Arizona to Washington, New Owner/Airplane-Trip Report
Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 11:41 pm
As members of TIC-170 Club, I feel we have an obligation and benefit of being able to serve as ambassadors and mentors toward other pilots in regards to our beautiful round tail airplanes and general aviation. Approximately one year ago I received a phone call from a gentlemen that was interested in buying a C-170. He was a new member of the club and utilized the directory to find fellow members in the local area. He called me, introduced himself and explained his desire to take a look at my 55’ B-model and pick my brain about owning a -170. We got together at my hanger and enjoyed talking planes and even realized that Bill’s father had been one of my aviation college professors. Over the next several months we kept in touch and talked about various airframes that went up for sale.
A couple months ago I received an email from Bill featuring details and photos of an aircraft he found in the Phoenix area. He was curious if I could give him my initial thoughts on the aircraft. I passed on much of the same great advice I received from club members when I was in his shoes several years ago. Bill made arrangements to travel to Chandler Municipal, KCHD to thoroughly evaluate this bird with the assistance of a recommended A/P. While I was on a layover in Phoenix recently I had the opportunity to lay my eyes upon this bird and I could see why Bill had been so excited about it. The pre-buy and annual inspection, as well as the negotiations was all successfully completed. Now Bill just had to learn to fly his new bird. Bill had started his tail wheel training on a Champ at our home airport. We all know that a champ and a 170 don't fly and handle the same, especially on the ground, but it laid a good foundation to build from. Bill had several days off before he and I were going to ferry the plane home and he made good use of that time to get introduced to the plane with a local CFI that had checked out the previous two owners.
I returned to PHX on the 20th of Sept to prepare for the trip home with Bill and his priced possession. The original plan was to prepare the plane that afternoon and depart first thing in the morning with the cool air. When I arrived, Bill stated that the airplane was all fueled, oiled and loaded. The weather was good for our planned route to the northwest through AZ, NV, ID, OR and WA. Mr. Buchanan also stated he was sick and tired of the Phoenix heat and wanted to leave that afternoon if I was okay with the change in plans. I was all for leaving early, so we jumped in the plane at 12:30, opened both windows and started to journey home.
Bill had not been actively flying for the last several years so we had briefed that we would use the trip home to practice and refresh his skills on the entire spectrum of navigation techniques and skills, including, dead-reckoning, pilotage, VOR and the use of electronic charts and flight programs.
We left Chandler and stayed under the Class B shelves as we tracked towards the northeast over Falcon Field then flowing counterclockwise towards Scottsdale before pointing towards Prescott. The cruise climb helped keep us below the shelves, while also providing good cooling for engine and pilots alike. Before long I was resting comfortably cruising along over the saguaro landscape in the cooler air at altitude with a fairly smooth ride. I looked over at Bill and noticed his hands and face were a little sweaty. He was either working harder than me, or maybe his side of the airplane was just warmer. We utilized this first leg to get more familiar with the aircraft’s two NAV radios and displays while tracking radials into and out of Prescott and Peach Springs VORs. We dialed in the 290-degree radial after passing over PGS. This provided us solid guidance to keep us laterally clear of the Grand Canyon National Park Special Flight Rules, without having to rely on GPS or other moving map type of displays. At an altitude of 8,500 MSL, we were offered a great view of the big ditch under the right wing. We monitored the recommended frequency to help us deconflict from tour traffic transiting from the Vegas/Boulder area to the Canyon, but all the traffic was well above us. As Lake Mead came into view, Bill continued polishing his topography map reading skills to navigate visually north along the lake and peaks into Mesquite (67L), NV. This 5,100 x 75 foot strip soon greeted 76C to its smooth surface after a 2.8-hour escape from the AZ heat. We received great care from the local airport employee whom provided first class service of water; vehicle and assistance fueling even at the self-serve pumps. This is a great place to stop if passing through southern NV or UT.
TO BE CONTINUED……….
A couple months ago I received an email from Bill featuring details and photos of an aircraft he found in the Phoenix area. He was curious if I could give him my initial thoughts on the aircraft. I passed on much of the same great advice I received from club members when I was in his shoes several years ago. Bill made arrangements to travel to Chandler Municipal, KCHD to thoroughly evaluate this bird with the assistance of a recommended A/P. While I was on a layover in Phoenix recently I had the opportunity to lay my eyes upon this bird and I could see why Bill had been so excited about it. The pre-buy and annual inspection, as well as the negotiations was all successfully completed. Now Bill just had to learn to fly his new bird. Bill had started his tail wheel training on a Champ at our home airport. We all know that a champ and a 170 don't fly and handle the same, especially on the ground, but it laid a good foundation to build from. Bill had several days off before he and I were going to ferry the plane home and he made good use of that time to get introduced to the plane with a local CFI that had checked out the previous two owners.
I returned to PHX on the 20th of Sept to prepare for the trip home with Bill and his priced possession. The original plan was to prepare the plane that afternoon and depart first thing in the morning with the cool air. When I arrived, Bill stated that the airplane was all fueled, oiled and loaded. The weather was good for our planned route to the northwest through AZ, NV, ID, OR and WA. Mr. Buchanan also stated he was sick and tired of the Phoenix heat and wanted to leave that afternoon if I was okay with the change in plans. I was all for leaving early, so we jumped in the plane at 12:30, opened both windows and started to journey home.
Bill had not been actively flying for the last several years so we had briefed that we would use the trip home to practice and refresh his skills on the entire spectrum of navigation techniques and skills, including, dead-reckoning, pilotage, VOR and the use of electronic charts and flight programs.
We left Chandler and stayed under the Class B shelves as we tracked towards the northeast over Falcon Field then flowing counterclockwise towards Scottsdale before pointing towards Prescott. The cruise climb helped keep us below the shelves, while also providing good cooling for engine and pilots alike. Before long I was resting comfortably cruising along over the saguaro landscape in the cooler air at altitude with a fairly smooth ride. I looked over at Bill and noticed his hands and face were a little sweaty. He was either working harder than me, or maybe his side of the airplane was just warmer. We utilized this first leg to get more familiar with the aircraft’s two NAV radios and displays while tracking radials into and out of Prescott and Peach Springs VORs. We dialed in the 290-degree radial after passing over PGS. This provided us solid guidance to keep us laterally clear of the Grand Canyon National Park Special Flight Rules, without having to rely on GPS or other moving map type of displays. At an altitude of 8,500 MSL, we were offered a great view of the big ditch under the right wing. We monitored the recommended frequency to help us deconflict from tour traffic transiting from the Vegas/Boulder area to the Canyon, but all the traffic was well above us. As Lake Mead came into view, Bill continued polishing his topography map reading skills to navigate visually north along the lake and peaks into Mesquite (67L), NV. This 5,100 x 75 foot strip soon greeted 76C to its smooth surface after a 2.8-hour escape from the AZ heat. We received great care from the local airport employee whom provided first class service of water; vehicle and assistance fueling even at the self-serve pumps. This is a great place to stop if passing through southern NV or UT.
TO BE CONTINUED……….