SF Bay Area to San Diego

Hi,

I'm planning to make a trip from RHV to MYF in a C182 this weekend and
back. I could do some really mild IFR, but I'd really rather be VFR.
Although I got my IR last year, I don't have a lot of hours (250 total
and only 15hrs in the previous year) and feel nervous when I have to
travel through different WX system. What I'm facing? Will I be making
any mistake by choosing the inland route vs the coast one (or vise
versa)? I'd imaging coastal flight would be pretty. In the SF Bay Area
you could almost get away with VFR locally even there is a winter
storm nearby. What about the SCal?

Thanks a lot for any tips and help,

Jizhong

Hi Jizhong,

Inland socal has a higher probability of clear weather than the coast-
we often get clouds within 5-10 miles of the coast. We just had a
storm come through and another one is due next week, not sure of the
effect of them on the weather this weekend. The coastal run is nice,
but you can always decide a few hours before wheels up.

-lance smith


wrote in message . ..
Hi,

I'm planning to make a trip from RHV to MYF in a C182 this weekend and
back. I could do some really mild IFR, but I'd really rather be VFR.
Although I got my IR last year, I don't have a lot of hours (250 total
and only 15hrs in the previous year) and feel nervous when I have to
travel through different WX system. What I'm facing? Will I be making
any mistake by choosing the inland route vs the coast one (or vise
versa)? I'd imaging coastal flight would be pretty. In the SF Bay Area
you could almost get away with VFR locally even there is a winter
storm nearby. What about the SCal?

Thanks a lot for any tips and help,

Jizhong

Yes, I'm a little worried about the wx on this weekend. Looks like
SoCal is going to be sunny, but the bay area will be wet. Thanks for
the information.

Jizhong
On 13 Nov 2003 07:38:18 -0800, (lance smith)
wrote:

Hi Jizhong,

Inland socal has a higher probability of clear weather than the coast-
we often get clouds within 5-10 miles of the coast. We just had a
storm come through and another one is due next week, not sure of the
effect of them on the weather this weekend. The coastal run is nice,
but you can always decide a few hours before wheels up.

-lance smith


wrote in message . ..
Hi,

I'm planning to make a trip from RHV to MYF in a C182 this weekend and
back. I could do some really mild IFR, but I'd really rather be VFR.
Although I got my IR last year, I don't have a lot of hours (250 total
and only 15hrs in the previous year) and feel nervous when I have to
travel through different WX system. What I'm facing? Will I be making
any mistake by choosing the inland route vs the coast one (or vise
versa)? I'd imaging coastal flight would be pretty. In the SF Bay Area
you could almost get away with VFR locally even there is a winter
storm nearby. What about the SCal?

Thanks a lot for any tips and help,

Jizhong

So, I did not go last weekend because of the marginal weather. I'm
going to try again this weekend. It looks like the weather is going to
be clear Friday night. I'm thinking of a night flight. Will this be a
foolish choice to cross the Gorman pass in the dark?

Jizhong

You should be fine. Just get some altitude, it can get windy in those
mountains. Weather looks good for this weekend too.

-lance smith


wrote in message . ..
So, I did not go last weekend because of the marginal weather. I'm
going to try again this weekend. It looks like the weather is going to
be clear Friday night. I'm thinking of a night flight. Will this be a
foolish choice to cross the Gorman pass in the dark?

Jizhong

I've been doing a LVK or OAk to RAL flight on occasion lately and I've
been flying more easterly than directly over Gorman. It keeps me
closer to flat lands of the high desert in case the big wheel out
front has a problem. Although at night there's not much out that way
to allow for a differential between flat and rocky.

I'm not sure I would do the flight at night single engine, depends on
how much I trust the plane. Other than that I would do the usual
things, flight following if not IFR and stay as high as possible.

I have some new business in SD so I'll be making a similar trek back
and forth to SDM starting the first of the year, enjoy the flight.

Strange question to ask. You ought to know your capabilities and that of the
aircraft best.

wrote in message
...
So, I did not go last weekend because of the marginal weather. I'm
going to try again this weekend. It looks like the weather is going to
be clear Friday night. I'm thinking of a night flight. Will this be a
foolish choice to cross the Gorman pass in the dark?

Jizhong

Single Engine
Night
Mountains


Pick any two.

Jim
(CFI from the mountains)



shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

I'm thinking of a night flight. Will this be a
-foolish choice to cross the Gorman pass in the dark?
-
-Jizhong


Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

Jumped into this late as I just saw it...but
did you do the flight?

If so I bet it was alot less eventful than you guessed it'd be. Is this an
owned or rented C182? Rented I'd have a few more reservations, owned and
well known - not that many.

This night/single engine/mountain flight stuff is always a hot topic amongst
a couple pilot friends of mine. Perhaps history and training has something
to do with it (they were trained where mountains are no higher than 2k, I
was trained from the Continental Divide and west). As far as the 2 out of 3
rule, if those 2 are single engine and mountains, is that a no-go factor? I
guess I'd never fly then. This IS a C182 you're talking about, right? They
go considerably higher than 4k or even 8 or 10k feet.

What is the comfort level then? Gliding distance to an airport? 3-4k above
terrain? Does that number change based on winds or cloud coverage? I'll
take clear night VFR over Gorman than solid IMC down there in the day.
Personally I'd take the Gorman routing over the coast (IMC) or Tehachapi
Pass (strong winds), but have done each several times. Now I have to deal
with passes no lower than 10k if I want to go west, they arent to be feared,
just respected.

Just for grins I fired up Anywhere Map Flight Planner, it's the one with the
"Cones of Safety" that put circles around airports. It is based on your
altitude and the glide performance you plug in. It doesn't account for
winds. Over GMN at 8,500 you'd be still within glide range of CL96, and
over GRAPE intersection within gliding distance of 7CA2. There is a gap in
between though. Bump that up to 10,500 and that gap is gone. Use those
numbers as you will, no guarantees you'd make those airfields, may have to
do everything RIGHT to make it, but it's not like flying through the Andes.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, personally, I don't make my go no-go
decisions based on personal opinions to the extent I sit and not go at all.
Typical scenario for me is to get in the air, climb up, and make my decision
before the point of no return. Often times that's at 12,500 approaching the
Continental Divide westbound. The decision has to be made to climb,
continue forward, take notice of up/downdrafts and turbulence, visibility on
both sides of the pass, etc. This is without the benefit of a international
airport width continuous runway (I-5) below. Foolish to make this flight?
I think not. The fact you ask it though... if you're not confident in your
decision making skills or the airplane, then you should have doubts.

Go get a mountain checkout, and read the book "Mountain Flying Bible" by
Sparky Imeson. Just for fun fly it with FS2004, it'll give you some idea
what it'd look like with varying altitudes, weather, and darkness. Cut the
engine while you're at it. Simple rules don't apply to all decisions. As
far as IFR or VFR - fly VFR with flight following, that way you can pick
your route and fly directly over airports as you see fit. The airways don't
always do this for you.
And Greg, that "Bakersfield, Santa Barbara and back to Brackett/Pomona"
mustve been popular with instructors, mine assigned that one to me, too.
In a Traumahawk no less.
Chris