Today's IMC lesson (Missed Approaches)
A Lieberman
to be IFR conditions. I also needed to get the oil changed in the
airplane, so I coordinated with my instructor a lesson to fly at 9:00
a.m. and then take the plane to the A&P for the oil change. Well, the
weather had different plans for me today....
I get to the airport at 8:45, do my preflight and meet up with my
instructor. We would do 2 ILS at HKS, two back course localizers at JAN
and then come back to Madison. ASOS reported 300 scattered and 1200
overcast with winds out of 340 at 9 knots. All the weather reports
indicated stratiform clouds, so I did not expect any turbulence.
My instructor after my runup, called JAN for a local IFR flight plan to
HKS we were told to hold, and then given our clearance to take off. I
take off on 35 and 300 feet later in the air, we go into the clouds. We
break out on top at 1000 feet between layers. Seeing from above, it was
a little more then scattered toward HKS.
We ask for radar vectors for our first approach. Shortly before getting
to our first approach fix, we go back into the clouds. We start
intercepting the localizer and turn inbound for the ILS 16 at HKS.
Still in the clouds, start the descent. At 800 feet, break out of the
clouds, and we do a low approach per tower instructions. I felt real
good with this approach. We ask JAN approach for a second approach and
do the second ILS to 16. My approach I felt was stable as a table. The
ceiling dropped to 700 feet, so we decided to call it the day and go
back to MBO knowing this was right at MBO's minimums. We were in solid
IMC at this point as the layers closed in and light rain was falling.
Because of traffic, JAN approach said they would provide vectors back to
MBO. We intercept the 137 radial off the JAN VOR and start our descent
down to MDA of 860. My instructor said for me to fly the plane, and he
would look out for any sign of ground reference. I flew the 137 radial,
and 5.2 miles DME, no sight of the airport, so we execute missed
approach (for real reasons!). I follow the missed approach instructions
JAN provided, turning 050 and climbing to 3000 feet. We head back to
the VOR and asked JAN if we could try again doing a full procedure Alpha
A approach. JAN approved, and we try again. No sight of airport, just
solid IMC. Knowing we would not land at MBO, we said to JAN, we need to
go to HKS. JAN approves and we head to HKS. JAN provided vectors, so
getting to the localizer was not hard. We start our descent, I am right
on glide slope, reading out altitude every 100 feet to my instructor.
We get down to 541 (200 AGL!!) and no sooner then we cross that altitude
did we see the rabbit strobes. Because we were landing downwind (9 knot
tailwind), I used every bit of the 5387 foot runway to come to a
complete stop. Braking was hard as the runway had quite a bit of water,
so I had to really ease on the brakes.
It is just amazing how the instrument works, breaking out and the runway
is in front of you.
We waited 2 hours at HKS, and found that the weather was not going to
improve. We saw 3 other planes that were inbound for MBO divert to HKS,
so we hitched a ride to MBO by car with a pilot that had transportation
previously arranged. Needless to say, the lesson today was awesome.
Minor inconvienance to leave the airplane at another airport but to see
the system work the way it was designed is really something.
Needless to say, called my A&P and told him, we will not be back for oil
change. My instructor will pick up my plane tomorrow (weather
permitting!) during the day so the oil can get changed.
I asked my instructor how often has he ever encountered minimums on an
ILS approach, and he said in 1200 hours, he has only diverted once, and
until today, never had it as bad as today where he could not see any
ground reference at MBO.
Great lesson today!
Allen
Roger Halstead
wrote:
<snip>
>
>I asked my instructor how often has he ever encountered minimums on an
>ILS approach, and he said in 1200 hours, he has only diverted once, and
>until today, never had it as bad as today where he could not see any
>ground reference at MBO.
>
Congratulations and good story.
To my way of thinking that is a great way for an instrument student to
gain confidence in both them selves and the system.
In most cases the pilot with a fresh instrument ticket has to work his
or her way down to flying minimums. I was probably more proficient
when I took the check ride than a year or two later as I just don't
fly as much actual as I did back then.
Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
>Great lesson today!
>
>Allen