Quick evening flight in SF50

It's been too long, so I took my virtual jet N82ZF up for a quick afternoon practice GPS instrument approach to runway 28 at my local Centennial airport. Here's the GPS-28 approach plate, from a screen snapshot of Foreflight on my phone. My plan is to take off eastbound on runway 10, climb to 8,100 feet on a 091° track (based on what the airplane's Garmin Flight Deck is telling me) direct to the EZBEL initial approach fix, then fly the rest of the published GPS approach from there. In case you're curious, the blue dot is my current location as I write this, because I captured this image after I stopped the simulator, so it's no longer broadcasting the jet's simulated location to my phone and notepad where I run Foreflight.

As I was taxiing out from the Aspen Flying Club ramp to runway 10 for takeoff, I happened to catch a beautiful sunset - bonus! I appreciate how well X-Plane simulates the control tower, the lines of hangars, and the covered tie-downs, not to mention the mountains in the distance.

After flying out to the EZBEL initial approach fix (IAF), and making a sharp (148°) right turn, I'm now heading back inbound, toward the DOCKY intermediate fix (IF), which is where I'll turn onto the final approach course.

There was a pretty purple glow over the Rocky Mountains, as I approached the airport, on short final to runway 28.

Thanks to good speed management on the approach, I got stopped easily on the runway, before the first turnoff.

Turning off the runway, with Aspen Flying Club straight ahead.

Shutting down in front of the building lobby. This lobby is usually a ghost town, as the busy flying club is on the other side of the building, but the rows of lights provide a cheery welcome.

My Winter-2020 South America Trip Summary

Here's a snapshot of my South America trip itinerary map from TripHappy.com. On this flying adventure in the SF-50 Gen 2 personal jet, I visited 29 cities in 17 countries, over the course of three months. I did a short writeup for each flight, and as usual, the Blogger website sorted them in reverse order, with the latest flight first. You can jump to my first writeup of this adventure, by clicking here. You can get to each flight in order, by clicking on the "Newer Post" link toward the bottom of each flight's writeup.

Greenville to Denver

My last flight of this trip departs Greenville for Centennial Airport, a flight of 762 Nautical Miles. This General Aviation airport lies in the relatively newly incorporated city of Centennial, southeast of Denver. Centennial feels like a new city to me, since it was incorporated after we moved to the area. Here are some things to do in Centennial, according to TripBuzz, TripAdvisor and VacationIdea.

Climbing away from Greenville airport.

Leveled off at 31,000 feet, with a temperature of -46C and no wind. Not sure if that's just the simulator, not retrieving the real world winds. Almost halfway to Denver.

Not much interesting to see, cruising high over the Oklahoma farmland.

Still level at 31,000, with about 300 miles to go. Based on the Denver weather and winds, I've setup the FMS with the RNAV approach to Centennial's runway 28. I like the 28 approach, because if I'm able to land short, I can make the first turnoff, and head right over to my flying club.

Just a few minutes before Top Of Descent, with the Denver Class B airspace visible ahead on the moving map display.

Descending through 24,000 feet, maintaining 220 knots for the descent. I had this short internal dialog, and decided to pretend that ATC had asked me to maintain my best speed, and to tell them what I could give them. I decided to tell them I could maintain 220 knots to DILVE, the Initial Approach Fix (IAF), then 190 knots to NIDLY, the Final Approach Fix (FAF), then 90 knots for the final approach to the airport.

Approaching Centennial from the east, with a nice view of Pike's Peak about 50 miles off the left wing.

Descending through 9,800 feet, with the airport complex barely visible about 20 miles ahead. The Hazard Advisor on the moving map display is showing terrain (the Rocky Mountains!) above me, a long way past the airport.

After landing on runway 28, and easily stopped before the first turnoff. Success! The ramp at Aspen Flying Club is just to the right of the first turnoff.

Parked on the ramp at Aspen Flying Club. You can see the covered parking ahead and to the left, and the rows of hangars beyond that, with the KAPA airport control tower beyond it all.

Preparing to shutdown. One last look at the fuel quantity display, shows about 100 gallons, or 600 pounds, of fuel remaining. Not bad. Welcome to Denver!

Nassau to Greenville

Departing Nassau for Mid Delta Regional Airport in Greenville, Mississippi. My entrepreneur friend David owned radio station WGVM in Greenville for 60 years. Here are some things to do in Greenville. This 870 NM flight will make good use of the SF-50 Generation 2's extended range. Heading home! Two flights, including this one, should get me there.

Just after takeoff, with a great view of Nassau airport laid out behind me.

Climbing through 13,800 feet, and the temperature is already 3C below freezing, with a 22 knot wind from my left. The moving map display gives a nice perspective on my location, relative to Nassau behind me, Andros Island (the largest island of the Bahamas) to my left, Great Abaco and Castaway Cay to my right, and Grand Bahama ahead and to my right.

