The smoke from the LA fires was terrible on Saturday, there were no airmets for reduced visibility, but there were 2 fire fighting TFRs to avoid. By the time we got to Mojave, it was getting to be IMC conditions and getting worse quickly. I asked the controller to verify visibility ahead of me and they stated that it was 0 visibility by Palmdale only a few minutes ahead, but clear above 10,500 ft. I started my climb and saw a little blue to the west when I reached 10,500, but I was still in some pretty thick smoke so I climbed to 12,500 and were were above it. You could see the thick smoke billowing up like a volcanic eruption. Since I was now too high for the Shoreline Route through the LAX airspace, I diverted west towards Pt. Mugu so I could fly around the class B airspace and descend down to Catalina Island. If LA approach wouldn't have cleared me to descend through the class B, then I would have had to circle for ever to lose 10,000 ft of altitude before landing.
Catalina is an interesting place to land, I didn't find it very difficult, but I did perceive the "illusions". The airport is on the top of of a mountain on a mountain. It is sloped the whole, but it is less sloped on the south-west end of the runway so that you cannot see the end of the runway when you are on the ground. It's like a big crown in the runway. When the runway ends, it really ends with a huge drop-off on the back side. I found it difficult to pick out the runway until I was only a few miles out. I used the altimeter as my primary altitude reference (vs looking at the ground) since the runway is 1600 feet above the surrounding ocean. When on right base to 22, I swear I was flying the flattest approach of my life, but then by the time I got to final it looked as if I was way too high. I just added my last notch of flaps and had a nice approach.
I can easily see how students could easily over work the approach due to the illusions and get themselves into trouble. You land uphill and can't see the drop-off at the end of the runway, but you know it's there so you always feel that the runway is only as far as you can see. I just didn't worry since I know I didn't land long and don't have a long roll out that I wouldn't go off the end. We took off runway 22 uphill and watched the ground fall away from us then circled a little of the island before turning northbound.
Lunch was ok, but not what it has been raved up to be by other pilots. The buffalo burger was good, but not that big and the fries were ok. It was more of a "bus stop cafeteria" than an "island airport restaurant".
After lunch, we flew over to Camarillo and met up with Michelle's sister Lisa. We spent the day at the beach (it was hot out) then headed back to Ojai and had dinner at Papa Lennon's. The had great pizza and gelato.
Sunday we packed up, ate breakfast, then headed to breakfast. We were running a little slow and I was getting concerned since the winds pick up in Inyokern in the afternoon and there was already an airmet out for moderate turbulence. We needed to pick up some gas at the self serve since the FBO waived our tie-down with a fuel purchase, but the pump was broke. That took another half hour or so and I don't think were were airborne until noon. I flew up north towards Bakersfield to avoid the smoke and flew the ILS 30R approach to verify the VOR, ILS, and Marker beacon receivers in them airplane. The VOR antennas had been removed during maintenance and I've never used the ILS or marker beacons since I bought the airplane - all worked just fine.
From Bakersfield we headed eastward back home, but started to hit the bumps over the Sierras on the way. We really started picking up moderate chop on our descent through Walker's Pass and the AWOS was reporting winds variable 25 gusting to 30 knots. This would be a good chance for cross wind practice. I set up for runway 28 since the winds were ~250 degrees, but I couldn't line the airplane up on approach and the sock had switched to favor 20, so I did a go around. A left 270 put me on right downwind for 20 and I was able to land uneventfully.
I was nervous about the hanger door since it is extremely weak and is a huge sail in the wind. The latches that lock it open also don't work that great. I managed to get the door open and the wind caught it and slammed it up into the locks. I managed to get the airplane back in the hanger with no damage (twice in a row is a record!) and close the door without too much issue. Check out the video below of the trip. As long as I can start feeling a little better (feels like I've got a cold), we'll be heading to Watsonville next weekend to visit Michelle's aunt's and uncle's in Santa Cruz.
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