beestforwardspeed
Pre-takeoff checklist
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2013
- Messages
- 289
- Display Name
Display name:
CoopAir
Its about time a posted another write-up in actual IFR
That being said, it seems as if my passion for flying in LIFR has been watered down a notch compared to 2 years ago or more.
Why?
For no other reason other than water tends to find its own level.
What excitement I've lost (just a tad luckily) about flying approaches to minimums in actual, has been replaced with a yearning to visit the most beautiful, least known, and remote sandbars in the Bahamas, totally under my own power.
As I alluded to in my (still in progress) Bahamas trip report, (that is posted on the Redboard) there was a sandbar soooo amazing, about 25 NM west of Staniel Cay, that I visited, that was BETTER than skimming 50 ft above crisp tops to 7950' with 200 and 1/2 below me!
April 23rd 2013
July 13th 2014
So yea, in a nutshell, the slight excitement edge that I have lost for hard IMC, I have more than made up for in the energy I put forth into finding that all so perfect sandbar in the Bahamas that is hard for others tourists to reach.
_____________________________________________________________
So now onto my write-up from my flight last Saturday the 4th.
Video with ATC:
https://vimeo.com/108676119
Master link to all the pics:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/56841718@N06/sets/72157648284970770/
It was about mid week that the models were really starting to come to a solution and that there was a good change of flyable IMC with ceilings less than 1000 ft around much of southern New England.
It looked as if the best of it was going to come during the first half of the day, I am made sure to book 6048Z--the same a/c I flew to the Bahamas, that has a G1000 display.
I invited my pal Andris (askulte), who earned his IR last year, along for the ride, and he willingly took me up on my offer. We arrived at BAF around 8:00 and then we depart rwy 20 at 9:25.
We enter the bases at about 800 ft and are cleared direct to SPENO for the ILS 11 approach into ORH.
Since its there seems to be continuous light rain, I am not expecting to get on-top, or even between layers.
Much to my surprise when climbing through 2800, we do indeed get between layers with fairly good visibility, but far from the crispness that makes it jaw dropping! None the less, it is more than worth of a photo!
Not long after, it seems to be getting brighter and it seems like the tops might just be in reach. At this point, being that I am just 20 nm from the FAF from the ILS 11, I ask Bradley Approach if I could climb to 7000 and hold as published at RILOC.
Approved as requested!
As we are in the climb, I try something with my Gopro camera that I had never done before! With the help of Andris taking the controls while I am setting her up, I open the window, and stick the Gopro pole out and get a kick a$$ selfie!!
I normally hate the whole thing about everyone taking selfies left and right, but this way way too fun to pass up!
I have to give full credit to a non-pilot friend who sent me a photoshopped pic of an airline pilot doing that!
Passing through 5700, it seems as if I am going to get on top of everything as the sun seems to be trying its hardest to poke through, which only get me more pumped. I figure another 1300 will do the job.
Unfortunately, this is not the case, and at 7000, I am still in solid IMC.
I then ask for 8000 to get on-top and ATC approves that. Once at 7700, it is clear that the sun poking through earlier was just a tease an that the tops are out of practical reach.
At this point, ATC is confused as to whether I want to do the ILS 11 or just hold at the FAF.
I can't blame em since I'm making one request after another!
I tell the controller that I just wanted to hold for a bit, and then do the approach, but that I would like to cancel the hold and start the approach.
Being that it is a student controller, she seems a bit timid and isn;t quite sure how to process my request.
Right away, her sup comes on the radio and asks me if I want vectors since I'm near and high to the FAF.
I tell him that would be great as I was just going to ask for delaying vectors myself to lose altitude before being cleared for the approach.
He turns me onto a 290 hdg, away from the airport, then to a 200 hdg, and then puts his student back on the mike. Now at 3000' I am between layers again and get some more much needed pics
Not long after I am cleared for the ILS 11 approach. Even though the ATIS is saying 200 ovc and 1/4, the TD RVR issued by the tower is +6000ft, so there is a good chance I'll be able to do a T&G!
I ride the rails down the ILS uneventfully, and keep the LOC within 1/3 deflection and remain about a dot high on the GS, but consistent.
At around 350 ft, I can just start to see the ground out of the corner of my eye, and then at 250' I can see the "rabbit" so I drop down to 100' at that point. At 170 ft I can see the runway edge lights itself, and then pull the power to idle and put in flaps 10, and then flaps 30 at 80 kts.
I make a decent landing, power up, and then report on the go to the tower and am handed back to Bradley as I fly the published missed.
At around 2000', BDL has me radar contact and turns me to a 290 hdg vectors for the ILS 20 at BAF full stop.
When I am at 2800 climbing 4000, I am again between fairly crisp layers, so I ask approach if I can stay at 3000 to get better pics of the clouds. No problem!
The rest of the flight is uneventful and Andris plays with the G1000 while I focus on flying and the cameras.
We are soon cleared for the ILS 20 approach and upon checking in with the tower, are told that a Malibu broke out at 300', 50' above minimums.
Hmmm, that seem a lot lower than I'd have expected.
Sure enough, we break out at 600', more in line with what I would have guessed.
I make a no-flaps landing and then taxi back to parking.
