Saturday, May 22, 2010

May 16th Flight to Carroll County Airport for EAA 1384 Chapter Meeting

Sorry that I have not posted for so long, no idea why just kinda forgot about this blog I started. For the last couple months I have been trying to fly to DMW to attend the EAA Chapter meeting. I have been a member of EAA Chapter 1384  for a number of years. I used to live in Westminster, now after having moved twice I live in Bel Air. I could drive to Westminster in about an hour but flying there is just more fun. So the drive to the Bay Bridge airport and back is about 2 1/2 hour, the flight from W29 to DMW and back is about 90 minutes. Flying there takes 4 hours hahaha but it is much more fun. Look at this map, the blue line is the direct route, orange and green is what I did :-)


As always I want to share lessons learned and I had one on this flight.

I flew a Tecnam Eaglet with a glass cockpit and I have flown the plane before. When getting ready to take off I set the altimeter setting on the glass panel and after take off I turn north to cross the water on my way to Rock Hall. I climbed to 2500 feet, at Rock Hall I called Martin State Tower to request transition. I requested to cross at 2000 feet. I got approval transition but no lower than 2000 feet. Class B is at 2500 feet there so I descended and after a while I just got this feeling that I was lower than 2000 feet. It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened. Every time I changed the altimeter setting I had changed on the glass panel but not on the analog altimeter. I still use the analog altimeter more as I am more used to it. I updated the analog altimeter setting and I saw I was below 2000 feet. I quickly climbed up to 2000 feet and was fine.
This is one of those moments where you slap yourself on the forehead, 2 altimeters means two altimeters to set, it sounds so simple. I wondered why I did not notice and know one thing. It was quiet bumpy that day so most of my attention was focused on flying the plane. No excuse here just my observation.

Fly safe!

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