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Random Griz Aviation Musings
- Thread starter Griz882
- Start date
I believe the technical term is "Tidewater Milk Bowl." Also known as the "Chesapeake Milk Bowl."
I thought we were gonna drain the swamp?
Now, now...don’t Thunderdome our otherwise peaceful aviation musings.
Revisiting this...followed by what's probably a boring flying story...
This really needs to stop.
Was coming back on a flight yesterday and someone (sister program) was working a call in our county (since we were already out). I was coming back to join the T of a RNAV, VFR, in order to facilitate some training with my crew, landing to the west and calling that I was southeast. The other guy let me know he was working 10 to the southwest over the airport CTAF. Then apparently the Iraqi AF decided to show up nearby, two Cessna's making calls saying where they were and intending to join the pattern. Turns out only one of them was actually making accurate calls, but more on that later.
So I make calls as I'm proceeding in on the RNAV, Akhmed and Kasim are spending 30 seconds a call to convey 5 seconds worth of information, and then the other helo starts making "<area> TRAFFIC, <area> TRAFFIC, this is....blah blah blah..." over 123.025. And then a third helo starts replying and the second helo keeps making double calls again for position reports.
Dude, just say the area once, position, landing destination, area. Boom, done. I have no idea if he was an Army or Navy dude, as I don't know the crews from that base, but he had to be one of the two. Comms were jammed enough, let's not make it worse.
Not really germane to my point, but the rest of the events were their own kind of special...
We finally just dropped air-to-air and started focusing on Kasim. I couldn't understand Ahkmed (his radio was really weak), but it sounded like he was on the other side of the airport to land the opposite direction of us (the wind was calm and despite my numerous calls saying what runway I was landing on, both kept saying they were setting up for the reciprocal). It was apparent that we couldn't continue the approach when again Kasim said he was turning final for the opposite direction runway.
But then he asked if he was to follow me. So now he was listening...weird... So I said I was side-stepping to the ramp. "So, I follow you?" I let him know we were a helicopter and didn't need the runway. This made more sense to him, so he said he was landing on the reciprocal. That's when Ahkmed said he was turning final, as well. I'm guessing this is when the lightbulb came on for Kasim.
As I'm turning to a short leg final to our pad, it now allowed me to see to the south and east. There's Kasim, at 500' climing out, at least 45 degrees off the runway axis (and at least 45 degrees off the other runway), cutting right behind me. Apparently Kasim wasn't actually lining up on the runway he kept calling, but on the one I was lined up on. By that time, Ahkmed was on final (on the correct runway he was calling for) and Kasim continued on to join a 500' downwind pattern to follow his friend, this time making the correct calls.
I got the impression something was up, but didn't realize he was 180 out. I can't see out of the left window very well, so we were lucky he didn't just continue into us. I'm also glad we broke off the approach when we did. I guess he eventually did see us, hence asking if he was following us, or at least I hope he did.
I still can't figure out what he was doing at 500' going over the airport and not lined up with any single runway, but I guess it was just one of many things that was weird that day.
This really needs to stop.
Was coming back on a flight yesterday and someone (sister program) was working a call in our county (since we were already out). I was coming back to join the T of a RNAV, VFR, in order to facilitate some training with my crew, landing to the west and calling that I was southeast. The other guy let me know he was working 10 to the southwest over the airport CTAF. Then apparently the Iraqi AF decided to show up nearby, two Cessna's making calls saying where they were and intending to join the pattern. Turns out only one of them was actually making accurate calls, but more on that later.
So I make calls as I'm proceeding in on the RNAV, Akhmed and Kasim are spending 30 seconds a call to convey 5 seconds worth of information, and then the other helo starts making "<area> TRAFFIC, <area> TRAFFIC, this is....blah blah blah..." over 123.025. And then a third helo starts replying and the second helo keeps making double calls again for position reports.
Dude, just say the area once, position, landing destination, area. Boom, done. I have no idea if he was an Army or Navy dude, as I don't know the crews from that base, but he had to be one of the two. Comms were jammed enough, let's not make it worse.
Not really germane to my point, but the rest of the events were their own kind of special...
