Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Comedian

Seeing Boy George picking up trash in the street reminded me of one of the most irritating, all time nails on a chalk board song "Karma Chameleon". I remember when it was #1 on the Billboard Charts for nearly 2 months back in the 80's. That's when I gave up on mainstream radio. Culture Club, Wham!, NuShooz and a host of other groups destroyed my faith in radio. I was more in to Ministry, Sisters of Mercy...the dark stuff only available at hole-in-the-wall record (big round black disc with music, played on a turntable with needle-can be viewed at the American History Museum at the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.) stores. Since today was a good Karma day, I thought a little dishonor to Boy George was in order. I especially like this photo:


---

OK, enough digression. Back to flying.

Good Karma was with me today, making me laugh and feel good about life in general. Stage 3 is over. Finished. Done. You can stick a fork in it.

The oral portion today lasted about 90 minutes. It really wasn't very difficult. I'm beginning to think that I'm more lucky than knowledgeable. I keep getting questions that I know the answer to. Hmm.

Time rolled around for the flight. It was to Ryan Field in Tucson again. Easy to plan. The FD (winds aloft) forecast indicated winds not available. I've never seen it happen before, but checked DUAT, DUATS and NOAA. They all reported the same thing. No FD report. Awesome. That just cut 25% off the flight planning time. Good Karma scenario number one.

I was to plan for the NDB approach to Ryan. It involves a 26 DME arc off the Tucson VOR. With a GPS overlay, it's pure simplicity. Without, it can be tricky on a windy day.

Of course, the check airman that was riding with me said he wanted the NDB approach with no GPS overlay. OK fine. I can do it.

A check of the radar revealed some pretty severe thunderstorms in the Tucson area, with tops to 550. A slight delay? I decide to cancel the flight plan and wait 90 minutes. Sure enough, things start to calm down, however the atmosphere is still fairly unstable and there could be storms enroute. I can deal with that.

We get our clearance. Readback correct. Runup, VOR check, instrument cross check all complete. Cleared for takeoff. This was the craziest, bumpiest roller coaster takeoff I've ever experienced. First, there was crosswind that sheared to the opposite direction; second there was pretty strong turbulence; and third, a strong updraft over the last 3,000 feet of runway that took us up like a freight elevator! It was extremely bumpy to 5,000 feet.

Phoenix approach vectored us east of Tucson instead of our normal course to the TFD VOR and Albuquerque did the same. We were near Oracle before they finally asked us what we wanted. I decided to make the check airman squirm and requested vectors direct to Ryan instead of the IAF.

When we switched to Tucson approach, I did the right thing and requested the NDB approach. When I hit the IAF (IZUTU), the plane was exactly 26 miles out. Nice. I began the arc. About 1/2 way through the arc, I noticed it getting darker in the cockpit and announced going visual. Removing my crappy foggles revealed a pretty sizable thunderstorm about 5 miles ahead. Thank you, Karma. I called Tucson and they vectored us around it and right on to the final approach course. No arc to the NDB after all. HA! Thanks Tucson!

Just as I was getting cocky, I realized that there were some pretty severe winds pushing us off course and it was all I could do to stay on course to the missed approach point. At the MAP, we went missed. The check airman told me to do the published miss and 3 holds. Good thing, it took me 2 full holds to get established on course for wind correction.

Then we did the GPS-D approach, a worthless instrument approach if you ask me, back to Ryan. It starts at the NDB, then outbound, then a procedure turn, then circle to land after the NDB. What a boring, useless GPS approach. Finished that, did a quick touch and go, 1,000' and center YES!, and headed back VFR to Gateway.

We were going to do a partial panel VOR 30C approach at Gateway, but the VORTAC is out again. We requested the 30C ILS and he asked me to do it partial panel. I forgot to set up the GPS DME as a back up, but had my IAF cross radial and time set. Other than a 11 knot tailwind, it was a great landing. Time was 2:57 and approach time called for 2:58.

When we landed, there was no place to park at our regular ramp, so we got permission to go to the North Ramp. It was full too! We then had to get permission to taxi back to the main ramp so we could roll it into the hangar. The tower really thought this was funny. It's not as funny when the Hobbs meter is spinning and you're touring the airport for no good reason.

Oh well, Stage 3 is in my rear view mirror. I'm taking the FAA instrument exam tomorrow and probably the CFI-II exam too. Then it's time for end of course and my FAA check ride.

Commercial ground school begins Monday. Hopefully, all I'll have to worry about is my FAA check ride.

That was long. Thanks for hanging in.