Robert Shearman Jr Posted February 18, 2018 at 01:14 PM Posted February 18, 2018 at 01:14 PM Good morning, pilots! -- Our 700th Certification Celebration event is slated to take place today starting at 1800z. We're teaming up with Honolulu Control Facility's "Hang Ten Hilo!" event. Our plan is to meet at 1800z at either PHNY (for a VFR flight) or PHMK (for an IFR flight) and fly to Hilo. As of 1145z the Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) for our VFR origin, PHNY (Lanai), is as follows: TAF PHNY 181134Z 1812/1912 VRB05KT P6SM VCSH SCT005 OVC050 1812/1912: the full forecast is for 1200z on the 18th until 1200z on the 19th. VRB05KT: wind is expected to be fairly light; variable in heading, at around 5 knots. P6SM: visibility is expected to be 6 miles or better. This is good. VCSH: showers in the vicnity. This is not good. SCT005: scattered cloud layer at 500ft AGL. OVC050: overcast cloud layer at 5000ft AGL. This is going to limit our VFR cruising altitude for an eastbound flight to 3500ft. This is not ideal. Because of the low cloud layers and showers, my feeling is that we're best off opting for the IFR variation of the flight. Filing IFR, we're not restricted by cloud layers and we have leeway with low-visibility conditions. However, it does mean that we're under positive control from ATC from start to finish and must adhere to our filed route and cruise altitude, as well as any intermediate headings, altitudes, and speed restrictions we may be given by controllers along the way. So at 1800z let's gather up at our IFR origin, PHMK (Molokai). Note that parking is limited at Molokai, so depending on the event turnout, we may have to get creative and/or allow for a bit of deviation from reality with our starting locations. Here is the flight route we're using: PHMK HAPAI3 MKK V7 LNY V16 ITO PHTO The route is 175.2nm and should take around 1h15m for those that cruise in the 160KIAS range, 1h50m for those that cruise in the 100KIAS range. IFR fuel reserves should be a minimum of 45 minutes. With forecast conditions at the destination (see below) as 2500ft ceilings and 5SM visibility, no alternate is required; however, in case conditions should deteriorate, and based on high anticipated traffic volumes at the arrival airport, I would strongly recommend filing one. Kona (PHKO) is on the other side of the island of Hawaii, should be reasonably reachable in about 75nm (circomenavigating the big volcano), and offers an 11,000ft runway with multiple Instrument Approach Procedures available. I would also strongly recommend adding fuel for holding, with the high traffic volumes anticipated for the event. In total I would say 1.5 to 2 hours enroute, 30 to 45 minutes alternate, 45 minutes final reserve, and a nice fat contingency of an hour or more (total = 4.5 hours fuel endurance) is a good idea. As of 1145z the Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) for our IFR origin, PHMK (Molokai), is as follows: TAF PHMK 181134Z 1812/1912 01006KT P6SM VCSH SCT030 OVC050 1812/1912: the full forecast is for 1200z on the 18th until 1200z on the 19th. Given that the second line starts "FM182100," we can surmise that the conditions listed in the first line are expected to last from 1200-2100z. 01006KT: wind is expected to be fairly light; around 6 knots from a 010 heading. P6SM: visibility is expected to be 6 miles or better. VCSH: showers in the vicnity. SCT030: scattered cloud layer at 3000ft AGL. OVC050: overcast cloud layer at 5000ft AGL. Origin airport briefing: Molokai (PHMK) http://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/1802/00759ad.pdf#nameddest=(MKK) Molokai Airport has runways 5/23 (4494ft) and 17/35 (3118ft). Winds from 010 technically favor 35 more than 5, but 5 is probably preferred for (a) its additional length and (b) the fact that it has a full parallel taxiway to the departure end, which 35 does not and would therefore require some back-taxiing. Also, the departure procedure does not list a departure route from runway 35, suggesting that it is not commonly used for departing aircraft. I feel we should plan for departures from runway 5, and taxi routes via Taxiway