the stories of a flight to Compostela
Lavacolla (Santiago de Compostela) is the main airport in Galicia. It is located 30 miles south of Corunna, on high ground surrounded by a huge forest. It's an airport I go since I was very small, in Lavacolla took my first plane, so a special feeling cuandoaterriza there. However it is an airport that flies frequently because of its proximity to Corunna does not compensate for the 20-minute flight between the two airports. In addition, commercial traffic at both airports makes the ground waiting times are significant, with a corresponding fuel consumption. To get an idea, the flight time between return is just 40 minutes, but the total time from engine start to stop is nearly two hours, and 30 liters of fuel.
However, I decided to fly to Santiago for reasons of access. Since now the days are shorter, I decided to fly the shortest route for the East, from the point Echo1 to Echo2. The wind on the runway was Coruña Northwest at 10 knots, which is a considerable headwind that makes you climb like an elevator. And it seems that things would get worse, because my return is expected gusts of 20 knots. Curtis spent about 4,500 feet and within minutes I started to go down Register to 2,500 feet. Since there are about 9 minutes Lavacolla in a westerly direction. I dismiss the Santiago Approach Control and Tower step Lavacolla, which authorizes me to proceed to the traffic circuit for runway 35 right, but not before making a couple of waiting to make way for a plane of Air Berlin, which came on approach.
The track has more than 3,000 meters and tracks such airports with some movement of commercial traffic requiring the pilot flying a light aircraft landing adjust enough to leave the track as soon as possible avoid causing delays in planes waiting for takeoff. For example, entering on runway 35, the first output is more than a mile from the header. That for a light aircraft is a world if you take in the header have to shoot at a very slow speed for at least a kilometer, which will be occupying the track and force commercial traffic to be delayed in takeoff or landing . The best thing to do in these cases is to go higher and landing well past the runway threshold to adjust to the first exit.
After leaving the runway 35 I did something unexpected. Lavacolla tower allowed me to park in the parking standard. The last time I had been there, parked in general aviation now called the P-4, guided by the signalman. However, this time not come any signalman so I went to the park where he had parked the last times. I was surprised to see painted on the ground arcs parking areas for large aircraft. I stopped the engine and soon see the signalman in his "yellow." After a conversation with him, which I thought we both had the same doubts about where to leave the plane, got to let me park there for an hour. Later I discovered that this area is where today parked Air Nostrum CRJ while the general aviation apron was displaced and was known as P-3. If you need to review the updates of the charts!
Just off the plane and walked down the platform between the baggage carousels to the terminal. This is where the driver has to be careful because as being "half air" makes him somewhat confused when moving by land. When I was at school always told me to look for the "C", a sign indicates that this is the crew access to the terminal. I say be careful because as you get into any site without permission you may end up throwing out the dogs. The first thing I did was go to coordination to pay € 4 for landing and parking fees. If we consider the money involved in aviation could say that 4 € are a pittance, but make no mistake; go away without paying and you will turn around in the air. Processed
and paperwork, fees, weather and flight plan back to Coruña, played relax. So within an hour had to take the flight back to Corunna. In the end I was waiting for my girlfriend. We take for lunch one of those expensive snack foods sold in cafeterias airports. For lovers of statistics will tell you that it is cheaper landing and parking in Lavacolla to eat a sandwich with a bottle of water, funny, right?. Fifteen minutes before the scheduled flight headed for the platform to initiate the inspection of the aircraft. In the tanks had fuel for just over two hours of flight so did not need refueling. It was enough to return to Corunna and diverted to an alternate if unable to land at the destino.Me went to the other end of the terminal to a control that says "General aviation crews," where I expected the security personnel. Here begins the real plight of the drivers who have no AENA card. Not only do not know what to do with you but you are questioning. Yet no one ever asked me my pilot's license.
certainly believe that within the whole complexity of the aviation system, safety checks of pilots is one of the unresolved, perhaps a product of an administration that ignores general aviation. It should provide private pilots some identification in order to move through airports and thus facilitate the work of security personnel, at least, paving the way with their kindness.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Has Anyone Had A Miscarriage From Fibroids
Last Tuesday was making spotter in Santiago VOR when I heard on the radio a plane indicative Brujo approaching the runway 35 for shooting and takeoffs. "Witch? I had never heard something. In the distance and the landing lights seemed a MD but what does an MD doing shots and taking off in Santiago? As I have approached four trails of smoke, so it was a four-engined. Airbus A340 A doing shots and taking off? No way. However, there was something that seemed very strange to be an A340, as black smoke of the four trails reminded me the Boeing 707. The unit made the decision, began the takeoff roll and just when it rose again I could see it clearly. B707 was the Air Force!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Publix Cream Cheese Recipe
El Brujo "You will remember this day as long as you live "Zero Gravity
"will remember this day for the rest of your life. "It's been seven years since that day. Each one has its own September 11, 2001 in mind. I remember that it was still dark when we reached the airport. remember that the tail of its A320 huge "B" yellow and red backlighting. While waiting to board I went over a steak with normal procedures and emergency situations. I was part of the 22 th Promotion Cabin Crew of a school of TCP's. This morning we traveled to Madrid our first day of practice safety and rescue Iberia. It was near to graduate and that would certainly be a big day for us. In a few months, perhaps weeks, we would be flying half the world. And hopes were dashed in a few seconds, it takes my mind to reflect the images of that day. My particular 11-S began when I saw Edward running towards me. We had already left Iberia hangars and we were in Mar de Cristal. I do not know where he came from, but his eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost I'll never forget the look on his face. "But you've seen what happened?!" . I spoke with who knows what the Pentagon attack, and two planes had crashed into the Twin Towers ... I thought I was telling a version of "Independence Day". Should be some human error, or simply not what was actually happening. It was not until an hour later, at a cafe in Mar de Cristal, of which I still have a paper napkin, when someone mentioned something about seven planes hijacked. My knowledge of aviation did not give a logical response to such disorder, was when I realized that something serious was happening.
