Flight Training - September 2013 - 24

FLYING CARPET

By Greg Brown

MARK HARRIS with his 1947 Beechcraft 35
Bonanza.

SAGE ADVICE

FLYING FRIEND SAVES THE DAY

or the second year running, I looked forward to retrieving my
young pilot friend Tyler Allen from Window Rock for summer music camp in Flagstaff. The night before, I heard from
another young pilot, Zack Morris, who had earned his private certificate just a week earlier. Zack hoped to hitch a ride to Show
Low to work at a camp for children with disabilities.
“Sure wish I could fly there myself
tomorrow,” he said, “but obviously I can’t
park a rental plane there for two months.”
Without my help, his parents would have
to drive seven hours to drop him off.
I explained to Zack that I’d gladly take
him if I wasn’t already committed to picking up Tyler. Show Low, Window Rock,
and Flagstaff are all about 100 miles apart.
Given Tyler’s be-there-by-noon-or-else
check-in time, there was hardly time to
make both stops. Besides, with all three
airports between 6,400 and 7,000 feet
elevation, I preferred to complete the trip
in the cool early morning to minimize
density-altitude effects. But it pained me,
telling another pilot to drive.
Then I had an idea: I asked my buddy
Mark Harris to consider flying Zack to
Show Low while I picked up Tyler from

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FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

Window Rock. Mark happily consented.
Driving to Flagstaff Airport on Sunday
morning, I was delayed when the airport
security gate wouldn’t close behind me.
Fortunately I reached someone in airport
operations to secure it, but now I was running a little behind schedule.

power should cure the problem…but it
didn’t. Following a second failed attempt,
I recognized this was one of those times
when safe piloting means not taking off.
Now I had a problem. Tyler expected
me at Window Rock an hour from now,
with camp check-in looming. Fortunately,
I intercepted Mark and Zack just before
they launched for Show Low. Explaining
the situation, I asked Mark to collect Tyler
at Window Rock after dropping Zack.
“Sure!” he said. “You’ll come along,
right?” This posed a dilemma. Mark flies
a recently purchased older V-tail Bonanza
with a modest engine. I knew my buddy
was eager for me to fly along, but I have
little experience in Bonanzas. I told Mark
that by the time we reached Window Rock
from Show Low, the density altitude there
could exceed 10,000 feet. I asked if we
should be concerned about his airplane’s
takeoff performance.
“With three of us and baggage we’ll still
be just under gross weight,” he replied.
Mark is super-competent, and I totally
trust his judgment. Still, I’d planned my
early morning flight based partly on density altitude concerns. I phoned Jean.
“Mark’s offered to save the day and pick

AT THE RUNWAY I LEANED THE ENGINE FOR
DENSITY ALTITUDE, AND THEN STARTED
ENGINE CHECKS. THE LEFT MAGNETO COUGHED
AND BACKFIRED.
Briskly, I preflighted the Flying Carpet.
At the runway I leaned the engine for
density altitude, and then started engine
checks. The right magneto yielded a
minor drop. But the left mag coughed and
backfired. I straightened in my seat. Leaning the mixture for a few moments under

up Tyler, and he’s invited me along….”
Before I could continue she said, “Greg,
you were concerned about departing with
Tyler and two weeks of luggage even in
early morning. Is Mark’s plane capable
of lifting an additional person at midday?
Please don’t take any chances.” That did it.

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Flight Training - September 2013

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