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Final Approach
So I did a fuel run down to 2B3 today. Conditions were pretty good VFR on the way down, with scattered to broken at about 3500 MSL, but on the way back the clouds started to form a solid deck and lowered, and I felt I was going to be forced to scud run to get back VFR, so I called up Boston Center and asked for a pop-up IFR, the first time I've ever done that. Slight delay, but no questions about whether I was rated or qualified, and I was soon cleared to KMPV "via maintain own terrain and obstruction clearance", up to 5400, was offered and accepted the MPV VOR transition for the RNAV 17, and was soon in actual for the first time in nearly a year. The clouds were not too thick but thick enough, and no fear of icing, no sign of precip or convection nearby. Good, I thought. I'll at least get a loggable approach out of this.
ATC cleared me to 6000 along the transition route between MPV and REGGI and cleared me for the approach. I was soon above all but the highest tops, and enjoyed the ride. But by the time I was north of the field, the clouds started getting more scattered, and I had wide views of the ground and even the Worcester Range. I debated just canceling and diving through one of the huge holes, but decided to just fly the approach anyway. It looked like I would probably have some actual along the FAS, so maybe it would be loggable. I crossed REGGI, flew the HILPT, and started inbound.
No such luck... south of JIPDO on the way inbound, the clouds got even more scattered and I realized the bases were well above the intercept altitude. I debated intercepting the GS higher up so that I could log it, but realized that I wouldn't be getting any real practice in anyway. So I called up Center and canceled IFR.
Then, 20 minutes after I landed, the field went MVFR with OVC024, as the lower clouds moved in from the south. Driving home, I could not see the tops of the Worcester Range. If I'd been only a half hour later I could probably have flown enough of the approach to log it, though it wouldn't have been great proficiency practice.
This is what Vermont weather is like... it's either just low enough that I'm afraid to go VFR or too low even to go IFR, but almost never just low enough for shooting approaches. The only exception recently was a couple of weeks ago when we had 3 days straight of flyable IMC... but I needed 3 more approaches with a safety pilot to regain my currency, so I was grounded.
ATC cleared me to 6000 along the transition route between MPV and REGGI and cleared me for the approach. I was soon above all but the highest tops, and enjoyed the ride. But by the time I was north of the field, the clouds started getting more scattered, and I had wide views of the ground and even the Worcester Range. I debated just canceling and diving through one of the huge holes, but decided to just fly the approach anyway. It looked like I would probably have some actual along the FAS, so maybe it would be loggable. I crossed REGGI, flew the HILPT, and started inbound.
No such luck... south of JIPDO on the way inbound, the clouds got even more scattered and I realized the bases were well above the intercept altitude. I debated intercepting the GS higher up so that I could log it, but realized that I wouldn't be getting any real practice in anyway. So I called up Center and canceled IFR.
Then, 20 minutes after I landed, the field went MVFR with OVC024, as the lower clouds moved in from the south. Driving home, I could not see the tops of the Worcester Range. If I'd been only a half hour later I could probably have flown enough of the approach to log it, though it wouldn't have been great proficiency practice.
This is what Vermont weather is like... it's either just low enough that I'm afraid to go VFR or too low even to go IFR, but almost never just low enough for shooting approaches. The only exception recently was a couple of weeks ago when we had 3 days straight of flyable IMC... but I needed 3 more approaches with a safety pilot to regain my currency, so I was grounded.
