Since I am working on my Commercial pilot’s license and I still need 40 hours to meet the minimum flight time requirement I decided that I was going to fly myself to Las Vegas. Making a long distance trip or two seemed like a better alternative to 40 one hour flights to the practice area. Time is time, and I figure it’s time to use my license for some fun rather than just training. The airplane I would be using for this trip was a Cessna 182. This airplane is built for cross country flying. Roomier and faster than a 172 and it is outfitted with the Garmin G1000 system. This glass panel cockpit looks like it belongs in an airliner or military aircraft not a single engine Cessna. This totally integrated system not only makes cross country flying easy but also extremely safe and efficient. With apologies to any Hummer and Suburban drivers out there, the 182 is truly the Ultimate SUV! Flight time was estimated to be around 6 hours so I planned one fuel stop at about the half way point. The airplane holds enough fuel to fly for over 7 hours so this fuel stop would be more for the benefit of my bladder than for the airplane.
I know what the pundits are saying about now. "Southwest and Frontier have cheap flights to Vegas from Denver." This is true, but those deals are not always available and when they are it is only for certain days and times. You better be constantly watching your email and quick on your keyboard if you want to catch those fares. Flying yourself on the other hand allows you to go when you want. How much is your time worth to you? That cheap ticket price is only for the 1 ½ hour flight. What about the other 4 hours you spend in a line or circling the parking lot. By the time you arrive you are so upset dealing with other passengers and employees, who over the last few years have been shafted by their employer, that you want to be anywhere but on that plane. In the end you need a drink from the hotel or airport bar before you can start to enjoy your vacation. Now I will grant you that my trip was not cost effective but that's because I do not own the airplane. However, since I am working towards a rating I would have spent the rental fee anyway. I might as well have some fun while I am at it. This experience however just increased my resolve to someday own my own airplane.
Friday 20 July 2007
The weather at my house south of Denver was calm and beautiful. However, the weather at my home airport, Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC), on the other side of town was reporting patchy fog and low ceilings. I was prepared to file an Instrument Flight Plan if I had to, but when I arrived the whole area was clear of clouds. It looked to be smooth sailing all the way to Vegas. I had planned an early morning departure so as to beat any afternoon thunderstorms that are ever so common in Colorado and the southwest. The airplane I was flying is not pressurized and the regulations state that without supplemental oxygen I cannot fly over 12,500 feet for longer than 30 minutes. Colorado as you know has some pretty big hills to the west and it would take significant altitude and time to clear them direct. Therefore I planned my route to go around them down to the south and then turn west. My filed flight plan was as follows
KBJC V81 BRK PUB V611 CIM FTI V190 ABQ KAEG
This would take us (my friend and fellow pilot Justin was coming with me) to Double Eagle II (KAEG) airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Takeoff from runway 29R occurred at 0715 local time, 30 minutes later than I had originally hoped for. No problem though since I am flying myself its no big deal to be a little late. Turning south we contact Denver departure on the radio and request traffic advisories through the busy Denver and Colorado Springs airspace. Denver cleared us to our filed altitude of 11,500 feet and we headed south towards our first navigation fix the Black Forest VOR. VOR's, such as BRK and PUB, are navigation aides positioned throughout the country. Victor airways, like V81 and V611 are "highways" that connect the VORs. The aircrafts navigation radio receives a signal from these ground based stations and then transmits that signal through an instrument in the cockpit that allows the pilot to track this "highway" and navigate across the country. The G1000 system on my airplane allows me to use GPS naviagtion which is extremely simple and much more accurate however, I am using the VOR system as a backup in the event of a GPS failure or outage. As we approach the Colorado Springs area the fog and low ceilings that were forecasted earlier for Denver are a reality down here. Flying along at 11,500 we were on top of a nice cloud layer that blanketed the Colorado Springs area.
A blanket of clouds over the Colorado Springs area.
Looking east over Colorado Springs.
This is Pikes Peak, one of 54 of Colorado's fourteeners (mountains that are over 14,000 feet tall).
