A few days ago I received the “The Best of Rod Machado Live on 14 Audio CDs” and I haven’t been able to stop listening. I’m on the sixth CD now and I’m still laughing at how he starts his speeches. Now listen to me! If you’ve ever taken any of the flight training lessons in Microsoft Flight Simulator, Rod was your instructor.
Today, Fiid was brave enough to climb into the cockpit with me. We took the Diamond Star (N504DS) out for a Bay Tour sight-seeing trip. We left San Carlos and flew over to the coast. After crossing over to Half Moon Bay we flew along the coastline, staying 2000 feet above the nature preserve and then ducking under SFO’s Class B shelf. After getting buzzed by a 747 (it wasn’t that close) we flew over the Golden Gate, circled Alcatraz and Angel Island a few times, then got cleared by NorCal Approach to fly straight back to San Carlos.
Flying from Alcatraz to San Carlos takes you right over San Francisco airport, so you have to get clearance from NorCal Approach to fly through the Class B airspace. Because they don’t want you mixing it up with the big boys, the tell you to stay below 1,500 feet and West of the Bayshore Freeway (Hwy 101). We got lucky because they didn’t have to give us a Class B transition, it’s totally optional given what ATC wants. They’re usually pretty nice though.
Once I heard the magic words “cleared into Class Bravo” I turned on course and flew us at about 1,200 feet over the city, safely past the highrise buildings and then just west of the 101. Fiid got some great shots of the city and our flightpath took us right over his house. Seeing your home from the air is always the coolest thing about being able to take someone flying.
As we passed SFO, the tower informed us of another aircraft slightly ahead of us. It turned out to be a Cessna 150 and at least initially it was a good distance ahead of us. In the aviation community there are a lot of jokes about how slow 150s fly, but I’d never experienced quite how slow they crawl through the sky. I was cruising along at a decent 100 knots, but it quickly became apparent that we were gaining on the bugger. I slowed the plane down to 80 knots, which without the flaps extended is essentially slow flight in a Diamond Star. But we were still gaining on the guy. After the tower switched us both back to NorCal Approach I passed him on the right, just shortly before San Carlos.
After that we had a nice safe landing, to which Fiid commented it was the smoothest landing he ever had in an airplane. Very kind words indeed… that is of course all skill 
Fiid tooks some great pictures of our trip. I think he liked it!
What a thrill! I’m almost speechless. Earlier today I flew my first aerobatic training flight. Bill Hightower, my instructor, and I went out in West Valley Flying Club’s Super Decathalon (N65SE) and he showed me aerobatic flight. First he would do a maneuvre, then he’d talk me through how he did it, then I would try. We practiced a few barrel rolls, loops, hammerhead turns, and to finish it off Bill turned the plane upside down and we flew inverted for half a minute.
Sadly, I have no pictures of the actual flight, I was too busy keeping the plane and my stomach, well… under control. I do, however, have a shot of the G-meter showing that we pulled about 3 positive Gs during the loop, and -1 G during inverted flight. Oh yeah, the FAA recommends we wear parachutes!
Also, before the aerobatic flight I did take-offs and landings in Citabria (N374DM) and I finally got the hang of tail-dragger wheel landings. Bill signed my tail-wheel endorsement, but I still need more practice before I start flying airshows. Not a bad way to start the new year.
