ScottM
Taxi to Parking
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- Jul 19, 2005
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iBazinga!
So yesterday was my BFR. While I still am trying to find the time to pick up another rating I once again was about to hit my 2 year time period and instead had to do a flight review.
After several days a wonderful weather in the midwest I was finally well enough from my bought with the flu to fly and do the BFR. But of course the WX crapped out.
Yesterday morning we had overcasts from 4k to 11k MSL with light scattered showers and a forecast for thunderstorms later int eh evening. The visibilities were anywhere from P6SM to 10+. It was good enough VFR WX to fly. The winds were a little strong out fo the SE at 8 and then gaining speed to 15G20 in the afternoon.
So off we went.
Temps were well above freezing in the high 40's and 50s so I did not even think about ice for this VFR flight. Had I been doing an IFR flight I would have paid much more attention to what was happening temp wise.
As we were flying northbound we hit the 2nd in a series of small, light rain showers. Only this time the temp had dropped from 5C to 0C. As the rain hit and the drops flowed up the windscreen I did not think anything of it. Seen it a hundred times. But all of a sudden in about 5 seconds all the drops stopped moving and I no longer had forward visibility! It was ice, freezing drizzle to be exact. A quick look at the OAT and I knew why, the next look was at the wings which also had a bunch of drops that were frozen on them, and my third thought was to turn around. But just then we were out of the dirzzle. I turned up the defroster to let it melt what was on the window.
I was amazed at how fast that happened. Had that been a real rain shower I can see why freezing rain would be deadly. In only the 10 seconds or so that I had been in the drizzle we accumulated some ice on the air frame. It was a real good learning experiences.
We eventually moved around the little shower and headed south where we were in warmer air and no longer had to worry about the freezing drizzle.
Having read about the hazards of freezing rain I had a theoretical knowledge of how dangerous it was. But wow, seeing a little sample of just how bad it COULD be was really interesting.
Best BFR ever!!
Oh and before someone asks, yes I did have the pitot heat on. I had turned it on early in the flight when we noticed 2C temps. I'd rather have it on and warmed up than run the risk of a freeze up.
After several days a wonderful weather in the midwest I was finally well enough from my bought with the flu to fly and do the BFR. But of course the WX crapped out.
Yesterday morning we had overcasts from 4k to 11k MSL with light scattered showers and a forecast for thunderstorms later int eh evening. The visibilities were anywhere from P6SM to 10+. It was good enough VFR WX to fly. The winds were a little strong out fo the SE at 8 and then gaining speed to 15G20 in the afternoon.
So off we went.
Temps were well above freezing in the high 40's and 50s so I did not even think about ice for this VFR flight. Had I been doing an IFR flight I would have paid much more attention to what was happening temp wise.
As we were flying northbound we hit the 2nd in a series of small, light rain showers. Only this time the temp had dropped from 5C to 0C. As the rain hit and the drops flowed up the windscreen I did not think anything of it. Seen it a hundred times. But all of a sudden in about 5 seconds all the drops stopped moving and I no longer had forward visibility! It was ice, freezing drizzle to be exact. A quick look at the OAT and I knew why, the next look was at the wings which also had a bunch of drops that were frozen on them, and my third thought was to turn around. But just then we were out of the dirzzle. I turned up the defroster to let it melt what was on the window.
I was amazed at how fast that happened. Had that been a real rain shower I can see why freezing rain would be deadly. In only the 10 seconds or so that I had been in the drizzle we accumulated some ice on the air frame. It was a real good learning experiences.
We eventually moved around the little shower and headed south where we were in warmer air and no longer had to worry about the freezing drizzle.
Having read about the hazards of freezing rain I had a theoretical knowledge of how dangerous it was. But wow, seeing a little sample of just how bad it COULD be was really interesting.
Best BFR ever!!
Oh and before someone asks, yes I did have the pitot heat on. I had turned it on early in the flight when we noticed 2C temps. I'd rather have it on and warmed up than run the risk of a freeze up.
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) Well, they encountered ice at 10,000 feet over the Atlantic, and had no clue what to do - They'd never been trained for it. They kept picking up ice until they were unable to maintain altitude and headed downwards at full power. What saved them was that they were able to level off in ground effect and the salt spray from the ocean waves melted the ice off their wings. 
