The field is IFR. Say intentions?

gkainz

gkainz

Final Approach
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Greg Kainz
Wasn't IFR when I left home. Was bright, sunny, severe clear! In fact, severe clear all the way to the airport, where I was greeted with a low fugly bank of clouds surrounding the airport on 3 sides.

Changing mindset to stay in the pattern, I rolled out the plane and called up ground for taxi for closed traffic.

"The field is IFR. Say intentions."

Not needing to venture out anywhere and not wanting to get on top to the north, SFVR wasn't an option, even though it was an option.

"Well crap! When did that happen?"

"About a minute ago."

'Yeah, I see the west end of the runway is disappearing. I guess I'll cancel and put it away."

In hindsight, I should have said "give me a couple laps around the taxiway and we'll be VFR again soon."
 

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MauleSkinner said:
Why not just get a SVFR to fly patterns?
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Is that an option? My understanding was SVFR was for landing or departing an IFR airport when the weather met/exceeded the SVFR mins. Pattern doesn't meet that, but in a quick search of the wording, I don't see pattern work addressed either way.
 
gkainz said:
Is that an option? My understanding was SVFR was for landing or departing an IFR airport when the weather met/exceeded the SVFR mins. Pattern doesn't meet that, but in a quick search of the wording, I don't see pattern work addressed either way.
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Yup...it's an option.

Keep in mind that a SVFR doesn't change altitude requirements, only cloud clearance and visibility.
 
I think SVFR pattern work would cause problems at BJC. Wouldn't it interfere with arriving/departing IFR traffic?

Anyway, that weather stuff seems to happen there. I know a guy who flew a traffic reporter. Departed BJC and headed for the interstates. Fog rolled a couple minutes later, the field went IFR and he had to ask for a contact approach to get back in. The helicopter traffic guy right behind him didn't even take off, just called him and told him to get his butt on the ground.
 
Clark1961 said:
I think SVFR pattern work would cause problems at BJC. Wouldn't it interfere with arriving/departing IFR traffic?
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Quite possibly...Depending upon the level of IFR traffic at the moment, somebody doing pattern work on a special might get to spend a fair amount of time holding short.

Always worth asking, tho. ;)
 
There was IFR traffic, so probably would have precluded getting SVFR. Anyway, the irony was I was in the 5-6 minute windows and the field was VFR all around it. But, I couldn't say with any certainty what that cloud bank on the west end was doing, and since my flying is purely recreational - an early retreat seemed the best option.
 
gkainz said:
Is that an option? My understanding was SVFR was for landing or departing an IFR airport when the weather met/exceeded the SVFR mins. Pattern doesn't meet that, but in a quick search of the wording, I don't see pattern work addressed either way.
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With SVFR you still have to remain clear of the clouds -- the weather you posted showed 400 ft ceilings, so it would have to be a low pattern work
 
MauleSkinner said:
Quite possibly...Depending upon the level of IFR traffic at the moment, somebody doing pattern work on a special might get to spend a fair amount of time holding short.

Always worth asking, tho. ;)
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Sure....



Not
 
pension looks like some sort of botched anagram of penis.
 
Sometimes I wish I would have remained career military for the pension, and other times... well, I'm doing okay. No high roller, but I'll survive.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Sometimes I wish I would have remained career military for the pension, and other times... well, I'm doing okay. No high roller, but I'll survive.
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Most of us could be high-rollers if we didn't have an aviation addiction. Just judging by what we all spend on it, anyway...
 
denverpilot said:
I can't tell you that, but there's another bottle here that could easily be shipped somewhere...
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Nah, actually we have been conversating. It's a matter of me dragging my lazy azz down to Petaluma. I was sort of hoping I could get my BasicMed done so I could fly, but I might have to revert to driving. Or an epic bike ride.
 
denverpilot said:
Most of us could be high-rollers if we didn't have an aviation addiction. Just judging by what we all spend on it, anyway...
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As close as I can figure, my all-in flying expenses in the last year were about $7500. Don't think that's what kept me out of high-roller territory. :D
 
OkieFlyer said:
As close as I can figure, my all-in flying expenses in the last year were about $7500. Don't think that's what kept me out of high-roller territory. :D
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You aren't flying enough. Or paying enough starving CFIs to beat on you. :) :) :)
 
OkieFlyer said:
As close as I can figure, my all-in flying expenses in the last year were about $7500. Don't think that's what kept me out of high-roller territory. :D
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Do you own or rent? Wait, don't answer that.
 
GeorgeC said:
Do you own or rent? Wait, don't answer that.
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I will anyway. Sole owner of a 1962 C-182E. Well, I guess I'm renting it from the bank ;)


Anyway, this is extreme thread drift, and I apologize for perpetuating it.
 