Level at 31,000 feet, with the temperature down to -43C, and a 52 knot wind from ahead and left. That'll eat into my range! I'm just passing Palm Beach, with the PBI airport about 30 miles to my left. Waving figuratively at my Dad down there, probably napping right now. The fuel totalizer is predicting I'll have 561 pounds of fuel left after landing, which is about an hour and a half of flying time, at this altitude and speed.

Still cruising at 31,000 feet, now over Alabama, with a temperature of -46C and the winds up to a whopping 100 knots, about halfway between headwind and left crosswind. My heading correction (crab) angle is 19 degrees to the left, to keep me on my planned course.

About 180 miles from Greenville, just before starting down, and the wind is slightly up, to 104 knots. Fuel available at landing is predicted to be around 400 pounds, which is still very manageable. The RNAV approach to runway 36L is loaded into the FMS, but not yet activated.

I saw this interesting water feature, as I'm approaching the Greenville area. I think it might be Sky Lake and Bear Creek. Lots of flat green land around here.

Descending through 2,200 feet, and about to turn onto the IFR base leg to runway 36L.

Turning toward the airport, about 11 miles out.

On final approach to runway 36L, and 1.7 miles out.

On the ramp at Greenville!

Grand Turk to Nassau

Departing Grand Turk Island for Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, a 410 NM flight. Formerly known as Nassau International, this is the largest airport in the Bahamas. Here are some things to do in Nassau.

Climbing away from Grand Turk airport.

Cruising over the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Level at 31,000 feet, with the island of Cuba about 150 miles off to my left.

Acklins and Crooked Islands surround the Bight of Acklins ahead to my left, and Plana Cays are below on the left. The Plana Cays have been suggested as the first landfall by Christopher Columbus in the New World.

Approaching Rum Cay ahead on the right, which is believed to have acquired its modern name from a shipwrecked cargo of rum. The (appropriately named) Long Island ahead on the left, is split by the Tropic of Cancer, and is known as the most scenic island in the Bahamas. It's also known for its extensive cave system, which has played a major role in the island's history.

Approaching Cat Island ahead on the right. The first settlers on this island were loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. The 206 foot Mt Alverenia, also known as Como Hill, is the highest point in the Bahamas.

Abeam Cat Island at 31,000 feet, with the outside temperature at -46C. My Top Of Descent (TOD) point is about 15 miles ahead. I'm all setup for the ILS approach to runway 14, based on the real-world weather and ground winds provided by my Foreflight app.

Just abeam Princess Cays on Eleuthera, a single island which is a part of the Great Bahama Bank. The Bahama Banks are the submerged carbonate platforms that make up much of the Bahama Archipelago.

Descending through 11,700 feet, and now following the RNAV approach to runway 32, after listening to the Nassau ATIS. Switching from the ILS-14 to the RNAV-32 left me way high on the approach, so I'm descending at nearly twice the normal rate to catch up to the nominal descent path. I wouldn't have had this issue, if I'd been using air traffic services, but they often vector me for the visual approach, when I would rather fly the full instrument approach, so I've been mostly avoiding using their services on this trip.

Level at 1,400 feet, just before intersecting the final approach leg and starting down again. The weather's good, with reduced visibility from sea haze, although I've already got the airport in sight, about six miles away.

On the ramp at Nassau airport.

British Virgin Isles to Grand Turk Island

Departing British Virgin Isles for JAGS McCartney International Airport on Grand Turk Island, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. This medium distance 414 NM flight for the little Vision jet, passes to the east of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles Islands. Here are some things to do on Grand Turk Island.

Just after takeoff from Beef Island airport, with Scrub Island and Virgin Gorda ahead.

Climbing away from BVI through a broken cloud layer.

Level at 31,000 feet in clear skies, with the temperature at -44C, a 69 KT left crosswind, Puerto Rico about 60 NM to my left, and 320 NM remaining to Grand Turk.

Descending through 23,000 feet, with the RNAV approach to runway 11 setup in the Garmin FMS.

Descending through 3,400 feet, in the clouds, on the downwind leg of the RNAV-11 approach, about seven miles from the Initial Approach Fix.

Level at 2,000 feet and inbound on the approach, 1.3 NM from the Final Approach Fix, and about 42 seconds before starting the final descent to the airport.

Descending through 1,200 feet, with the airport lights just coming into sight through the misty marine layer.

Descending through 500 feet, with the airport straight ahead, and looking out from a different visual angle in the cockpit.

On the ramp at Grand Turk airport. Seems pretty much like a desert, except for the few palm trees carefully placed around the airport terminal.

Parked in front of Grand Turk's airport terminal, and getting ready to shutdown and take on fuel. Hat's off to the scenery designer, with the orange cones and pleasant greenery by the building.