Once clear of the Colorado Springs airspace we are cleared direct to the Pueblo VOR and then on course. The clouds became patchy at best and then pretty much disappeared completely. It was a perfect day for flying. After crossing the Pueblo VOR we made the decision to use a shortcut through LaVeta pass. For those unable to climb to 16,000 feet and go directly across the Rockies, LaVeta offers the best route between Colorado and New Mexico. If the weather and winds are not cooperating you still have the option to go farther south before turning west. Today was a perfect flying day with clear skies and little wind. La Veta pass opens up into the San Luis Valley which is very wide and offers a pilot many escape routes such as two nearby airports and highway 160 should conditions worsen or you have engine problems. Not longer after crossing the pass do we turn southwest and head towards Los Alamos. From there it is GPS direct into the Albuquerque area. We landed at the Double Eagle II (KAEG) airport just after 10 A.M.
The Spanish Peaks. These landmarks guided Native American tribes, Spanish and French trappers, gold seekers, hunters, and American Settlers. The early Indian tribes held them in religious awe and named them Wahatoya, meaning "Breasts of the Earth".
Another view of the majestic Colorado mountains
Isn't Colorado beautiful?
Looking north as we pass through LaVeta.
Los Alamos, NM.
On the ramp at Double Eagle airport in Albuquerque, NM.
After refueling, a bathroom break, quick snack and a weather briefing we were on our way to Las Vegas. The filed route for this portion was
ABQ V12 ZUN INW V291 FLG PGS KADDY.KADD1 KHND.
This portion of the trip is pretty much a straight shot west across the northern portion of New Mexico and Arizona. I think the landscape in this part of the country is gorgeous. It may not be big beautiful mountains and trees like in Colorado, but the desert has its own charm. There certainly is not much out there although it is relatively flat and therefore offers some options for an emergency landing. One of the things I do on a long cross country is to constantly scan and pick out where I would go if the engine quit or I had an emergency. I want to immediately begin dealing with the problem and know where I am going to go. Also, I don’t want to be one of those pilots who in an emergency did not remember that they just passed an airport and instead put their airplane down in a field.
This is the area known as the painted desert.
As we approached Winslow, Arizona I can’t help thinking of the song Take it Easy by the Eagles. Apparently they have a park in Winslow that is the Standing on the Corner Park and you can have your picture taken by the sign. Maybe I will do just that my next time out this way. I find myself humming the song as we fly over Winslow.
Just outside of Winslow, Arizona I look left and see this huge hole. We look at the sectional and amazingly enough it is on the map. It is labeled meteor crater. After I got home I looked up this place on the Internet and evidently it is a pretty popular attraction complete with a visitor’s center and a museum. The crater itself is very impressive especially from above. It is nearly a mile wide and almost 500’ deep. Could the meteor that made this crater be the the one that killed the dinosaurs?
They say this is the first proven, best-preserved meteorite crater on Earth.
There was no mistaking that we were rapidly approaching Flagstaff as Mount Humphrey, Arizona’s highest peak at over 12,000 feet, started to fill the windshield. I regret not getting a picture, but I was busy picking up our IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) clearance into Las Vegas. This clearance would give us the added benefit of being under constant radar coverage by air traffic controllers. When under radar coverage you can fly when you do not have any reference to the ground such as when in a cloud. The IFR system allows you make a trip when weather conditions are not favoring flying. While there were no clouds to hinder our visibility there was still a benefit to having the IFR clearance. While under IFR air traffic controllers are responsible for keeping you separated from other air traffic. This would be like having an extra set of eyes inside the extremely busy Las Vegas airspace.
Our clearance had us flying V291 towards the Peach Springs VOR and then continuing on V291 for radar vectors to Henderson Executive airport. The controllers had us climb to 12,000 feet until after Peach Springs and then we started a systematic descent to 6,100 feet. Our last descent to 4,500 feet just cleared us over a ridge south of the Henderson airport. It was a very impressive sight as we skimmed across and then saw the Las Vegas strip come into view. After clearing the ridge it was a rapid descent to pattern altitude and then into a left downwind for runway 17L. There was a gusty crosswind during our landing but it was easily manageable. As we taxied in we noticed the winds died down to practically nothing as the Pilatus PC-12 who had been on our tail the whole way in made a easy or "greaser" landing.
