Mission: LifeSave

I have been away from writing here for many years, but a recent change in career position has piqued a new desire to document this chapter of my logbook. To date all of my career flying has been transporting well-bodied humans from one place to another. This has spanned from the C-suite type to the carrying of the general public that wiggles through security scanners.

This next season of blogs will be based on my experiences while flying air ambulance missions in the central portion of the United States in a Pilatus PC-12. This is a departure from the entirety of time I have spent operating various aircraft and one that is sure to be memorable.

Challenger 350

The career change follows the sale of the Bombardier Challenger 350 I had been flying for an OKC based company and the subsequent closing of the flight department. It was a move that surprised the entire group and I certainly believed I would be with the company much longer than the short seventeen months.

To others in the industry the transition to flying a smaller and slower aircraft wouldn’t make sense. The traditional career progression for a pilot usually involves moving “up” from one aircraft to another larger model or a role that is one step closer to flying for a major airline. This change is much more for me, however. I’m after the best quality of life for my young and growing family and the plans we have for our future. I don’t mind at all flying something smaller and MUCH slower than the last airplane. This new mission of flight also has me excited about what lies ahead. Fulfillment in the work I get to do each day will come in a new way as compared to previously.

The new role has me flying the PC-12 as a one person flight crew. This is referred to in the industry as single-pilot flying. It has been something I have aspired to do in turbine airplanes for some time and presents a different set of challenges and rewards.

Once out and flying I will bring more on the famed “Swiss Suburban” and the LifeSave stories that come along with the role.

Catching A West-Wind!

For just about four months I have been alternating flying from the left and right seat of the Westwinds that our Part 91 flight department operates. Getting used to the nose wheel steering tiller took a little bit of time, but along with flying legs from this side of the airplane comes an emphasis in becoming a captain. It is similar to a child being raised to the age of 18. They know how to drive the car by now, but now they are released into the world and have to make decisions on when and where to drive. I've been privileged to fly and learn from a great group of men who have pushed me to begin thinking like the pilot in command, despite still acting as the second in command.

On a recent return flight from a busy international airport it would be my turn to operate the flight from the left seat and make decisions concerning the safety and outcome of each portion along the way. The majority of the decision making begins well before the engines are turning and today was no different. One notable portion that sparked this entry in Life's Logbook concerned the amount of runway required for our departure. With 6,500 pounds of fuel on board and two passengers we were just under a takeoff weight of 21,000 pounds. A look through the takeoff data chart showed a balanced field length of 4,700 ft taking into account the airport elevation and outside air temperature. Balanced field length is more simply explained as the worst case scenario amount of runway needed. Two runways were being used with different conditions for each. Runway 8, with 5,000 feet of takeoff distance available, was a short taxi from parking and we would be number one for departure with nearly no wait. Runway 9L, with 9,500 feet available, would be a long taxi where we would be number nineteen for departure. You read that correct, we would be in line behind eighteen other airplanes. You may find yourself asking, "Why not take the runway that is longer than the runway distance required and eliminate waiting in line?". During preflight discussion with the acting PIC, I mentioned we would likely be offered the shorter runway, but I would not consider it for one reason, MARGIN. The runway only provides a safety margin of 300 feet. At the speed we would be rolling down the runway this equates to just under two seconds of MARGIN we would have on our side. With four months of experience flying the airplane this wasn't a number I was comfortable with.

Into the line we went and our departure from this busy airport took place nearly forty-five minutes after starting the engines. With our company's outgoing CEO and incoming CEO both on board we were nearly an hour late departing. Two-and-a-half hours later we touched down safely with another great flight behind us. Looking back I am tempted to tell myself, "You could have departed from that runway and everything would have been just as well" and I would very likely be correct in that assumption. In becoming a captain I am beginning to realize the wisest route to take is one without unanswered questions. Were we safe departing from the longer runway? Absolutely. Would we have been safe departing the shorter runway if something abnormal were to occur during takeoff? Maybe so or maybe not.

Continuing the Dream (A Ferry Story)

The last two months have been a teenage dream come true. I recently started a small business providing pilot services all over North America. This involves delivering airplanes to their new owner and flying for various corporations that own airplanes.