While not as much fun as being on that sandbar pictured above, it was still a great time for being in New England!!
That being said, it seems as if my passion for flying in LIFR has been watered down a notch compared to 2 years ago or more.
Why?
For no other reason other than water tends to find its own level.
What excitement I've lost (just a tad luckily) about flying approaches to minimums in actual, has been replaced with a yearning to visit the most beautiful, least known, and remote sandbars in the Bahamas, totally under my own power.
As I alluded to in my (still in progress) Bahamas trip report, (that is posted on the Redboard) there was a sandbar soooo amazing, about 25 NM west of Staniel Cay, that I visited, that was BETTER than skimming 50 ft above crisp tops to 7950' with 200 and 1/2 below me!
April 23rd 2013
July 13th 2014
So yea, in a nutshell, the slight excitement edge that I have lost for hard IMC, I have more than made up for in the energy I put forth into finding that all so perfect sandbar in the Bahamas that is hard for others tourists to reach.
_____________________________________________________________
So now onto my write-up from my flight last Saturday the 4th.
Video with ATC:
https://vimeo.com/108676119
Master link to all the pics:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/56841718@N06/sets/72157648284970770/
It was about mid week that the models were really starting to come to a solution and that there was a good change of flyable IMC with ceilings less than 1000 ft around much of southern New England.
It looked as if the best of it was going to come during the first half of the day, I am made sure to book 6048Z--the same a/c I flew to the Bahamas, that has a G1000 display.
I invited my pal Andris (askulte), who earned his IR last year, along for the ride, and he willingly took me up on my offer. We arrived at BAF around 8:00 and then we depart rwy 20 at 9:25.
We enter the bases at about 800 ft and are cleared direct to SPENO for the ILS 11 approach into ORH.
Since its there seems to be continuous light rain, I am not expecting to get on-top, or even between layers.
Much to my surprise when climbing through 2800, we do indeed get between layers with fairly good visibility, but far from the crispness that makes it jaw dropping! None the less, it is more than worth of a photo!
Not long after, it seems to be getting brighter and it seems like the tops might just be in reach. At this point, being that I am just 20 nm from the FAF from the ILS 11, I ask Bradley Approach if I could climb to 7000 and hold as published at RILOC.
Approved as requested!
As we are in the climb, I try something with my Gopro camera that I had never done before! With the help of Andris taking the controls while I am setting her up, I open the window, and stick the Gopro pole out and get a kick a$$ selfie!!
I normally hate the whole thing about everyone taking selfies left and right, but this way way too fun to pass up!
I have to give full credit to a non-pilot friend who sent me a photoshopped pic of an airline pilot doing that!
Passing through 5700, it seems as if I am going to get on top of everything as the sun seems to be trying its hardest to poke through, which only get me more pumped. I figure another 1300 will do the job.
Unfortunately, this is not the case, and at 7000, I am still in solid IMC.
I then ask for 8000 to get on-top and ATC approves that. Once at 7700, it is clear that the sun poking through earlier was just a tease an that the tops are out of practical reach.
At this point, ATC is confused as to whether I want to do the ILS 11 or just hold at the FAF.
I can't blame em since I'm making one request after another!
I tell the controller that I just wanted to hold for a bit, and then do the approach, but that I would like to cancel the hold and start the approach.
Being that it is a student controller, she seems a bit timid and isn;t quite sure how to process my request.
Right away, her sup comes on the radio and asks me if I want vectors since I'm near and high to the FAF.
I tell him that would be great as I was just going to ask for delaying vectors myself to lose altitude before being cleared for the approach.
He turns me onto a 290 hdg, away from the airport, then to a 200 hdg, and then puts his student back on the mike. Now at 3000' I am between layers again and get some more much needed pics
Not long after I am cleared for the ILS 11 approach. Even though the ATIS is saying 200 ovc and 1/4, the TD RVR issued by the tower is +6000ft, so there is a good chance I'll be able to do a T&G!
I ride the rails down the ILS uneventfully, and keep the LOC within 1/3 deflection and remain about a dot high on the GS, but consistent.
At around 350 ft, I can just start to see the ground out of the corner of my eye, and then at 250' I can see the "rabbit" so I drop down to 100' at that point. At 170 ft I can see the runway edge lights itself, and then pull the power to idle and put in flaps 10, and then flaps 30 at 80 kts.
I make a decent landing, power up, and then report on the go to the tower and am handed back to Bradley as I fly the published missed.
At around 2000', BDL has me radar contact and turns me to a 290 hdg vectors for the ILS 20 at BAF full stop.
When I am at 2800 climbing 4000, I am again between fairly crisp layers, so I ask approach if I can stay at 3000 to get better pics of the clouds. No problem!
The rest of the flight is uneventful and Andris plays with the G1000 while I focus on flying and the cameras.
We are soon cleared for the ILS 20 approach and upon checking in with the tower, are told that a Malibu broke out at 300', 50' above minimums.
Hmmm, that seem a lot lower than I'd have expected.
Sure enough, we break out at 600', more in line with what I would have guessed.
I make a no-flaps landing and then taxi back to parking.
While not as much fun as being on that sandbar pictured above, it was still a great time for being in New England!!
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