Finally used my IFR Rating for something...

akpilot907

akpilot907

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
May 14, 2013
Messages
398
Location
Anchorage, Alaska
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Display name:
citabriav8tr
I'm sure most of us IFR pilots have thought... "When will I actually get to use my official cloud buster license..."

Well, I can say I was thinking the same thing up until this past weekend. I was ferrying a 182 from Fairbanks to Anchorage and knew that weather in the Anchorage bowl area was deteriorating and forecasting to be at marginal conditions at my ETA with freezing levels above 6,000... Hoping I could pick up a special from Anchorage Approach and scoot into Lake Hood, avoiding the other 20 different class-"D" airspaces that fill Anchorage (Merrill, Elmendorf, Lake Hood, list goes on...)

So as I cleared Willow and approached Wasilla... Weather behind me turned IFR and so wasn't Anchorage... "Great!" So I put her down at Wasilla, took a leak after the 2.5 hour flight thus far and thought over my options... "Do I head into Anderson Lake for the night and crash at a friend's house and try in the morning... or do I shoot an approach...

Shoot the approach it was! Got airborne, prepped the plane for the approach, called ANC approach and requested a Pop-Up IFR... Gave me vectors, threw me in behind a dozen 747's and 777's... and just as I entered the clouds at 3500ft MSL... MY ATTITUDE INDICATOR ****S THE BED... starts tumbling on me... Great! Now I'm partial panel in IMC. No worries... Covered it up with a sticky note I had at my side, continued the approach, notified ATC and requested a no-gyro approach... Followed the glideslope and popped out 200ft above minimums... Good fun!!!

Here are some pics!
 

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When you fly a C182 and have (3) heavies waiting behind you ... Not to mention the B747-800 Dreamlifter... You kind of reach a new "Boss" level!
 

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I love popping out and finding the runway is right where you left it.
 
WOW great job!!

Gets the old heart pumping!!!
 
Atleast you know that partial panel training you got was adequate! All of my instrument students get completely grilled with partial panel-both in the sim and in the airplane.
 
and come to think that I hated... none the less, thought that I SUCKED at partial panel... I guess when fear is covering your front windscreen, 2700ft deep... We tend to outperform our expectations 9/10 times!
 
Good job you did what you had too.stay safe
 
Was it just the AI that crapped out or was it a loss of vacuum that took out the DG too? Can't tell from photos. Good job, and good preparation (having the stickies).

Here's a hint: I write my clearance on a sticky so I always have one available. If I loose a Gyro, it comes off my note pad and over the instrument.
 
Thats a good idea, do you mind If I steal that??

It was just my AI... DG worked great and I still had suction... Prolly just the gyro going bad
 
Brad Z said:
Was it just the AI that crapped out or was it a loss of vacuum that took out the DG too? Can't tell from photos. Good job, and good preparation (having the stickies).

Here's a hint: I write my clearance on a sticky so I always have one available. If I loose a Gyro, it comes off my note pad and over the instrument.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot Brad (sarcastic), how am I supposed to do that with my iPad???:D
 
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