The outskirts of the Grand Canyon.
Finally nearing Las Vegas. That is Lake Mead in the distance.
A closer look at Lake Mead.
This is the view behind us as we crossed that final ridge into the Las Vegas area.
The folks at the Henderson airport could not have been more professional or friendly. You would have thought we flew in on a Gulfstream instead of a little Cessna. The line person greeted us at our plane and helped us tie down. She gave us a bottle of cold water and drove us to the terminal. The airport folks just needed my cell phone number and gave me a card with the number to call for fuel when we were ready to depart. The folks at Enterprise had all the paperwork for our car ready, all I had to do was sign. Within 15 minutes of shutting down the engine we were on the road to our hotel.
To be honest as much as I love Vegas, the trip in was more exciting than the time in Vegas. As I was bleeding chips at the Poker table in Caesars I couldn't help but think that I was probably the only person at the table with their own plane waiting for them at the airport. Unlike when you travel by the airlines the best part of my vacation was getting there. Everyone else had an itinerary to keep and I had the freedom to leave when I wanted. For those flying the commercial airlines the shuttle service from the hotel to the airport is never convenient and usually results in you sitting around the airport for hours before your flight. If I wanted to sleep a little longer on departure day I could. Heck, if I won big at the poker table I could even stay a few extra days if I wanted.
Sunday July 22 2007
Win big I did not, but sleep in I did. It was a longer night before than I had planned and I wanted to make sure I got at least 8 hours of sleep before flying home. It wound up being about 10 which was a good thing. I had a long day ahead of me. I had my fingers crossed for a tailwind, but even then I knew I was going to lose an hour due to the time change flying eastbound so it would be a long day no matter what.
After topping off the rental car and grabbing a quick bite at McDonald’s we returned to Henderson airport. Before leaving the hotel I called and had them top of the 182’s tanks so upon arrival all I had to do was turn in the car. The weather briefing was all good news and contained all the usual warnings about scattered thunderstorm activity. Flying in Colorado and the southwest you quickly learn that every day in the summer they forecast thunderstorms. The conditions are perfect for storms every day but that doesn’t mean they always materialize. If I choose not to fly based only on the forecast I would probably never leave the ground in the summer months. I paid for the fuel and we got another bottle of cold water and a courtesy ride to our airplane. We did a preflight inspection of the airplane and then started the engine. Justin programmed the flight plan in while I taxied us to runway 35L for departure. We departed VFR because I had heard horror stories of waiting up to 30 minutes waiting for an IFR release from Vegas departure control. We took off to the north and immediately turned left to avoid entering McCarran’s airspace and began climbing in order to clear the ridge to the south. We had to stay under 5,000 feet until the ridge to stay clear of Class B airspace. This meant flying south a little farther before turning east so as to pass the ridge at its lowest point. Once clear of the ridge we could climb to 5,900 and 5 NM later we could go to 7,900. By this point we had begun our turn on course southeast bound. About 20 NM outside of Henderson we were free to climb to our filed altitude of 10,500.
Again as we approached Flagstaff we called to pick up an IFR clearance. We were noticing some buildup of clouds in front of us and we did not want to have to be constantly flying over, under or around them. Los Angeles center at first did not seem to want to give us a clearance. They kept asking if we were still in VFR conditions and we were but the clouds were getting heavier so we told them that if we continue on our present course we would not remain VFR and they finally granted us a clearance. The routing they gave us mirrored our filed VFR route except they had us climb to 12,000. We were ok with this because it meant that we were guaranteed some actual instrument time because the cloud levels seemed to start around 11,500 feet.
Afternoon storms are brewing.
This cloud ahead turned out to be my first actual instrument experience.
