My First Non-Towered

Ventucky Red

Ventucky Red

Pattern Altitude
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Jon
After all these years I flew my first IFR/IMC approach into a non towered airport, also got a clearance back out with a void time.. great practice.. kewl stuff. :cool: Highly recommend it, if like me, you're use to the control tower environment.
 
I grew up in a towered environment, and found it kind of weird when I was in IFR training flying into an untowered airport. I worried about the VFR traffic (unless there was a 300' ceiling!) a bit too much.
 
Glad you got that experience! It's certainly different than the full control-tower handling of an instrument approach at the final phases.

I had an unexpected variation of your event just a week ago, that's worth noting. Landed at KSDM/Brown Field, San Diego, at night, after 8pm, and the tower was closed.

I anticiapted that I'd need to land and call a tel#, or something, to cancel IFR once safe. Possibly, but probably not, SoCal might have a frequency that they could hear me on from the ground, but I put chances of that as SLIM. Instead, SoCal Approach said that they monitor and can respond on Brown Tower/CTAF after-hours!

Sure enough, I broke out, did a circle-to-land, while making standard radio calls. Once the wheels touched down, I announced on 128.25 that I was on-the-ground, safe, and would like to cancel IFR. The voice of the very same helpful SoCal controller came back, acknowledged my cancellation. I was really surprised and pleased.

Enjoy!!!
 
Rgbeard said:
Glad you got that experience! It's certainly different than the full control-tower handling of an instrument approach at the final phases.

I had an unexpected variation of your event just a week ago, that's worth noting. Landed at KSDM/Brown Field, San Diego, at night, after 8pm, and the tower was closed.

I anticiapted that I'd need to land and call a tel#, or something, to cancel IFR once safe. Possibly, but probably not, SoCal might have a frequency that they could hear me on from the ground, but I put chances of that as SLIM. Instead, SoCal Approach said that they monitor and can respond on Brown Tower/CTAF after-hours!

Sure enough, I broke out, did a circle-to-land, while making standard radio calls. Once the wheels touched down, I announced on 128.25 that I was on-the-ground, safe, and would like to cancel IFR. The voice of the very same helpful SoCal controller came back, acknowledged my cancellation. I was really surprised and pleased.

Enjoy!!!
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Similar... Santa Barbara approach cleared us, and told me to either cancel IFR while on the approach or call and let them know we were on the ground to cancel. Once we cleared the clouds at about 650' below the deck... I canceled the IFR, went to CTAF for the position reports... Getting the clearance "back to the barn" was the fun part, and yes, they are some very friendly and helpful people... :)
 
Ventucky Red said:
After all these years I flew my first IFR/IMC approach into a non towered airport, also got a clearance back out with a void time.. great practice.. kewl stuff. :cool: Highly recommend it, if like me, you're use to the control tower environment.
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Nice. Next up? IFR in a non-radar environment. That's fun stuff. :p:D
 
Ventucky Red said:
Similar... Santa Barbara approach cleared us, and told me to either cancel IFR while on the approach or call and let them know we were on the ground to cancel. Once we cleared the clouds at about 650' below the deck... I canceled the IFR, went to CTAF for the position reports... Getting the clearance "back to the barn" was the fun part, and yes, they are some very friendly and helpful people... :)
Click to expand...

Tower and Approach have the same hours of operation. Are you sure it wasn’t Center that gave you the Clearance?
 
Out here in the sticks you even get to often fly the actual published approach. No vectors for YOU. Seriously, Syracuse Approach is great, but it's easy to take care of yourself with GPS "T" approaches. It's even more fun to fly in the sticks and have an LPV approach with a 250 AGL approach available. Woohoo. Soooooo much better than the crappy VOR approach with the 1100 AGL approach perpindicular to the runway. On the other hand, it can be a PITA to get a void time, and if you can't depart VFR and pickup IFR in air, you may have to fly to a nearby navaid until in radar contact, no matter where you are going. Out of our airport, you pretty much file GGT direct, which keeps you out of everyone's hair until Syracuse can pick you up about 3000-3500 MSL.
 
Once I moved away from IAD, I've been based at non-towered field ever since. Yes, there's a subtle art to getting in and out IFR, but it's not hard to master.
 
luvflyin said:
Tower and Approach have the same hours of operation. Are you sure it wasn’t Center that gave you the Clearance?
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It was the GPS RWY 8 into KIZA... it was Santa Barbara Approach Control who got me in and got me out..:)
 
Ventucky Red said:
After all these years I flew my first IFR/IMC approach into a non towered airport, also got a clearance back out with a void time.. great practice.. kewl stuff. :cool: Highly recommend it, if like me, you're use to the control tower environment.
Click to expand...

