I need my IR!!!!

Chrisgoesflying

Chrisgoesflying

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Chrisgoesflying
Wanted to fly back home today. Departure ATIS had a ceiling of 1,400 ft AGL with improving weather (was 600 ft two hours prior). First ATIS to the west (50 miles away), which was my direction of travel, reported 2,000 ft few with a 20,000 ft ceiling. Destination airport (another 200 miles west) reported clear sky. I figured I can get out, stay below 1,000 ft AGL and the ceiling will lift as I fly west. Well, I thought wrong. 20 miles into the trip, I had to go to 500 ft AGL to stay below the deck. Talked to another pilot who was west of where I was on the radio and he said it’s not any better where he is so I turned back around and will try again tomorrow. Sucks because it appears as though the ceiling is just a thin layer of low clouds. If I had my IR, I could pop through it within 2 minutes and be in beautiful sunny vfr weather all the way home.
 
Ok, lesson #1. Any cloud layer classified as thin, is not a ceiling… and you can pop thru it VFR.

But…

You would need a IR to know this… so never mind me…!

Yes, having one is a good thing! Carry on.
 
Well .. you could do it like Mike:

 
Daleandee said:
Well .. you could do it like Mike:

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Honestly, it wasn't even remotely as bad as the video when I decided to turn around and call it a day. When I noticed the air is getting foggy around me (still perfectly VFR - I could see through the "cloud") I turned around. Had I pushed on, who knows how quickly it could have turned ugly. I chilled at the airport for another hour after I landed and the ceiling over the airport was still at 1,400 ft. so I booked a hotel and stayed. Two hours later, out of curiosity, I checked the ATIS at the airport 50 miles west and it reported a ceiling of 400 ft. Intended destination was still with clear skies. I think meteorologists are better at predicting the lottery numbers than the weather these days. The forecast (checked last night before going to sleep) was cloudy in the morning and sunny in the afternoon for the entire route lol. Also the high was supposed to be 21 C - didn't see anything over 12 C all day today.
 
Yeah, if you want to use an airplane to travel, an ir is basically a must. I'm glad it wasn't any worse. Sometimes those low ceilings can close up behind you. I know I did a few things as a vfr pilot that I look back on and cringe. I didn't know what I didn't know.
 
Jim K said:
Yeah, if you want to use an airplane to travel, an ir is basically a must. I'm glad it wasn't any worse. Sometimes those low ceilings can close up behind you. I know I did a few things as a vfr pilot that I look back on and cringe. I didn't know what I didn't know.
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I was somewhat worried about it closing behind me so I kept looking back to make sure things stay open for me. Also, to the south it looked much better as an escape route just in case. Wouldn't have taken me any closer to home but it could have at least taken me to some airport to land at.

I had a really good run of trips leaving and arriving just as planned for six straight months, 10 long x-country trips and a few local flights in that time frame... But yeah, today I needed that darn IR to get back home as planned.
 
Chrisgoesflying said:
Also, to the south it looked much better as an escape route just in case. Wouldn't have taken me any closer to home but it could have at least taken me to some airport to land at.
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Could you have flown south, circled up in clear air and then proceeded on course over the top to the west?
 
I am surprised how often I need it and use it. Weather predictions are fickle. Countless times supposed to be few to scattered and ends up overcast. Lower than predicted as well. Not always hard IMC for long trips but just getting through layers. Not always shooting low approaches but starting them to get down and get airport in sight. Very helpful!!
 
asicer said:
Could you have flown south, circled up in clear air and then proceeded on course over the top to the west?
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I don't think so. It did look lighter to the south but still overcast, just not as dark and probably a few hundred feet higher. No ATIS to the south either to confirm, just small airfields in that direction, then the border and then Grand Forks, ND. Long story short, I didn't want to risk it flying south of the border in hopes to find a hole to climb through, potentially putting me in a pickle having to land south of the border without my passport on me.
 
