Got lots of nice IMC yesterday

[Salty]

It's rare to get IMC in Florida that isn't deadly or at least uncomfortable, but got some yesterday.

First vid is of my first real IMC departure. Got the clearance over the phone. Funny thing, I was using my bluetooth to call from the ramp and forgot about that when I read back my clearance, I keyed the mic and said it, and the guy on the phone said "I didn't hear your read back". Duh! lol

Unfortunately, the airport is under the Tampa approach path, so my clearance required an immediate turn to get out of the way. So, some nice climbing turns in IMC at low level is always fun. I hit the clouds at about 800 feet and break through again around 2000.

On the way back home, ATC really, really wanted us in the clouds. We kept breaking out as the clouds went down, and ATC would send us back down into them again. It was odd how perfectly they kept us at the top of the cloud layer. But it made for some cool visuals.

 

[RyanB]

I was going to hit you up this past weekend, as I flew the Archer down to ZPH. Did a little bit of local flying down the coast and zipped over your home base along the way. It was a quick trip… came back Saturday night late before the system moved through on Sunday.

 

[Hang 4]

I did the same on the east coast, weds and friday. Perfect practice IMC.
I've done the key the mike while reading back the clearance on the phone thing, not this week as FIN has a tower. My wife now knows that 500 foot overcast with no thunderstorms means I'm doing some approaches.

 

[Jim K]

Shot a couple approaches today myself. The skew-t showed an inversion with the freezing level at 8000, but it wound up being 1C at 3000. I probably should've turned around, but an arrow landed right before I took off and reported no ice and I was only going 20min away. The water on my temp probe never froze and I didn't find any anywhere else after I landed so I guess I got away with it.

The funny thing was I flew over to DNV and got gas, flew the ILS to get back in to CMI breaking out at 500agl, and by the time I had the plane back in the hangar, the clouds had cleared and the sun was out.

 

[Salty]

I was going to hit you up this past weekend, as I flew the Archer down to ZPH. Did a little bit of local flying down the coast and zipped over your home base along the way. It was a quick trip… came back Saturday night late before the system moved through on Sunday.

You did pretty good. Weather has been crap for flying last couple weeks.

 

[RyanB]

You did pretty good. Weather has been crap for flying last couple weeks.

Thanks! Yeah Friday was clear skies the whole way. Saturday afternoon and early evening were nice, but ran through rain from Ocala to Valdosta on the way home and some brutal headwinds.

 

[iamtheari]

I flew home from the Gulf coast yesterday afternoon. I had to divert multiple times for weather as I went along, but the departure was beautifully flyable IMC. I’m glad to see other POAers actually fly their planes sometimes.

 

[ArrowFlyer86]

Awesome videos, looked fun!
Also like that split screen with the panel view

 

[frfly172]

This time of year Florida is a good place to get some actual IMC ,light IFR is usually around for a few early morning hours.

 

[iamtheari]

@Salty, I see your panel has a VSI where a TC would have been found before the Aspen went in, and where a lot of people stick their old vacuum attitude indicator. Was the VSI your decision? I'm curious how it came to be. Sometimes people ask me for advice on panel upgrades, and I feel like I'm doing a disservice if I don't know about the alternatives.

 

[Salty]

@Salty, I see your panel has a VSI where a TC would have been found before the Aspen went in, and where a lot of people stick their old vacuum attitude indicator. Was the VSI your decision? I'm curious how it came to be. Sometimes people ask me for advice on panel upgrades, and I feel like I'm doing a disservice if I don't know about the alternatives.

Wasn't me.

*edit* I said I thought the VSI was still required with the aspen, but have since confirmed it is not.

 

[eman1200]

Wasn't me.

*edit* I said I thought the VSI was still required with the aspen, but have since confirmed it is not.

does your vsi typically show a 400fpm decent on takeoff? that thing is wonky AF

 

[Salty]

does your vsi typically show a 400fpm decent on takeoff? that thing is wonky AF

It reads about -150 when straight and level. Honestly, none of them work well at low airspeeds. It does fine once you're up in clean air.

 

[eman1200]

It reads about -150 when straight and level. The aspen is more accurate.

I hope it's better than my spelling. descent is mostly what I meant.

 

[iamtheari]

I hope it's better than my spelling. descent is mostly what I meant.

I was going to make a joke about that, but as usual you beat me to the punch. It's a shame that we have to pay people to remove dishonest instruments. But if anyone has @Salty on their secret Santa list, send him one of these: https://www.sportys.com/failed-instrument-cover.html

 

[Salty]

I've got some avionic changes in progress, which is why I had the aspen install manual so handy, and now that I know it's not required, it'll be gone soon.

 

[Initial Fix]

when I read back my clearance, I keyed the mic and said it, and the guy on the phone said "I didn't hear your read back". Duh! lol

I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one to do this

 

[Country Flier]

Surprised me for Michigan, but I got in two approaches yesterday, and one was an honest-to-goodness missed at minimums. They were predicting 800 foot ceilings at my destination, but they were wrong by about 500 feet too high. My alternate ended up also with lower than expected ceilings but I just barely managed to get in there (maybe 50 foot over DA ceilings). They also missed the freezing layer by several thousand feet as well (they predicted it at 9000 but I got ice and 0c at 5000). If only I could be as wrong as the weatherman in my job…

 

[flyingpreacher]

It was foggy as all get out yesterday here in north-central Pennsylvania, BUT, ceilings were high enough for my home field (KIPT), so I went flying. Flew 20 mins south to an untowered field (KSEG) where ceilings were not high enough (I knew this before I went out). Flew the KSEG RNAV 17 to minimums, then the missed hold, then the RNAV 35 to minimums, missed north back to Williamsport, and shot the RNAV 27, breaking out the bottom of the OVC at about 2400' MSL, out of the BKN at 1100' MSL, and made a night landing in the rain. Weird to be able to do that in December in PA, but I'm not complaining!

 

[midwestpa24]

Surprised me for Michigan, but I got in two approaches yesterday, and one was an honest-to-goodness missed at minimums. They were predicting 800 foot ceilings at my destination, but they were wrong by about 500 feet too high. My alternate ended up also with lower than expected ceilings but I just barely managed to get in there (maybe 50 foot over DA ceilings). They also missed the freezing layer by several thousand feet as well (they predicted it at 9000 but I got ice and 0c at 5000). If only I could be as wrong as the weatherman in my job…

I don't know why, maybe its just my curse, but that happens to me on almost every actual approach I've ever had to shoot. AWOS/ASOS/ATIS is reporting at least 500 foot above the minimums or more, making me feel all warm and fuzzy that I will break out with room to spare. Then I end up flying down to minimums before breaking out and am considering going missed.

 

[Hang 4]

Today was another good IMC day in FL. 900 ceilings at KFIN. Took a friend of mine to Williston (X60) to pick up his plane from annual. Logged one more approach in actual.