I have had my instrument rating over a year now but have never logged actual instrument flight time. It has all been simulated either in a flight simulator or “under the hood”. Flying in Colorado makes it very difficult to get actual instrument time because when you have clouds in Colorado it is either too cold and you have the threat of ice or it is the middle of summer and those clouds all contain thunderstorms. I felt both excitement and trepidation as we approached the first cloud that we would be flying through. One of the additional features available with the G1000 system is XM weather. After this experience I believe that onboard weather radar such as XM is a must have. Most of the clouds in front of us were pretty menacing looking on the outside but they were not even registering on the radar which meant they did not have any rain showers or lightning in them. Without the benefit of radar I would have more than likely avoided them and flown around them. I learned also that even the ones that show up as green on the radar are ok to fly through. Green indicates light precipitation and probably no turbulence. Yellow on the radar would indicate a bumpy ride and defiantly some rain but again safe to fly through. Orange and red are definite no no’s and you divert around those every time. Even the airliners will divert around those types of clouds.
The view from inside the cloud. Trust your instruments, trust your instruments!!!
We had planned a side trip to Sedona, Arizona on our way home. Sedona is a very beautiful area and the airport is one of those that you just want to add to your list of places you have flown into. The airport sits atop a 400’ mesa and looks rather challenging but I have been told it is not a difficult approach. The radar showed Sedona getting all sorts of precipitation and after talking with a friend of mine who lives in Flagstaff he confirmed that Sedona did indeed get pounded that day and that even if we wanted to we would not have gotten in there.
This is the XM weather display. You can see the storm pounding Sedona, AZ at the bottom right.
We passed the next hour or so listening to all the airline traffic dodge the storms we could see to the south and north. It made me feel a little spoiled when I would hear the regional airliners call up and ask for weather updates because they did not have radar on board. The spoiled feeling quickly turns to a feeling of relief as I heard the controller tell them that their equipment is only about 50% accurate so don’t believe everything that I tell you. I was also feeling a bit privileged to be able to just fly through the clouds rather than dodging them like we saw and heard the VFR traffic doing. After this trip I felt that getting my instrument rating was the best decision I ever made. I certainly felt a higher level of safety and confidence while flying in and around the weather.
As we approached Albuquerque we finally had to divert to the south a bit to get around a pretty good sized cloud. We could see the rain coming down from it and just did not feel it was worth the risk and the discomfort in flying through it. It was during this diversion I encountered my first “sucker hole” and it was here that I was most thankful for the onboard weather equipment. A “sucker hole” as its title suggests is a hole in the cloud that normally suckers pilots into bad situations. Typically the hole closes around the pilot after he enters it and now he can’t see where he is going. If not properly trained in this situation you can very quickly wind up in a stall/spin situation and those are usually fatal in the clouds. This particular hole was a perfect window through the cloud and the perfect size for our 182. In fact as you looked through it you could see Albuquerque and sunshine on the other side, very, very tempting. As I was admiring the view and thinking we should go through there, the lightning detector on the radar registered a strike right in the center of the hole. Now I understand why they are called “sucker holes”. A VFR pilot or someone without onboard weather would have probably flown right towards that hole hoping to save some time. They probably would have made it ok but then again they might not of. I love to gamble and play poker but I don’t like to gamble with my life. “Sucker holes” had to have gotten their name somehow and I think I understand how. We continued on our diversion, came around the backside and then were able to turn back north towards Albuquerque and Double Eagle II airport.
These clouds and the rain coming from them finally forced us to divert a bit to the south.
The storm is passing behind us finally as we start to turn back towards Albuquerque
Based on our experience on Friday we chose to stop at Double Eagle again. The cell we had diverted around had dumped a good amount of rain on the airport and the ramp was still wet. They were not busy and after fuel, the restroom and a snickers we were on our way. We took off VFR but being greedy for actual instrument time and seeing so many great clouds in front of us we called up center for an IFR clearance. We got one and they sent us up to 13,000 to clear some terrain. We advised them we could only be over 12,500 for 30 minutes and they promised to have us back down after we cleared the terrain. 20 minutes later we got a descent to 12,000 and we flew that the rest of the way home. We chose not to do the shortcut over LaVeta because the radar showed a lot of activity over that way and because it is in the mountains you have limited options when it comes to going around the cells. Turned out to be a good decision because there was a major cell over the Alamosa area and it was causing even the airliners to divert and take our routing. The remainder of the trip was pretty uneventful although the sights were all gorgeous. The sun was slowly setting to the west and the areas all seemed so fresh and clean from the rain. We eventually got on with Denver approach and received vectors right over downtown for Rocky Mountain Metro. One last visual landing, this time on 11L and we were home.
