Hard Earned R&R Begins With IFR

My wife and I haven't had a weekend without the kids in nearly a year and the stress level has been high. Between working a full-time job, going to school full-time and my wife's schedule as a full-time mom to three children, we don't get to spend much quality time together.

A few weeks ago, we decided a weekend away together was just what we both needed. I actually talked my wife into taking a 172 to California. I planned on having my instrument rating and thought a kick-off IFR cross-country would be in order.

I wanted the trip to include the busiest airspace possible and chose John Wayne/Orange County Airport in Santa Ana. It's a pretty busy class C airspace airport smack dab in the middle of some pretty congested airspace between Los Angeles and San Diego.

We departed Stellar about 9:30 and picked up our IFR clearance shortly after takeoff. I filed for 10,000 feet and our route was pretty direct. Just after Blythe, LA Center asked if I could accept 12,000 for about 50 miles. I accepted and was told to expect 12 thousand in 20 miles. A few minutes later, she came back and asked me to report when ready to copy amended clearance. I didn't get 12 thousand and was assigned direct Palm Springs (PSP) instead of Thermal (TRM). Palm Springs approach directed me to an intersection (I forget the name) over Banning. From there, we're handed off to SoCal approach and receive vectors for the remainder of the flight. Our route took us over Moreno Valley, Hemet, Lake Elsinore and then direct to El Toro before turning north to SNA.

The marine layer had just burned off and visibility was quite good for Southern California. SoCal tells me to expect vectors for the ILS 19R approach at SNA. I intercept the glide slope 5 miles out and start riding it down. There is a LOT of commercial traffic and the tower is very busy so I tell them that I have the field in sight and would be willing sidestep to 19R for a visual approach. The controller says he owes me lunch and assigns the visual. A departing American 757 put some wake turbulence in our path as we landed, but with some correction, the landing was smooth. Welcome to SNA. Ground directs us to Signature Flight Support and we start an enjoyable weekend in Orange County.

FlightAware is a really neat service that let's you track ANY IFR flight, not just commercial ones. Here's the info page on our flight. Cool, huh?

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If you ever want to fly into SNA for the weekend, Signature offers a 50 cent per gallon discount on fuel Saturday and Sunday...not that 100LL is cheap there. However, they do have on-site Hertz (which saved us a ride to the main terminal) and first rate service. It's the nicest FBO I've been to yet.

Here's a few photos from the outbound trip


Sidestepping to 19L - American 757 Departing 19R


Some wake turbulence from the departing 757 makes our landing a little tricky.


A Skywest CRJ-700 in United Express livery taxis past...soon RJ...soon.


A United 757 - It sure is exciting to be out there with the big airliners.