Monday, March 30, 2020

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.

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