nyoung
Pre-takeoff checklist
I had a really great experience with ATC yesterday. Nothing too special, but demonstrative of the great service ATC continues to provide us GA pilots.
I flew from 3CK (Lake in the HIlls, IL. NW chicago burbs) to VYS (Illinois Valley Regional, located in the North/Central part of IL).
There was a stalled front in the area that left a line of IFR conditions running Southwest to Northeast. Temperatures aloft were hovering around the freezing mark, so I was not eager to pick up any real IMC on this trip.
Fortunately, 3CK was nice VMC, and the surface reports showed that I'd be VMC for almost the entire trip as VYS was on the northern edge of those conditions. VYS was reporting 009OVC, it was expected to rise by my arrival time around noon. I filed IFR and hoped that I might be able to cancel, take a visual at VYS, or just have a thin layer to pop through on the LOC36. Worst case, if those options didn't materialize, I'd go back to Aurora and rent a car...
Anyway, departing 3CK VFR, the ORD approach freq was very quiet... So I gave them an abbreviated 1st call. "Chicago approach, N3962R". They responded almost immediately with a squawk code. Nice! It's always cool when they're waiting for us. Must have been a slow day.
Shortly, I was handed off to ORD South Approach (133.50) and they immediately asked if I really wanted my filed route (DPAv, PNTv) for training purposes, or if I would take a RV heading direct. This saves about 10-15 minutes of flighttime, of course I took the heading.
Then I was handed off to RFD approach for all of 15 seconds (that was odd) before I was handed to Center. Center wanted to know if I had the weather at VYS, and I responded that I did... and requested the LOC36 approach. I then explained that I'd like to try and cancel, and asked to stay on the 'direct' heading to VYS as long as possible. They arranged to fly me directly over the field before vectoring for the LOC36, and sure enough... 5 miles out, I was still VMC, picked up the field, the clouds had lifted to 016OVC and I was able to cancel.
Again, nothing too special on the flight... but just a great example of ATC working with GA to help us out ! Cool stuff.
I flew from 3CK (Lake in the HIlls, IL. NW chicago burbs) to VYS (Illinois Valley Regional, located in the North/Central part of IL).
There was a stalled front in the area that left a line of IFR conditions running Southwest to Northeast. Temperatures aloft were hovering around the freezing mark, so I was not eager to pick up any real IMC on this trip.
Fortunately, 3CK was nice VMC, and the surface reports showed that I'd be VMC for almost the entire trip as VYS was on the northern edge of those conditions. VYS was reporting 009OVC, it was expected to rise by my arrival time around noon. I filed IFR and hoped that I might be able to cancel, take a visual at VYS, or just have a thin layer to pop through on the LOC36. Worst case, if those options didn't materialize, I'd go back to Aurora and rent a car...
Anyway, departing 3CK VFR, the ORD approach freq was very quiet... So I gave them an abbreviated 1st call. "Chicago approach, N3962R". They responded almost immediately with a squawk code. Nice! It's always cool when they're waiting for us. Must have been a slow day.
Shortly, I was handed off to ORD South Approach (133.50) and they immediately asked if I really wanted my filed route (DPAv, PNTv) for training purposes, or if I would take a RV heading direct. This saves about 10-15 minutes of flighttime, of course I took the heading.
Then I was handed off to RFD approach for all of 15 seconds (that was odd) before I was handed to Center. Center wanted to know if I had the weather at VYS, and I responded that I did... and requested the LOC36 approach. I then explained that I'd like to try and cancel, and asked to stay on the 'direct' heading to VYS as long as possible. They arranged to fly me directly over the field before vectoring for the LOC36, and sure enough... 5 miles out, I was still VMC, picked up the field, the clouds had lifted to 016OVC and I was able to cancel.
Again, nothing too special on the flight... but just a great example of ATC working with GA to help us out ! Cool stuff.
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