Corpus Christi to San Antonio

The Signature FBO premises at Corpus Christi were excellent and spacious. There was a plush reception and front desk, a separate snack and free coffee area, toilets and a shower and a flight planning room with lots of table space, not to mention a few meeting rooms. I asked about their handling charges and they were all free with the fuel upload that I had to take anyway – wow!

So Dan tore off in the courtesy car in search of Burger King, while I got on with route planning in the planning room. This would have been considerably easier if it were not for two ‘military types’ chewing the fat very loudly and relating tales of derring-do. I think I made my point by theatrically putting one finger in my free ear and looking at them while try to talk to the wonderful 1-800-WX BRIEF – guys, there is a whole empty reception and coffee room for lounging around in, why pick here!

The plan was easy as it turned out:

KCRP DCT CRP DCT THX DCT KSAT

So a short hop to the Corpus Christi VOR, then north west to the THX VOR then nearly due north to San Antonio International. I finished my planning, sorted the bill (none as it went on the school fuel card) and got myself together for a bit of a think before Dan reappeared with two ‘Whoppers’ for our grumbling bellies with some tale of extreme navigation without so much as a Tom Tom. We demolished these in short order and as per Homeland Security, had to show both a photo proof of id and my pilot licence before I would be admitted airside.

The plane was full to the brim (that’s the way I like it if I can fit within weight and balance), so a quick check of fuel and oil and we mounted up. Then the usual procedure of calling Clearance to get our taxi and likely routing after take off. We trundled off to the hold for runway 17 quickly getting very sweaty again in the very high heat and humidity. The airport was pretty quiet and we were quickly given clearance for take off by the Tower after our power checks. It was a climbing left turnout onto direct track for CRP VOR as we were switched to the Departure frequency. I turned on track to THX VOR some 51 miles distant as we reached our VFR cruising altitude of 4500’ in what can only be described as ‘severe VFR’ conditions – no clouds and unlimited visibility!

I was receiving the effortless ‘flight following’ when I was warned of traffic at 12 o’clock and 500’ below. We never did see him (not even dead-eye-Dan), but he clearly saw us and confirmed ‘no conflict’ – phew!

Not much to say really, we trundled along chatting happily away. Past THX VOR we were transferred to San Antonio approach, then with about 30 miles to run they started to give us vector to steer while maintaining 4500’. I have not been vectored before while flying VFR (I have been vectored before for an ILS intercept in IMC of course). I have to say it was quite novel and liberating. Dan compared it to being in a Star Trek style ‘tractor beam’ – errr… well, yes, but only if you actually steer accurately the headings given, actually a flattering analogy I suppose!

He kept us at 4500’ despite an approaching cloud layer over San Antonio at exactly this altitude, but then the controller seemed aware of that and promised to drop our altitude shortly. We were being vectored over the west of the city centre and descended first to 3000’ then to 2500’ on the QNH (San Antonio is about 800’ above sea level). Over the city centre it occurred to me that this would be a very bad place to have engine failure as there was nowhere to go that would make our survival a likely outcome!

He then gave me a heading of 030 and told me to report overhead ---MUFFLED---, I didn’t quite understand the name and as I now had the airfield off on my right-hand side with large jets landing, I told him that I was unfamiliar with the reporting point and requested further vectors. Another voice seemed to have taken over the Tower frequency and he explained what they wanted me to do, basically now I was right downwind to the main runway, they were asking me to turn right 90 degrees at 2500’ so that I would fly directly overhead the tower at right angles to the two main parallel runways, then to turn left onto a left downwind leg for runway 12L – what an excellent chap, I now fully understood what they were doing and had a picture. Of course to a UK pilot, the idea of flying over a busy International airport’s main runway at right angles at 1700’ QFE is mind-boggling (I don’t know of any airports in the UK that would do this), but it is quite common in the USA and when you think about it, it is pretty much the safest place to be. There was a really cool moment when I was flying over the main 12R runway and a very colourful South West Airline 737 was taking off underneath us – of course I would have got a photo of the had it not been for old ‘Zoltan the Destroyer of Cameras’ in the right hand seat!

So over the airliner active of 12R, out to a decent downwind position for 12L then turn left onto left downwind. The route for the base was obvious, just follow the freeway. I heard the tower talking to an airliner who was shooting the final onto 12R at the same time as I was on base for 12L warning him about me. I turned at the right point onto final for 12L and was (as usual on this trip) a little high, so full flaps and down to idle. That took care of it and we crossed the threshold at the right speed for a good touchdown. Off the active to the GA side of the airport now on my left and switched to the Ground frequency. Basically it was an easy task to taxi back to the Wright Flyers ramp for shutdown and tie-down.

We got out of the aircraft as quickly as possible as we were sweating profusely in the bright sunshine and humid conditions. An easy final leg to a truncated tour, but well worth it nevertheless. The forecast CB’s and other nasties associated with a front had not materialised at San Antonio, but suffice to say that two hours later at our hotel, some nasty looking clouds came over and created some pretty high and gusting winds, but little else.