Great learning Experience - Leg 2 BFL - CMA
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 2:37 am
Just wanted to share a great learning experience on my 2nd flight on the Challenge.
I filed VFR, Real World weather, and had picked up that towards KCMA cloud base was Scattered going OVC at around 9,000. But I figured I would be well below and in descent by this point.
I'm a RW student pilot (VFR) and wanted to simulate as much of planning and flying a cross country experience as possible; My 172 was GPS capable but didn't want to use it.
1st part of the flight was straight forward (I chose to depart BFL via MARIC4 for the fun of it), at 9500 until the descent. As I approached GMN I hit some minor cloud and simply started to steer around it, but past GMN the weather deteriorated sharply, and so fast.
I could have gone IFR, but wanted to replicate the RW, so chose not to, and instead to 'fly my way out' of the problem.
Within some 2 minutes I was completely socked in, both around me, above and below. Conscious of the surrounding terrain I continued level hoping (!) for a break, but quickly became lost as my concentration was on flying the plane first. I saw some gaps in the layers below me, and started heading for them,
keeping a sharp eye out for the glimpses of terrain I could - sometimes - see. I was slowly being forced lower and lower into terrain, and was very lucky to break out at around 2500 in a valley.
I informed my situation to ATC who were v. helpful (QUESTION: they had better weather than I was experiencing - Why would that be?).
They offered a couple of diverts which I picked up on, then they helped me get back onto track to CMA as the terrain SW was lowering and had better forward visibility.
The controllers calmness also helped me considerably, thank you!
See my route: http://peaware.pilotedge.net/flight.cfm?id=163272 meandering around the valley, wandering 73 miles in 1.3 hours!
I was also getting fuel low....was icing up with the plane getting difficult to fly..... and any clear thinking on my part was declining faster than the weather.
I made it in (just) to CMA, like a homing pigeon - diving to the field, for a terrible landing, just to get the thing done.
Learnings:
1st, the BIG one, I think: When flying VFR into IFR without IFR capability (instruments or training) do what I know I should have done immediately - a standard rate 180 turn to get the hell out of there.
2nd, practice those standard rate 180's, so you can (almost literally) do them with your eyes shut - you never know when they'll be needed, and the practice may save your life.
3rd: If you're in trouble, inform ATC. (That's the one thing I did right!)
4th: Triple check the weather. I don't remember the reports in detail now, but I was probably flying on the edge of my capability, and should have planned alternates and diversions thoroughly.
Any other advice out there?
I was very lucky to get out of it OK.
But, it was a GREAT learning experience, and has certainly made me a more cautious, aware, and detailed pilot for my RW training.
Thank you PE!
Michael Cooper
I filed VFR, Real World weather, and had picked up that towards KCMA cloud base was Scattered going OVC at around 9,000. But I figured I would be well below and in descent by this point.
I'm a RW student pilot (VFR) and wanted to simulate as much of planning and flying a cross country experience as possible; My 172 was GPS capable but didn't want to use it.
1st part of the flight was straight forward (I chose to depart BFL via MARIC4 for the fun of it), at 9500 until the descent. As I approached GMN I hit some minor cloud and simply started to steer around it, but past GMN the weather deteriorated sharply, and so fast.
I could have gone IFR, but wanted to replicate the RW, so chose not to, and instead to 'fly my way out' of the problem.
Within some 2 minutes I was completely socked in, both around me, above and below. Conscious of the surrounding terrain I continued level hoping (!) for a break, but quickly became lost as my concentration was on flying the plane first. I saw some gaps in the layers below me, and started heading for them,
keeping a sharp eye out for the glimpses of terrain I could - sometimes - see. I was slowly being forced lower and lower into terrain, and was very lucky to break out at around 2500 in a valley.
I informed my situation to ATC who were v. helpful (QUESTION: they had better weather than I was experiencing - Why would that be?).
They offered a couple of diverts which I picked up on, then they helped me get back onto track to CMA as the terrain SW was lowering and had better forward visibility.
The controllers calmness also helped me considerably, thank you!
See my route: http://peaware.pilotedge.net/flight.cfm?id=163272 meandering around the valley, wandering 73 miles in 1.3 hours!
I was also getting fuel low....was icing up with the plane getting difficult to fly..... and any clear thinking on my part was declining faster than the weather.
I made it in (just) to CMA, like a homing pigeon - diving to the field, for a terrible landing, just to get the thing done.
Learnings:
1st, the BIG one, I think: When flying VFR into IFR without IFR capability (instruments or training) do what I know I should have done immediately - a standard rate 180 turn to get the hell out of there.
2nd, practice those standard rate 180's, so you can (almost literally) do them with your eyes shut - you never know when they'll be needed, and the practice may save your life.
3rd: If you're in trouble, inform ATC. (That's the one thing I did right!)
4th: Triple check the weather. I don't remember the reports in detail now, but I was probably flying on the edge of my capability, and should have planned alternates and diversions thoroughly.
Any other advice out there?
I was very lucky to get out of it OK.
But, it was a GREAT learning experience, and has certainly made me a more cautious, aware, and detailed pilot for my RW training.
Thank you PE!
Michael Cooper