Pratice approaches in IMC

swingwing

swingwing

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Swingwing
Logged about ten hour of IMC in the past two month but have not shot any approaches in low IMC. I would like to fly some approaches next time we have low ceilings. How is the best way to file? My plan would be to take off and shoot the approaches into my home field and maybe a neighboring airport. Can I just pick up a contact clearance with the tower prior to takeoff? Thanks, Nick
 
You can file a round-robin flight plan HOME-REMOTE-HOME, and put "multiple approaches requested" in the remarks. Sometimes it actually works!

But in general, once you're talking to ATC, you just request for multiple approaches, and negotiate it. ATC workload will drive what you get.

I tend to do this kind of flying in conjuction with a lunch stop - say JYO-FDK (multiple approaches at FDK). Land, have lunch, then back FDK-JYO (one approach since it's in the SFRA and busy airspace).
 
i think it really depends on where you are. in ames I could just call Des Moines Approach over the RCO on the ground and request a local IFR clearance and they would clear me for the approaches that I wanted. In busier airspace ATC might not be as accomodating and require you to file a flight plan for somewhere.
 
swingwing said:
Logged about ten hour of IMC in the past two month but have not shot any approaches in low IMC. I would like to fly some approaches next time we have low ceilings. How is the best way to file? My plan would be to take off and shoot the approaches into my home field and maybe a neighboring airport. Can I just pick up a contact clearance with the tower prior to takeoff? Thanks, Nick
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Nick as I recall you are near Reading. RDG APP is really helpful and should accomodate a plan such as Tim has suggested. Often times they will clear you to the first field only and then on the missed you pick up your next clearance.
 
TMetzinger said:
You can file a round-robin flight plan HOME-REMOTE-HOME, and put "multiple approaches requested" in the remarks. Sometimes it actually works!
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Depends on the facility. Around the Chicago area they really discourage round robin fillings and request pilots to file separate flight plans.

What I do is file to the airport I want to do multiple approaches at and put in the remarks section exactly what you state. I also will check in stating my request. On the last approach I notify ATC that this will be a full stop landing and I would like to pick up my next clearance to xyz airport that is on file.
 
Ditto these comments. I am based @ 3CK, NW Chicago burbs, which uses Chicago Approach for its approaches. ORD approach discourages practice approaches at its airports, so I usually file to Rockford or Janesville, WI.

As an example, I would file two flight plans. One 3CK->RFD and another RFD to 3CK. I put 'practice approaches' in the remarks of the 1st flightplan, and then when I get handed off to RFD approach, I make my initial call as... "N3962R, 4000feet, Information Foxtrot, requesting practice approaches."

Rockford will come back and ask which approaches? At which point, I will respond. "62R would like 3 approaches, ILS1, LOCBC19, ILS7 published missed, then we'll pick up our IFR back to 3CK."

Speaking of ORD approach... my only hold in actual conditions came on a practice IFR trip to JVL, with the return to 3CK. I had to hold at the published miss (TIRRO) while ORD approach activated my flightplan and fit me in for the return to 3CK.



smigaldi said:
Depends on the facility. Around the Chicago area they really discourage round robin fillings and request pilots to file separate flight plans.

What I do is file to the airport I want to do multiple approaches at and put in the remarks section exactly what you state. I also will check in stating my request. On the last approach I notify ATC that this will be a full stop landing and I would like to pick up my next clearance to xyz airport that is on file.
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Thank you for the great information. I'm based at RDG so Tim's method of filing should work well. Traffic in and out of RDG is very light especially during IMC.
 
If you have a video recorder, set it up on a tripod in the back seat and you can go back and evaluate your performance later on the ground.
 
Also helps identify the type of tree you hit with your right wingtip....
 
swingwing said:
How is the best way to file? My plan would be to take off and shoot the approaches into my home field and maybe a neighboring airport.
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File from your home airport to a nearby navaid and back (i.e., departure point = [home field], route of flight = [navaid], destination = [home field]), and put "practice approaches at [home field and/or neighboring airport]" in the remarks block.
Can I just pick up a contact clearance with the tower prior to takeoff?
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The only "contact clearance" I've ever heard of is a contact approach, and you can't "pick up a contact clearance with the tower prior to takeoff."
 