Our first customer was a ferry flight from Easton, MD to Racine, WI. The airplane is a 1946 Piper J-3 Cub. A radio control model of the same airplane is what got me interested in airplanes and led me to begin learning to fly and ultimately the creation of Kingdom Aviation, LLC. The Piper Cub was designed and built in the 1930's and production continue until the mid 1940's. It has taught, and continues to teach, a multitude of pilots how to fly. This particular Cub would be continuing it's legacy in a Milwaukee, WI suburb by serving as a classroom for pilots to learn to fly in.


The delivery flight took fifteen flying hours and four days due to a six hour weather delay. It was an amazing journey watching the beautiful landscape SLOWLY scroll by just five hundred feet below my seat. The Cub and I became best friends battling gusty crosswinds, endless turbulence, and not-so-perfect landings. It is amazing how an airplane of such age still has so much to offer. It has a very pleasant way of reminding you to slow down and enjoy life instead of hurrying off to wherever it is you are going. Too often I get tied up in flying shiny airplanes that can cover hundreds of miles in an hour while flying miles above the earth, often out of sight of all the things that make this world beautiful and inspiring.

Some memorable events along the way included crossing the bay northeast of Baltimore, overflying an outdoor wedding ceremony, passing horse-drawn carriages of the Amish communities, the in-flight meal (leftover dinner roll from Texas Roadhouse), and flying the Lake Michigan shoreline of Chicago.

It was an exhausting trip and there were times I promised myself I would never do it again, but the memories made, people met, and amazing views have me counting down the days until the next time I can hand prop a cold Continental, crawl in the back seat, and takeoff on a journey to cross my beautiful homeland at just 65mph. 

Full Time Flying

In November of 2014 I received my single engine commercial pilot certificate. A few months later I was able to get a contract job delivering airplanes all over the North America. I found out about this opportunity through a flight instructor that I had done some flying with and he recommended me to the chief pilot. It was a lot of fun and I got to do a lot of traveling each week flying mostly new Cessna's. I went on two international trips and one involved ferrying an airplane from Canada to Texas. One of the most memorable trips was a turbo Cessna 182T that the dealer had purchased from the Boston area. It was an extended trip due to terrible winter weather in New England. When I arrived to get the airplane there were over three feet of snow on the ground with more coming. It was an eventful trip to say the least. The ferry business is still a lot of fun and I try to do as much of it as I can on the side. The variety of airplanes you get to fly while doing this is amazing.

One of my goals for 2015 was to add the multi-engine rating to my commercial certificate. Not long into the year I dove in and knocked out the training at Fort Worth Flight Center in a Beechcraft B55 Baron. The airplane was an absolute blast to fly and the staff there is great! The instructor I had was great to be around and I learned a great deal from him. Towards the end of my training he asked if I would be interested in a flying position that would be coming open for a company that he flew for when he wasn't instructing. He told me a little bit about the position and it sounded like an amazing opportunity. I again expressed my interest and he put in a reference for me. A few weeks later I was interviewing for the position and it was offered to me a few days afterwards. I am currently flying the Beechcraft Bonanza A36 here and it has been great.

Being a career pilot was something I had considered, but didn't think I would actually make it to that point. My career path has taken a few hard turns in the past, but I am now having a blast doing what I love! I can't wait to see where things go from here.

Commercial Pilot Privileges Added

     It was somewhat of a bittersweet day with the replacement of my private pilot certificate with a commercial pilot certificate. Over the course of the six years I have been flying under the private certificate and everything has been under the umbrella of the privileges and limitations of that certificate. Things added along the way included a high performance endorsement, complex endorsement, and even the instrument rating. None of these change the fact that the certificate is still a private category. The passing of today's check-ride signaled things were a little different now however.

The training for this check-ride has been a drawn out process that really started late in the Summer of 2014. Brandon at Ayers Aviation finished up the training I needed and helped prepare me for the oral exam portion of the exam.

I have only been flying the Bonanza for a year and have gotten somewhat familiar with getting acceptable performance out of it, especially when compared to prior aircraft that I had flown. The transition training I took to meet the insurance requirements wasn't aimed at becoming an expert in the airplane, but rather to be safe and familiar with the systems. Most of my experience flying this beautiful Beechcraft product since then has been on long cross-country flights where you rarely see the edges of the performance envelope. It was great to get to use this airplane for the training required for the commercial certificate.

I learned so much about getting the absolute most out of the airplane. I was in the airplane multiple times every week and we grew close as I learned the little nuances it had. It would remind me of times I was feeding it too much fuel as we had climbed thousands of feet doing chandelles or that I had left the cowl flaps open while spiraling back down with the engine at idle. It treated me well and was patient with me. It is a sweetheart of a machine and will open its pipes and scream when the throttle gets thrown forward.