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Uniformed and glass gazebo attached to the T2 Barajas, saw the last aircraft arriving daily. I remember there was absolute silence, no one of us said a word. Does finished the day all our dreams? How many of that promotion came to fly? And what will become of aviation from now?. After seven years, sitting at the computer here, I realize how little value they have the answers to these questions. What is important is that, for better or worse, that day helped to write another page in the life of an aviator. "I lived this with all my colleagues, I was there." And for those who were there this post is dedicated.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Muscle Building Drinks Death
had been two weeks since I was flying and "hangover" of all the crap dumped on television about the tragic flight Spanair 5022. Spend some time without flying is bad, but if you have to hold up a plane crash all the time can adversely affect a pilot. It's very serious, it makes you think that one day something might happen up there and if you're really prepared to deal with it. Fortunately, when I walk down the platform and climb into the cockpit you do not really think about it.
Normally I try to go out with them in the days of "sun and flies" to prevent someone from casting finished breakfast. However, such days of quiet atmosphere not often occur in Galicia. That day was blowing a little wind, but the north and quite noising to the track. After the safety briefing where we say everything we do in case of engine failure on takeoff, we make the checklists and the test motor. Still OK, the tower allows us to align in the track header, now the wind direction is 04. "We're going to move something in the off" - I say to Ramon. Today we will fly to the Marina Lugo, so the output will Coruña airspace by Echo One point I called the checklist before takeoff when the tower gives us permission to leave. "Ready Ramon? Well, we're going." I push the throttle lever to the bottom and check that the anemometer is "alive", the engine still in green and reached 60 knots rotate to go to air. It's true that he was going to move, but less than I expected, really. We arrived at the level of security and then a new checklist, we turned right toward the reservoir Cecebre, flying over its southern part as there is traffic from flying school in the area. On arriving at Echo Point One, call and ask Santiago approach climb to 5,500 feet.
Cape Ortegal to see scattered clouds fall to approximately 2,000 feet below us. Flying above the clouds, near them, is one of the joys of flying. You can see your own shadow reflected in them and surrounded by a circle of colors like a rainbow, a result of the refraction of sunlight on the humidity. It was a perfect day to do what a good friend called "cloud walking", or "walk in the clouds." I remember once that being a friend on his first flight and began to shout as it was impressive. Imagine the face of someone who has never seen the clouds from above ...
Ramon weather the storm well, I decided to do something she had never done with a passenger on board the plane to take zero gravity. The experiment consists of holding a pen with the palm of your hand, make a parabola up to zero gravity and keep the pen floating in the cabin. Ramon is encouraged, although he warned that the move I had never left alone. We adjust our belts, Ramon held the pen. "Just hold it, he will only begin to float." Meto power and describing a parabola ascend until the aircraft no longer has much more energy. Our weight is increased by the g's positive. Just at the vertex of the parabola, where we start to itch to move from positive to negative g's, it rises to the level cero.Y it was: the pen started to float in the cabin for a few seconds. The negative g's are pretty awful, but had experienced before and during the course of acrobatics with the Yak-52. However, feel and see a floating object as if we were impressed enough space. Ramon is hallucinating while looking for the pen, which ended in the back of the cabin, I try to accommodate your feet on the pedals again, because at the moment of the "floating", my legs were raised. No doubt an experience to remember.
clouds prevent us from seeing the coast and we believe that there was nothing else to do. We had flown almost two hours!. The evening was falling and had to return to meet the flight plan 1 hour 45 min we had planned. Upon our arrival we found something in the process commercial traffic at the airport, so had to hurry or we would have to make you wait. The wind was still from the north, although somewhat stronger than when we took off. There was no alternative, had to enter through the 04, something complicated when the north wind is moderate due to orographic turbulence. However, due to commercial traffic that would come in a few minutes, the tower gave us permission to make a "final cortíiiisima", thus avoiding the hill Costa and turbulence. I reckon it was the shortest final approach and exciting I did in my life. Undoubtedly, the icing on a flight suitable for restless spirits.
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