General aviation has so many great benefits that it is hard to nail down the top one. I believe that somewhere in the top five are the adventures you experience. Sometimes those adventures are completely unexpected, which makes them more fun and memorable. All you need to do is say “yes.”
That is exactly what happened this weekend. Let me go back about a month and a half first.
In September I marked 52 trips around the sun. As a way to celebrate my wife suggested I should try to fly at least once a week, every week, for the next 52 weeks. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch, as I try to fly once a week just for proficiency purposes, but I knew it was going to take some planning. There are times life just gets in the way and I would need to plan ahead for those instances.
My birthday was on a Sunday, so I decided to count the weeks Sunday-Saturday, and so far 6 weeks in I haven’t missed. A friend sent a text earlier in the week saying, “If you need an excuse to fly somewhere I could use a ride down to CPM from CRQ sometime :)”
He had moved to the Carlsbad area and needed to move his plane. Flying is always fun, but add in a mission to help a friend and that’s a bonus. I let him know I could probably do it on the weekend. Later in the week I checked in and we planned the flight for Saturday. Friday morning there had been heavy fog in the LA Basin so I planned for a 10am departure to arrive at Palomar about 10:30am, which would put us at Compton around 11:30am when the skies were forecast to be clear.
Friday evening I filed a VFR and an IFR flight plan, just incase there was any marine layer hanging around at my departure time. We traded a few more texts that evening when he noticed the Compton Woodley Airport was having their Centennial Celebration on Saturday. We both checked for NOTAMS (Notice to Airmen) but didn’t come up with anything. It looked like a fun event with food, music, static displays, and more.
With the celebration now on the radar, he asked if his fiancé and their daughter could come along. I did a quick calculation of the weight and balance and confirmed that it would work. It would be a fun way for them to say farewell to the airport.
Saturday morning, after getting some things done around the house, I sat down at my computer to get flight briefings for the flights. That was when I saw the NOTAM at KCPM. Runways 7R/26L would be closed along with some of taxiway A. They closed the south runway for the event on that side of the field. That still left 7L/26R for us to use, but he made a quick call to the airport to confirm that we could get to his hangar on the south side.
I arrived at Fullerton with clear, but hazy, skies. The fuel truck came by and I had them top the right tank and put 5 gallons in the left. It would give me enough fuel for the three flights and keep my comfortably under gross and inside the center of gravity envelope.
After pre-flight and engine run-up I called up Ground to request taxi and flight following to Palomar.
Me: “Fullerton Ground, Mooney 1015Echo in the southeast run-up with Bravo, requesting flight following to Palomar.”
Ground: “Mooney 1015Echo, I have an IFR plan on file for you, did you want to go VFR?”
Dang it, I should have mentioned that I had the IFR plan but wanted to go VFR in my initial call, it would have saved a transmission.
Me: “Yes, I’m just going VFR.”
Ground: “Mooney 15Echo, on departure, left turn heading 120, SoCal frequency 125.35, squawk 0232.”
Me: On departure left turn heading 120, frequency 125.35, squawk 0232, 15Echo.”
Ground: Mooney 15Echo, readback correct, taxi 24 via Alpha.”
Me: “24 via Alpha, 15Echo.”
I reached the end of the taxiway, called up tower, and was cleared to take off. Visibility on the ground was reported as 5 miles with haze, at 2,000′ it was likely 3-4 miles, but leveling off at 3,500′ it was much better. The marine layer was still encroaching on the coast, stretching inland a mile or two in places.
Further south, around San Clemente, it retreated back out to sea giving a great view of the beaches and the pier. Along Camp Pendleton the layer made one final effort, with a scattered layer below me, before giving way over Oceanside and Carlsbad, the waves and beaches glistening in the morning sun.
Palomar was busy and I was number four for landing, flying an extended downwind. Transient parking was closed, but I called up Ground after exiting the runway and asked if it was possible to pick someone up there. “Negative” was the response and I ended up at the Jet Center.
Inside I found my friend and his family. I can’t believe how fast time goes by. The last time I saw them was a couple years ago at his birthday party when I was given a “Void if not off in one minute” window for my IFR departure leaving Montgomery-Gibbs. We visited for a little bit and I got to meet their daughter before loading up for the flight to Compton-Woodley Airport.
It was still busy when we started up, I listened to the ATIS, and called up Ground for flight following and taxi clearance. After taxiing and the pre-takeoff checklist, we taxied up behind a Cessna that was at the hold short line.
Me: “Palomar tower, Mooney 1015Echo, holding short two-four at Alpha-one in sequence, number two with Alpha.”
Tower: “Mooney 1015Echo, actually you called up first, what’s your direction of departure?”
Me: “North bound.”
Tower: “Mooney 1015Echo, northbound approved, runway two-four cleared for takeoff.”
Me: “Northbound approved, two-four cleared for takeoff. 15Echo.”
We climbed out to 2,500′ and headed to the north/northwest along the coast. ATC gave us a couple of vectors for traffic along the way. As we approached John Wayne we watched an Alaska Airlines flight departing and climbing in front of us. It was easy to spot against the haze and marine layer that was still hanging around off the coast.
Typically ATC will have you cross midfield where you are out of the way of any arrivals or departures. The heading we were on would take us right off the departure end of the runway and I was expecting that call, but it never came. Instead we had a great view of John Wayne as we passed right off the departure end of 20R.
It was my first time landing at Compton, and while I’ve landed at 103 different airports, it’s always nice to have someone with experience in the right seat on your first visit. We had been kicked loose to the CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency) by ATC who advised they showed no traffic between us and the airport. We listened to the radio for the next couple minutes and with no traffic on the radio decided to make a straight in on 26R.
Just after we made our call 7 miles out an RV above and just behind us to the right called in, also on a straight in approach. He was moving along much faster than us (by about 30 knots) and went ahead, easily landing and clearing the runway before we were even on short final.
With some time in the afternoon I walked with my friends down to the east end of the airport where the celebration was taking place. They had a stage with live music, static displays, and booths set up all around the transient parking area. They even had a Sikorsky H-34, know as a King Bee in Viet Nam and used by the Special Operations Group. It was the first one I have seen in person.
It took close to forever to order and get lunch, but that left plenty of time to walk around and meet people. There was a young man in line behind us working on hours with the hope of getting to the airlines.
I also got to visit with a wonderful lady who’s 13 year old son was taking his first flight in a small plane. From her description of him it made me think of myself. She said all he has ever wanted to do was fly. While we were still waiting for our food her son came running up behind her with the biggest smile on his face and gave her a huge hug.
Lunch was finally ready and after eating we walked back down to the west end of the airport and said our goodbyes. There was a Pitts in the pattern making a low pass and pulling vertical, putting on a display for the people still at the celebration. I taxied down to 26R and departed for the short 10 minute hop back to Fullerton.
The day went longer than I had anticipated, but that often happens when you are on an adventure. It can all be traced back to May 2021 when a fellow Mooney pilot mentioned online that he was looking to move from Buffalo, NY to Southern California. I sent him my cell number and told him to give me a call if he had any questions about the area. That led to a new friendship and most recently this adventure. You never know what will happen when you say “yes.”
