Whidbey Island & Tips on IFR in the NW

[AA5Bman]

Hi all - I’d really like to fly to visit family at Whidbey Island (W10) near Seattle this summer and have started to think about what that flight would entail. I would be approaching the Seattle area over the mountains from the southwest. It would be summer time, so while I’m anticipating possible cloud cover and rain, I’m hoping the trip can be made IFR without dealing with icing. Flying a Cessna 205. Here are some things I’m pondering:

- Whidbey (W10) has no instrument approach. For local pilots or pilots that deal with this type of scenario often, what is the best way to get through Seattle’s cloud layer and make it to Whidbey (assuming VFR underneath)? When I lived in Southern California, people would talk about shooting an approach to Torrance to get through the marine layer, canceling and breaking off to Hawthorne where, at least then, it was hard to get an approach clearance due to proximity with LAX. Is this the best way to do it in this scenario? Shoot an approach to Paine maybe? Seems like that’s a lot farther away than Torrance/Hawthorne and involves crossing some water. Alternatively, could you ask for an IFR letdown in the vicinity of Whidbey and then a contact approach or something? I’ve never actually used either strategy.

- What is the likelihood of making this trip IFR (in the summer) with “good” IFR weather (i.e. no icing)? Any local tips on how to predict the conditions from afar, or strategies or routes that would avoid problems I’m not seeing?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Pugs]

In the summer your odds of VFR are really good - June to Sept on the wet side of the Cascades is some of the nicest flying you'll ever see.

You didn't say where you're visiting on the Island and that would make a difference as the single road can take an hour plus from north to south. If you're looking to visit the north side (Deception pass etc) then skip landing at Oak Harbor and go to Anacortes (74S) or Skagit Regional (KBVS). Much more full service airports both in facilities and approaches (KBVS) if you need one.

If you're visiting the southern end then Paine and taking the ferry over is certainly an option. You may want to investigate how busy that ferry is if you need to take a rental car and see if a reservation is wise.

 

[Domenick]

I am a VFR pilot based in Western WA. About half the years we suffer from "June Gloom", but after the Fourth and often through September, it is consistently more often clear than cloudy. Freezing levels are often above 10K'. Don't sweat the summer weather, and remember summer 2020 is from 20 June to 22 Sept.

I can't really help you with your IFR questions, but the "likelihood of making this trip IFR (in the summer) with “good” IFR weather (i.e. no icing)", is excellent.

 

[kgruber]

That, and Whidby Island ATC is extremely nice to general aviation. GREAT service.

 

[Pugs]

That, and Whidby Island ATC is extremely nice to general aviation. GREAT service.

And needed if you cut across the area south of Skagit regional. It's the GCA box for NAS Whidbey.

 

[TheGolfPilot]

I go to Skaggit from the california central valley 5-6 times a year. Potential for ice is always my biggest issue. It takes me 4 hours to get there so I only have a little more than 1 hour of fuel left so when the airport is LIFR, an alternate is a real concern. Twice I have flown to minima even after the TAFs reporting almost VFR. I am yet to have a miss but I would need to go straight to an alternate if I did. As far as ice goes, you can get pretty low ifr once you get to the seattle area 4-5k is enough. The further north you get the colder it gets so this can be a savior. If Ice is predicted below 6k I will scrub the flight though. Last summer I descended into the clouds with no ice at 7am (that was a really early morning) and 1 hour later climbed through the same area and picked up an uncomfortable amount. The place is an ice machine. If I can plan around a weather system, I will, even if ice isn't in the forecast. Be flexible, go when you don't think you'll need IFR or need it just for the approach. As far as getting into W10 goes. I wouldn't hesitate to use an approach at PAE and float over to W10. I'd be comfortable with that down to about 1500' overcast possible even a little lower

 

[Pilawt]

remember summer 2020 is from 20 June to 22 Sept.

The last year I lived in WA, summer was on a Thursday and I had to work.

 

[Ghery]

I am a VFR pilot based in Western WA. About half the years we suffer from "June Gloom", but after the Fourth and often through September, it is consistently more often clear than cloudy. Freezing levels are often above 10K'. Don't sweat the summer weather, and remember summer 2020 is from 20 June to 22 Sept.

I can't really help you with your IFR questions, but the "likelihood of making this trip IFR (in the summer) with “good” IFR weather (i.e. no icing)", is excellent.

I have the IR, but am not current. Summers in the great PNW are beautiful VFR flying most of the time. My disagreement with Domenick is that summer really doesn't start until about the middle of July, about the time for the end of Lakefair in Olympia.

 

[wilkersk]

I seriously doubt icing is gonna be a problem in the summer. There's plenty of wiggle room in the Seattle Mode C veil. And, getting into Oak Harbor air park is not difficult at all.

File IFR to Bremerton or Arlington, then, once you're in the area and sure you've got the weather, cancel IFR and proceed VFR to Whidbey. Most summer days in Puget Sound are VFR, even if marginal under a cloud layer. If you have to, you can wait at your filed destination for weather. When its IFR on a summer morning, it usually clears up enough to get to your destination by early afternoon. Contact Whidbey Approach 5-10 miles from the Class C lateral boundary and as others have said, they are easy to deal with.

 

[mcmanigle]

could you ask for an IFR letdown in the vicinity of Whidbey and then a contact approach or something

Contact approach is only available to an airport that has a published instrument approach, so that is out. But the rest of the plan (visual approach vs cancel after an approach elsewhere) sounds fine.

