Gryphon's Aeire

Today I am flying back from Iowa taking pictures of places I have already been.

I plan on going back to some airports I have been to before and getting some new pictures.

Here is the Radio information for my flight.

There were lightning strikes showing on the storm scope and the fuel range ring was showing we would reach our 30 minute remaining about the time we reached Spirit. Since I was planning on doing more touch and gos before that, I didn't think we would make it back with enough reserve.

I decided to land at Ottumwa and get fuel and go to the bathroom. Paul wanted to look at the radar since he couldn't get the G1000 in the plane to show the NexRad images on the screen.

The weather at Ottumwa was reporting variable at 3 knots. Since I was coming in from the northwest and could see the airport in front of me, I decided to use runway 31. I was almost on downwind for it already.

8 miles out I reported my position and intentions.

I entered downwind and when I was about to the end of the runway, before turning base, Unicomm told me the winds were from 150 and runway 13 would be better. I said that was ok, I could land with a slight tailwind.

And that is what I did.

Ottumwa use to have a lot more traffic. The runways are over 5,000 feet long and 150 to 200 feet wide. I had lots of runway to deal with a tail wind.

I reported my turns and touched down just past the faded numbers. I let the plane roll to slow down and turned off, reported clear of runway 31, and headed for the ramp.

As we were shutting down, someone came out and asked if we needed anything. We told him to fuel it up please.

I waited while Paul went inside to check the computer.

You could see that Ottumwa had already had rain. The ramp was still wet. There were new storms growing to the south.

Paul suggested we do a quick turn and get out ahead of the storms or we might have to wait a while till they passed.

I agreed and headed inside. I went to the bathroom then paid for the fuel. 44.4 gallons for 221.55 dollars. 4.99 dollars per gallon. About normal around the mid-west.

Fueled and ready, we did a quick check and while I entered the rest of our flight plan in, Paul taxied us out. He did the runup at the hold short line then gave me back to controls.

We figured if we headed towards Keokuk, IA, (60.4 miles away) that would keep us north of the storm and we would be ok.

Keokuk is 11 miles from my next planned airport so that should have worked out ok.

Because of the clouds, I couldn't climb as high so I leveled off at 3,500 feet and flew along. I listened to Chicago Center but didn't pick up flight following. Since I was headed for a closed airport, I did know what to tell them, so I didn't tell them anything and just listened.

Since there wasn't really any place to stop for lunch on this flight. I had packed a lunch. I had a made 2 sandwiches. A roast beef and a turkey with horseraddish cheddar cheese, spicy mustard, and green leaf lettuce, apple slices, cheese sticks, and a cranberry oatmeal cookie. By now we were hungry so we ate as we flew along.

As we got further east, the stormscope kept showing lightning strikes ahead of us and down towards St Louis. Paul and I talked and I decided we could just skip Carthage and get it another day.

When I was 17.4 miles from Keokuk, I turned south and headed for Bowling Green, MO, about 43 miles away.

Watching the stormscope, there was lightning on and off along our route home.

I called up Kansas City Center and picked up flight following so they could help look out for weather.

We flew along and talked the clouds and lightning and what the stormscope was actually registering.

We were still concerned about what we were seeing and decided to skip Bowling Green.

I called Kansas City Center and amended my flight plan and said we would be going direct to Spirit, Sierra Uniform Sierra. They acknowledged and I turned a little more to the east.

I dialed in Spirit's weather. It was reporting winds from 170 at 7, few clouds at 8,000, runway 8 in use.

Center handed me off to St Louis Approach. I checked in with St Louis and said I was at 3,500. They gave me the altimeter setting and I acknowledged.

Paul asked if I wanted to fly an approach into Spirit. I thought why not.

I called Approach and said I would like vectors to the GPS approach for 8 left at Spirit. They said ok, fly direct Foristell. I acknowledged, dialed it into the GPS and headed for the VOR at Foristell, near Washington, MO. This is the Initial Approach Fix into Spirit.

Paul was surprised Approach had us fly direct since we hadn't told them what are capabilities were but then he realized since we were asking for a GPS approach, it only made sense that we were GPS capable. I said we could have also just flown to the VOR. He agreed.

Paul showed me how to select and load the appropriate Approach Procedure into the GPS.

We then reviewed the approach plate to see altitudes and distances.

I dialed in the altitude of 2,100 feet and when we reached Foristell (FTZ) the auto pilot automagically turned us and it started our descent.

The plane flew itself and made the turns and got us headed for the airport.

Approach hand us contact Tower and Tower asked our intention and I said this would be to a full stop, parking at Air Associates. Tower cleared me to land.

Decision Altitude, that point at which if you don't have the airport in sight you should go around, is 855 feet for runway 8Left at Spirit. Since we weren't in the clouds and could see the airport from 10 miles away at 2,100 feet, that wasn't really a issue.

By the time we were at Desicion Altitude, we were lined up on a steady descent for runway 8Left. Paul told me to disengage the autopilot and land.

I asked how far the autopilot would take us and he said all the way into the ground. It would plow straight in. I decided I would handle the landing. It would be safer.

I just held the descent and came in and did a nice landings. I let the plane roll, it slowed down, and I turned off at exit Echo 3.

Tower asked again where I was parking. I said at Air Associates and he said taxi to ramp via echo. I acknowledged and pulled straight ahead.

I pulled into one of the T-Marks and shut down.

While I got my times and cleared out the plane, Paul tried to tie the plane down.

The right side was ok, but I had parked crooked and he had to sit on the tail to get the plane to move and straight. He tied the left wing down while I tied down the tail.

We headed inside where Jenny was working the desk.

An interesting flight. 5 airports, plus Spirit, 14 total landings, 1 approach, 4.4 hours of flight. Not too bad.

More than a hundred dollar hamburger, but still worth it.

Click to read about the outbound flight

Ottumwa Rgnl Airport (OTM) at Ottumwa, IA

On final for runway 31

Rolling down runway 31

Main building

Hangar at Ottumwa

Return Flight Path

Was headed for Carthage, IL,
Decided to skip it due to possible weather
Turned towards Bowling Green, MO
Then decided to skip Bowling Green and headed for Spirit
Then got vectors to
RNAV GPS Approach to Runway 8Left at Spirit

Mississippi River looking south around Hannibal, MO

Approach Plate

Here is the airport weather information from my flight.

Here is the inflight weather information for my flight.

Here is the waypoint information for my flight.

Because of my diabetes, the FAA wants me to monitor my blood sugar 30 minutes before flight, during, and 30 minutes before landing.

Here are my readings.