It was an adventure worth remembering in an airplane I enjoy flying each time out.

Thanks Bo

IFR with the Best Friend

N149G Instrument Panel En-Route

Today was a great day to get out and get some actual instrument! Just after lunch Glyn and I found a destination that had current and forecast weather that was within our personal minimums. He got the briefing and filed the flight plan as I made the drive to the airport. Glyn would be flying the first leg from the Denton Airport (KDTO) to the McAlester Airport (KMLC) from the left seat. I would then fly the return leg back to Denton. Upon arrival at the hangar we loaded the plane in the rain started our journey for the day. During both legs of the flight we would be working as a team to reduce workload and provide for a much safer flight in instrument conditions. It was nice to be one of only two aircraft at the airport that were flying. On a normal day the pattern is full of 152s, 172s doing practice approaches, Senecas, and at least two helicopters doing either instrument approaches or in their pattern.

KDTO-KMLC

RNAV (GPS) RWY 2 at KMLC

While Glyn taxied out I worked the radios and requested IFR clearance to the McAlester Airport. I received the clearance and it was just as he had filed. "N149G cleared to the McAlester Airport via radar vectors Texoma Three departure-McAlester Transition, direct. On departure turn left heading three four zero, climb and maintain two thousand, expect five thousand one zero minutes after departure, departure frequency one-one-eight point one, squawk five two one five". With everything loaded up in the navigator, off we went. Just after passing the departure end of the runway we found the broken layer and broke out of it briefly before entering the overcast layer. Nearing McAlester we requested to fly direct to AHAMU, for the RNAV (GPS) RWY 2 approach at McAlester. Not long after we were cleared for the approach. Glyn did an excellent job hand-flying the approach and soon we were on the ground and taxiing to the terminal.

N149G on the Ramp at KMLC

KMLC-KDTO

RNAV (GPS) RWY 36 at KDTO

We relaxed in the terminal long enough to file our return flight plan and relieve internal pressures. We loaded back up and taxied out to depart on runway two for the return flight to Denton. Exercising some CRM, Glyn contacted McAlester FSS via the RCO (Remote Communications Outlet) while I taxied and got our clearance with a void time of ten minutes. We were cleared "via Mcalester-Sasie Four arrival" with no restrictions to our cruise altitude of six thousand feet. RCO frequencies can be found in the Airport/Facility Directory for the airport you are at. It was nice to have the RCO there and prevented us from having to obtain the clearance via other methods. Glyn loaded everything in the navigator and briefed me on the clearance he had received from the FSS, making sure to note important items. A few miles north of the airport we returned to instrument conditions and would see much of the same for the rest of the flight.

Upon arrival back to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area were advised by ATC to expect the RNAV (GPS) RWY 36 approach at Denton. We loaded the approach into the GTN750 and were soon assigned radar vectors to put us on the final approach course. After the initial heading assignment and descent the autopilot was disengaged and hand flown. One of the challenges as instrument pilots is maintain our proficiency. It can often be tempting to utilize automation at all times, but our skills suffer when this happens. The best way is to get out in real-world conditions and hand fly the aircraft. This was the main objective of today's flying and we had a blast doing just that!

Ercoupe Ferry Flight

     I have read several trip reports of general aviation pilots ferrying small airplanes all over the United States and dreamed of the day when I could do the same. Ferrying is a common job that commercial rated pilots do on the side to help get an aircraft to its new owner and make some extra cash. I wasn't being paid for my flying and I don't have the experience of many other pilots that have the chance to deliver airplanes. This would be the longest flight in my logbook and there were new things to learn on such a venture. When flying a trip that takes many hours, weather was my biggest concern and I watched the patterns following up to the day that I departed. This trip had me delivering a 1946 Ercoupe 415-C to a buyer in Lexington, SC. I arranged to deliver the airplane for only the cost of fuel and one night of lodging. I quickly found out that this is unheard of, but to get to fly was worth more than anyone's wallet could afford.

Ercoupe at Pauls Valley Airport

     My first planned fuel stop was Hot Springs, AR. About one hour into the flight I decided to press on to Pine Bluff, AR. A low pressure front and associated thunderstorms had passed through Oklahoma over the weekend and another was rapidly coming in. Parts of Oklahoma later received two to three days of near continuous rain and my return flight was delayed due to weather. Neither myself or the old gal were equipped to handle anything other than blue skies. My goal for the first day of flying was to get to the Mississippi River where I didn't expect the storm could catch up while I slept for the night.

