#76 - Oregon Coast: Nehalem Bay State Park (16 - 19 October 2020)

 

Nehalem Bay State Park is a state park in the United States located on the Oregon Coast, near the communities of Nehalem and Manzanita on the Nehalem Spit, a sand spit west of Nehalem Bay.

Tillamook County transferred the land to the State of Oregon for a park in the 1930's.  During the 1940's and 1950's, workers planted European beach grass, shore pine, and Scotch broom to stabilize the dunes - a process that took an additional twenty years.  The park opened in 1972.

This park has day-use areas, and a campground for tents, recreational vehicles, horse riders, hikers and bicyclists.

Its wildlife include a variety of birds, deer, elk, mountain lions, black bears and coyotes.

There is an air strip for small planes, the Nehalem Bay State Airport, and an amphitheater that has programs throughout the summer months.

The park is south of nearby Neahkahnie Mountain, the highest coastal land mass north of San Francisco and south of Canada.  The trail to the summit of the mountain was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) in the 1930's.  Nehalem Beach is within the park (Wikipedia) 

 

 

I don't think that nice log archway exists now (this is not my photo)

I have a difficulty with the idea equating camping and RV vehicles.  Camping is trekking in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet or Patagonia as well as backpacking.  In backpacking, I am sleeping in a tent, potty in the woods, water from streams or lakes, heating water on my Jetboil for freeze dried meals, powdered coffee, soup and energy drinks.  If I can't carry it on my back comfortably, it isn't coming along.  Okay..... the Asia treks had porters, horses or yaks, but the idea is the same.  Alright.....there was a cook and staff on the treks. But backpacking.......

We have a 5th wheel trailer and when we are at a "campground," we aren't camping.  It is a mobile cabin pulled by a truck with all the supplies needed for comfortable living and providing space for backpacks, kayaks and bicycles.

 

I didn't grab my camera for the hike, so these are phone images, but will give you an idea of the area, which look better on film than in person.  Hikers were respectful regarding masks and distance from other hikers, but there were more folks on the trail than this one may have preferred.  Despite the rave reviews, I would rate this a 2-3 hike on a 1 - 10 scale.

 

 

Winter is coming and no country will admit travelers from the USA, which means I should have time to scan, edit, write and post more of the Global Rambler's adventures abroad.   I may post future trailer outings that are interesting as well as a few more posts from flight school, but won't bore you with a post from each flight.

Stay safe, be well, keep 6 foot distance, wear a mask (I can't when hiking) and vote your choice on election day.

 

#75 - Flight 4: Slow Flight, Power-off Stalls, Steep Turns (O6 October 2020)

 

TRIM

 Transitive Verb:  to remove by cutting

                                to make trim and neat

                                to free of excess or extraneous matter

                                to embellish with ribbons, lace, or ornaments

                                to administer a beating (thrash)

                                to cause (a ship) to assume a desirable position in the water

                                to adjust (such as an airplane) for horizontal movement

 

Intransitive Verb:      to maintain neutrality between two opposing parties

                                      to change one's view for reasons of expediency 

 

Adjective:  exhibiting neatness, good order, or compactness of line or structure

                    slim and physically fit

                    ready for service

 

Noun:    material used for ornament

                the material in the finish of a building

                the interior furnishings of an automobile

                one's clothing or appearance

                the attitude with respect to wind axes at which an airplane will continue

                in level flight with free controls 

 

There had to be a means to relieve some of this pilot's tension after we are in the air and the instructor says, "you have the controls."  Of course, I must confirm, "I have the controls" and not "I have the controls?"

 

I started this Blog yesterday, expecting to spend time on the concept of Trim, but after today's 1.5 hour flying lesson I discovered a couple concepts that seem more important and should be mentioned beforehand.

 

1)    What is the function of each instrument and what information is it providing me about the airplane's flight that specific time and place? i.e. What is happening - NOW!

 

2)    When the airplane is not flying in a manner that I thought I was guiding it to do (according to the instrument information and what I am seeing on the horizon and below), how do I make proper adjustments (corrections) so that it does fly in a manner that I want it to?

 

3)    When not flying in a manner that I thought I was guiding it to do, how much time do I have to remember (or figure out) the proper adjustments (corrections) to make so I can begin flying in the manner that I want? 

4)    Does the airplane need more or less throttle - gas (a: Do I push in for more gas or pull back? b: What will happen to the airplane when I push or pull the throttle)? Do I push forward or pull back on the yoke (wheel) to change the pitch -up or down (what will happen to the airplane when I do this)?  Is that little black ball between the lines or do I push the right peddle or the left peddle (controlling rudder) to center it?  Am I gaining altitude or loosing altitude?  Am I at level flight, am I starting to turn? How do I make the proper adjustments to maintain altitude, level flight and the correct direction?  How much time do I have to remember (or figure out) the proper adjustments before I am in deep dodo?