Afternoon thunderstorms brewing over the Colorado Rockies.
Impressive to look at but only at a safe distance. This baby parked over Alamosa, CO was causing all sorts of airline diversions.
Smooth flying for us but it looks a little rough to the west.
Late afternoon in Colorado can be so beautiful.
Finally home. We are about to pass over downtown Denver on our way to Rocky Mountain Metro airport.
This trip may not have been cost effective when compared to an airline ticket but it was certainly more fun. The experience was so cool that I doubt if I am giving it the justice it deserves with these words. This was the first time other than my training cross countries that I have used an airplane to go somewhere distant. I have the confidence and the knowledge that General Aviation is a viable alternative to the airlines. I may not take a 182 to New York, but I can see myself taking my family to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, or Phoenix for the weekend. The experience that I gained flying with the weather on the return trip was invaluable. You can read all you want about weather flying but until you experience it you never truly understand or appreciate it. I certainly am not saying that I am now experienced to fly anytime, anywhere and in any conditions, but I do know that I will not be so quick to cancel a flight just because of a couple of clouds. If you’re a pilot and you read this story I hope that it inspires you to get out and use your license if you’re not already doing so. I am just sorry I waited so long to experience the real joys of flying.
The gorgeous 182 used in this story was courtesy of McAir Aviation, the premier flight school in the Denver metropolitan area. Please take a moment and visit them at McAir Aviation.com
Looking east over Colorado Springs.
This is Pikes Peak, one of 54 of Colorado's fourteeners (mountains that are over 14,000 feet tall).
Once clear of the Colorado Springs airspace we are cleared direct to the Pueblo VOR and then on course. The clouds became patchy at best and then pretty much disappeared completely. It was a perfect day for flying. After crossing the Pueblo VOR we made the decision to use a shortcut through LaVeta pass. For those unable to climb to 16,000 feet and go directly across the Rockies, LaVeta offers the best route between Colorado and New Mexico. If the weather and winds are not cooperating you still have the option to go farther south before turning west. Today was a perfect flying day with clear skies and little wind. La Veta pass opens up into the San Luis Valley which is very wide and offers a pilot many escape routes such as two nearby airports and highway 160 should conditions worsen or you have engine problems. Not longer after crossing the pass do we turn southwest and head towards Los Alamos. From there it is GPS direct into the Albuquerque area. We landed at the Double Eagle II (KAEG) airport just after 10 A.M.
The Spanish Peaks. These landmarks guided Native American tribes, Spanish and French trappers, gold seekers, hunters, and American Settlers. The early Indian tribes held them in religious awe and named them Wahatoya, meaning "Breasts of the Earth".
Another view of the majestic Colorado mountains
Isn't Colorado beautiful?
Looking north as we pass through LaVeta.
Los Alamos, NM.
On the ramp at Double Eagle airport in Albuquerque, NM.
After refueling, a bathroom break, quick snack and a weather briefing we were on our way to Las Vegas. The filed route for this portion was
ABQ V12 ZUN INW V291 FLG PGS KADDY.KADD1 KHND.
This portion of the trip is pretty much a straight shot west across the northern portion of New Mexico and Arizona. I think the landscape in this part of the country is gorgeous. It may not be big beautiful mountains and trees like in Colorado, but the desert has its own charm. There certainly is not much out there although it is relatively flat and therefore offers some options for an emergency landing. One of the things I do on a long cross country is to constantly scan and pick out where I would go if the engine quit or I had an emergency. I want to immediately begin dealing with the problem and know where I am going to go. Also, I don’t want to be one of those pilots who in an emergency did not remember that they just passed an airport and instead put their airplane down in a field.