A. Departure briefing: HAPAI Five Departure, Molokai Transition (HAPAI5.MKK) http://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/1802/00759hapai.pdf#nameddest=(MKK) The HAPAI5 departure is a non-RNAV procedure. That means it can be flown without the use of GPS or FMC. It centers around the Molokai VOR (MKK / 116.10) radial 030, so this should be tuned and set on NAV1 prior to taxi. (You might also choose to pre-select the frequency for the second VOR on our route, 117.70, in the Standby frequency, if equipped.) We will be following the Molokai (MKK) transition. Departing from Runway 5, aircraft should make a climbing left turn to heading 340, then join the 030 radial outbound. At a DME reading of 10.0 (the HAPAI intersection), we start the Moloki transition by making a left turn all the way around to heading 180. (CAUTION! your avionics are going to want to make the turn from 030 to 180 a RIGHT turn. You will need to manually manage this somehow in order to ensure you turn LEFT!) While in the turn, flip the NAV1 OBS from 030 to 210. Per the procedure we will re-intercept the 030 radial in the inbound (reciprocal) direction of 210 and follow it all the way to the VOR. Upon reaching MKK, we've completed the HAPAI5 departure and will join the rest of our route. https://skyvector.com/ On the upper left, click Flight Plan and in the large white box enter our route: PHMK HAPAI3 MKK V7 LNY V16 ITO PHTO. It will automatically place PHMK in the Departure and PHTO in the Destination, and plot the rest of the route using a magenta-colored line. Look at the segment that proceeds south from the airport, and that is the first leg our our flight. MKK v7 LNY As we cross MKK finishing the HAPAI5 departure, we'll want to turn immediately to a heading of 142, then set the OBS (course) needle to that same value. Once we start tracking out in that direction, the CDI needle should start to head back toward center, letting us know what direction we need to correct toward in order to track that airway, the V7. The segment is 25nm long. Once we get to a DME of 12 we'll want to switch over from tracking the MKK 142 outbound, to tracking the LNY 323 inbound. If you're using your autopilot's NAV mode to track the radial, you'll need to switch to Heading mode for a moment. Change NAV1 to 117.70 for the Lanai (LNY) VOR, and set the OBS to the reciprocal of 323, which is 143. Track the radial inbound to LNY. Once crossing the LNY VOR, our first leg is complete. LNY V16 ITO part 1: LNY to UPP The second leg of our flight is the first of three portions of V16 eastbound from LNY. The first portion terminates at Upolu Point VOR (UPP / 112.30). The segment is 62nm. Upon crossing LNY we'll turn to a 107 heading, and set that same value in our NAV1 OBS. Once we start tracking out in that direction, the CDI needle should start to head back toward center, letting us know what direction we need to correct toward in order to track that airway, the V16. The segment is 62nm long. Once we get to a DME of 31 we'll want to switch over from tracking the LNY 107 outbound, to tracking the UPP 287 inbound. If you're using your autopilot's NAV mode to track the radial, you'll need to switch to Heading mode for a moment. Change NAV1 to 112.30 for the Upolu Point (UPP) VOR, and leave the OBS set to the reciprocal of 287, which is 107. Track the radial inbound to UPP. Once crossing the UPP VOR, our second leg is complete. LNY V16 ITO part 2: UPP to ARBOR The third leg of our flight is the second of three portions of the V16, continuing eastbound from Upolu Point (UPP / 112.30) to ARBOR. Upon crossing UPP we'll turn to a 097 heading, and set that same value in our NAV1 OBS. Once we start tracking out in that direction, the CDI needle should start to head back toward center, letting us know what direction we need to correct toward in order to track that airway, the V16. The segment is 42nm long. Unlike the previous two legs, there is not a VOR on the other end of this segment to track to, so we'll continue flying the 097 radial eastbound from UPP until reaching 42 DME. Upon reaching that point, our third leg is complete. LNY V16 ITO part 3: ARBOR to