Flight Training - September 2012 - 44

FLIGHT LESSON

By Andrew Kurtz
FLIGHT LESSON offers the opportunity for pilots to learn from the experiences of others.

A FORECAST THAT DIDN’T COOPERATE

OVER THE TOP

hen a business meeting required a colleague and me to visit a plant in central Ohio, I jumped at the opportunity to fly us there in my Cessna 172. We took the trip and got our business done.
as we took off, but very soon it was far behind, and we cruised for the next three hours in very bright, clear skies at 7,500 feet msl. I have a Garmin 430, so I always knew where I was and where various airports below were, and I tracked my progress with VOR as a backup and to keep in practice. I also used VFR flight following. As I approached Pittsburgh, I began to notice way below me clouds or fog between mountain ridges. The cloud cover grew denser and eventually became a total undercast, but I didn’t think much about it. I had no need for pilotage to navigate, and I was in beautiful clear skies. In hindsight, though, I realize my first risk factor was that landing safely at an alternate place, in the event of engine failure

I am not at all blasé about the inherent risks of flying. I take weather briefings seriously and I respect the weather, because it is the most potentially risky element of flying over which I have absolutely no control. The morning of our return flight to New Jersey, a rainy front was coming toward us from the west, and I wanted to leave early to get ahead of it. I actually got two weather briefings back to back. I like the DUATS briefings because I can read and absorb the information at my own pace, and I am used to finding TFRs and notams in that format. But I also called for a briefing to discuss the weather to the east. The briefer seemed confident that the morning overcast would burn off long before I got there. The central Jersey forecast was for scattered clouds at 3,000 and a ceiling of 12,000 feet. Trained to respect the sentence, “VFR flight is not recommended,” I even asked the briefer outright: “Are you saying this VFR flight is prudent?” The response I got was a clear “Yes.” We launched at about 7 a.m. The approaching rain was right behind us

LESSONS LEARNED
The weather is always changing; don't become complacent. Don't wait too long to ask ATC for help, or your options will become limited.

or other in-flight emergency, would have been impossible. As I continued eastbound, the expected clearing of the clouds below did not happen. I spoke a bit with Flight Watch, and they still expected things to be clear by the time of my arrival in New Jersey. But as my GPS told me I was crossing the Delaware River—and I still could see absolutely nothing below me except a white expanse—I suddenly realized I had a problem. I spoke to New York Approach, and they immediately provided good help. I can’t be sure, but it seemed as though they may have assigned me my own controller. He learned from some other pilots that there were some breaks in the clouds a little north of my destination, and provided me vectors toward Solberg. We did find a small hole in the clouds, and I told the controller I intended to drop through it to get below the 2,000foot ceiling. I cut power, put on carburetor heat, forward slipped, and more or less did the right things. I did find, however, as I struggled to keep within the walls of this hole, that I got almost to VNE on the way down. I quickly leveled the wings and pulled up to reduce airspeed, fortunately emerging below the overcast by that time. From there, we proceeded to my home airport uneventfully. Here are some of the lessons I took away from this experience: Don’t ever stop observing the weather throughout any cross-country flight. A forecast is simply a prediction, and the weather is always changing. VFR-over-the-top flight is legal and safe as long as no in-flight emergency occurs, but it is not wise and offers limited options for unplanned events. An instrument rating would have made this situation a total nonissue. ATC was very helpful, and seeking their help as soon as I sensed I had a problem was a smart strategy. Losing altitude fast, as when trying to drop through a somewhat small hole, is difficult to do. Airspeed can get away from you easily.

ALEX WILLIAMSON

44 /

FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

http://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

Flight Training - September 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - September 2012