This is the area known as the painted desert.
As we approached Winslow, Arizona I can’t help thinking of the song Take it Easy by the Eagles. Apparently they have a park in Winslow that is the Standing on the Corner Park and you can have your picture taken by the sign. Maybe I will do just that my next time out this way. I find myself humming the song as we fly over Winslow.
Just outside of Winslow, Arizona I look left and see this huge hole. We look at the sectional and amazingly enough it is on the map. It is labeled meteor crater. After I got home I looked up this place on the Internet and evidently it is a pretty popular attraction complete with a visitor’s center and a museum. The crater itself is very impressive especially from above. It is nearly a mile wide and almost 500’ deep. Could the meteor that made this crater be the the one that killed the dinosaurs?
They say this is the first proven, best-preserved meteorite crater on Earth.
There was no mistaking that we were rapidly approaching Flagstaff as Mount Humphrey, Arizona’s highest peak at over 12,000 feet, started to fill the windshield. I regret not getting a picture, but I was busy picking up our IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) clearance into Las Vegas. This clearance would give us the added benefit of being under constant radar coverage by air traffic controllers. When under radar coverage you can fly when you do not have any reference to the ground such as when in a cloud. The IFR system allows you make a trip when weather conditions are not favoring flying. While there were no clouds to hinder our visibility there was still a benefit to having the IFR clearance. While under IFR air traffic controllers are responsible for keeping you separated from other air traffic. This would be like having an extra set of eyes inside the extremely busy Las Vegas airspace.
Our clearance had us flying V291 towards the Peach Springs VOR and then continuing on V291 for radar vectors to Henderson Executive airport. The controllers had us climb to 12,000 feet until after Peach Springs and then we started a systematic descent to 6,100 feet. Our last descent to 4,500 feet just cleared us over a ridge south of the Henderson airport. It was a very impressive sight as we skimmed across and then saw the Las Vegas strip come into view. After clearing the ridge it was a rapid descent to pattern altitude and then into a left downwind for runway 17L. There was a gusty crosswind during our landing but it was easily manageable. As we taxied in we noticed the winds died down to practically nothing as the Pilatus PC-12 who had been on our tail the whole way in made a easy or "greaser" landing.
The outskirts of the Grand Canyon.
Finally nearing Las Vegas. That is Lake Mead in the distance.
A closer look at Lake Mead.
This is the view behind us as we crossed that final ridge into the Las Vegas area.
The folks at the Henderson airport could not have been more professional or friendly. You would have thought we flew in on a Gulfstream instead of a little Cessna. The line person greeted us at our plane and helped us tie down. She gave us a bottle of cold water and drove us to the terminal. The airport folks just needed my cell phone number and gave me a card with the number to call for fuel when we were ready to depart. The folks at Enterprise had all the paperwork for our car ready, all I had to do was sign. Within 15 minutes of shutting down the engine we were on the road to our hotel.
To be honest as much as I love Vegas, the trip in was more exciting than the time in Vegas. As I was bleeding chips at the Poker table in Caesars I couldn't help but think that I was probably the only person at the table with their own plane waiting for them at the airport. Unlike when you travel by the airlines the best part of my vacation was getting there. Everyone else had an itinerary to keep and I had the freedom to leave when I wanted. For those flying the commercial airlines the shuttle service from the hotel to the airport is never convenient and usually results in you sitting around the airport for hours before your flight. If I wanted to sleep a little longer on departure day I could. Heck, if I won big at the poker table I could even stay a few extra days if I wanted.
Sunday July 22 2007
Win big I did not, but sleep in I did. It was a longer night before than I had planned and I wanted to make sure I got at least 8 hours of sleep before flying home. It wound up being about 10 which was a good thing. I had a long day ahead of me. I had my fingers crossed for a tailwind, but even then I knew I was going to lose an hour due to the time change flying eastbound so it would be a long day no matter what.
