ready2fly
Well-Known Member
Ready2fly\'s first REAL IMC
sit back, because here's my tale:
I checked the wx all day - the Area Forecast, TAF's and METARS .... they ALL said: Ceilings no lower than 1500-1800 and VFR ALL DAY!
Well, let's just say that they were wrong - dreadfully and wonderfully wrong.
That continued into my wx briefing. Called FSS and was told that my base airport should remain VFR and we should have no problem getting back in, but that the rest of the state to the North was IFR.
As we're sitting behind the hold short line, we're seeing the buildings downtown start to dissappear, so we ask - again - and were told - again - that it would clear.
So, we were instructed to hold short until a C-182, that was on the ASR (radar vectored) for our airport could land, then we could go. So, we wait.... watch... and listen.
The guy never shows up. WE then get instructions from Approach that we were cleared for immediate takeoff. I look at my instructor and say "what do you think, chief?" He says "they say it's going to clear - I see no reason to wait"
So, we're off on RWY 21 - which is directly over water.
We weren't even at 500 yet when it went white. We were - officially - IN THE SOUP!!
What an AWESOME EXPERIENCE!! We stayed in the soup for the entire trip to our destination where we were going to practice ILS approaches.
Here's the most incredible part - as we were being vectored to the ILS for RWY 5.... at 1700 - still in the soup. 1500 - soup. 1400 soup - 1300 POP - clear as a bell - and THERE'S THE RUNWAY!! I was right on the money!!
WE go missed and do that two more times. Soup the entire time. After the third one, we ask for the ASR back to our base airport and were told that the ceilings were 900. We only need 800 for the ASR. Not 5 minutes later, Approach comes back on and says "Um - 45-Charley - MacDill is now reporting 500 and 1/2 mile vis."
"CRAP!"
Our Alternate was PIE - "PIE is reporting 200 and 1/4 mile vis."
"CRAP!"
So we ask for the ILS to LAL and were told to climb and maintain 3000 until they could land two planes ahead of us.
As we climbed, we broke out of the layer at 2300 or so and it was one of the most incredible sights I had ever seen. A solid blanket of white as far as the eye could see. Above us - broken clouds and BRIGHT stars.... and three or four other planes looking for a place to land.
After about 10 minutes, we started getting vectored back into the soup and for ILS RWY 5 at LAL. We broke out at 1200 this time and then received permission to circle to land on RWY 27.
So, we pull up to the VERY NICE FBO there. We go in and start checking the wx. FSS is PISSED. They say that the forecasts have been wrong all day (no kidding), but that the latest says the crap will start clearing after 9 p.m.
So, we wait.
While we waited - three gentlemen come in. One guy - the oldest one - comes RIGHT up to us, extends his hand and says "I'm Joe. Nice to meet you."(names changed) Then, we meet the rest of their party - Bob, the corporate guy - quite, but nice. And J.D. - about my age - taking over the business from his dad and also a pilot. Joe- the first guy is their "corporate" pilot. HELL of a nice guy!! They fly a 1979 Piper Lance.
So, we go upstairs to the cafe and talk aviation for an hour... it was AWESOME!!
We go back downstairs - call FSS and were told that MacDill (KMCF) was now reporting 1000 ft cigs, but 1/2 mile vis. Still no good. Not FIVE minutes later - 100 ft. cigs and 1/2 mile vis. We were stuck.
J.D. tries to hook us up with a rental car, but they are closed. Then he tries to get an Airort Shuttle from TPA - no luck. So, it's up to me.
Called the wife and had her come pick us ALL up.
During our wait, I had the opportunity to talk extensively to Joe. He's 73. Retired Air Force. Flew the F-4 Phantom ( http://members.tripod.com/~Wobert/phantom.html ) and the F-100 Super Sabre ( http://cybermodeler.com/f-100/hun.shtml ) during his career.
He listened to my aspirations and seemed VERy interested.. What a COOL guy!!
I feel like a "REAL pilot" with my 1.0 of solid ACTUAL!! Kidding - it was incredible though!!
