U
Unregistered
Guest
Actually it was a pretty big cloud. I had stopped in Nebraska where it was VFR. I looked at a weather computer and there was some rain in Minnesota and I wanted to fly my first actual IFR (I had just gotten my rating). The weather briefer said "it was just rain, no thunder or lightening, so no thunderstorm". It was clear below 7000' and cloudy on up.
So I filed and requested 11000' altitude. I got my clearance and took off and climbed up to 11000' in my Aviat Husky (equipped with an IFR GPS, a VOR/GS and an autopilot) and all was well. I entered some clouds and o boy, this was for real. I left the clouds and ahead I could see a towering cumulonimbus. I know NOW that it is a towering cumulonimbus, then all I knew was it was a damn big TALL sucker. Well, I said to myself, he said it was "just rain", must be ok. So in I went. It got dark. It started raining. I was doing fine, watching the instruments when I noticed I lost 200'. I trimmed to correct and looked up. My front window was COMPLETELY covered with ICE. I looked out the side window, and the leading portion of my wing was covered with ice. Hmm, I said, got ice. If you have ice, tell ATC the little man inside my head said.
"Center", this is Husky xxx and I just picked up a load of ice" says I. "Oh, what kind of ice is it and what is the temperature?" says Center. What kind of ice? What am I, an ice expert? "I dunno, and the thermometer says 34 degrees F, but that cant be right, thing never was very accurate." replies I. So Center asks me what I want to do. "Go lower", was my Einsteinian reply. So he says "Husky xxx, CRUISE Crystal 3000' (cant really remember the name of the waypoint but it was near Crystal airport) (not sure about the 3000' either, might have been 5000'). Brain Freeze. 'Cruise', what is that I think? Never heard that one. So I read it back, and said, "well ok, I read it back, but I don't know what to do with the airplane" I complained. So he had to splain it to me right there on the frequency for all the pro pilots to hear ha ha ha I bet they got a good laugh outa that one!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, the ice all slid off at once at 7000'.
So I filed and requested 11000' altitude. I got my clearance and took off and climbed up to 11000' in my Aviat Husky (equipped with an IFR GPS, a VOR/GS and an autopilot) and all was well. I entered some clouds and o boy, this was for real. I left the clouds and ahead I could see a towering cumulonimbus. I know NOW that it is a towering cumulonimbus, then all I knew was it was a damn big TALL sucker. Well, I said to myself, he said it was "just rain", must be ok. So in I went. It got dark. It started raining. I was doing fine, watching the instruments when I noticed I lost 200'. I trimmed to correct and looked up. My front window was COMPLETELY covered with ICE. I looked out the side window, and the leading portion of my wing was covered with ice. Hmm, I said, got ice. If you have ice, tell ATC the little man inside my head said.
"Center", this is Husky xxx and I just picked up a load of ice" says I. "Oh, what kind of ice is it and what is the temperature?" says Center. What kind of ice? What am I, an ice expert? "I dunno, and the thermometer says 34 degrees F, but that cant be right, thing never was very accurate." replies I. So Center asks me what I want to do. "Go lower", was my Einsteinian reply. So he says "Husky xxx, CRUISE Crystal 3000' (cant really remember the name of the waypoint but it was near Crystal airport) (not sure about the 3000' either, might have been 5000'). Brain Freeze. 'Cruise', what is that I think? Never heard that one. So I read it back, and said, "well ok, I read it back, but I don't know what to do with the airplane" I complained. So he had to splain it to me right there on the frequency for all the pro pilots to hear ha ha ha I bet they got a good laugh outa that one!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, the ice all slid off at once at 7000'.
Don't fly into clouds!
