Hard, no, impossible acts to follow, precede me.
Leg 02, KPDK - KMEM (Atlanta to Memphis)
With elevator problem repaired, log book signed, friends and family rejoined, we knew that the time had come to continue the journey in the company Beech 1900. Bill pulled up the METAR before heading out. Atlanta weather was fine, but that to the east of us - not so good. Memphis, our destination this leg, showed 200 over with a 1/2 mile viability. We both admitted that this was pretty far below our personal minimums. But, and we will probably repeat this phrase a few more times before reaching Christmas Island, the beer must get through!
While our good friends at Epps aviation worked out the elevator issue, news came from Beechcraft (Carenado) that there was an equipment upgrade available for our 1900D. With the knowledge that many thousands of miles lie ahead of us, we decided that another piece of nav gear might be the difference between success and spending the rest of our days on a tropical island. Volleyball for a friend? Oral surgery without anesthesia? No thank you.
FMS? Please.
Climbing into the cockpit, we were greeted with a new piece of gear in the center console.
Taking 3L at about 21:30 for the 1.5 hour trip over to Memphis.
Goodnight and goodbye ATL. See you next year.
Useful tool or eye candy. It will undoubtedly take a few legs to reach a verdict.
Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where so many great r&b and rock albums were created, was one of our waypoints tonight. Tinkering with our new toy, I almost missed it.
Enjoying the view of civilization as we head for parts unknown.
We setup a 1000 ft/min descent on the GNS530’s VNAV page and use autopilot’s VS mode to start down at the directed point. With the 530 keeping us on the flight plan and the autopilot controlling the descent rate, a minor bit of throttle management from me would keep us on speed.
Everything was going smoothly from FL180 down to about 11,000. Then we begin to have stability problems detailed here.
Fortunately, what was forecast as 200 over and 1/2 mile turned out to be more like 700 and 5. As we unceremoniously dropped out of the soup, a very busy KMEM appeared. What a relief!
The aircraft was still a hand full. Discretion getting the better part of valor, I decided to self-sequence the 1900 behind a FedEx A310 on final for 27. An absolutely horrible approach and landing, but what is worth taking a look at is how well World Traffic 3 set the environment for Memphis a little after 2300. Busy place to say the least.
Turning off onto a FedEx ramp, I grabbed a parking spot to collect my whits.
Once my heart rate had settled, I pulled up the KMEM AD and plotted us a course to our mini-me cargo ramp.
Uber to the rescue and we headed to the hotel for a quick nightcap and off to bed. Earlier today, I booked the 10AM Gibson Custom Shop tour for tomorrow morning, the birth place of my cherry ES339. Bill has his checkbook at the ready, but I promised my better half that I would not be bringing home anything with the Gibson logo other than a t-shirt or baseball hat.
