To LAX We Go

Late last week I was given the opportunity to do a flight in the company's Cirrus. The owner of the company needed to be in LAX so I was given the opportunity to ride along during the flight. On the way to LA I rode backseat and observed the beautiful scenery. To get to LA you have to go through Banning Pass, where I had a spectacular view of the mountains. Rob rode in the back with me and gave me a tour of the LA skyline, pointing out all the impressive landmarks. One thing I was surprised about was the amount of haze the covers California. There may not be a cloud in the sky but there is always a layer of haze obscuring your sight. Due to visibility and fuel restrictions, we ended up landing at Hawthorne, which is an airport right next to LAX. It was very neat to see the continuous stream of airline traffic in and out of LA. On the way back I got to ride up front with pilot Jon Joseph. Jon was wonderful, he spent time instructing me on the Class Bravo airspace and proper radio communications. He had me contacting SoCal approach and helping him stay clear of the Class Bravo airspace. He even helped me perfect my radio communications! On the way back it was getting dark, so it was really neat to fly through the pass. I couldn't imagine flying through the pass at night in a small plane, not being able to see where the tops of the mountain ridges are. I guess that all comes with time and practice (and trusting your instruments). During the flight we discussed the emergency parachute on the plane. Jon instructed me on its purpose and gave me examples of when it should be used. From what I gather the parachute is to be used only in extreme situations. Jon gave the example of a midair collision. All in all it was a great flight. I hope to continue to learn more about the Cirrus and its equipment.