Rcmutz
Cleared for Takeoff
Agreed, but can be hard to find a hole with enough clearance to remain legal. Of course I have never seen a FAA guy sitting beside a cloud with a radar gun or camera.
VFR over the top
- Thread starter Techsan02
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TexasAviation
Pre-takeoff checklist
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TexasAviation
I've flown VFR on top a few times and don't see anything unsafe about it. The times I've done it the ceiling has been broken, with at least a few little patches of ground peeking through below me. That makes me comfortable that if the engine fails, I'll be able to remain semi-VFR or would descend through a very thin layer quickly.
My only tips:
1. Listen to ATIS/AWOS reports for airports ahead of your route. Even if you don't have in-cockpit weather of some sort, you can hear where there might be holes if it turns out to be overcast at your destination. I've always been able to find a decent size hole to descend through within 20-30 miles from my destination, and I knew where to find them if I had to.
2. Carry way more reserve fuel than you need, just in case. You've got to be 100% sure you can fly to somewhere with decent VFR conditions.
3. In the real world, cloud clearances are almost impossible to measure. You can guesstimate, like "Oh, that looks like 1,000 feet to me," but you're basically just staying situationally aware and looking for a big, roomy hole to poke down through ahead of your destination. It should be big enough for you to see and react if another aircraft comes near you. And I always use flight following, so that gives me a little more peace of mind.
I like the idea of timing the holes to measure their size. I'll have to try that.
My only tips:
1. Listen to ATIS/AWOS reports for airports ahead of your route. Even if you don't have in-cockpit weather of some sort, you can hear where there might be holes if it turns out to be overcast at your destination. I've always been able to find a decent size hole to descend through within 20-30 miles from my destination, and I knew where to find them if I had to.
2. Carry way more reserve fuel than you need, just in case. You've got to be 100% sure you can fly to somewhere with decent VFR conditions.
3. In the real world, cloud clearances are almost impossible to measure. You can guesstimate, like "Oh, that looks like 1,000 feet to me," but you're basically just staying situationally aware and looking for a big, roomy hole to poke down through ahead of your destination. It should be big enough for you to see and react if another aircraft comes near you. And I always use flight following, so that gives me a little more peace of mind.
I like the idea of timing the holes to measure their size. I'll have to try that.