2nd X-Country - Fresno

After heavy rains on Saturday the weather cleared up and we had clear air and incredible visibility. Great day to start the second cross country trip to Fresno - Yosemite International (KFAT). I had prepared a plan that would take me at 5500 feet to the right of South County (E16) so I could maintain a nice view of it and on to Los Banos (KLSN), intercepting the Clovis VOR which would take me only a few miles from Fresno. During my climb I opened the flight plan and requested flight following. From South County I headed east over the hills. A band of clouds was right at my altitude. The first one low, the other higher. I climbed over the first and decended under the second. Light turbulence, but I mainained my heading and advised ATC that I'd be resuming 5500 as soon as I was passed. My dead reckoning worked out perfect and I crossed right over Los Banos (KLSN). The view here is from 5500 feet.

Ok time for the VOR to come alive. NAV 1, tuned, VOR identified, VOR...nada. Nothing on NAV 1...well maybe I'm too far out. I continued on my heading, cross checked to the very few landmarks out there in the central valley ...VOR ...nothing.... Try NAV2 and voila, the CDI starts to swing in. Approach hands me off a couple of times. I set the DME and watch the miles tick away. Approach advises to make left traffic for 29L. Great. consulting the pattern entry map I drew up...I'm set...or am I...Just as I am in my turn to the airport approach asks whether I am planning to land Fresno. Hint 1: If approach asks, I must be somewhere different than I thought. Approach advises a vector and where to look for the field. Now I'm getting nervous (partly because they're not exactly nice about it)...the tone raises my stress levels about 5 notches and now the hair on the back of my neck is straight up as I frantically search for the field. 8 miles, 5 miles, I should be able to see it. Hmmm that could be it, but I can't make out a runway. It looks all wrong. Approach hands me off to tower. They're obviously not too happy..great...finally I see the field...still looks wrong...Then I hear the words. Can you make right traffic short approach 29L... click, click click... now I get it. They vectored me to the other side of the field, didn't bother to tell me to change the approach and I was looking for a way different picture. So nothing I saw made sense to me. Finally I'm able to respond N6413C right traffic 29L, short approach affirmative. Thankfully the landing is just about perfect. On to ground and requesting progessive taxi instructions...again they're not too happy about it. I park in front of the GA tower, which I find has been closed. No restrooms. So much for Fresno. I decide to get a weather update and head out. Since it was getting late I rewrote my flight plan to land in Madera (MAE). One the way out I did my callup with "student pilot" appended. Ahhh they're a little nicer...much appreciated. I squak the squak code and get altitude restriction to at or below 2000. I taxi out, run my pre takeoff checklist in the runup area and call tower. After takeoff I get handed off to approach and a few minutes later request frequency change. Heading, map...everything matches...ok confidence back. I see the field ahead and check the ASOS. Wind straight down the runway..great. I switch to Madera 122.8. Only one guy in the pattern. Left 45 entry 30..stable approach and smoothly kiss the ground. Taxi back to departure, set my frequencies in the runup area. On the way over I already checked that I was crossing the outbound radial from Clovis and the CDI had swung in and out. With confidence I take off in an 11 knot headwind. Airborne I notice that my TAS is ok, but I'm not making much ground speed. Surface winds must have kicked up. Left turn to depart on the cross wind to the west. I intercept the 267 degree radial from Clovis to Los Banos and finally have my confidence back. Enough to call Approach and request flight following. Approach asks me to wait 4 miles and contact Approach on 120.95. I'm back on track and 20 minutes later cross Los Banos just like I had before and assume my new heading of 261 degrees to South County. Times are coming out perfect on my flight log. Left is a picture of San Luis reservoir.

I come out right below Anderson reservoir exactly where I should have, check ATIS for Reid Hillview (KRHV) and start my desent to UTC, arrive at UTC 3500 and call the tower, which advises me 31L, report 3 miles. I confirm and write down the instructions. I continue my descend, come up on 3 miles and finally get to jump in and announce 3 miles. Tower asks me to leave class D airspace. I break right and climb back out over UTC. Over UTC tower gets back to me. Apparently too many aircraft in the pattern and he didn't remember that he cleared me to 31L...I check my log...I had even written it down and confirmed with my call sign. Taking notes helps. The best part...at my home field the tower is actually nice...even through a mixup like this. Better safe than sorry I start my second approach again cleared to 31L. About 4 miles out I get cleared to land just before sunset. Stable approach and smooth landing. I get cleared to cross the right and switch to ground as we chat about what might have happened. Biggest lesson learned, a tower controller that keeps his cool and is actually nice through a tense situation can make a hell of a difference. Great end to an exciting flight, the lessons of which I won't soon forget.