ITO The fourth and final leg of our flight is the third of three portions of the V16, continuing southeast-bound from ARBOR to Hilo (ITO / 116.90). That intersection, ARBOR, is cross-referenced by both the UPP 097 radial and DME of 42, and the ITO 325 radial and DME of 17. So upon reaching ARBOR we'll need to make that turn and follow the 325 radial inbound to the Hilo VOR. The reciprocal of 325 is 145, so we'll turn to that heading as well as tuning NAV1 to 116.9 and setting the OBS to 145. The CDI needle should tell us which way to correct. In theory we would track that radial down to its terminus at the ITO VOR, but in practice, as soon as we get established on that radial it should be near time to contact Hilo Tower for our approach instructions and landing clearance. NOTE: as we are IFR, our Enroute controller will hand us off -- we should NOT change frequencies until explicitly instructed. As of 1145z the Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) for our destination, PHTO (Hilo), is as follows: TAF PHTO 181134Z 1812/1912 24007KT P6SM SCT015 BKN060 1812/1912: the full forecast is for 1200z on the 18th until 1200z on the 19th. Since our expected arrival is around 2000-2100z, we're interested in the second line: FM181400 24007KT 5SM -SHRA SCT015 BKN025 FM181400: The conditions listed here will start on the 18th around 1400z. (From the following line, which starts FM182200Z, we can figure that the conditions that follow are expected to persist from around 1400z to around 2200z on the 18th.) 24007KT: wind is expected to be light to moderate; around 7 knots from a 240 heading. 5SM: visibility is expected to be 5 statute miles. -SHRA: light rain showers are expected. SCT015: scattered cloud layer at 1500ft AGL. BKN025: broken cloud layer at 2500ft AGL. Arrival airport briefing: Hilo (PHTO) http://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/1802/00756il26.pdf#nameddest=(ITO) http://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/1802/00756ad.pdf#nameddest=(ITO) Hilo has runways 3/21 (5600ft) and 8/26 (9800ft). Given the low ceilings, we can expect Instrument approaches to be in use; and given the expected winds from 240, we can expect West Operations. The primary Instrument approach into Hilo is the ILS to 26 (I-ITO / 110.70 / 259). Field elevation is 38 feet, and minimums for all category aircraft are 288ft MSL with three-quarters of a mile visibility. If we are cleared on the full approach from Hilo VOR, we should join the Localizer outbound on a 079 course out to WAKIK intersection at 8 DME. From there we would continue outbound no more than an additional 2 minutes, then initiate the procedure turn. The procedure turn would be a right turn to 124, a one-minute leg, then a left turn to 304 to re-join the localizer, while descending to 1800ft MSL. It is probably more likely (especially given the high traffic volume expected for the event) that we will be vectored for sequencing and intercept of the final approach course. In the event of a Missed Approach, we should climb to 500ft on the localizer, then initate a climbing right turn to heading 152 and altitude 3300, setting ITO VOR (110.7) on NAV1. The procedure calls for using the 002 radial (182 course) to fly to the VOR but upon reaching the VOR we should enter a hold with the inbound leg being the same course, 259, as the localizer. The depicted hold is a left-turn pattern using 079 and 259, with the VOR itself as the primary hold fix. Establishment should therefore be easily accomplished via teardrop-style entry by overflying the VOR and turning to a 109 heading for one minute, then a left turn to join the inbound course of 259. In the event of a successful landing, the terminal, cargo, and GA areas are all accessed via a left exit from 26. The GA areas are probably best accessed either via Taxiway A crossing 3/21 to C, or, a long landing roll-out crossing 3/21 turning direct onto C. Again, given high expected traffic volume, vacating the arrival runway as soon as possible is probably recommended. I'm looking forward to a great event! Talk to you all soon! Cheers, -R. 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