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ColoPilot said:
With SVFR you still have to remain clear of the clouds -- the weather you posted showed 400 ft ceilings, so it would have to be a low pattern work
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Maybe not. All they need to do is remain clear of clouds. There may be holes in them there clouds.
 
ColoPilot said:
With SVFR you still have to remain clear of the clouds -- the weather you posted showed 400 ft ceilings, so it would have to be a low pattern work
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yep, and the clouds that were causing the problem and screwing with me were 100 to maybe 200 feet thick, and at departure end of the runway. In hindsight, I would/could be above them by the time I got there, or turned crosswind early.

But, like I noted above, risk vs reward for recreation this time drove me to choose "back to the barn". More hindsight after reviewing METAR/TAF noted in the first post was "would have been just fine to fly", or had I waited another 30 minutes, would have been no issue at all.

Such is life.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Sometimes I wish I would have remained career military for the pension, and other times... well, I'm doing okay. No high roller, but I'll survive.
Click to expand...

I have a few friends I still stay in touch with who did 20+ and have their military retirement as they work/play at a second career or take their retirement seriously. One's older than me and just retired from his 2nd career and is truly retired, while a couple of others are same age or younger.

My baby brother did 20+ as Active Duty Army Guard and has another 8 years before he can start drawing that.

Yeah, I look back and wonder if I should have stayed for 20, but at 9 years total service, coming off a hard 4 year sea duty tour, Carter-era non-advancements and a plethora of other negatives stacked up against some positives (Viet Nam era GI bill soon sunsetting into a Use or Lose, DOD contract opportunities, etc), I got out and pursued another path.

I think it worked out for the best.
 
I called the tower this morning to talk about this. They said the same thing happened again this morning! They also confirmed MauleSkinner's assertion above that SVFR can be requested for pattern work. A long held mistake on my part. Thanks for the correction!

Had I requested and been granted SVFR, I would have been instructed to do a full stop for the departing and arriving IFR traffic, which there were a couple during yesterday's window.
 
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gkainz said:
I have a few friends I still stay in touch with who did 20+ and have their military retirement as they work/play at a second career or take their retirement seriously. One's older than me and just retired from his 2nd career and is truly retired, while a couple of others are same age or younger.

My baby brother did 20+ as Active Duty Army Guard and has another 8 years before he can start drawing that.

Yeah, I look back and wonder if I should have stayed for 20, but at 9 years total service, coming off a hard 4 year sea duty tour, Carter-era non-advancements and a plethora of other negatives stacked up against some positives (Viet Nam era GI bill soon sunsetting into a Use or Lose, DOD contract opportunities, etc), I got out and pursued another path.

I think it worked out for the best.
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My plan was for 11 years active followed by 10 years reserve, but what you said is what changed my mind. Plus an injury that would keep me from army flying.

No regrets.
 
gkainz said:
I called the tower this morning to talk about this. They said the same thing happened again this morning! They also confirmed MaulSkinner's assertion above that SVFR can be requested for pattern work. A long held mistake on my part. Thanks for the correction!

Had I requested and been granted SVFR, I would have been instructed to do a full stop for the departing and arriving IFR traffic, which there were a couple during yesterday's window.
Click to expand...

It's not as common as the one in and one out scenario because of the extent of a pattern operation but it can be approved based on a lack of IFR traffic. We used to issue it occasionally with F-18s conducting FCLPs. Generally the field was blocked during that activity anyway so other IFRs weren't a factor.

PHRASEOLOGY−

LOCAL SPECIAL V−F−R OPERATIONS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF (name) AIRPORT ARE AUTHORIZED UNTIL (time). MAINTAIN SPECIAL V−F−R CONDITIONS.
 
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gkainz said:
I called the tower this morning to talk about this. They said the same thing happened again this morning! They also confirmed MauleSkinner's assertion above that SVFR can be requested for pattern work. A long held mistake on my part. Thanks for the correction!

Had I requested and been granted SVFR, I would have been instructed to do a full stop for the departing and arriving IFR traffic, which there were a couple during yesterday's window.
Click to expand...
Given the number of pilots and instructors who think that anyone who would request a SVFR is too dangerous to be allowed to fly, it's not uncommon to misunderstand what SVFRs are all about. ;)
 
gkainz said:
I think it worked out for the best.
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I tell myself the same thing, but I only was in for 4 years, 2 1/2 of it hard sea time. Negatives piling up were the same for me - "extend to stay on board", a pitiful re-enlinstment bonus and the lure of CINCHOUS, CIVLANT. But I still paused on my 20th anniversary and said "gee, I could have"...and my wife finished it with "been a crotchey old chief"? Right.

Still I didn't understand a shipmate who voluntarily got out at 16 years...what was he thinking?!
 
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