What I didn’t realise is that he drove to mainland to another supplier that afternoon specially to get me one – these guys amaze me!
So I now had a Brownsville sectional and could see the lay of the land. I checked the weather and the wonderful 1-800-WX BRIEF told me that a front was moving in faster than they thought to San Antonio and may well start to make its presence felt by late afternoon. So I decided to do a ‘slash and dash’ to an airfield along the coast just to say I had been there, then head to San Antonio – pretty much two sides of a triangle. The wind was about 180/15, so I would be beating into the wind in a Cessna that does, say 105kts. I wanted to try for Brownsville on the Mexican border, but decided instead to go to Corpus Christi International – great name for a town, so might be worth a look. My ‘route’ such as it was:
KGLS DCT CRP DCT KCRP (Coastwise)
I planned my route, got the NOTAM’s (none) and filed a flight plan. I took advantage of local knowledge and asked the guy at the FBO about the route and in particular a warning area that involved low-level military jet training. He said it wasn’t a particular problem as long as I had flight following I would be fine. The way he described it made is sound like a UK the Brize area, so I decided to go through the area. I got the plates for Corpus Christi International and it was BIG. Depending on the runway, navigating the taxiways could be interesting, so I vowed to ask for progressive taxi instructions if I was at all uncertain. I tried to plan the route, but it was far too simple really – follow the coast, then when you see the urban build-up around Corpus Christi, track direct to the CRP VOR then head south over the estuary to the airport.
I asked the lady at the FBO for the bill for the handling fee. I had already given them the fuel card I got from Wright Flyers, so that was taken care of. She looked puzzled and said they had taped a copy of the bill to the plane already. I looked confused and said that surely I had to pay for handling, like landing fees, handling, etc. She said that no, there was nothing to pay and that they were happy to have my custom in buying the fuel. Well there is the difference between the USA and the UK right there. I couldn’t let it rest at that, so I paid $20 to their Christmas drinks fund.
We wandered out onto the sweltering ramp in about 95 degrees and 95% humidity, but at least with a fair old breeze coming from the south. Dan cleared all the tie downs and checked the fuel and oil as I started the walkaround. The plane was fine and I loaded up, leaving the actual climbing in as late as I could coz we would cook! The place was again deserted of airside movements as I called the tower for taxi. We were given runway 17. I did the run up checks and was immediately cleared for take off. Another plane called for landing and was given clearance to land, but told that I was lining up. This seems to be common practice in the USA, to clear two planes to either land or one to take off and one to land at the same time – well not actually the same time, but you get the point. So I called both lining up and rolling just to give the landing pilot the idea where I was.
Up we went as I set a climbing turn onto a coastwise heading of about 150. We climbed to 3000’ and held steady there as I contacted Houston Center for flight following, which we got, set the squawk and settled down to admire the view. The weather was ‘Severe VFR’ – not a cloud in the sky, other than a few as you looked inland. Well, I would love to have loads of excellent pictures of the fantastic landforms along the coast, but my buddy fumbled my camera (the truly excellent Panasonic Lumix compact) last night after he took a picture and it hit the concrete right on the corner of the lens which distorted the telescoping rings of the lens such that it would no longer open – so hey, no more photos this trip – I know he feels bad about it, but hell, it was my favourite camera of all time, and it's not so much the camera as the photos we didn't take – still there is a replacement on the way. Dan – you gotta get your own camera buddy (think ruggedised military model)!
We were taking a bit of a beating and the headwind was slowing our groundspeed down to 80kts, but no hurry in particular. We enjoyed the view as the landmarks came and went. A disused airfield here, an in use one there, a huge disused military airfield etc.
As I reached the turn point to head inland a bit, we were handed over to Corpus Christi Approach. They warned us of a T38 military trainer some five miles from us at 11 o’clock but at 2500’. I think he must have been in contact with said trainer as he suggested a new heading (which we quickly and eagerly accepted!) which would keep us away from the manoeuvring jet! We beat out way towards the CRP VOR over some very, very colourful tracts of water that look alternately like a dreadful biological experiment gone-wrong and the salt pans of Mediterranean France (no photos as no camera).
Once over CRP I headed directly for the airfield and we spotted it pretty quickly. I called airfield in sight and was transferred from Approach to Tower. They gave me an immediate ‘clear to land’ on runway 17, which I was pretty much on very extended final for already. I continued and start a cruise descent as I didn’t want to hang around on final for the active at an international airport for too long, despite the fact that there were evident not very busy.
Well I misjudged it a little and left myself high on final, so I dropped full flap and gave it a gentle side-slip. This did the trick as we cruised over the piano keys at 65kts. Flare, hold off and off and down we touch. Nice one. I have no idea where I should go and as if reading my thought they ask ‘where would you like to go’ I respond ‘unfamiliar with airport, can you suggest an FBO?’. I get ‘uhh yeah, probably Signature, whaddaya think?’. Well, I had heard of them from others who have flown in the USA, they are a GA flight handling service with bases at many US airport, so I said that would be fine and asked for progressive taxi instructions.
‘Yeah sure, turn left up ahead then hang a right towards the mess of buildings ahead’. OK, fine with that, then I got ‘Yah see that hangar up ahead with the funky roof?’ looking, oh yeah, so I reply in mock formal aviation parlance ‘Zero Sierra Alpha: affirm visual with funky roof’, ‘well, that’s signature, head on over there – now you have a great day!’ – America – God I love this place!
So I mosey on over to the funky rook and park up where it looks like I should, outside a building marked ‘Signature’. A refueller stops what he is doing and marshalls me in. I shut down and he immediately asks ‘How y’all doin fer gas?’ so I gave him the ‘top it off there buddy’ response with a jerk of my thumb toward said aircraft which appears to mean ‘full tanks both side if you would be so kind my man’ he seemed satisfied with my response and started to refuel pretty much as we headed for Signature!
More air-conditioned bliss, but this time, a much busier FBO, with several pilots in various states of preparedness and various garbs from T-shirt and shorts (me) to full pressed trousers, peaked cap and a full set of ‘wanker bars’ (warranted though as he seemed to be a commercial pilot flying a Citation).
Dan looked haggard and emaciated and immediately asked about food. The bad news was vending machines only, but hey, there was a Burger King on the highway. He asked how far to walk ‘Oh you kaint waaalk, but herezuh kees fer du car, yall can drive – sonly faave minuts’ (OK I’m exaggerating a bit, but not much!). Dan set about the foraging while I set about planning for the final leg back to San Antonio.
