mtuomi
En-Route
So, as I wrote on the other thread, I passed my IR checkride a couple of days ago, and did my first flight in the system yesterday. Today was the day to really get the ticket wet. Weather was great, just above minimums with occasional LIFR. Decided to go grab brunch in Athens, GA. So filed KPDK-KAHN. I filed KPDK ATL MEGGN DCT (I wanted to fly overhead ATL...) Got simply radar vectors then direct from clearance though 
Flight there was fine. Takeoff, in the clouds at around 500ft AGL and stayed in clouds the whole flight. AHN was using RWY 9 with only RNAV approaches (my 150 is /G but not approach capable), so asked and got ILS 27 circle to land 9. Got vectored to fly direct AHN VORTAC then heading 060 outbound, and after that vectors to final for 27. Circling mins are 1260ft (447ft AGL) and I broke out right at 1300. Circling maneuvers are fun! Flying right at the base of clouds at under 500ft AGL is cool. I don't think I would do it in anything faster than my 150 though...
Brunch at Athens was fun (and we got lucky, no wait to get in Last Resort. Locals know...), so after that went back to the airport to plan and file.
When I filed, the winds were favoring 21's in PDK, so filed KAHN GOGBE AABEE DCT. AABEE is the IAF for ILS 21L so thought it would be close to what I would fly.
Weather deteriorated rapidly and was +TSRA with red everywhere, so ended up watching Ottawa send Boston home in the NHL playoffs. Pretty much perfectly after the game ended, all the red stuff was west from AHN, so took off.
Clearance gave Radar Vectors V235 LOGEN DCT, I took off from 02 and pretty much immediately after radar contact, got direct JUDYY and told to expect VOR/DME-D at KPDK with circle to land 3R. Weather was OVC007 and the mins for that approach are 602ft AGL, so another approach right to mins.
After getting the approach clearance, a plane that just landed reported that the OVC is probably too low for the VOR approach, so I was pretty much set up to fail here.
Something I didn't know before - at 1700ft I got a "low altitude alert, check your altitude immediately" from ATC! Double-triple check everything and everything looked good, and I broke out from clouds right at 1600-1650ft, with some clouds around hanging even lower, but I had the field in sight and I was good to go.
I gave a PIREP about the base being right at mins with some clouds around being even lower, and they said they are just switching to the ILS 21L. Thanks...
I asked about the "low altitude alert", and they said if your V/S is above something and you are within x ft of the min altitude, they give it if you are on a non-precision approach. They also said 99% of them are obsolete. Good to know though. Gave a bit of a "whhaaaat?" moment, didn't know that before.
All in all, a GREAT day of flying. And definitely got my ticket wet!
Flight there was fine. Takeoff, in the clouds at around 500ft AGL and stayed in clouds the whole flight. AHN was using RWY 9 with only RNAV approaches (my 150 is /G but not approach capable), so asked and got ILS 27 circle to land 9. Got vectored to fly direct AHN VORTAC then heading 060 outbound, and after that vectors to final for 27. Circling mins are 1260ft (447ft AGL) and I broke out right at 1300. Circling maneuvers are fun! Flying right at the base of clouds at under 500ft AGL is cool. I don't think I would do it in anything faster than my 150 though...
Brunch at Athens was fun (and we got lucky, no wait to get in Last Resort. Locals know...), so after that went back to the airport to plan and file.
When I filed, the winds were favoring 21's in PDK, so filed KAHN GOGBE AABEE DCT. AABEE is the IAF for ILS 21L so thought it would be close to what I would fly.
Weather deteriorated rapidly and was +TSRA with red everywhere, so ended up watching Ottawa send Boston home in the NHL playoffs. Pretty much perfectly after the game ended, all the red stuff was west from AHN, so took off.
Clearance gave Radar Vectors V235 LOGEN DCT, I took off from 02 and pretty much immediately after radar contact, got direct JUDYY and told to expect VOR/DME-D at KPDK with circle to land 3R. Weather was OVC007 and the mins for that approach are 602ft AGL, so another approach right to mins.
After getting the approach clearance, a plane that just landed reported that the OVC is probably too low for the VOR approach, so I was pretty much set up to fail here.
Something I didn't know before - at 1700ft I got a "low altitude alert, check your altitude immediately" from ATC! Double-triple check everything and everything looked good, and I broke out from clouds right at 1600-1650ft, with some clouds around hanging even lower, but I had the field in sight and I was good to go.
I gave a PIREP about the base being right at mins with some clouds around being even lower, and they said they are just switching to the ILS 21L. Thanks...
I asked about the "low altitude alert", and they said if your V/S is above something and you are within x ft of the min altitude, they give it if you are on a non-precision approach. They also said 99% of them are obsolete. Good to know though. Gave a bit of a "whhaaaat?" moment, didn't know that before.
All in all, a GREAT day of flying. And definitely got my ticket wet!
imc4
imc1
20170425_140346