Night XC from GTU to CLL and back last night

sambo13 said:

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Planning to fly in for the game tomorrow morning in a 182. First time doing a game day flight in/out - anyone that's done it before have any advice or tips? Have been into CLL plenty so familiar with the airport, airspace, and Astin.

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It's pretty easy. Astin has a shuttle that drops off and picks up at Kyle Field entry 3. It uses closed lanes on George Bush back and forth, so it's probably the quickest, most convenient way to and from Kyle without a police escort. The last shuttle back to FBO leaves Kyle Field 1 hour after the game is over. I always make a reservation with Astin in advance on game days, but I don't know that it's necessary.

Occasionally, they will use the closed runway as ramp space and shuttle to the FBO with golf carts. This can add a few minutes on your arrival or departure if you have to wait for a golf cart.

For anyone looking to make their first flight in for a game, I figured I'd offer a quick writeup of my experience! To put it short, would highly recommend!

We planned to arrive around 9-9:15 for an 11am game. Ceilings at CLL at departure were overcast between 500' and 1500'. We were originally cleared direct CLL from KHYI at 5000 for a flight expected to take about 45 minutes in total, but halfway into our flight we were given direct IDU VOR for 10 minutes or so in order to accommodate for the spacing needed as traffic began to line up for the RNAV and ILS approaches into Easterwood. This was followed by being again cleared direct CLL, then a series of vectors keeping us west of the field and eventually lined up for the RNAV approach. We were told to keep our speed up for as long as possible in order to not slow faster traffic behind us, which we did. As mentioned above, runway 11/29 was closed and lots of single-engine piston planes were parked at one end. By the time we landed they had ceased parking aircraft on that runway and sent us and other traffic behind us to the Astin ramp. Total flight time, startup to shutdown, was a little under an hour and a half.

After shutting down, we were shuttled via golf cart from the south end of the ramp to the Astin FBO, where we waited for ~20 minutes for the shuttle to the stadium. Shuttle was an Out of Service AggieSpirit bus, so there was no issue with running out of room on the shuttle; plenty of space for everyone who wanted a ride. The bus went straight from the FBO to the entrance on the west side of the stadium and was the most convenient way I've ever reached a football game.

After the game we walked around campus for a while in order to allow a lot of the departures to head out (didn't want to be sitting in the back of a line of 20+ jets waiting to depart). After Ubering back to Astin, we got back to the plane around 5pm and much to my relief found that the immediate post-game departure surge was over - we taxied out behind another 182 and were airborne with zero delay, and cleared direct destination within 5 minutes of departing.

I can't wait to fly in for another game and would recommend it to anyone. Obviously if conditions dictate, be IFR rated, current, and proficient. If weather is forecast to be IFR at arrival, expect an approach, delays, and being asked to keep speed up as you're sequenced amongst faster traffic. Be flexible and patient, and be on your game. I would expect an even more seamless experience had conditions been clear and a million.

Pretty hard to provide commentary without the actual conditions.

Probably my most challenging landing weather wise was one of my first as an aircraft commander. Quartering crosswind with a 15 knot gust spread. Top end of the gust was right at our crosswind limit. No matter how I flew or touched/didn't touch the throttles we were wildly swinging from +10/-10 approach.

Never got outside of stable approach criteria for more than the "momentary deviations" allowed by my regs but I'm sure it wouldn't have been pretty to watch. Luckily it was also at night with weather just above mins on a localizer

Seeking partner(s) for 2008 Cirrus SR20 GTS based at KCFD. Contact rpatton1990 at gmail or 2one0 8five9 0two6two.

Oopsies!

2023-10-04: Ryanair Boeing 737-800 (EI-EGD, built 2010) sustained damage to its right wing when it hit the roof of a catering truck whilst taxiing into gate 62 at Stansted Airport(EGSS), UK. The truck driver failed to give way to the 737 operating on flight #FR2861 from Luxemburg… pic.twitter.com/Rv8HcmNev5

— JACDEC (@JacdecNew) October 10, 2023

oragator said:

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One more.

Pilot makes an emergency landing on a highway pic.twitter.com/ElbbhPUTlm

— OddIy Terrifying (@OTerrifying) October 25, 2023

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I'd love to see the dash cam footage and audio from the cars he landed just in front of and headed directly at.

Just got my insurance signoff for a Mooney 20 Bravo. The one I'm buying cleared prebuy yesterday and I hope to have it in a week or so.

Jetpilot86 said:

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Just got my insurance signoff for a Mooney 20 Bravo. The one I'm buying cleared prebuy yesterday and I hope to have it in a week or so.

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So when's the Texas tour to provide joy rides for everyone on the thread?

From over NW Canada last night.

Not me. I got my new one home safe, despite not having made a solo landing in 30 years.

Buddy of mine took me and my daughters up yesterday for one of their birthday's.



I had previously flown in a Cessna 150 with a friend out of Pensacola. First time for the girls.
My buddy was a test pilot, can fly just about anything with or without wings. Now does instructing on the side. Surfing is his primary job now.



Went up in Cessna 172, flew about an hour around San Diego, taking off from MYF.



Flew out over the Pacific and turned north along the coast.



Came back in towards the mountains, flying over Ramona and passing El Cajon peak.



We all had headsets on. Listening to radio traffic, no way I could ever handle figuring out what everyone is saying, much less successfully communicate with another plane or the tower!



My youngest whose birthday it was said it was the coolest thing ever.