beestforwardspeed
Pre-takeoff checklist
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2013
- Messages
- 289
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CoopAir
This isn't your average LIFR write-up that you are used to seeing me post.
This flight happened to be my dad's first flight in IMC!! In 300-400' ceilings, none-the-less!!
HD Video: http://vimeo.com/115367549
Still shots: https://www.flickr.com/photos/56841718@N06/sets/72157649918889252/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/56841718@N06/sets/72157649865486956/
Amazingly, as far out as 6 days, it seemed as if most, if not all of the models were showing a major weather system cutting up towards the Great Lakes, which would mean pure rain for me with the FZLVL to the moon!
Not so lucky for those on the west side of the track, unless a white Christmas is what they were after!!
On Christmas Eve, we drive up to BAF and I make one last check of the skew-t and other info. It is showing the tops around 5000, so I am VERY optimistic that I'll be able to use my sunglasses.
After preflighting and waiting for the fuel truck to top us off, we are finally ready to roll.
The plan was to do the ILS 5 into Westover AFB (CEF), followed by the ILS 20 back into BAF, but with a hold on the LOC as published at LEADS. That way I could climb to 6 or 8K to try to get on top, while working toward maintaining my currency.
As per the usual, we make a midfield depart off of runway 20. Our initial clearance is a right turn to 270 and climb to 3000.
We are in the clag just as we reach the departure end of 20. It seems as if the ceiling is right at minimums (250') despite being reported at 400.
After checking in with BDL approach, I request the ILS 5 into CEF, and they are unable to do this and offer me ILS 23 instead. I don't even bother since that is on the far end of the field and instead request the ILS 20 at BAF.
No problem and they give me a 360 hdg.
I then request a hold at LEADS as published and they are happy to accommodate me.
"48Z, Direct LEADS when able".
To try to get on top, I ask for and am given 6000 on my way to LEADS. Even in the climb, I am doing 125 its GS with a strong TW!
At this point, I have my dad take the yoke and use the heading bug to keep him on course. He oscillates bank quite a bit and pitch to a lesser extent, but I wouldn't expect anything more from a pax hand flying in IMC.
Heck, thats better than a lot of non IR pilots can do while in the soup!! A-OK if you ask me!
At around 4000, despite still being solidly in the soup, I notice that it is getting a lot brighter out and am thinking that there is a good chance we'll get on-top or at least between layers.
Sure enough, at 5200, it suddenly becomes brighter and we are on top of most of the crud with a thin higher layer
Breaking out on-top is......ALMOST as much fun as when I first arrived on my favorite sandbar about 25 miles west of Staniel Cay (MYES) this past July!!
We are now about 4 miles out from LEADS and as soon we reach 6000, I tell him to use about a turn of trip to level her off. This works pretty well, and I just make some finer adjustments to stay level while he flies.
At LEADS, I fly outbound for a few miles with a parallel entry and reverse course. As I am starting my outbound leg, I am given a PD clearance to 3000, and a minute later am cleared for the ILS 20 app.
At 5200 again, I skim the tops for a while and then get down to 4000, where I intercept the glideslope.
The ATIS is still saying 400 OVC and I am soon handed off to BAF tower at the FAF, and am soon cleared to land.
We break out at 100 to 150 ft above DA, almost perfectly centered, and a dot high on the GS.
I land long since I don't need to turn off until midfield (9000' runway) and taxi back with the tower.
While all of my flights in LIFR during the daylight hours are fun, its 10X more exciting when its an immediate family member that you are taking along for his first ride in the soup!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
This flight happened to be my dad's first flight in IMC!! In 300-400' ceilings, none-the-less!!
HD Video: http://vimeo.com/115367549
Still shots: https://www.flickr.com/photos/56841718@N06/sets/72157649918889252/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/56841718@N06/sets/72157649865486956/
Amazingly, as far out as 6 days, it seemed as if most, if not all of the models were showing a major weather system cutting up towards the Great Lakes, which would mean pure rain for me with the FZLVL to the moon!
Not so lucky for those on the west side of the track, unless a white Christmas is what they were after!!
On Christmas Eve, we drive up to BAF and I make one last check of the skew-t and other info. It is showing the tops around 5000, so I am VERY optimistic that I'll be able to use my sunglasses.
After preflighting and waiting for the fuel truck to top us off, we are finally ready to roll.
The plan was to do the ILS 5 into Westover AFB (CEF), followed by the ILS 20 back into BAF, but with a hold on the LOC as published at LEADS. That way I could climb to 6 or 8K to try to get on top, while working toward maintaining my currency.
As per the usual, we make a midfield depart off of runway 20. Our initial clearance is a right turn to 270 and climb to 3000.
We are in the clag just as we reach the departure end of 20. It seems as if the ceiling is right at minimums (250') despite being reported at 400.
After checking in with BDL approach, I request the ILS 5 into CEF, and they are unable to do this and offer me ILS 23 instead. I don't even bother since that is on the far end of the field and instead request the ILS 20 at BAF.
No problem and they give me a 360 hdg.
I then request a hold at LEADS as published and they are happy to accommodate me.
"48Z, Direct LEADS when able".
To try to get on top, I ask for and am given 6000 on my way to LEADS. Even in the climb, I am doing 125 its GS with a strong TW!
At this point, I have my dad take the yoke and use the heading bug to keep him on course. He oscillates bank quite a bit and pitch to a lesser extent, but I wouldn't expect anything more from a pax hand flying in IMC.
Heck, thats better than a lot of non IR pilots can do while in the soup!! A-OK if you ask me!
At around 4000, despite still being solidly in the soup, I notice that it is getting a lot brighter out and am thinking that there is a good chance we'll get on-top or at least between layers.
Sure enough, at 5200, it suddenly becomes brighter and we are on top of most of the crud with a thin higher layer
Breaking out on-top is......ALMOST as much fun as when I first arrived on my favorite sandbar about 25 miles west of Staniel Cay (MYES) this past July!!
We are now about 4 miles out from LEADS and as soon we reach 6000, I tell him to use about a turn of trip to level her off. This works pretty well, and I just make some finer adjustments to stay level while he flies.
At LEADS, I fly outbound for a few miles with a parallel entry and reverse course. As I am starting my outbound leg, I am given a PD clearance to 3000, and a minute later am cleared for the ILS 20 app.
At 5200 again, I skim the tops for a while and then get down to 4000, where I intercept the glideslope.
The ATIS is still saying 400 OVC and I am soon handed off to BAF tower at the FAF, and am soon cleared to land.
We break out at 100 to 150 ft above DA, almost perfectly centered, and a dot high on the GS.
I land long since I don't need to turn off until midfield (9000' runway) and taxi back with the tower.
While all of my flights in LIFR during the daylight hours are fun, its 10X more exciting when its an immediate family member that you are taking along for his first ride in the soup!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
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