Sorry so long.
sit back, because here's my tale:
I checked the wx all day - the Area Forecast, TAF's and METARS .... they ALL said: Ceilings no lower than 1500-1800 and VFR ALL DAY!
Well, let's just say that they were wrong - dreadfully and wonderfully wrong.
That continued into my wx briefing. Called FSS and was told that my base airport should remain VFR and we should have no problem getting back in, but that the rest of the state to the North was IFR.
As we're sitting behind the hold short line, we're seeing the buildings downtown start to dissappear, so we ask - again - and were told - again - that it would clear.
So, we were instructed to hold short until a C-182, that was on the ASR (radar vectored) for our airport could land, then we could go. So, we wait.... watch... and listen.
The guy never shows up. WE then get instructions from Approach that we were cleared for immediate takeoff. I look at my instructor and say "what do you think, chief?" He says "they say it's going to clear - I see no reason to wait"
So, we're off on RWY 21 - which is directly over water.
We weren't even at 500 yet when it went white. We were - officially - IN THE SOUP!!
What an AWESOME EXPERIENCE!! We stayed in the soup for the entire trip to our destination where we were going to practice ILS approaches.
Here's the most incredible part - as we were being vectored to the ILS for RWY 5.... at 1700 - still in the soup. 1500 - soup. 1400 soup - 1300 POP - clear as a bell - and THERE'S THE RUNWAY!! I was right on the money!!
WE go missed and do that two more times. Soup the entire time. After the third one, we ask for the ASR back to our base airport and were told that the ceilings were 900. We only need 800 for the ASR. Not 5 minutes later, Approach comes back on and says "Um - 45-Charley - MacDill is now reporting 500 and 1/2 mile vis."
"CRAP!"
Our Alternate was PIE - "PIE is reporting 200 and 1/4 mile vis."
"CRAP!"
So we ask for the ILS to LAL and were told to climb and maintain 3000 until they could land two planes ahead of us.
As we climbed, we broke out of the layer at 2300 or so and it was one of the most incredible sights I had ever seen. A solid blanket of white as far as the eye could see. Above us - broken clouds and BRIGHT stars.... and three or four other planes looking for a place to land.
After about 10 minutes, we started getting vectored back into the soup and for ILS RWY 5 at LAL. We broke out at 1200 this time and then received permission to circle to land on RWY 27.
So, we pull up to the VERY NICE FBO there. We go in and start checking the wx. FSS is PISSED. They say that the forecasts have been wrong all day (no kidding), but that the latest says the crap will start clearing after 9 p.m.
So, we wait.
While we waited - three gentlemen come in. One guy - the oldest one - comes RIGHT up to us, extends his hand and says "I'm Joe. Nice to meet you."(names changed) Then, we meet the rest of their party - Bob, the corporate guy - quite, but nice. And J.D. - about my age - taking over the business from his dad and also a pilot. Joe- the first guy is their "corporate" pilot. HELL of a nice guy!! They fly a 1979 Piper Lance.
So, we go upstairs to the cafe and talk aviation for an hour... it was AWESOME!!
We go back downstairs - call FSS and were told that MacDill (KMCF) was now reporting 1000 ft cigs, but 1/2 mile vis. Still no good. Not FIVE minutes later - 100 ft. cigs and 1/2 mile vis. We were stuck.
J.D. tries to hook us up with a rental car, but they are closed. Then he tries to get an Airort Shuttle from TPA - no luck. So, it's up to me.
Called the wife and had her come pick us ALL up.
During our wait, I had the opportunity to talk extensively to Joe. He's 73. Retired Air Force. Flew the F-4 Phantom ( http://members.tripod.com/~Wobert/phantom.html ) and the F-100 Super Sabre ( http://cybermodeler.com/f-100/hun.shtml ) during his career.
He listened to my aspirations and seemed VERy interested.. What a COOL guy!!
I feel like a "REAL pilot" with my 1.0 of solid ACTUAL!! Kidding - it was incredible though!!
Sorry so long.