After topping off the rental car and grabbing a quick bite at McDonald’s we returned to Henderson airport. Before leaving the hotel I called and had them top of the 182’s tanks so upon arrival all I had to do was turn in the car. The weather briefing was all good news and contained all the usual warnings about scattered thunderstorm activity. Flying in Colorado and the southwest you quickly learn that every day in the summer they forecast thunderstorms. The conditions are perfect for storms every day but that doesn’t mean they always materialize. If I choose not to fly based only on the forecast I would probably never leave the ground in the summer months. I paid for the fuel and we got another bottle of cold water and a courtesy ride to our airplane. We did a preflight inspection of the airplane and then started the engine. Justin programmed the flight plan in while I taxied us to runway 35L for departure. We departed VFR because I had heard horror stories of waiting up to 30 minutes waiting for an IFR release from Vegas departure control. We took off to the north and immediately turned left to avoid entering McCarran’s airspace and began climbing in order to clear the ridge to the south. We had to stay under 5,000 feet until the ridge to stay clear of Class B airspace. This meant flying south a little farther before turning east so as to pass the ridge at its lowest point. Once clear of the ridge we could climb to 5,900 and 5 NM later we could go to 7,900. By this point we had begun our turn on course southeast bound. About 20 NM outside of Henderson we were free to climb to our filed altitude of 10,500.
Again as we approached Flagstaff we called to pick up an IFR clearance. We were noticing some buildup of clouds in front of us and we did not want to have to be constantly flying over, under or around them. Los Angeles center at first did not seem to want to give us a clearance. They kept asking if we were still in VFR conditions and we were but the clouds were getting heavier so we told them that if we continue on our present course we would not remain VFR and they finally granted us a clearance. The routing they gave us mirrored our filed VFR route except they had us climb to 12,000. We were ok with this because it meant that we were guaranteed some actual instrument time because the cloud levels seemed to start around 11,500 feet.
Afternoon storms are brewing.
This cloud ahead turned out to be my first actual instrument experience.
I have had my instrument rating over a year now but have never logged actual instrument flight time. It has all been simulated either in a flight simulator or “under the hood”. Flying in Colorado makes it very difficult to get actual instrument time because when you have clouds in Colorado it is either too cold and you have the threat of ice or it is the middle of summer and those clouds all contain thunderstorms. I felt both excitement and trepidation as we approached the first cloud that we would be flying through. One of the additional features available with the G1000 system is XM weather. After this experience I believe that onboard weather radar such as XM is a must have. Most of the clouds in front of us were pretty menacing looking on the outside but they were not even registering on the radar which meant they did not have any rain showers or lightning in them. Without the benefit of radar I would have more than likely avoided them and flown around them. I learned also that even the ones that show up as green on the radar are ok to fly through. Green indicates light precipitation and probably no turbulence. Yellow on the radar would indicate a bumpy ride and defiantly some rain but again safe to fly through. Orange and red are definite no no’s and you divert around those every time. Even the airliners will divert around those types of clouds.
The view from inside the cloud. Trust your instruments, trust your instruments!!!
We had planned a side trip to Sedona, Arizona on our way home. Sedona is a very beautiful area and the airport is one of those that you just want to add to your list of places you have flown into. The airport sits atop a 400’ mesa and looks rather challenging but I have been told it is not a difficult approach. The radar showed Sedona getting all sorts of precipitation and after talking with a friend of mine who lives in Flagstaff he confirmed that Sedona did indeed get pounded that day and that even if we wanted to we would not have gotten in there.
This is the XM weather display. You can see the storm pounding Sedona, AZ at the bottom right.
We passed the next hour or so listening to all the airline traffic dodge the storms we could see to the south and north. It made me feel a little spoiled when I would hear the regional airliners call up and ask for weather updates because they did not have radar on board. The spoiled feeling quickly turns to a feeling of relief as I heard the controller tell them that their equipment is only about 50% accurate so don’t believe everything that I tell you. I was also feeling a bit privileged to be able to just fly through the clouds rather than dodging them like we saw and heard the VFR traffic doing. After this trip I felt that getting my instrument rating was the best decision I ever made. I certainly felt a higher level of safety and confidence while flying in and around the weather.
