It looks like if we fly to HOT to see the #eclipse, we’ll not only not see the eclipse (broken 1,500’), but we’ll be trapped there until Thursday because of thunderstorms arriving right after.
Working on plan B. We have family in southern Michigan; can fly/drive from there.
We can get back home (MIC) on Monday, but I’ll be flying because #IFR.
I’m pretty sure I heard her turn toward her co-worker and say in a low voice “He’s below my personal minimums.”
💀🤣
https://airfactsjournal.com/2024/01/best-fbos-and-my-personal-minimums/
We’re headed to NYC tomorrow. I considered flying there myself, as it’s a bucket list item, but ultimately thought it unlikely we’d get there on time in a small airplane this time of year. Turns out that was a good call, as the forecast is for icing the whole way. #flyga #buthaveaplanb
2022 by the numbers: 79.6 hours, 55 landings, 7.2 actual IMC, 5.2 hours night, 46 complex/retract, 20 high performance. Flew P28A, P28B, P28R, P32R, and C150. Most exotic airport: TFFG, Saint Martin. First year I landed at Class Bravo airports: KIAD (Washington/Dulles), KORD (Chicago/O’Hare).
Not bad for this guy.
Recently I flew myself into O’Hare International in Chicago (ORD), one of the busiest airports in the world. It was quite the experience, flying single pilot in a small, slow airplane amongst all the airliners.
The controllers were amazing, giving me as much workload as I could handle and supporting me to keep things moving efficiently and safely.
Flying in was pretty easy. I was VFR, meaning I was responsible for my own navigation until I got to within 30 nautical miles of the airport. The approach controllers assigned me the runway I expected and vectored my in, asking me to keep my speed up as there was another jet behind me (a reasonably slow CRJ). I did so, following a 737 and using the far half of the runway to get out of the way faster (there’s only a taxiway at each end of this runway, and nowhere to exit in the middle). Taxiing was relatively simple with few issues.
Departing was a much bigger deal. It was night, and I elected to fly under IFR, meaning that ATC would be giving me directions. I called to pick up my clearance, which was read to me with truly impressive speed: “cleared to MIC via OHARE a seven departure, PMPKN NEATO DLLAN RONIC BAE WAGNR (the latter being spelled faster than I could write), climb via OHARE SEVEN departure. I tried to read it back as best I could, but inevitably tripped it up. Eventually I had the clearance filed and was wondering how to access the OHARE SEVEN departure plate, as I’ve never before had to depart using a Standard Instrument Departure (SID).
I called ground to pick up a taxi clearance I was sent to “ground metering,” whatever that is. They got me to an intersection on the runway and told me to monitor ground, which picked me up and sent me on a long trip amongst airliners, busses, luggage trains, and all kinds of crazy things. Along the way ground gave me a new clearance to fly: “SIMMN.” Wish they’d started there, but at least now I had a clue where I was heading.
Eventually they got me to my assigned runway and I waited for my turn, and then for the wake of the Jet in front of me to clear, and I got my takeoff clearance. Woohoo! A few vectors from ATC and I was on my way home.
Since then I’ve reviewed SID procedures and learned a few tricks in ForeFlight to help me with them. It was a great experience and I’m glad it went so well.
Six instrument approaches and a hold and a circle to land in actual IMC and I have another 190 days of instrument currency. And wow was it windy.
https://www.foreflight.com/s/track/1653498246-BCA97998-B07F-40AD-9372-6FACAF904BCF/
Made it home safe and sound after a work-related trip to #Cincinnati, a visit to southern #Michigan to visit family, and a return flight that was interrupted by a potty break in #Wisconsin. Nearly ten hours of flying, mostly #VFR but one #IFR departure with an amended clearance, one blaring stall horn due to a bug in the switch, one attempt to locate a non-communicating Cirrus pilot, and one parallel landing with a 737.
KMIC - KLUK - KOEB - KEFT - KMIC
Another timelapse of last night's return to #Minneapolis.
https://peertube.koehn.com/videos/watch/85789873-7e7e-4b24-a87d-0f5cf6b669da
I mounted my phone to the plane and took a timelapse video starting around Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, northwest of Chattanooga.
https://peertube.koehn.com/videos/watch/b1ea1b12-47b0-43dc-9e47-2c382d0c7c11
