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Time / Day
Date : 199605
Local Time Of Day : 1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference.Airport : TPH
State Reference : NV
Relative Position.Distance.Nautical Miles : 79
Altitude.AGL.Single Value : 0
Aircraft
Aircraft Operator : Personal
Make Model Name : PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga/6X
Crew Size.Number Of Crew : 1
Narrative: 1 I WAS FLYING MY PA32-300 (CHEROKEE 6) FROM CNY TO MY HOME BASE, TRK VIA SALINA, UT, THENCE TO MLF AND MVA. ABOUT HALFWAY BTWN MLF AND MVA I ENCOUNTERED INCREASING TURB AND RAPIDLY DETERIORATING VISIBILITY. I DECIDED TO CHANGE COURSE TO THE NEAREST ARPT, TPH. I RADIOED FOR CONDITIONS AND WAS TOLD TPH WAS IFR (I AM PRESENTLY VFR ONLY). MY SIT WAS THAT ALL QUADRANTS WERE NOW IFR. I DECIDED TO PUT DOWN WHERE I WAS AND MADE AN OFF FIELD LNDG 79 SM E OF TPH ON US 6. I LNDED SAFELY AND REMAINED OVERNIGHT IN TPH. I RETURNED NEXT DAY, TOOK OFF AND CONTINUED ON TO TRK. INCIDENTLY, THERE IS A CLOSED FIELD JUST W OF WHERE I PUT DOWN THAT I AM NOW TOLD AND SAW IS JUST 10 NM FROM MY POS THAT HAS A BRAND NEW 7000 FT RWY BELONG TO THE AIR FORCE. HAD IT SHOWN ON THE CHART AS A REAL ARPT, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE DANGER THAT I WAS. SEE LAS VEGAS SECTIONAL N38:20:00 W116:16. I WAS ADVISED THAT VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR W NV AND THE SIERRA DUE TO OBSCURATION, TURB, ETC. HOWEVER, MY (VERY) LIMITED EXPERIENCE WITH FLT SVC IS THAT THEY ALMOST ALWAYS SAY 'VFR NOT RECOMMENDED.' I TRIED TO PUSH IT. I GOT LUCKY, GOD SMILED, KISSED ME AND MADE IT GOOD.
originally posted by: FosterVS
They'd rather see a pilot with a possible emergency land on a g.d. highway, than direct him to the obviously NOT "closed field" at Base Camp.
originally posted by: gariac
a reply to: Astr0
g keeping Base Camp a secret, it is right by the highway. Now route 6 isn't like the 405, i.e. not a whole lot of people drive past it. But it wouldn't surprise me if ten thousand people know of the base. It is such a poorly kept secret that it would make more sense just to put it on the map. Commercial jet fly over it all the time.
originally posted by: gariac
a reply to: FosterVS
I vaguely remember what the tourist sign says, but I believe it is related to the mine on Tybo Road.
Seriously, how secure is a base where a public road runs through it. Last time I checked, the no stopping signs were there on Tybo Road, but I don't know if they are enforceable.
BTW, if you use Google Earth on the Tybo mine, you can see pickup trucks parked there. I believe you can drive through Tybo Mine, but going on mine property is trespassing.
originally posted by: gariac
a reply to: FosterVS
The land was AEC owned originally, so maybe that is the deal with the DOE on the sign. The VOR is AEC based on the Morse code.
ENRTE TO CEDAR CITY, UT. ONCE OVER SIERRA NEVADA MTN RANGE DSNDED TO 11500'. PREFLT MAP CHK INDICATED FLT FROM SFO VIA BUCHANAN DIRECT TO CEDAR CITY WOULD BYPASS RESTR AREA TO THE N. OVER BUCHANAN SET LORAN AND PROCEEDED ON COURSE. I NAVIGATED UNTIL OVER MON LAKE (CA). I THEN ASKED MY WIFE (STUDENT PLT) TO WATCH ALT, COURSE, AND TFC WHILE I PREPARED A SPEECH FOR S UT UNIVERSITY COMMISSIONING OF ROTC CADETS TO SECOND LT. I GLANCED UP FROM TIME TO TIME AND WE SEEMED TO BE ON COURSE AND AT PROPER ALT. I HAD THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED. MY WIFE INQUIRED ABOUT AN AIRFIELD ALMOST DIRECTLY BELOW US. I CHKED THE CHART AND IDENTED THE FIELD AS BEING JUST INSIDE THE N EDGE OF THE TONOPAH RESTR AREA. I ALWAYS FLY WITH RADIO #1 ON 122.0 FLT WATCH AND RADIO #2 ON 121.5 EMER. DURING FLTS NEAR CHINA LAKE, I'VE HAD GND CONTACT ME ON 121.5 TO INSURE WE STAYED CLR OF THE RESTR AREA. NO ONE COMMUNICATED ON 122.0 OR 121.5 AS WE FLEW OVER THE FIELD AT TONOPAH. I CONTINUED ON, MADE A PIREP TO CEDAR CITY FSS ON 122.2 CONCERNING WX AND WIND OVER THE SIERRA NEVADAS, NOTHING WAS SAID BY THEM ABOUT ANY VIOLATION. I DIDN'T NOTICE ANY ACTIVITY ON OR NEAR THE TONOPAH AIRFIELD, NOR DID I SEE ANY AIR ACTIVITY. IT WAS SATURDAY MID-MORNING. I NOTICED THAT MY DG HAD MOVED ALMOST 20 DEGS OFF COURSE TOWARDS THE S. THIS HAD CAUSED THE AUTOPLT TO GRADUALLY STEER THE ACFT R OF OUR INTENDED COURSE. I RESET THE DG WITH THE MAG COMPASS AND CORRECTED OUR COURSE FOR CEDAR CITY. THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT MY ATTN TO FLYING WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS POSSIBLE INTRUSION INTO RESTR AIRSPACE. THE WEEKEND, PLUS PRESSURE OF PUBLIC SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS PRIOR TO OUR FLT HAD MY MIND ON PREPARING FOR THE ROTC COMMISSIONINGS AT CEDAR CITY. MY WIFE HAD MANY HRS IN THE R SEAT BOTH VMC AND IMC, BUT SHE DIDN'T NOTICE THE INCREASING IRREGULARITY BTWN THE DG (AUTOPLT) AND MAG COMPASS. THERE WERE NO NEAR MISSES, NO ATTEMPTED COMS FROM GND TO AIR. NO ONE HAS SAID ANYTHING, BUT I BELIEVE WE FLEW INTO RESTR AIRSPACE.
Exactly what we had planned was a traverse of R-4807A, the restricted airspace south of the Tonopah Test Range and north of the NTS and Groom airspace. This was the airspace that opened up in July of 1995, allowing civilian air traffic on Sundays when the military had no Flag exercises planned. This certainly demanded a look. Will had taken the precaution of checking with the local FAA Flight Service Station before we left, to ensure there wouldn’t be any surprises. Hah!