Date: Tuesday, May 8, 2001, 1:10:29 AM Subject: Flight to San Carlos (SQL) in a P28A Howdy, I had a business meeting in Redwood City today, so instead of taking a commercial flight from Santa Barbara (SBA) to San Francisco, I flew myself with two colleagues in a rental Cherokee 180 (P28A). One of them had flown with me before and was very excited (in the previous flight, he had perused the POH, asked what "chandelles", "steep turns", and "stalls" were, and had actually asked for some demonstrations :^). The other one was just curious about the flight, and hadn't been in a small plane before -- so I was acting as an ambassador to GA for this fellow. Both are engineers by training and profession and so are very interested in all things technical or mechanical. So, as I do with my wife and kids, I spoke aloud the checklist items and offered explanations about each item as I performed them. This seems to make the preflight, clearance, taxi, run-up, takeoff, climb out, and transitions to and from cruise a logical, understandable, more interesting process and therefore less alarming. What a great day for a flight! Leaving SBA was interesting because it was being hedged in by marine-layer fog from the south and east, but the west and north were clear. Thus, rny 25 was active. The marine-layer fog is one of the reasons I am working on my IFR. It was a bit on the warm side (75F at 4500 ft.), but the sky was clear blue. Our route was SBA PRB SNS OVI SQL, and the flight was very smooth, except for some light chop just south of King City and very mild turbulence as we passed over some of the mountains between Salinas and Woodside. Every time I fly over King City on flights north or south, which just happens to track US 101, I can't help but wonder if the people driving their cars down below aren't wondering if, in fact, that plane above is a police radar plane? On US 101, just south and north of King City, are signs indicating that the speed limits are enforced by radar from plane. And, every time I've driven US 101 through King City, I've wondered the same thing about any planes flying above. For those not familiar with that part of California, King City has a reputation for strict enforcement of the speeding laws. But, after a moment or two, we have moved on and think about other sights that come along. A little after King City, the Monterey Approach controller informs me that there is traffic in the opposite direction, at 4500 (my altitude!!), at 12 o'clock. I confirm the information, but also tell ATC that I do not have the traffic in sight. After about 15-20 seconds, just as I'm starting to get worried by my inability to locate the traffic, the Monterey ATC comes back saying "traffic no factor". Now I'm wondering: what happened to it? We aren't flying so high at 4500 ft. that we could have missed it, even if it were flying at 1000 ft. And, I'm also wondering, why would traffic flying in the opposite direction also be flying at 4500, unless they were climbing or descending to their more proper altitude? But, we never saw it. Sometimes, I wonder if ATC gets confused, or sees a "ghost" image on the display, or confuses one display with another when they are working multiple displays? I'll have to go do that tower tour to find out, I guess. The colleague new to flight asked what the pedals were for, so I demonstrated coordinated and uncoordinated turns, as well as the P-factor torque that requires some right rudder during a climb. I also demonstrate a cross-control slip by showing him the lake almost out of view below us. Our flight segment that passed over Santa Cruz was very beautiful: a long, gentle crescent of beach, with the blue ocean waves breaking with just a touch of frosty-white caps. Then, we cross over the mountains on which sits the Woodside VOR, and get an approval for a straight-in landing at 30 SQL. As we land, I notice the temperature is about 87F. This is where my passengers learn the trick of popping open the door as soon as you leave the active runway so that "taxing" doesn't also mean "cooking". :^) We taxi to transient parking, tie her up, and get our ride to the car rental agency. Is this a cool, fun way to travel on business, or what?? :^) Ok. Flying a P51 Mustang might be cooler, or even a King Air, but being able to combine something that can't be avoided (work) with something that you love to do (flying) can't be beat! Hope you all have you own days in the sun! -- Best regards, Alan K. Stebbens , N4184R, PA32-300, SBA