The benefits of radar service
We obtained a standard VFR weather briefing from Oakland Flight Service and off we flew. Our route of flight on a heading of 350 degrees at 4,500 feet took us just above the western edge of Sacramento Executive Airport's Class C airspace. Given that it was ceiling and visibility unlimited (CAVU) and relatively quiet, we did not request radar flight following service from air traffic control.
After a nice, uneventful, one-hour flight, we had our $100 hamburgers (actually sandwiches) at Oroville, and then we took off for the return flight to Livermore on a slightly altered flight path with a heading of 190 degrees at 4,500 feet. Once again, we did not have flight following and were west of Sacramento Executive, but this time we were closer in.
We were chatting and enjoying the scenery--and the peace of radio silence--when all of a sudden Mike exclaimed, "Traffic ahead, 12 o'clock!" Dead ahead of us and closing fast was a Southwest Airlines 737 at our altitude.
The jet appeared to spot us and began (contrary to the normal rule) to veer left. We immediately began a climbing left turn so as to avoid the jet, which we thought was probably descending on its way to Sacramento Executive.
Shortly thereafter, we had to execute similar maneuvers to avoid two more jets. At that point we all realized that we had unwittingly blundered into the flight path of the commercial carriers coming into Sacramento Executive. To our surprise, they were all entering the airport's traffic pattern on a right downwind for Runway 16L, much as a small airplane would do.
We had never seen such a thing--the commercial jets approaching major airports always arrive on a long straight-in, don't they?
We had tuned the radio to Sacramento Executive tower, and not once did we ever hear the controller inform the jets of our position. We finally cleared the area, and guess what--CAVU or no CAVU, we obtained flight following from Norcal Approach for the last leg back to Livermore.
In discussing the flight afterwards, we all agreed that we should have done things differently. We had been entirely legal, but not very smart. The lesson here is to get flight following whenever you can--especially when in the vicinity of a major airport. Even consider avoiding the area altogether if possible.
Remember, be legal when you fly, and also be smart!
"Learning Experiences" is presented to enhance safety by providing a forum for students and pilots to learn from the experiences of others. It is intended to provoke thought and discussion, acknowledging that actions taken by the authors were not necessarily the best choices under the circumstances. We encourage you to discuss any questions you have about a particular scenario with your flight instructor.