 

 But wait, I can always turn to Chris (my instructor) in my state of panic and say "you have the controls....you have the controls."  but, what happens when I am flying solo with no Chris to take the controls? .... deep dodo?

 

Ah yes, the learning curve.  Remember those early downhill or x-country ski lessons, or beginning on roller or ice skates, perhaps that wobbly handlebar when you first rode that bike.  Well, you weren't thousands of feet off the ground, but it seemed a long way down anyway.

 

The point:  quit or master the skill.  Actually, this applies to many life lessons - quit or master.  One choice is limiting and the other empowering.

 

Trim?  Think about it - "neatness", "good order", "fit", "ready for service", "nice appearance" and "continue in level flight free of controls" with regard to flying the airplane.   Trimming the plane - adjusting the trim wheel  - relieves the push or pull on the yoke (wheel) and allows the pilot to relax a little and enjoy the ride.

 

Just like life:  if you are neat, fit and ready for service, you might be able to relax a little and enjoy the ride.

 

 

#74 - FLIGHT 3: The Checklist (September 29 2020)

 

"We must leave our mark on life while we have it in our power."  Karen Blixen

 "Flying demanded more courage and faith than I actually possessed, and it wanted my best, my whole self.  I would have to work very hard to be any good at it at all..."                    Beryl Markham

 

Sporty's Flight School - Learn to Fly is an online Ground School course.  It is divided into six sections:  1) Your First Few Hours; 2) Practice Landings; 3) Your First Solo; 4) Your Dual Cross Countries; 5) Your Solo Cross Countries; 6) Your Private Pilot Test.  Topics include Introduction to the Airplane, Cockpit, Engines, Instruments (26 sessions in 1); Aerodynamics, Stalls, Normal Landings, Takeoff & Landing Variations (15 sessions in 2) and so forth throughout the course.  The goal is the learn about flying and, eventually, pass the written private pilot test and after that, the flying test.

I thought about quitting during the lesson on Stalls.  Part of the lesson includes the following:

1. Practicing stalls will also help you learn the low airspeed flight characteristics of the airplane, and how to control it at low air speeds.

2. Part of your practice will include recognizing the first indications of a stall – these are called imminent stalls.

3. When practicing imminent stalls, the recovery is made at the first indication of a stall. The airplane is not allowed to become fully stalled. The object of this maneuver is to avoid a full stall.

4. When doing full stalls, the stall is allowed to progress until full up elevator, buffeting, and nose down pitching are reached.

5. During recovery from a fully stalled condition, you need to recover with a minimum loss of altitude and without entering a secondary stall.

6. A secondary stall occurs when the pitch attitude is raised too soon or too high during the first stall recovery. Recover in the normal way.

7. Stalls are especially dangerous when they occur close to the ground or if the pilot tries to recover in the wrong way.

Imminent Stalls - "Stalls are especially dangerous ...if the pilot tries to recover the wrong way." I am sure there must be an airline joke about the pilot pulling off to the side and getting out when a situation appears dangerous.  The apparent lack of humor comes when looking down to the ground at 6000 feet.  Actually, even 500 feet... or less.  I was in a mental stall and needed to recover the "right way."

 

"The parameter you are asking about is called glide ratio and it is directly related to another parameter called lift-to drag ratio or L/D Ratio.  This is a fundamental characteristic of the aerodynamics of a particular aircraft.  L/D ratio various with airspeed, for determining best engine-out glide performance, the L/D ratio at "best glide airspeed" is used.  "Best glide airspeed" is the speed that maximizes the L/D ratio, and this maximum value is knows as L/Dmax.

 

The maximum L/D ratio (L/Dmax) of a Cessna 172 is about 9, so its glide ratio is about 9:1 --for every 9 units traveled forward it will lose 1 unit of altitude.  So, it will glide about 9,000 feet for every 1000 feet of altitude available."   Aviation Stack Exchange

I feel much better with this new knowledge about "engine-out glide performance." Actually.......not really.

 

My flight school airplane is a Cessna 172.

 

When approaching the airplane on the ground as well as during and after the flight, I have a Checklist in-hand.  In order for you to gain an appreciate of the Checklist, I will conclude with photos of each list.

That's right....you need to know what each item on the list is talking about.  It doesn't help that they have several Cessna 172 and the instrument panel is arranged differently in each.  I hope to get the same airplane on the next flight.

 

Cessna 172 Instrument Panel

I was very busy last flight and didn't have time to take any photos, except this one before starting.  I will try to get some on the next flight.

Perhaps, during one of those practice stalls.