Same here. Even on my first intro flight we were talking to clearance delivery, ground, tower, and departure...
 
luvflyin said:
Find out if they still have that fleet of 58 Chevys around.
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Didn't see them but saw of what appeared to be a Super Cub with Tundra Tires practicing T & Gs on the grass and dirt... can those things bounce....

luvflyin said:
May you never have to wait while some Clyde who forgot to cancel gets tracked down
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Would that be synonymous with Gommer?
 
I did most of my training on non-towered fields so I don’t get bothered by that in fact I find the towered ones to be a bit more stressful. Perception it’s busier perhaps. Being watched more closely perhaps. Don’t know why really.
 
Rgbeard said:
I anticiapted that I'd need to land and call a tel#, or something, to cancel IFR once safe. Possibly, but probably not, SoCal might have a frequency that they could hear me on from the ground, but I put chances of that as SLIM. Instead, SoCal Approach said that they monitor and can respond on Brown Tower/CTAF after-hours!

Sure enough, I broke out, did a circle-to-land, while making standard radio calls. Once the wheels touched down, I announced on 128.25 that I was on-the-ground, safe, and would like to cancel IFR. The voice of the very same helpful SoCal controller came back, acknowledged my cancellation. I was really surprised and pleased.

Enjoy!!!
Click to expand...

A few of the SoCal Approach airports have that capability. KEMT is another one - departure control is literally on the CTAF/Tower when the airport is closed. At others, despite not being published, the frequencies reach on the ground - like 119.6 at MYF.
 
Nice! Just don’t forget to cancel when able in the air or on the ground.
 
N1120A said:
A few of the SoCal Approach airports have that capability. KEMT is another one - departure control is literally on the CTAF/Tower when the airport is closed. At others, despite not being published, the frequencies reach on the ground - like 119.6 at MYF.
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VNY was like that before Burbank Approach made the move to San Diego to be absorbed into SOCAL. I'd bet it still is. If they moved the EMT remote when Ontario Approach went down there, no reason not to to take VNY's also.
 
A few days ago, I file my IFR plan on my iPad with departure from a non tower airport. The moderate winds were out of the north, the ceiling was 1000’ AGL., broken in a few spots.

I call departure on my cell phone and he gives me the pertinent data and a 3 min window. I am about to back taxi 35 for take off when a local yokel radios he is doing a practice approach on 17 and checking for traffic.

I tell him I have an open IFR plan and approved for 35. Within a 1 minute pops out of the sky, lands short on 17 , and taxi away.

Be alert especially in marginal conditions. Have ur back up coms on the local channel.
 
PiperW said:
A few days ago, I file my IFR plan on my iPad with departure from a non tower airport. The moderate winds were out of the north, the ceiling was 1000’ AGL., broken in a few spots.

I call departure on my cell phone and he gives me the pertinent data and a 3 min window. I am about to back taxi 35 for take off when a local yokel radios he is doing a practice approach on 17 and checking for traffic.

I tell him I have an open IFR plan and approved for 35. Within a 1 minute pops out of the sky, lands short on 17 , and taxi away.

Be alert especially in marginal conditions. Have ur back up coms on the local channel.
Click to expand...

Something is way wrong here. By “pops out of the sky” do you mean be broke out of the bases? Was the ceiling BKN, or was it OVC with breaks? Was the other guy doing a practice instrument approach? What airport was it, did it have Surface Area?
 
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Ceiling was 1000' but was starting to break up in places. IMO, OVC with some breaks. He seemed to just pop out of nowhere, maybe he was scud running and came in low.

The LL in this case is always be ready for the unexpected at a nontower airport.
 
PiperW said:
Ceiling was 1000' but was starting to break up in places. IMO, OVC with some breaks. He seemed to just pop out of nowhere, maybe he was scud running and came in low.

The LL in this case is always be ready for the unexpected at a nontower airport.
Click to expand...

Gotcha. Did you make your window?
 
luvflyin said:
VNY was like that before Burbank Approach made the move to San Diego to be absorbed into SOCAL. I'd bet it still is. If they moved the EMT remote when Ontario Approach went down there, no reason not to to take VNY's also.
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If they did, it isn't published, though CTAF use is mandatory at VNY. My guess is you can get SoCal on the ground at VNY anyway, especially on 20.4. Also, BUR tower appears open 24 hours, for no apparent reason, so there is that potential option.

Banjo33 said:
As long as you remember that the most important thing you can do when going into a non-towered field is initial check in on CTAF with: “any traffic in the pattern please advise.” After that, it’s all up hill!
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Lmao. That joke keeps on giving.
 
I prefer the long winded announcements n a slow southern draw.

“Tumbleweed traffic November 9481pappa Quebec foxtrot is on a right crosswind runway one-seven setting up for a right down wind one seven at 2400 agl, expect a short right base to final one seven, touch and go with a down wind departure, any traffic in the area please advise.”

o_O
 
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