How 600 n.m. became pattern work

spiderweb

spiderweb

Final Approach
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Feb 22, 2005
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Ben
Well, shoot. I was supposed to make my first trip solo PIC under IFR today. The route took me from FDK up through eastern PA to KDDH. I got all the way to the airport, and called for briefings twice, but I just decided it was a no-go. See, there were these two blops (a technical IFR term) of yellow 'n red that were converging on each other from either side of my route. I didn't have a stormscope and the briefer said I would most likely be flying in IMC and that some of those TR were embedded. Well, with no radar or stormscope, words like "converging" used along with "embedded" (as well as "tops to FL40") made me rethink taking that lil' 'ol C172 up there.

So I did some pattern work instead.

As a second choice, it was still an OK one. The first landing was a perfect three-pointer! That would've been great for a taildragger, but I thought I might try for something a bit more suave. So I did five or six more. Have to remember how slow those C172s are (I've been driving C182s and Zlins the past half year). The second approach was flown with too much power on final, held into the flare, and pulled out too fast. The butt sank too fast, and then I pulled back too quickly. Saved it with a touch of power and got a nice touchdown, but pulled off to the taxiway and gave myself a spanking.

After the dressing down, I decided to take my own advice and make sure the remaining finals were flown no faster than 60 KIAS with power-off or almost so. The rest of the landings were good to purty durn good. Have to remember how slow those C172 things are on final!

Too bad didn't go no where today, though.
 
Embedded=no go for me, too.

Nice choice.
 
It's pretty nasty here today. We've had occasional downpours in the neighborhood of KPNE with lots of lightning.
 
Never liked those inbed thunderstorms; really like to keep them outside:D


Seems to me, it would be a very good practice to say away from these puppies until you have a little more experience and a very capable aircraft, with great systems to avoid/circumnavigate such weather. Even in a plane with such systems, one has to ask if weather like this should be penetrated if it's an optional flight.

When you get your turbo/pressurized twin, with nexrad radar, storm scope and radar, maybe you could take a look if these's room between them or you can get above ceilings and circumnavigate. As has been discussed, the normal, slow moving afternoon stuff here in Dallas can be dealt with if you aren't landing where the storms are. Best not to fly late in the afternoon, etc.

Best,

Dave
 
FL40?

You could get on top and have no trouble. :p

Yeah...TCU's here today as well, big ole spires.
 
I think I did make the right choice. Those storms tracked right up my planned route!
 
Very Good choice Ben and very Wise also,As far as the 172 goes yep they are slow on appraoch.FLY SAFE Dave G
 
Shipoke said:
Very Good choice Ben and very Wise also,As far as the 172 goes yep they are slow on appraoch.FLY SAFE Dave G
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Yep, I remembered that once I started flying my finals at 55KIAS (probably 400 undergross), that being able to fly so slow is great on the brakes--you don't need them--and good for short fields.
 
Having been UNDER said yellow-red blobs at various points while they were in the area, I think being IN them would have been far worse. :) While we - and especially our garden - were glad of the rain, I'm sure your plane wouldn't have been quite so happy about the other stuff in it. :)
 
Greebo said:
Having been UNDER said yellow-red blobs at various points while they were in the area, I think being IN them would have been far worse. :) While we - and especially our garden - were glad of the rain, I'm sure your plane wouldn't have been quite so happy about the other stuff in it. :)
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Yep. I made the right choice. BTW, Chuck, I wanted to ask you about the C206. I think my CFI will be buying either that or a Skylane in the next few months. He might not do the club--just buy it for himself. As you know, he's out of BWI. Let me know if you might be interested in getting checked out in whatever he buys. If you finished your rating in that plane, you'd be all set as far as insurance requirements go, too.
 
It is of course good to stay away from T-Stormes, but.............

If you find yourself out & about in them .....

Ask ATC for a few min off line to call Call Flight watch. Those guys have been great to me many times. They can tell you what is on your route and where to change your route to that will keep you away from the worst stuff.
 
Eamon said:
It is of course good to stay away from T-Stormes, but.............

If you find yourself out & about in them .....

Ask ATC for a few min off line to call Call Flight watch. Those guys have been great to me many times. They can tell you what is on your route and where to change your route to that will keep you away from the worst stuff.
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Thanks, Eamon.
 
Eamon said:
It is of course good to stay away from T-Stormes, but.............

If you find yourself out & about in them .....

Ask ATC for a few min off line to call Call Flight watch. Those guys have been great to me many times. They can tell you what is on your route and where to change your route to that will keep you away from the worst stuff.
Click to expand...

And when you do, have a chart handy on which you can draw the locations of the precip they give you. Trying to form a mental picture of the enroute wx is nigh on impossible for most of us. I prefer "charts" I print from my PC flight planner (Flightsoft) for this, but there's also a nice picture of the whole country with all the VOR's the NWS uses for reference on it.
 
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