Density altitude & Death both start with D~Coincidence?

[ussyorktown]

I'm going to write a book.
I decided to fly to KNAM, outside of Boise from Aurora KUAO outside of Portland two days ago. Clouds on Cascades so flew through the Columbia Gorge and then south.
We are over the desert and I see nearly no gas in left tank and no top to gas in line moving around in right tank. I fear that when left tank goes dry that I shall plumet to the earth and all my enemies in life shall rejoice as I have come to an violent end. I land, with help of flight following and helpful pilots at Ontario KONO.
On the way to landing there I notice that right tank is showing gasoline as the gas is going up and down in the line. I land anyway because WTF.
We land at WMAN and I refuel. Gas jockey says he put 15 gallons into left tank and 10 into right tank. wow.
Hot hot hot. Full up on fuel. I have extra water and food in case we make off airport landing in desert. I will look up numbers later for Boise at 5pm or 6pm but was told it was 103.
I take off and notice that the oil temperate is sticking right at the top of the yellow and nearly touching the red. I also notice that we are CLIMBING AT 100 FEET A MINUTE if that! Obviously if I try to get to 8,500 feet the engine will seize. As PIC I announce that "we are going back now."
On base to final there is so little air that I can feel the plane going down. I give it full power and it still is going down. I see the houses getting just a tad bigger as I am still in base.
I then remember what my FAA check ride pilot said, '90% OF ALL YOUR PROBLEMS WILL BE SOLVED IF YOU PUSH THE STICK DOWN."
I do.
I make it to final. I land.
Obviously there is no air there so we decide to spend the night.
Then a new adventure awaits. Thunderstorms and such through Oregon and Washington, west of Cascades. I elect to fly to Pendleton and wait till the gorge opens up again.
Get to Pendleton and wind is strong. I keep checking with flight weather and they keep telling me that gorge is bad but wait an hour.
I take a nap. I call weather and get some chick who doesn't know a thing about the gorge and was probably talking to me from some secret undisclosed concrete bunker in New Jersey. She says, "appears clear through the gorge but some turbulance."
OK-PIC decides to go.
I set my next goal as Pendleton to Hermiston.
Tower says, "Did you check with weather?" I said "Yes." THAT SHOULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO ASK...'WHY DID YOU SAY THAT.'
I proceed.
We are half way to Hermiston.
Remember that movie about the Mummy and the sand storm was about 12000 feet high and moving swiftly? We look off to our left and see a blue storm of 12000 to ground-solid baby blue and coming at us. I think I can make Hermiston as we are closer. I call Hermiston and tell them of my fix but nobody answers.
Elect to turn around.
I do a 180 and leading rain hits windshield so hard that the intercom goes on as if someone is shouting.
I tell Pendleton tower we are coming back. He clears me. I have to do a base to final but the wind is extremely strong. I fight to get base to final but do it, get over top of runway and bring her down.
Get back to FBO and I tell passenger, "as soon as I stop RUN to the right wing and loop that rope through the ring and hold it. I'll be there directly. I turn off my baby, jump out and tie down left wing and quickly go to right wing and take rope from him (which he pulled through loop and was holding) and tie her off. Wind is so strong that the airplane wants to FLY!
Back to the FBO, once again I say "long time, no see!"
I decide to take another nap (PIC is nearly 63)
I awaken. Eat at PDL restaurant where the civilians eat.
Suddenly GOD LOVES PENDLETON. The wind is at nearly zero. The skies are now BLUE. TV news has Nat'l Wx break into programming talking about severe winds, thunderstorms, wrath of God, etc. for Oregon, Washington.
We fly home through gorge without much more to talk about.
Lessons? Private jet pilot I met at Boise said, "those Rotex engines. I've heard about their problems with the heat. They make those in Europe and don't understand that we fly in the desert here."

