Ones and Zeros

It was about time to get into the air, get a different view of the world.  I also wanted to try out my iPad and ForeFlight app that contains all charts and approach plates.  So I ended up planning a trip to Charlottesville.Most of it was IFR on the way there, either in the clouds, or above them.  There was little wind, and there was a broken cloud layer below, then a higher stratus layer.  The broken layer started about 3000 feet and the top of the stratus layer was around 5500 feet.  It was very bright in the upper layer of the clouds and above them.  I could see nothing, it was white outside all the windows.  I was surrounded by clouds, and had to wear sunglasses.  Then when I broke out, it was just as bright.The iPad worked well.  The battery life is good and lasted through flight planning, briefing, the full flight till I got back home.  But the bright sunlight on the screen created too much glare.  And I couldn’t read the screen with my sunglasses on, and had problems reading the panel GPS as well.  I had to keep flipping my sunglasses on and off.I buy laptops with the matte screen to avoid this glare problem.  But I didn’t see an option on the iPad for a matte screen.The “buttonology” of ForeFlight is something I need to practice.  Moving between the map and approach plates screen isn’t completely automatic for me for example.My route was through CSN..V140..WITTO, but long before WITTO I was redirected to KENNI for the ILS03 approach.  When turning inbound for the approach I was advised to keep up my speed since there’s a jet due behind me.  I’ve not had this happen before, but have read about it and knew what to do.  I flew the approach at cruise speed basically, then about a mile from the runway pulled power, let it slow down, and put out just 10 degrees of flaps when slow enough.   I still landed long, but was well off the runway when the jet came in.After Charlottesville, I wanted to head back home, but first go to Orange County for their VOR approach.  (Anyone know why Orange County is in Virginia?  I always thought Florida for that!)  I planned a route to home, but with OMH (Orange County) as the route.  This was overridden in the clearance I got.  So I negotiated with ATC once I got into the air.  I’m not sure exactly how to file a plan for one destination, with an approach somewhere else in the middle of the plan!  Much of the return flight was also IFR, but the ceiling was 4000 feet this time.The VOR approach is used when the approach direction isn’t lined up with the runway.  In this case it was over 30 degrees off, so the runway wasn’t very visible in the trees till close.  You have to circle to land.  I did a low approach, the followed the missed approach procedure.That was a climbing right turn to 3500 feet and back south to the VOR.  But I stopped the turn to avoid the vultures soaring to my right.   I was in VFR conditions then so this wasn’t a major issue.Then followed vectors to CSN (another VOR), and from then to home.But something happen as I got near the approach for home.  I was cleared to an initial fix for the approach, but no further.  The controller was very busy and trying to make sure the approach was clear for me.  I got closer and closer the miles ticked down close to zero and I had no direction.  I can’t just go flying in the clouds willy-nilly after all.Around 3 miles away I got a chance in the radio traffic to ask for clearance.  Got a rapid and quick reply, “I’m working on that”.  As I passed my clearance fix I got another chance on the busy radio and just asked, “At my clearance fix, what do you want me to do?”.  ”Maintain your heading” said ATC.  Ok, good enough for the moment at least.  I’d broken out into at least marginal VFR so could avoid hills and the like if he forgot about me.  But very shortly later he worked it out and cleared me for the approach.But it was a couple minutes later before I could get another word in edgewise and cancel IFR and get off his hands.  When I did, the usual, “thank you” was more like, “Thank You!!”  I was cleared on my approach, could see the airport, we didn’t need to talk to each other anymore.  But, it was a new situation for me.So, it was an interesting flight and good way to clear my mind.

When the haze is thick in summer.  In the Washington DC area lately the temperatures have been very high, that’s cooking the crud that we humans put in the air and making haze.  This morning several major local airports were marginal VFR (MVFR) on what’s otherwise a great day due to this haze.IFR; it’s not just for rainy days!I’m not flying today, but I was up recently on a hazy day but where the visibility is better than today’s is.  I was just up for a regular self-guided currency exercise. I didn’t cross the Blue Ridge because I couldn’t see the other side.I did my stalls, slow flight, flight at minimum controllable airspeed, steep turns, turns around a point, and some compass turns just to keep up the practice on basic exercises.  It’s not that I need to do stalls or any of the above in normal flying, but that practicing them hones skills and reminds me of where the edges of the plane’s capabilities - and mine - are located.Oh, and it can be fun too.  I got slow flight to 50 mph (not knots - I have an older plane) with engine power up, a steep angle, and the stall horn blaring loudly.

Here on in the Washington DC area we’ve been getting rather more than our fair share of storms this winter.  It and other issues have curtailed my flying since I got my instrument rating in November.  On Friday I found an opportunity to go flying again, I wanted to see if I could remember what all those controls did!

I took off from the home airport and headed to Winchester VA for a little landing practice.  This got me some flight time and I was able to watch the countryside roll by below which I always like.  Friday it was a countryside is muted black and white.  Mostly white.  There was an indistinct ceiling reported at 12,000 ft, but it could have been at 6000 ft and I would have believed it too.  Some haze, visibility was around 6-8 miles.

I decided to do the ILS32 to OKV (Wichester) in VFR conditions.  This is not loggable as an IFR flight - I was in VFR conditions and not wearing foggles.  Traffic at OKV was light - only one guy.  I would join the pattern as needed if it looked like I would interfere with his operations.

I was able to track the ILS and GS (glideslope) accurately and correct to the runway.  I did this by alternating looking inside and out.  I would not have done this on a busy day!  I touched down in the softest landing I’ve ever made - I knew I was down when I felt the wheels start rumbling on the pavement.

This is a touch and go, so I tracked the center line while the flaps came up, then I put in full throttle with 2500 feet of runway left.  Rotated at 60 mph and lifted off with plenty of runway left over.  I climbed at 85 mph (my plane is older and calibrated in mph, not knots) and did the missed approach.

Then, headed north to the MBR 231 radial for the hold at CWINE and the VOR-A approach back to OKV.  I over climbed to 3500 feet, my target was 3100.  I used the hold to decend to my target altitude and completed the one turn around the hold.

Then I began the VOR-A approach to OKV, but overflew the field at 1500 instead of the 1180 minimum altitude of the approach as the other guy was departing. Then I joined the downwind, 200 feet below the pattern altitude, and did another touch-and-go.  Also a very good landing, but not quite to the olympic standard of the first one.

Time to head home.  The air was so smooth that I pushed up the speed to the bottom edge of the yellow zone.  I don’t usually do this as low-level turbulence is always an issue.  But there’s no problem today.

Three of us were coming into the home airport at the same time.  It took a bit of collaboration, and trading of distances and landmarks, but we arrived in sequence instead of all at once.  Another nice landing, my third in a row, and back to the tiedown.

All in all, 1.1 hours, nine gallons of avgas, three very good landings and one excellent one, and two simulated approaches (non-loggable).  A good day and wonderful to get back in the air.

Back when I was a VFR only pilot, I couldn’t fly a lot because of clouds or weather.  Now that I’m an IFR pilot I can’t seem to get clouds when I’m available to fly.  This makes me think that the best way to get VFR weather is to become an IFR pilot.

Of course, it’s so cold here right now that the clouds are probably all sub-freezing.