Chrisgoesflying said:
Wanted to fly back home today. Departure ATIS had a ceiling of 1,400 ft AGL with improving weather (was 600 ft two hours prior). First ATIS to the west (50 miles away), which was my direction of travel, reported 2,000 ft few with a 20,000 ft ceiling. Destination airport (another 200 miles west) reported clear sky. I figured I can get out, stay below 1,000 ft AGL and the ceiling will lift as I fly west. Well, I thought wrong. 20 miles into the trip, I had to go to 500 ft AGL to stay below the deck. Talked to another pilot who was west of where I was on the radio and he said it’s not any better where he is so I turned back around and will try again tomorrow. Sucks because it appears as though the ceiling is just a thin layer of low clouds. If I had my IR, I could pop through it within 2 minutes and be in beautiful sunny vfr weather all the way home.
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FWIW, if every non instrument rated pilot in Southern California who ever got a Climb to OTP through the Marine Layer, and then cancelled, suddenly turned Green, you’d figure it was St. freakin Paddy’s day.
 
Tools said:
Ok, lesson #1. Any cloud layer classified as thin, is not a ceiling… and you can pop thru it VFR.

But…

You would need a IR to know this… so never mind me…!

Yes, having one is a good thing! Carry on.
Click to expand...
Everyone should know that about ‘thin’ and ‘ceiling.’ But, regardless of what’s reported, you gotta keep 3 miles Flight Visibility if VFR. And that may not happen flying through a ‘thin’ layer.
 
When I was flying I felt more comfortable flying IFR than VFR, regardless of weather conditions. Maybe it was because I stopped flying soon after getting my IR.
 
If you want more options you need to get your IR .there will still be days that you’ll be stuck on the ground. I also recommend an auto pilot for single pilot IFR.
 
Tools said:
Ok, lesson #1. Any cloud layer classified as thin, is not a ceiling… and you can pop thru it VFR.

But…

You would need a IR to know this… so never mind me…!

Yes, having one is a good thing! Carry on.
Click to expand...
I don't have my IR, just wondering what the definition of a thin layer is.
 
Hehe, literally one that is labeled that by a qualified observer. Automated systems don’t use thin (or partial), so it’s far less common than it was.

I seem to remember a minus sign before broken to indicate it was a thin broken, thusly: -bkn

In practice, one thin enough to see through.
 
A thin layer is one that you can see the sun through, clearly, but.......when you get on top, it is aas white as snow, or sometimes silver. No features beneath it are visible.

I learned that shortly after the PPL, and reduced power immediately, returning to the airsace that I knew had no obstructions or nearby aircraft. Good lesson, never forgot that one.

After the IR, those are just fine to climb through if they are enough above the local towers and terrain.
 
Finally arrived home. Today was the exact opposite. Departure airport was unlimited ceiling but from 100 miles west all the way to the destination it was in the soup, less than 1,000 ft ceiling all day. But, just 50 miles north of the destination it became clear in the PM and the weather briefer said it’s just a matter of time until it’ll clear up at my destination. So off we went to an airport 50 miles north of home. Got there in brilliant sunshine but ATIS at home was still IFR so we waited. Suddenly, at around 6 it became MVFR so we headed home. By the time we got there, it was VFR, 2,000 ft few and ceiling at 20,000 ft. Strange weather this time of the year.
 
Yep! Wife and I got stuck part way on a XC flight. Bit of cloud that could have been managed on an IFR plan but had to land and wait things out for 5 hours. Currently slowly working towards the rating.
 
Tools said:
Hehe, literally one that is labeled that by a qualified observer. Automated systems don’t use thin (or partial), so it’s far less common than it was.

I seem to remember a minus sign before broken to indicate it was a thin broken, thusly: -bkn

In practice, one thin enough to see through.
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You mean thin broken no longer exists??

Just shows how long I’ve been out of GA. Yes I look at the weather, but seeing as though we do cat III, I don’t pay notice the absence of such a delineation.
 
Still exists, just hardly used… FAA does this in lots of venues.
 
Clip4 said:
Thin clouds constitute an emergency requiring immediate action.
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I have never heard of a thin cloud, and continue to think this whole thread is one big troll. But there are enough credibles participating that I'm uncertain. :D
 
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