 

[N1120A]

The ILS into PAE puts you on a perfect right turn to get into the pattern at W10. That approach is over water no matter what, so may as well embrace it. Cancel and go VFR or SVFR. Also, W10 is 300 feet lower than PAE, so you'll gain a little altitude turning off the approach. You must file an alternate anyway, so PAE is a great one.

 

[AA5Bman]

Hmmm... thanks for all the answers. Let’s say it’s that perfect IFR day with VFR underneath, everywhere is reporting 2000’ OVC, tops at 4500, no icing or icing temps. You go ahead and shoot the approach to Paine. Even in that situation you’re still breaking out past the FAF (considering the ILS Y16R for reference) and already switched over to tower. Do you just fly down until you have VFR cloud clearance and let Paine tower know you’re cancelling and proceeding to W10? Seems like they might find this annoying - would you warn them in advance or would that just confuse things further? I’ve never actually done this, would be curious to hear how it’s gone when you all have used this strategy. If it’s just that simple... seems pretty straightforward provided it’s decent weather underneath. I guess if you get into trouble, you just switch back to approach and request a pop up IFR back to Paine.

 

[AA5Bman]

Ahh well, shoot, as long as we’re on the subject, another place I’d like to go that has persistent marine layer but no IFR approach is Shelter Cove. The big difference there is that there is no “sister” airport where you can shoot the approach and break off to the airport. In that case, could you file to, say, Redding, via a fix offshore near Shelter Cove (for instance, JENN), and ask for a hold and letdown through the clouds at JENN, and if that doesn’t work you go to Redding (and then to your alternate)?

I feel like this is getting solidly into the realm of “not a great idea”, but it’s something I’ve been curious about for a while, and as long as it’s just us girls talking...

 

[N1120A]

Hmmm... thanks for all the answers. Let’s say it’s that perfect IFR day with VFR underneath, everywhere is reporting 2000’ OVC, tops at 4500, no icing or icing temps. You go ahead and shoot the approach to Paine. Even in that situation you’re still breaking out past the FAF (considering the ILS Y16R for reference) and already switched over to tower. Do you just fly down until you have VFR cloud clearance and let Paine tower know you’re cancelling and proceeding to W10? Seems like they might find this annoying - would you warn them in advance or would that just confuse things further? I’ve never actually done this, would be curious to hear how it’s gone when you all have used this strategy. If it’s just that simple... seems pretty straightforward provided it’s decent weather underneath. I guess if you get into trouble, you just switch back to approach and request a pop up IFR back to Paine.

Controllers at Class Ds are used to things like IFR practice approaches and then cancels just after and the like. The key would be to inform approach of your intentions. Remember, you can file IFR to W10 and you then would have PAE listed as your alternate, so the controllers know you may end up at PAE.

Ahh well, shoot, as long as we’re on the subject, another place I’d like to go that has persistent marine layer but no IFR approach is Shelter Cove. The big difference there is that there is no “sister” airport where you can shoot the approach and break off to the airport. In that case, could you file to, say, Redding, via a fix offshore near Shelter Cove (for instance, JENN), and ask for a hold and letdown through the clouds at JENN, and if that doesn’t work you go to Redding (and then to your alternate)?

I feel like this is getting solidly into the realm of “not a great idea”, but it’s something I’ve been curious about for a while, and as long as it’s just us girls talking...

I'd imagine you'd shoot the approach at KLLR and run along the coast. That would be the safest option from a terrain perspective.

 

[Tom-D]

we have a GSP approach, ask "Brien23' he lives at POA and is current.
Should be summer -- no problem..

 

[brien23]

if you are going into W10 nothing there watch out for the trees more than one has landed in them call ahead
Manager: SKY & TARA RUDOLPH

PO BOX 852

LANGLEY, WA 98260

(360) 321-0510
If you go to 76S Eisenberg airport another airport with nothing and we have had break in's to the Hgr. radio's ripped out no security. If you have a nice plane might not want to go their. OLF don't land there it's the Navy airfield and they frown on landing, KNUW is the Navy airport don't land there. PAE and BVS are good and have lots of services and rental cars.
Summer VFR around the Pacific NW is great flying weather, should you get a IFR day most are high celing 700to 900' easy break out approach. PAE they make Boeing 747 their so the runway is long and wide, if you have a hard time finding a runway on breakout you won't have any problem their. BVS has GPS 11 and 29 also NDB 11 another long runway and wide.

 

[Thumper]

I left from Charleston, SC, in my Piper Arrow on July 1 of this year heading to KPAE to visit family. The forecast did not indicate any difficult weather enroute. My route was more/less a straight line from Charleston to Great Falls, Montana. Cameron, Missouri, was my first overnight and Great Falls was my second overnight stop. I planned to cross the northern Rockies at 13,000' on the last day enroute to Seattle. When I landed at Great Falls, the weather forecast for the next three days called for heavy weather over the Rockies with freezing level at 10,000'. I looked and analyzed every weather product I could find and came to the same conclusion every time.... time for a rental car. My decision was solidified when a commercially operated Cessna 421 landed with moderate ice after having crossed from west to east to come to Great Falls. While I would have loved to fly to KPAE, the drive was the only alternative that gave me time with the family. If/when I fly back out, I will probably go the I-10 route with a straight shot up the California central valley. It was still a wonderful experience.