Van Johnston
Pattern Altitude
Is there an analogue to the VFR on top procedure to get down below a ceiling and then go VFR without being on an instrument approach?
My scenario: I just cancelled the VFR trip I had scheduled today. Current conditions at origin are IFR. Forecast at destination at arrival time is MVFR with ceiling 1500-2500. Forecast for return leg this afternoon is no better than MVFR.
I am about 1/2 way thru my instrument training, so my first thought was 'if I only had my ticket already.' Then I thought about how I would have actually flown it IFR. The problem is the destination does not have an instrument procedure. It does have AWOS. If I depart IFR and get to my destination and the ceiling is reported at say, 2000, is there an a) legal and b) prudent way to down below the ceiling?
The only alternative I can think of is to file to the nearest field with an instrument procedure (18nm), shoot the approach, once I break out cancel IFR, and then scoot over to my destination. Is there a better way?
My scenario: I just cancelled the VFR trip I had scheduled today. Current conditions at origin are IFR. Forecast at destination at arrival time is MVFR with ceiling 1500-2500. Forecast for return leg this afternoon is no better than MVFR.
I am about 1/2 way thru my instrument training, so my first thought was 'if I only had my ticket already.' Then I thought about how I would have actually flown it IFR. The problem is the destination does not have an instrument procedure. It does have AWOS. If I depart IFR and get to my destination and the ceiling is reported at say, 2000, is there an a) legal and b) prudent way to down below the ceiling?
The only alternative I can think of is to file to the nearest field with an instrument procedure (18nm), shoot the approach, once I break out cancel IFR, and then scoot over to my destination. Is there a better way?
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