Single pilot IFR, widespread fog, low fuel, do you bust MDA/DH?

I'll have to write more later, but had the same thing happen several years ago. Flying the mighty Van from MDW to DSM, and had fog form over most of the area. I'd have to look at the logbooks to find out where I ended up (Cedar Rapids, I think) , but lots of our meet that night ended up in OMA. Always interesting flying in that area low and slow...
 
Out of curiosity, why would it matter if you were single pilot or multicrewed? Is the other guy going to be able to do something that you can't? Having basically always been single pilot/single seat myself, pardon the ignorance, I just can't figure out why it would matter either way.
 
Stone Cold said:
I'll have to write more later, but had the same thing happen several years ago. Flying the mighty Van from MDW to DSM, and had fog form over most of the area. I'd have to look at the logbooks to find out where I ended up (Cedar Rapids, I think) , but lots of our meet that night ended up in OMA. Always interesting flying in that area low and slow...
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I hear ya man. I don't know what the van cruises at, but the 210 and Baron are too slow to get you to much different weather within an hour sometimes.
 
///AMG said:
Out of curiosity, why would it matter if you were single pilot or multicrewed? Is the other guy going to be able to do something that you can't? Having basically always been single pilot/single seat myself, pardon the ignorance, I just can't figure out why it would matter either way.
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It'd just be nice to have someone else talk an the other radio while you stay with center. I prefer to not switch from ATC to talk to flight service. In my earlier flying days, I've had enough near mid-airs that it's something I just don't do anymore. And more time to talk with flight service I guess. Maybe there was somewhere way up North that would have been closer...
 
ppragman said:
Forecasts are guesses. I've been caught a couple times too, but never rely on the forecast beyond the basics. I usually take a gander at the temperature dewpoint spread over a wide area to make sure I'm not going to be hosed. I usually carry enough dead dinosaurs to get to different weather if it's not beautiful with lots of nearby alternates. Nark what's that you were saying about plan C and D?
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The temp was supposed to rise and the dewpoint was going to rise as well, but at a much slower rate, so they weren't converging. A storm went through the night before so there's was plenty of moisture in the air. I don't remember what the temp and dewpoint actually did. Obviously they converged at some point! :D
 
ATN_Pilot said:
Frankly, I've never found Part 23 fuel gauges to be an inaccurate as everyone assumes they are. But I always base my fuel calculations on expected burn, rather than just what the gauge says. If the gauge is showing that I still have fuel left, plus my own calculations based on expected burn show that I still have fuel left, then I'd probably go to the airport with 800-2. But then again, it's unlikely that I would have burned that far into my reserve without heading that way in the first place.
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I've found stuff from the 80s forward are somewhat accurate. 172 SPs are pretty bang on, though they still seem to read empty still when there's around an 30-45 minutes remaining.

I'll admit I've never actually looked this up, but it's my understanding is that they only have to be accurate when the tanks are empty and indicate that. I'll look for myself though, thanks for pointing this out.
 
And I'm not looking for a pat on the back "good call", or "holy crap what were you thinking?". I'm just looking to see what choices others would make in this scenario. We're all at differing levels of experience and all have our on personal attitudes towards certain things.
 
UAL747400 said:
Oh totally! Anonymous(mostly) Monday morning quarterbacking and e-thuggery is what the intranets is all about!
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Completely.

And in that vein, I think you did an outstanding job.....

.....in screwing everything up.

:)
 
"It'll be fine"
"I got this"
When getting caught/while being watched
cool_face-400x325.png

and after the fact
everything_went_better_than_expected.jpg
 
UAL747400 said:
It'd just be nice to have someone else talk an the other radio while you stay with center. I prefer to not switch from ATC to talk to flight service. In my earlier flying days, I've had enough near mid-airs that it's something I just don't do anymore. And more time to talk with flight service I guess. Maybe there was somewhere way up North that would have been closer...
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Gotcha....I guess I forget about the guys who only have one radio :)
 
///AMG said:
Gotcha....I guess I forget about the guys who only have one radio :)
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That's all I had in the T-38A and F-117, one radio. Of course for us (you and me), we could request SFA from ATC, and they'd grant it with no problem, as many airfields have it.
 
Damn.....I can see flying T-38's with one, but flying combat in a -117 with one radio? That must have been interesting. T-34, T-45 and F/A-18 have all had 2. That being said, trying to listen to ATC, interflight comms, and that • on guard at the same time can make your head explode.......that or listening to ATIS (NTU has the worlds longest and most useless one I have ever heard) while trying to pay attention to ATC instructions can be real annoying. I guess there are both goods and others...
 
One radio made you good at doing all VMC form flights with aircraft and hand signals. Night or IMC, it made for briefed clipped comms to be effective, while still sounding professional.

If ATC offers SFA, use it. It's there to use to keep you from juggling freqs.
 
If SFA = single freq approach, then yes, we will use that for PAR's/ASR's/etc.

I can see doing a lot of form stuff radio out in day VMC, but at night, and particularly in the air-to-air arena, I find it to be a stretch.
 
I'll keep that in mind, thanks for the link! I normally just use the presets, or at the very least, I will swap button 1 and 2 so I can have the next freq dialed in ready to switch during low tasking, so all I have to do is turn the knob when things get busier.
 
///AMG said:
Gotcha....I guess I forget about the guys who only have one radio :)
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I have two, but missing calls or not being able to listen to FSS renders that conversation completely useless. Interesting info on the SFA stuff. I've wondered that myself when I was doing aerial survey over Langley.
 
^^ If the lack of comms over Langley surprises you, it's probably just that we are all using UHF freqs. Still up with the same folks (Approach/Arrival and GK), but we only hear one side of each other's conversations. Maybe the AF dudes use single freq more than we do however. That all being said, I have found that the art of using two radios simultaneously is in large part a function of volume management. I'll keep approach/ATC up a little louder, so that when they chime in, I can hear them. It helps to be talking UHF with them so there is less noise, but it is doable. Probably not as practical when you are low altitude getting vectored around though. I like to have my alternate gameplan in one sock before I commence the approach though.
 
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