AA5Bman
Line Up and Wait
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2009
- Messages
- 822
- Display Name
Display name:
He who ironically no longer flies an AA5B
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!
- 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!