2008-08-23 Lee Vining
Date: August 23, 2008
Origin: Palo Alto
Destination: Lee Vining (O24)
Total time: 2.0 hours??? (need to double check my logbook when I get home)
This was a fun flight and one that I had spent a lot of time thinking about before ever driving to the airport (both pre-flight planning as well as general eagerness about the trip). Things went just as I planned with a couple small exceptions.
Woke up at 5:00am on Saturday and sure enough it was overcast outside. After getting the "look up at the sky" weather, I hopped online and got some more detailed information such as how thick the overcast layer was, how far out into the central valley it extended, what the winds aloft were, etc. I filed my IFR flight plan on duats.com, ate some breakfast, and then it was off to the airport.
The plane needed fuel and amazingly, the Chevron guy was already up and at 'em at 6:40am. I was fully expecting to have to use the self-serve fuel pump but we got topped off by the truck and saved a little time. The original plan was to leave at 6am but we were running almost an hour later than that which actually worked out just fine because we could pick up the IFR clearance from PAO tower instead of having to call up atc on the phone.
The wind was out of the south for a change and so we taxied all the way down to runway 13, got our clearance, and took off towards San Jose before turning left to 060°. When I climbed up into the clouds I didn't transition very well from visual to instrument flying and I almost immediately began banking to the right. It took me about 10 seconds before I caught this by which point I was 30 degrees off course. Lesson to learn is to get my scan going and be flying instruments before entering the clouds, especially when I can see them up ahead and I know I'll be going through them!
ATC vectored us around a little to avoid traffic but we got on course before too long and gradually climbed towards our cruising altitude of 11000 feet. Upon reaching Manteca VOR it was clear everywhere and so I cancelled IFR and requested to keep VFR flight following at 11500. Eventually we got over the mountainous terrain and out of radar coverage at which point we were on our own.
Flying over Yosemite was interesting although the sun was in my eyes and I couldn't stare at the scenery very much. It was the highest terrain I've flown over yet at an altitude of 11500 I felt I had plenty of buffer between it.
 Yosemite |
 Tuolumne Meadows |
Upon coming over Tioga Pass and glimpsing Mono Lake for the first time, the lake seemed huge! The last time I saw it from the air was on a flight from Las Vegas to Oakland at 32000 feet or so. Anyway the landing strip was clearly visible and as planned I flew out over the lake to lose altitude.
Approaching Lee Vining and Mono Lake. Landing strip is smack in the middle just below the lake.
Town of Lee Vining seen from downwind leg of the traffic pattern
The runway at Lee Vining Airport seems to have a real identity crisis. Airnav.com (which uses FAA data) shows it having runway 16-34. The AOPA's kneeboard sized airport diagram depicts 14-32 (membership required so no link). However the numbers painted on the actual runway itself are 15-33! I have no idea how this discrepancy has come to be.
Things learned from this flight:
* I need to improve my transition from flying visually to flying instruments when entering the clouds
* Higher TAS and ground speed at high altitudes, plan accordingly!
