denverpilot
Tied Down
That’s good because right behind the rain the wind kicked up big. It’s back to blowing on the prairie like... never mind... something something East Colfax. LOL
You Guys Every Fly in Proper Smoke?
- Thread starter Tantalum
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That’s good because right behind the rain the wind kicked up big. It’s back to blowing on the prairie like... never mind... something something East Colfax. LOL
idahoflier
Pattern Altitude
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idahoflier
No fun for sure!
I’m in CA and it’s terrible. Not just smoky IMC, but breathing in that stuff is not good. My eyes start to water, throat gets sore and I want to cough. I thought I could power through like a man but combine a physical impairment with IMC conditions and now it’s a little puckery. Now I don’t bother going unless it’s completely away from the smoke. AKA Nevada or AZ.
Ghery
Touchdown! Greaser!
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Ghery Pettit
I hate to think how long ago you flew that. I-5 has been there for a good long time. I do remember the days before it existed, however. Same deal with I-80, been along US 40 many times (as a passenger, this was long before I turned 16).
Smoke is no laughing matter. I remember flying through some that was nothing like the current mess years ago. Definitely IMC for a short period of time. I was on an instrument plan, so I just went on the instruments for a short while, but I'm sure glad I had them.
I used to fly along US 66 between Needles and Flagstaff before it became I-40. I almost got lost trying to find the road going North in the Grand Canyon...
Timbeck2
Final Approach
You wouldn't say that if you saw the smoke from California in AZ. I can't speak for Nevada.
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
We have been smoke free for the last 2 days here in my part of NM. I even heard some thunder Saturday.
jimhorner
Line Up and Wait
Did a brief flight today to charge up a new battery. I departed VFR from San Jose (KSJC), and it was VFR, but just barely. The smoke was pretty bad. I tried going up to 7500 feet and over towards the coast, but still pretty awful. Had to request a pop up to get back to San Jose. I miss those crystal clear days of no smog of the no-cars-driving-due-to-COVID-lockdown before the fires started. Hey, at least I got an approach in.
Tantalum
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San_Diego_Pilot
Figured I'd report back
..as others said you never really "break out" .. you just smell lots of smoke and eventually see the ground and runway show up when you're very close to it. More like brown/orange smelly fog. Flying into it was also not immediately apparent.. the haze gets thicker and thicker until you lose sight of the ground and it gets darker and darker with more and more smoke
An interesting experience, that's for sure.
..as others said you never really "break out" .. you just smell lots of smoke and eventually see the ground and runway show up when you're very close to it. More like brown/orange smelly fog. Flying into it was also not immediately apparent.. the haze gets thicker and thicker until you lose sight of the ground and it gets darker and darker with more and more smoke
An interesting experience, that's for sure.
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
Hey, that's just like the Midwest summer haze we have. Except without the smoke smell.
Tantalum
Final Approach
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Funny you post this. I had to do a proper ILS into SJC for the smoke. Departing they had me fly runway heading until I had altitude then I joined V107 at VINCO which goes right over the TFR. They sent me basically right over that brown stuff you see in the image you posted, just to the upper left of the word "Henry" .. it was very thick and looked pretty monstrous out the other side of it. Once I was clear I did ask for some deviations to avoid going back into billowing black clouds lolDid a brief flight today to charge up a new battery. I departed VFR from San Jose (KSJC), and it was VFR, but just barely. The smoke was pretty bad. I tried going up to 7500 feet and over towards the coast, but still pretty awful. Had to request a pop up to get back to San Jose. I miss those crystal clear days of no smog of the no-cars-driving-due-to-COVID-lockdown before the fires started. Hey, at least I got an approach in.
Otherwise uneventful.. just very smelly.. but no turbulence and not much in the way of wind, etc.
k9medic
Line Up and Wait
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ATP-H, CMEL, CSEL, CFI/CFII Airplanes and Helicopters
I’ve done a little flying around smoke... try my best to stay out of it though even when making water drops.
My biggest concern would be if the IBF’s started to clog not to mention that smoke can also have particulate in it that causes corrosion.
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My biggest concern would be if the IBF’s started to clog not to mention that smoke can also have particulate in it that causes corrosion.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
jimhorner
Line Up and Wait
Interesting story. Were you above the TFR, or did NORCAL send you into it? I’ve been seeing lots of firefighting activity on FlightAware in that TFR. There have been a number of flights of the DC-10 tankers there, so I’m surprised that you were sent that way. I wouldn’t have wanted to be there. Where I was was bad enough. Strong smoke odor. What were you flying?
Seems hit or miss when I’m departing to the south out of SJC. Half the time I get sent to VINCO first, half the time it’s “turn left 180, Radar Vectors Salinas”.
I went up to 7500 to try to get out of the smoke. No luck. NORCAL reported tops at 8500.
Tantalum
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San_Diego_Pilot
It was certainly interesting. I was in an SR22. They had me fly runway heading off 30L then gave me some broad right turns as I climbed, then direct VINCO. I was above the TFR, however even at 11K there were plumes coming up higher than me. I "broke out" just before 10K. Once I was above it I asked for some vectors to avoid going back into the smoke, which were granted. Once I got to the reservoir it was all behind me and I was back on direct PXN. Granted, until Lake Hughes it was 5 mile vis at most. From 11K you could just make out the ground and maybe a little extra.
It was funny, it made me very uneasy about going over the LHS fire TFR, but that was no factor at all. I did ask for a route around the TFR however that was denied.. oh well.
PS - the plan I filed avoided the TFR altogether, but NORCAL had other ideas about how I should get home haha
arnoha
Cleared for Takeoff
It's not good. Here's my weathercam pointing at KSJC from the west: https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/webcam/arnoha/1
I just flew on Sunday. It was a short flight...mostly just to maintain currency. Climbing up, got into heavier smoke and it wasn't pleasant. Fortunately, viz stayed above 5sm and it wasn't too hard to fly.
Returning from Oregon during the 2017 fires, I took off into 1sm viz on SVFR out of Medford. Not my smartest move. Soon after departure, while climbing out, lost all view of anything other than solid grey. I was legally VFR, I think? But it didn't matter...it was IMC, not a single defining feature in that smoke. Even clouds have some sort of definition inside most of the time. Nothing...it was like sitting in a simulator with the screens off. Surreal.
I just flew on Sunday. It was a short flight...mostly just to maintain currency. Climbing up, got into heavier smoke and it wasn't pleasant. Fortunately, viz stayed above 5sm and it wasn't too hard to fly.
Returning from Oregon during the 2017 fires, I took off into 1sm viz on SVFR out of Medford. Not my smartest move. Soon after departure, while climbing out, lost all view of anything other than solid grey. I was legally VFR, I think? But it didn't matter...it was IMC, not a single defining feature in that smoke. Even clouds have some sort of definition inside most of the time. Nothing...it was like sitting in a simulator with the screens off. Surreal.