We finally just dropped air-to-air and started focusing on Kasim. I couldn't understand Ahkmed (his radio was really weak), but it sounded like he was on the other side of the airport to land the opposite direction of us (the wind was calm and despite my numerous calls saying what runway I was landing on, both kept saying they were setting up for the reciprocal). It was apparent that we couldn't continue the approach when again Kasim said he was turning final for the opposite direction runway.
But then he asked if he was to follow me. So now he was listening...weird... So I said I was side-stepping to the ramp. "So, I follow you?" I let him know we were a helicopter and didn't need the runway. This made more sense to him, so he said he was landing on the reciprocal. That's when Ahkmed said he was turning final, as well. I'm guessing this is when the lightbulb came on for Kasim.
As I'm turning to a short leg final to our pad, it now allowed me to see to the south and east. There's Kasim, at 500' climing out, at least 45 degrees off the runway axis (and at least 45 degrees off the other runway), cutting right behind me. Apparently Kasim wasn't actually lining up on the runway he kept calling, but on the one I was lined up on. By that time, Ahkmed was on final (on the correct runway he was calling for) and Kasim continued on to join a 500' downwind pattern to follow his friend, this time making the correct calls.
I got the impression something was up, but didn't realize he was 180 out. I can't see out of the left window very well, so we were lucky he didn't just continue into us. I'm also glad we broke off the approach when we did. I guess he eventually did see us, hence asking if he was following us, or at least I hope he did.
I still can't figure out what he was doing at 500' going over the airport and not lined up with any single runway, but I guess it was just one of many things that was weird that day.
Welcome to GA? Some guys, and I mean people with a lot of experience, will just chat and chat on their way through the pattern. On my flight yesterday I was waiting to take off when four aircraft showed up and started a “Who’s on first?” conversation that lasted way too long. I get that two of them were either students or low time people who were worried, but the conversation just kept going.
It is a GA curse. People who drag out their calls with some unnecessary red-neckery to include...”Shannon traffic, N-XYZ will be there in just a bit and I’ll just shuffle and slip some to enter the downwind for the south pointing runway where I think I might do a few bounces or not...is the restaurant even open?” Sigh....I know my little light sport ain’t much, but I wish it had guns.
It is a GA curse. People who drag out their calls with some unnecessary red-neckery to include...”Shannon traffic, N-XYZ will be there in just a bit and I’ll just shuffle and slip some to enter the downwind for the south pointing runway where I think I might do a few bounces or not...is the restaurant even open?” Sigh....I know my little light sport ain’t much, but I wish it had guns.
Oh, I get that. I've been flying GA, off and on, since I was a teenager. The far more annoying part is when a 2K+ hour commercial pilot (and by extension, military aviators) drones on and on in busy situations.
I did find it amusing that as soon as I heard the double-call, I immediately thought of Pags' post.
I did find it amusing that as soon as I heard the double-call, I immediately thought of Pags' post.
Reminds me of waving an SNA in the CQ pattern at the Lex, and he was droning on and on about some non-flight critical malfunction, and he ends with "I don't know what to do."
CNATRA paddles standing next to me helpfully suggests, "Tell him to roll inverted and pull."
Good copy sir.What are your thoughts on a small seaplane for the Chesapeake? Bay water calm enough or too choppy for water landings?
Quite a few Searey’s operate off the Chesapeake but I’d work to stick to the thousands of inlets for take off and landings if the water were “up.” The Potomac is off limits to amphibs (Maryland law) but the number of aircraft that use the Virginia side inlets. I know one guy who flies a Republic Seabee and fears next to nothing on the bay but those things are beasts. I am really fond of the Super Petrel for that kind of flying. I am sure a lot of float planes use the bay, I’ve seen them at airports, but I’ve not seen one land.
What are your thoughts on a small seaplane for the Chesapeake? Bay water calm enough or too choppy for water landings?
P.S. the Husky in that ad is a nice, nice airplane.
If I were to go that route I’d get this!
What are your thoughts on a small seaplane for the Chesapeake? Bay water calm enough or too choppy for water landings?
Both my operational flying tours were around the bay and I don't think I've ever seen a single seaplane out there which in hindsight does seem kind of odd. I know guys at NOB used to go get their seaplane qual in one of the local-ish lakes but I never saw any seaplanes around. Probably doesn't help that big chunks of the bay and Potomac are under restricted areas.