Flight Trip with my Dad: KTTA - KHRJ - KTTA

On Sunday, August 7th, I took my dad for a short cross-country round trip of about 60 miles from Raleigh Exec Jetport (KTTA) in Sanford, NC to Harnett County Regional Airport (KHRJ) in Erwin, NC.

I preflighted the Allegro 2000 Light Sport Aircraft around 10 AM on a sunny and clear day with slight winds from the southwest. I started the engine after giving my dad a preflight brief and taxied to RWY 21. I tookoff at 56 mph with flaps at 15 degrees and climbed at 75 mph heading south. We saw the confluence of the Haw river and Deep river that forms the Cape Fear river. Our flight track was aligned with the Cape Fear river that flows through Lillington, NC all the way to Wilmington, NC where it drains into the Atlantic Ocean.




This was my first trip with the iPad WingX moving map application as my portable GPS backup. My father held the iPad and watched our flight progress, as I continued piloting the airplane using the primary GPS in the cockpit instrument panel. WingX for iPad is a great aviation tool. I plan on utilizing it for my flights as a backup GPS Map, for preparing flight plans and gathering NOTAM and weather information.

I cruised at an altitude of 4,500 ft in smooth air at an airspeed of 100 mph. We flew above the town of Lillington, NC and I crossed the Harnett County Regional Airport runway midway and joined the downwind for RWY 23. I descended following the takeoff by a Piper Cub and did two rounds on the pattern. I then climbed above the runway and turned north towards Sanford, NC. We flew above the Coble Water Ski and Wakeboard Camp.

I started to descend about 15 miles south of KTTA and we encountered some turbulence around 2000 ft altitude due to the summer heat. I checked the weather at the airport and the winds now favored RWY 03. I planned a long final with no flaps at about 70 mph. After the touch down, I exited the RWY at the second turnoff. I taxied to the FBO and switched off the engine near the hangar.

My first cross-country flight trip with a passenger, my father, was a great adventure for me as an FAA certified pilot. We both then drove back home.

Flight with my Dad!

Today is a memorable day for me as a Pilot, as I took my dad, who is visiting from India, as a passenger in the Light Sport Aircraft, Allegro 2000 LSA over the Raleigh-Exec Airport (KTTA) and flight over and near Lake Jordan.

I preflighted the airplane at 2.00 PM EST at the FBO. The winds were from 300 degrees at 7 knots. I took off from RWY 03 with flaps at 15 degrees. Applying full-power, I rotated at 56 MPH and climbed at 75 MPH crabing left into the wind. After the left crosswind, I flew above and near the Lake Jordan at 2,500 AGL. Turning towards the airport, I joined the pattern at mid-point downwind to RWY 03. After the base and final legs, I had a smooth landing with a crosswind of 7 knots from the left. There were a few airplanes doing the pattern work and a couple of planes approaching KTTA.


I took off again from RWY 03 after the landing of a DA-20 aircraft. I climbed and stayed in the pattern. My dad was enjoying the flight even though the 26 C afternoon temperature was producing some turbulence and bounce in the airplane. I extended my downwind to accomodate the Cessna airplane in the base leg for landing. After the Cessna cleared the runway, I landed the airplane with no flaps and with the left aileron into the wind. I cleared the runway and took off again for my final round, this time I extended my upwind and downwind legs and made my third landing of the day with my dad besides enjoying the flight and the view below of the Lake Jordan, Deep river, Cooling tower of the N-plant and the section of the HWY 1.

After parking the airplane, I took some pictures with my father and left the FBO with a great feeling of accomplishment.