[ct4me]

High engine/oil temps in hot climates isn't just a Rotax issue. A Google search for "cessna high summer engine temps" yields 6.7 Million hits. There are a bunch of Rotaxs flying down here in Arizona and, yes, we do get into the yellow during climb-outs. But dropping back on the climb, or "stair-stepping" the climb helps out a lot. After you get up 4-5K feet, the temp is maybe 20 degrees less, and it's not a problem any more. Operating in the yellow for short times should be OK. Even in the hottest Phoenix temps, I can climb-out at 300-500 fpm and only get into the low-yellows.
Were you extra heavy? Has your prop been pitched correctly?
BTW - there is so much "negative lore" out there about Rotax, spread by a bunch of ignorant "not gonna change" "not gonna learn" types. Ignore it.

[dstclair]

Were you extra heavy? Has your prop been pitched correctly?

Yorktown had to be pushing gross weight:
From another thread, the average CTSW runs about 740lbs. Full fuels goes 204lbs. Two average US males go 2x195=390lbs (source: US CDC). This adds up to 1334lbs without pilot gear, baggage, etc.

Nampa looks like it had highs around 97F which pushes DA to approximately 6000'. Unless the OAT at altitude was hotter than normal, I would expect even a grossed-out LSA to climb out better than 100fpm.

I'd guess prop pitch needs to be looked at.

Also, it's generally a good idea to take-off in the mornings in the mountains. Temperatures are much lower and the air is much less turbulent. This is a good idea for about any non-turbo plane. Just gives you a much higher safety margin.

[ussyorktown]

I weigh 240. Passenger 175.
He brought two bags.
Laptop, some papers.
I brought a big red survival shoulder bag with water, food, dirty pictures-all the things a man needs to survive in the desert till rescue. I weighed it at 25 pounds.
One spare tire. One book. One spare container of oil. shiny cover for inside of windshield.
I had refueled to the top.

[theskunk]

So before the spare tire and oil you're at 1348. On a hot day I usually try to fly with about 150-200lbs margin, or take off SUPER early...

[roger lee]

A Flight Design CT can make a 10K density altitude take off with 1460 lbs. Yes climb is slow, but it will do it. Of course it also depends on the prop setting and that goes for all our LSA. Too course and it won't happen.

[dstclair]

So before the spare tire and oil you're at 1348. On a hot day I usually try to fly with about 150-200lbs margin, or take off SUPER early...

I think 1348 is low. 740+204+415=1359lbs before the bags, laptop and survival kit. Add the 25lbs for the survival kit and a conservative 30lbs for the rest (laptop, two bags, misc) and we're now over 1410 lbs (for 1320 MTOW LSA).

I don't believe the performance cited was due to design or config issues with the plane.

Yorktown - I really hope this post and many of your others are tongue-in-cheek designed for amusement and/or discussion. If not, I suggest additional training that seemingly wasn't covered in your in your SP course.

[theskunk]

So before the spare tire and oil you're at 1348. On a hot day I usually try to fly with about 150-200lbs margin, or take off SUPER early...

I think 1348 is low. 740+204+415=1359lbs before the bags, laptop and survival kit. Add the 25lbs for the survival kit and a conservative 30lbs for the rest (laptop, two bags, misc) and we're now over 1410 lbs (for 1320 MTOW LSA).

Math has never been my strong suite.... :-/ (reason I do as much flight planning, twice, on the ground, before a flight!)

[drseti]

Math has never been my strong suite.... :-/

Apparently, Skunk, neither is spelling.

[ussyorktown]

Suite (music), a set of musical pieces considered as one composition.
So, he is correct. Metaphorically, he was saying that math was not his strong suite (as if in musical pieces played as one composition).
Dan, B.A. Doctor of Jurisprudence, US Navy Chief Petty Officer (Hon), Light Sport pilot.

[Roger]

I flew the Gorge, Spokane, Prosser (in other words the East Side) without an issue in my CTsw (other them some strong winds here and there) the last few days without an issue...

Let's talk about you CT sometime and how to make your flying life less stressful!!

Call McMinnville FBO and ask for me!