and I do a reasonable touch and go, then head over to Corona (AJO), which is an uncontrolled airport, so no tower to talk to.  It's also a lot busier than the only other uncontrolled airport I'd been to (MIT).  On this hop we keep under 2700 feet, to avoid Ontario Class C. 

Craig does a lot of the work with the radio, announcing, and coordinating with other incoming pilots.  I make a wide right 270 to downwind, and then make another quite reasonable landing, with a bit of a steep turn onto final, but it works out very well.

We drop of the guys, and then, take off and head home.  We angle tot he left a bit until we are south of the freeway, to ensure we are clear of Class-C, and then climb to 4500.I have a bit of trouble talking to Socal, Craig helps me out a bit.  I do make a better job of keeping our altitude. 

Then it's plain sailing back to the SFRA, where we meet another plane going in the same direction, but up from Riverside, which makes the position reporting more interesting, as he ends up about a couple of miles in front of us.  The first time I've ever seen someone else in the corridor (previously I've heard, but not seen them).

We exit the SFRA, and SMO tower gives us the option of left or right downwind, Craig says do left, so I do.  He then pulls the power, and says "let's make it more interesting, a power off approach".

Well, since we are at 4500, there is no problem with making the field.  The problem is more when to turn base.  I end up turning to early, and we are still too high.  Craig does a slip (something I'm not to up on), but we are still  too high.  Tower kindly says we can doa  left 270 if we want.  We agree.  360, and land nicely.