Preflight

One to remember, one to forget

Breakfast was especially memorable on Tuesday, May 10. I dined while seated in a comfortable leather seat 34,000 feet above the ground, flying toward Dallas with a groundspeed of 539 mph. For a change, I wasn't crammed into a middle seat around Row 28. On this trip, I was experiencing the service that accompanies ownership of a portion of a business jet through Bombardier's Flexjet program (see "Training Notes and News: Is Fractional Flying for You?" p. 16). Our Canadair Challenger 604 provided a very comfortable ride through the flight levels; a cheerful flight attendant provided attentive service in the cabin -- and passengers who were so inclined could visit the cockpit for a check on the flight's progress.

But even that wasn't really necessary. Among the amenities in the nine-passenger jet's spacious cabin are two large video display screens that can be configured to display an Airshow in-flight information system. Very similar to a GPS moving-map display -- but without all of the buttons we pilots like to push and the knobs we like to turn -- it shows the airplane's position, alternating with flight data such as altitude, airspeed, and outside air temperature (a brisk minus 59 degrees Fahrenheit).

The display tracked our progress from Washington, D.C., to Addison Airport outside of Dallas. It caught my attention when it identified Mammoth Cave National Park as "a point of interest" 17 miles ahead. I earned my bachelor's degree at Western Kentucky University in nearby Bowling Green and am familiar with the area, so I peered between the broken clouds for a glimpse of something familiar. However, the last time I visited Mammoth Cave, all the featured attractions were located underground, and parking lots were the most notable surface feature. If you're planning a cross-country in western Kentucky I can report that Mammoth Cave is no better a checkpoint from 34,000 feet than it is at 6,500 feet -- I recommend the interstate or one of the nearby small towns instead.

Later in the day Rick Handschuch, Flexjet's chief pilot, discussed the variety that the company can offer a pilot. Flexjet airplanes landed at 1,300 different U.S. airports last year -- far more than are served by the airlines. He recalled one flight where he was on final approach to La Guardia Airport in New York City and was rerouted, landing instead in Kentucky. "You can't beat the flying," he said. "You go everywhere and see everything." Flexjet pilots train to airline standards, and while they have a wide range of schedule options, the most common is six days flying followed by four days off. Handschuch said an average day consists of two and one-half flight legs in just under 10 hours of duty time. So it's not surprising that the average pilot has logged 10,000 flight hours.

My airline flight home was anticlimactic, and an hour late to boot.

The next morning I was at my desk in AOPA's Frederick, Maryland, headquarters when a wayward Cessna 150, its pilot, and his student-pilot passenger violated both the Washington Metropolitan Area Air Defense Identification Zone and the general aviation flight-restricted zone it contains -- resulting in emergency evacuations of the Capitol, the White House, and the Supreme Court (see "President's Perspective: Don't Cross the Line," p. 4). I took a call from somebody who was watching the scenario unfold on television; he asked if I knew that the errant aircraft was being diverted to Frederick.

At the same time I heard the sound of a heavy helicopter -- something much larger than the Robinson R22s from the local helicopter flight school, which seem to be in the traffic pattern continuously. I spun around in my chair, looked out the window, and there it was -- a small Cessna 150, followed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, flying right over our office. A CBP Citation jet circled above.

Because of Frederick's location, aircraft suspected of violating restricted airspace -- over Washington, D.C., or within Prohibited Area P-40 over the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland -- have been escorted here for unscheduled landings in the past. But none of them were on this scale. Numerous television news helicopters hovered overhead much of the afternoon, broadcasting live images of the two-place trainer -- even after it was towed to a parking ramp and tied down. Eventually it was moved into a hangar.

As is often the case with breaking news, a lot of incorrect information was broadcast that afternoon, and many questions of interest to aviators remain unanswered. As this issue went to press, the FAA was considering a suspension or revocation of the pilot's certificate. I will not speculate on how the aircraft ended up in restricted airspace, but we will share accurate information if it becomes available later -- especially if it offers a lesson that will help all of us to perform better as pilots.

What a difference a day can make.

E-mail Mike Collins, editor of AOPA Flight Training