I just shot three approaches, and a hold in actual tonight. I just filed a flight plan from KMSN to KMSN with practice approaches in the comment block. When I called Clearance Delivery, the first thing they asked after I called up was what approach I wanted to start with.

That seems to work pretty well.
 
Availability and procedures may be different from location to location. ATC's ability to accommodate you may be different in Class E, a quiet Class C or D, a busy Class B amd cna change at the same plate at different times of the day.

Most effective way is to ask a local CFII or to call the folks who provide approach services. One extreme version of this is in the early days of Post 911 enhanced Class B when only IFR flights were allowed. A friend of mine needed to get current to fly at all. So we called Denver Approach, told them what we wanted to do. They gave us what they felt was the best time but suggested we call the man at the desk (agev us the direct line) to double-check before we started out engines.
 
Yeah, I went out Thursday night to fly some practice approaches in actual with an instructor, since it's been about six months since I've actually done an approach. Unfortunately, events conspired to make me an hour late for the two hour appointment, and then when we called for clearance at the end of the runway we get the "call back in 20 minutes" routine. Last time that happened (going to Gaston's), it turned into about an hour delay before we actually launched. So I made the call to scrub the flight. :( I'm doing a sim flight this afternoon instead. Definitely not as beneficial as approaches in actual! :no:

I will mention that:
a) FSS offered a round-robin flight plan, though I know that Chicago Approach really doesn't like them;
b) The 1-800 Clearance Delivery number gave us Chicago tower's direct number for the call-back, thereby eliminating the middleman;
c) the instructor didn't really believe the "call back in 15 - 20 minutes" part of it and got not so gently reminded when he opted to call back almost immediately, "just in case." :blush:

In his defense, my cell phone was, shall we say, unreliable, and his was flashing a low battery warning. And the batteries in my ANR headset had just given up the ghost on top of it. So it was a bunch of things that came together to lead to my canceling the flight.
 
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Nick,

I'm out of Reading as well. If you'd like some company on those approaches let me know. Where do you fly out of, I'm located at the South T's.
 
gprellwitz said:
b) The 1-800 Clearance Delivery number gave us Chicago tower's direct number for the call-back, thereby eliminating the middleman;
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I have 888-766-8267 and the local CD # in my cell phone; is that 888# the one you're referring to, Grant, or is there another I should save as well?
 
gprellwitz said:
b) The 1-800 Clearance Delivery number gave us Chicago tower's direct number for the call-back, thereby eliminating the middleman;
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Why call Chicago tower? I would call the TRACON as they are the ones that service the airspace around your airport. The TRACON's number is 847.289.1326 or 847.289.0926
 
It really depends on the area a lot.

As a data point - in N California, I wouldn't even file if I was at a towered field. Just call ground with a request for a TEC airport-to-airport and then, once airborne, I'd just ask to do some approaches.

Then again, Norcal Approach is incredibly flexible (yes, even in the arrival corridor to SFO at rush hour)....it really depends.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I have 888-766-8267 and the local CD # in my cell phone; is that 888# the one you're referring to, Grant, or is there another I should save as well?
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Yeah, I just automatically refer to toll-free numbers as 1-800. My bad.
 
smigaldi said:
Why call Chicago tower? I would call the TRACON as they are the ones that service the airspace around your airport. The TRACON's number is 847.289.1326 or 847.289.0926
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I said "tower" because that's how FSS referred to them. I didn't actually make the call, so I don't know if the number rang to Approach or Tower. The number they gave me is the second one you listed for C90. Of course, as you know, C90's only purpose in life is to support ORD, so the distinction is academic anyway! :)
 
I didn't see this reply listed (perhaps I missed it)

You should also be able to request a "Local IFR" clearance. This should allow you to depart your airfield in IFR conditions and stay with Approach radar while you do your approaches. You could even then request a clearance to another facility, at which time the controller would need to put you in the system - they will then assign you a NAS transponder code and you would be able to fly to another airport IFR.
 
Weather has not cooperated, so I shot some approaches under the hood with Commander Dave as my lookout pilot. We had a nice flight and I got some good feedback. Thanks Dave.

If you are looking for an instructor in the Reading, PA area, I would recommend contacting Dave.

I'm going to be starting my commercial training in the near future. I'm not planning on flying for hiring, just looking to polish my flying skills.
 
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