Gryphon's Aeire

Returning to Spirit from Litchfield, IL after diverting to avoid some weather.

Here is the Radio information for my flight.

10 miles out I reported my position and my plan to land on 36, Litchfield.

I adjusted my heading to get lined up for runway 36. It ended up being a pretty nice landing.

I have been here 27 times before and made 86 landings or touch and gos, but I have never gotten out of the plane.

Paul told me where to go and when we were looking for a tie down, there were several with good strong ropes for all three tie downs.

Paul was glad. He said he didn't want to come back and find the plane blown onto it side. I said I was sure he didn't since he was the Pilot in Command. I still don't have my medical so he is technically in charge.

I got my times and we tied the plane down before heading inside. It wasn't raining yet, but we could see rain cells just to the west.

Again, there is a nice pilot's lounge. It has 2 computers you can use, another showing the current local weather. Snacks for sale. A couple of couches and chairs with some aviation magazines.

I checked my blood sugar again. It was reporting 95 so I bought a Ding Dong and ate it.

Paul checked the weather and it looked like the storms were breaking up.

I called Lisa and there was nothing happening at her house. She said it had gotten windy, but they never got any rain.

I wandered outside to look at a plane parked in front of the building. I was partially covered, but the nose art showed a bullet with arms and the name Die Silberkugel so I am guessing it means The Silver Bullet.

As I was looking around, the sky was already clearing. The dark clouds were passing by and it was clearing to the east. We didn't get any rain.

After a few more minutes, Paul and I decided to head on back to Spirit. Checking with the computer, it was showing clear at Alton and Spirit.

He asked if we wanted to file IFR to go direct of just VFR and see what happened. I said I didn't care, it was up to him.

We decided to just fly and see what happened and headed back to the plane.

I got the current weather. Now it was reporting the wind from 190 at 4 so I planned on using runway 18, the opposite of what I landed on.

When we were in the plane and ready to go, I reported taxiing for departure off 18, Litchfield.

Before our runup, the engine seemed to be running a little rough, but during and after, it seemed fine. Probably just a little carbon buildup that burned off during the runup.

I reported airbore off runway 18, departing the area to the southwest.

We ended up being on the ground for 30 minutes.

I climbed up to about 1,000 feet before turning southwest and Spirit, 54.6 miles away.

I continued my climb up to 3,500 feet when Paul was going to call St Louis Approach. We talked about what frequency to use.

He was going to use 126.50. I asked wouldn't it be 124.20, that is the frequency used by Alton. 126.5 is used at Spirit. He agreed with me. He has been flying out of Spirit now for 9 months, since Langa closed, and is use to things there.

He called St Louis Approach and requested Vectors to the 26Left ILS approach at Spirit. Approach said to head direct to Cardinal (CSX) and depart at 230. I acknowledged and he selected the Cardinal VOR using the Multifunction Display. It is faster to do on that side rather than me having to twist dials to enter it.

I questioned him on the 26Left. Normally we land on 26Right. He said there is no ILS (Instrument Landing System) approach on 26Right. He said we could do the GPS approach to 26Right if I wanted. I said 26Left was fine. I have never landed on that side. He would have to tell me how to taxi back to Air Associates. He said he would.

The Cardinal VOR is located on the field at Lambert-St Louis International Airport (STL) so we would be flying right over the runways again. That is the safest place to be as I won't be in the way of planes landing or taking off.

We flew past St Louis Regional Airport (ALN) at Alton. I landed here about 2 weeks ago. That was the first time I had been back since LangaAir closed back in September 2009. There is a new flight school there that rents planes, but they don't have any with the G1000 instruments I like.

We crossed the Mississippi River and continued towards the VOR.

I let the autopilot take us to the VOR and when we were over it, I switched the autopilot from Nav to Heading and turned the heading indicator to 230 degrees. The plane dutifully change course.

Paul was expecting vectors to put get us lined up for runway 26Left. Instead, Approach told us to make direct for the runway, let him know when the airport is in sight.

Paul said that was the simplest clearance he had ever received.

It is 17 miles from the Cardinal VOR (CSX) to Spirit of St Louis Airport (SUS). I couldn't quite make out the runways yet, but I could tell where the airport was.

About 12 miles out, I reported the airport in sight. Approach told us to contact Tower on 124.75, have a good day. I acknowledge and switched frequencies.

I checked in with Tower, telling them we were 10 miles out and Tower asked how this approach would end. I said we were landing and would be parking at Air Associates. Tower cleared us to land on 26Left. I acknowledged.

Paul had showed me how to enter the approach procedure into the flight director. He said I could let it fly us down to Minumums or I could do it. I did it.

I did a fairly good job of keeping the plane on glide slope and centered for the runway. It drifted a few times but I brought it back. I was happy with my performance.

The Minumum Decent Altitude is 660 feet. If you don't have the airport in sight by then you are suppose to go missed and go around. Being VFR and clear, that wasn't a problem.

If I had been flying in clouds and broke out at 670 feet it would have bothered me.

Field elevation at Spirit is 463 feet so 670 feet is only 200 feet above the ground. If you don't have the ground in sight by then, I wouldn't want to try to land.

I touched down nicely, smooth and centered, and just let the plane roll.

26Left is 7,486 feet long. Paul said I could roll down to exit 8 or 9, at the end.

Tower asked where we wanted to go. I said to Air Associates. Tower cleared us to exit at 9, taxi to the ramp via Bravo. I acknowledged and turned off when I got to the last exit.

I followed the taxiway and turned in at the end of the ramp to Air Associates.

I parked next to the other 4 planes there. You could see there had been a strong wind through here. All the planes were turned off center where the wind came from the west and the planes had weathervaned with the wind.

I parked and shutdown. I got my times and cleared out the plane while Paul tied down the right wing and tail.

I got out and tied down the left wing before we headed inside.

It was about 19:25. About the same time I had planned on getting back if we had done the entire route as planned.

We ended up skipping Clark Regional (JVY) at Jeffersonville, IN and French Lick (FRH) at French Lick, IN, but we added Vandalia and Litchfield and spent almost an hour on the ground so it worked out about the same.

An interesting trip.

Between the 4 flights today, I added 3 new airports, 2 old airports, 6 touch and gos, 4 landings and 5.8 hours flying.

We diverted twice to avoid weather that never materialized but we did it safely and no one got hurt.

You have to stay flexible.

Click to read about the outbound flight from SUS to LOU

Click to read about the return flight from LOU to VLA

Click to read about the return flight from VLA to 3LF

Litchfield Municipal Airport (3LF) at Litchfield, IL

Clouds over the airport

Clouds over the airport

N48SX - A 19xx Z - named Die Silberkugel (The Silver Bullet)

Mail Building

Hangars

Looking towards Downtown St Louis, MO

About 25 miles away

St Louis Regional Airport (ALN) at Alton, IL

4 miles to the north

Flying past at 3,500 feet

Looking back towards the airprot

Approaching the Mississippi River

Lambert-St Louis International Airport (STL) at St Louis, MO

Approaching from the northeast

Almost there

Runways and taxiways

Looking at the sky from Spirit of St Louis Airport (SUS) at Chesterfield, MO

Looking east

Looking north

Here is the airport weather information from my flight.

Here is the waypoint information for my flight.