Approaching Grider Field (KPBF)

     The 260nm leg to Grider Field (KPBF) in Pine Bluff, AR was un-evenful and I quickly topped off the airplane with fifteen gallons of 100LL. Another goal of the first leg was to get an accurate fuel consumption number that I could use to plan the rest of the trip. I calculated almost exactly five gallons per hour on the first fill-up. Up to this point I had no idea where I would be spending the night and it was now around 1830L. Using ForeFlight I searched for some FBOs in the Memphis area that would be able to accommodate me and the airplane after 2000L. The first call turned up an answering machine as the FBO was already closed for the day. It was somewhat expected as the airport was in a rural area further away from Memphis. The second call turned up a hotel and a shuttle service that would pick me up around 2045L. With plans in place for the night I departed to Olive Branch, MS (KOLV) to stay the night. The flight would put me arriving a bit after dark, but the airplane had been running great and all the lighting was in place for night flying. As the sunset over my shoulder I flipped the nav lights on and quickly found out that all of the instrument lights were operational too! It was a beautiful flight passing the mighty Mississippi River and over the Memphis area lights.

Sunset over Eastern Arkansas Enroute to Olive Branch, MS

     I got checked-in to the hotel and walked across the street to get something for dinner. The last time I had eaten was a few hours before I departed Oklahoma and I was no longer being fueled by the beautiful sights from above. Once back at the hotel I began looking over route options for the next day that would keep me clear of busy terminal areas. Avoiding the Huntsville class charlie airspace wasn't going to be possible with my plan to make one stop between Olive Branch and the Lexington, SC area. I would be able to fly just north of the Atlanta class bravo without any problems however. After a decent plan was in mind I quickly fell off to sleep while images of the day ran through my head.

Memphis Area Class Bravo

     I was up at 0430L and started looking over weather for the day. The rest of the trip would be under upper level scattered clouds and on to clearer skies as reported by the area forecasts. The shuttle picked me up at 0530L and I woke the girl up around 0545L. The little Continental wasn't quite done sleeping for the night and took a few squirts of her favorite juice and a pull on the starter to get up and going. On the entire trip I had been using the Garmin Aera 560 GPS that was installed in the airplane for navigation and using ForeFlight for planning and airport information. The equipment in the cockpit for this trip was far from what was common back in the early days. It was so nice to be able to download all the charts and A/FD information for every state the night before I left Oklahoma. For the departure out of the Memphis area I zoomed in on the Foreflight map so I could avoid the areas where a clearance is required. Departing Olive Branch airport at 0600L I immediately made the turn east and watched closely on the iPad so as to avoid the airspace. Once out of the area I decided to fly through the Huntsville airspace after stopping at Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (KMSL) in Muscle Shoals, AL for fuel. It was a short leg as I didn't take on any fuel on my overnight stay due to operating both after and before normal hours. Before departing Alabama I phoned the buyer to advise him I would be landing there in about four hours.

     Right off of KMSL I climbed to 3,500' for thirty minutes or so. I was only seeing around ninety knots ground speed and wanted a bit more. To get flight following through the Huntsville class charlie I was asked for my type designator by the approach controller and had to admit that I did not know it and told the approach controller what I thought it may be. A few minutes later he came back with the answer after having looked it up (ERCO). After passing the Huntsville area I climbed to 5,500' to see about winds there. It was the best thing I had done so far. I was getting anywhere from 130-140 knots groundspeed and turned the nearly four hour flight to a three hour one. The scenery kept rolling on hour after hour and soon it was time to come down.

     As I was nearing Whiteplains Airpark I was having a hard time finding the runway as it is nestled in the tall trees and isn't as large as most city airports. Once I spotted it I made a straight in approach and was welcomed by the new owners voice over the radio. I slowed the coupe down and dropped it in over some tall pine trees, taxied to his hangar, and let the carburetor bowl run dry. I had completed a wonderful journey that will be remembered forever and said goodbye to a wonderful airplane that will definitely be the delight of its new owner. Thanks "Ercoupe three niner zero" for the wonderful memories and teaching me so many things about the skies. I know how much you love to fly and I hope you don't rust away in a barn like so many others.