PilotEdge Forums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GauEr0ENbXM (will be available in HD when youtube gets around to it)

This one has been in the pipeline for a long time but I held off on publishing it in case we used it as a bonus flight for Real World IFR. We didn't, so I am just now getting around to putting it out there. Truth be told, I couldn't bring myself to open my movie editing suite for quite some time after the production of RW IFR having spent several hundreds of hours working on the that product!

I also wasn't sure what I wanted to edit out from the flight portion, but having watched it end to end, I realized how valuable it might be to have an unedited end to end IFR flight which is a) quite long, b) hand flown in variety of weather. The long scenes allow you to cast your eye over the panel and build your own scan. So, I left it completely unedited after the takeoff. You might even feel the relief I did when I broke out (briefly) at the 48 minute mark, and then again at 55 minutes. There are just a few cuts in the taxi and startup to keep it moving.

The most interesting portions of the flight (in my mind, at least) are:
1) keeping a close eye on the OAT and inlet air temperature to avoid structural and carb ice

2) shooting the LOC RWY 27 at night into CDW, first time I've broken out and seen the ground but not the runway. It took some discipline to keep it at MDA until the runway was in sight

3) the fact that ATC was pushing hard for the RNAV RWY 27 (which has lower minimums if you can go to LPV minimums, something I cannot do since I don't have a WAAS GPS). So, I had to definitively push back and say that I needed the LOC RWY 27. Also interesting is that they say it was "below minimums" for the LOC RWY 27 approach when it the METAR was OVC004. The minimums on the approach are indeed 560, so at first glance, you'd think 400 is below mins. However, remember that minimums are published MSL and clouds are measured AGL. The actual minimums for the LOC (AGL) are 388. That's why I wanted to shoot the approach.

Since then, I've done a longer flight (3 hours) which was 2.5 hours of non-stop IMC/precip which was even more taxing, here's the track for that one, flying through what was left of Hurricane Patricia after it was downgraded: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N360 ... Z/KCXO/54J

I decided to watch this instead of doing some time on the network tonight and it's really enjoyable so far thanks for posting the full vid!

I always enjoy these ride alongs, and the POV is great. If you're going to do more, you should consider selling advertising space on your right eyebrow! A "Shop Sporty's" tattoo in your future, maybe?

Watching the departure now, just after the turn and switch to departure. With the fog on the inside and the IMC on the outside, my palms were sweating from takeoff.

Also worth mentioning, there's lots of attention to engine cooling, outside air temp, inlet air temp and winds aloft considerations, especially at the start of the flight near MHT.

Briefing the flight took nearly an hour, lots of work went into ice avoidance, working out the tops and determining the chance of convective activity. That was the harder part.

That was really excellent Keith. Well worth the time to watch. Thanks for it!

I thoroughly enjoyed the video, Keith. A load of preflight preparation, and then you flew the route so well, dealing with the weather, the plane, the options, ATC, etc. very coolly. Also, you hand flew it, which is how I was taught, but certainly increases the workload in single pilot IFR!

Frankly, on a day like that, I would have gone out to a movie with my wife instead

flyingdrill, actually, this was a flight to get home so I could see my wife There is great utility to be had with an IFR rating. This was on the tail end of the 3 day trip away from home, so I was grateful to get back.

Curious, did you file an alternate? If so, where and what were forecast conditions there?

Thx

Great question. I did file an alternate but cannot remember what I used (this was flown more than a year ago. It was likely either ABE or SWF since the weather in the local area was low enough to prevent me from using one of the local airports as an alternate).

Edit: I just remembered that ForeFlight keeps all of the flight plans that you file! I scrolled through the list and was able to find it. The alternate was indeed SWF.