As we approached Albuquerque we finally had to divert to the south a bit to get around a pretty good sized cloud. We could see the rain coming down from it and just did not feel it was worth the risk and the discomfort in flying through it. It was during this diversion I encountered my first “sucker hole” and it was here that I was most thankful for the onboard weather equipment. A “sucker hole” as its title suggests is a hole in the cloud that normally suckers pilots into bad situations. Typically the hole closes around the pilot after he enters it and now he can’t see where he is going. If not properly trained in this situation you can very quickly wind up in a stall/spin situation and those are usually fatal in the clouds. This particular hole was a perfect window through the cloud and the perfect size for our 182. In fact as you looked through it you could see Albuquerque and sunshine on the other side, very, very tempting. As I was admiring the view and thinking we should go through there, the lightning detector on the radar registered a strike right in the center of the hole. Now I understand why they are called “sucker holes”. A VFR pilot or someone without onboard weather would have probably flown right towards that hole hoping to save some time. They probably would have made it ok but then again they might not of. I love to gamble and play poker but I don’t like to gamble with my life. “Sucker holes” had to have gotten their name somehow and I think I understand how. We continued on our diversion, came around the backside and then were able to turn back north towards Albuquerque and Double Eagle II airport.
These clouds and the rain coming from them finally forced us to divert a bit to the south.
The storm is passing behind us finally as we start to turn back towards Albuquerque
Based on our experience on Friday we chose to stop at Double Eagle again. The cell we had diverted around had dumped a good amount of rain on the airport and the ramp was still wet. They were not busy and after fuel, the restroom and a snickers we were on our way. We took off VFR but being greedy for actual instrument time and seeing so many great clouds in front of us we called up center for an IFR clearance. We got one and they sent us up to 13,000 to clear some terrain. We advised them we could only be over 12,500 for 30 minutes and they promised to have us back down after we cleared the terrain. 20 minutes later we got a descent to 12,000 and we flew that the rest of the way home. We chose not to do the shortcut over LaVeta because the radar showed a lot of activity over that way and because it is in the mountains you have limited options when it comes to going around the cells. Turned out to be a good decision because there was a major cell over the Alamosa area and it was causing even the airliners to divert and take our routing. The remainder of the trip was pretty uneventful although the sights were all gorgeous. The sun was slowly setting to the west and the areas all seemed so fresh and clean from the rain. We eventually got on with Denver approach and received vectors right over downtown for Rocky Mountain Metro. One last visual landing, this time on 11L and we were home.
Afternoon thunderstorms brewing over the Colorado Rockies.
Impressive to look at but only at a safe distance. This baby parked over Alamosa, CO was causing all sorts of airline diversions.
Smooth flying for us but it looks a little rough to the west.
Late afternoon in Colorado can be so beautiful.
Finally home. We are about to pass over downtown Denver on our way to Rocky Mountain Metro airport.
This trip may not have been cost effective when compared to an airline ticket but it was certainly more fun. The experience was so cool that I doubt if I am giving it the justice it deserves with these words. This was the first time other than my training cross countries that I have used an airplane to go somewhere distant. I have the confidence and the knowledge that General Aviation is a viable alternative to the airlines. I may not take a 182 to New York, but I can see myself taking my family to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, or Phoenix for the weekend. The experience that I gained flying with the weather on the return trip was invaluable. You can read all you want about weather flying but until you experience it you never truly understand or appreciate it. I certainly am not saying that I am now experienced to fly anytime, anywhere and in any conditions, but I do know that I will not be so quick to cancel a flight just because of a couple of clouds. If you’re a pilot and you read this story I hope that it inspires you to get out and use your license if you’re not already doing so. I am just sorry I waited so long to experience the real joys of flying.
The gorgeous 182 used in this story was courtesy of McAir Aviation, the premier flight school in the Denver metropolitan area. Please take a moment and visit them at McAir Aviation.com
