Run-in with Chicago Center

under that cloud layer. Besides, there are some very, very tall
towers out there; that Cherokee of yours may be a boxy, funny-looking
little airplane, but it would look a heck of a lot worse hanging from
a guy wire on one of those 1,500 foot towers that live out in the
flatlands.

As an aside, my personal minimum of 2000 feet for "flatland cross-country
flight" USED to be 3000 feet.

The main change? The AvMap. It displays towers so clearly on that big
color screen, that you'd have to be a complete dunce to hit one.

That's what I mean when I say that the AvMap has changed the way we fly.

Not many people
understand that God intended football to be played outside, in the
cold, sleet and snow, so the Packers are God's elite.

Yeah, they are a special team, and going to Lambeau was a real treat. That
place is just ROCKING with enthusiasm and adoration for "their" team, and
there simply is not a bad seat in the house. I've been a fan since I was a
kid in West Bend, WI, back in the "Glory Years" of the 1960s, so to be where
Bart Starr and Ray Nitchke played was almost religious.

Best of all, unlike a soccer game, there's no animosity of any kind --
everyone is there for a good time, not to beat the crap out of the opposing
fans.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On 18 Aug 2004 06:40:55 -0700, (Rick Durden)
wrote:

Jeez, it used to be that there would be three or four broken
bones per game, with a couple of fatalities each season. Now that the
game is played by limp wrists, wearing all sorts of pads, in warm
weather, the only fatalities are generally from heat stroke and I'd be
surprised if there are a dozen broken bones in all the NFL games in a
season.

Football is still played like this, it's just called Rugby.

Corky Scott

Rick...

ROFLMAO. Nicely done.

Jim


(Rick Durden)
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

-Jay,
-
- First of all, what the devil were you doing going to a football game,
-especially in Green Bay, in August?



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

Jay, the time thing is a bear.

But while you may not cancel many flights that you may "feel comfortable
with flying IFR", you will make more of those flights that you do make "more
comfortably" IFR. More safely too.

Ironically, IFR you will spend more time in the sun rather than among the
attennaes. Bring your sunglasses.

Com'on Jay, try to make the time!

(but you've heard all that)

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:fLKUc.9708$Fg5.53@attbi_s53...
While the instrument rating may get one through some events, it is not a
guarantee. In a single engine piston aircraft without weather
avoidance equipment, one runs the risk of flying into embedded cells.

My main reason for not finishing up my instrument training has been a lack
of time. A close second, however, is the fact that I have been tracking
my
"weather vs. flight" ratio for several years, and it is indeed a rare VFR
flight that is cancelled because of conditions that I would feel
comfortable
with flying IFR.

The flights I've scrubbed have usually been because of thunderstorms
(which
I wouldn't challenge IFR) or snow/ice -- for which my Pathfinder is not
equipped. I also have no weather avoidance equipment on board, so flying
in
August in the clag would be unwise. (Check out a radar loop for Iowa
today,
and you'll see why.)

The bottom line is painful, but true: Until I own a much more capable
aircraft than Atlas, an IFR ticket would be a nice ego booster, but not
much
use.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

The main change? The AvMap. It displays towers so clearly on that big
color screen, that you'd have to be a complete dunce to hit one.

Until these databases are and stay perfect...

- Andrew

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
newsFKUc.182853$eM2.74223@attbi_s51...
Not required. Sometimes towers want to know when your clear their
airspace, sometimes they don't care.

Yeah, I used to tell Class D towers when I was clear all the time, till a
controller somewhat sarcastically responded "Uh, okay niner-niner-three."

From his tone of voice it was obvious that he really didn't care (and was,
in fact, somewhat annoyed that I called him), so I no longer bother.

Well it really depends on where you're at. Around here, two of the busier
Class D airports definitely appreciate a call when you're clear. I just pipe
up very briefly with, "53K is clear to the northeast" and usually get a
"frequency change approved good day" response. Can't hurt.

--
Guy Elden Jr.

I agree about the increase in safety. I don't tempt fates unless there's a
clear line through thunderstorms, one that is visible above the cloud tops,
and ice is just a simple no-go unless the clouds are nice and high (or
broken). I actually haven't even bothered trying to fly in winter if there
are clouds near or above the freezing level.

I also realized something... time spent on pre-season football could be
_much_ better spent on an IFR ticket for getting to the _real_ games later
in the season! :-) Now that I've had my instrument ticket for over a year,
I've found that I use it all the time, even in weather that is very clear
and very visible. I like to fly long distances (done New Jersey to Atlanta
twice now round-trip), and have found that if I'd just gone direct versus
flying the airways I would've saved maybe 5 - 10 minutes tops on each leg.
Not enough by far to leave behind the higher safety factor that IFR offers.
You get separated from all IFR traffic, and usually get calls about VFR
traffic. But even if you don't get a VFR call, the number of VFR pilots who
fly above about 2 - 3,000 feet AGL is much, much smaller than those who fly
closer to the ground. I can't even remember the last time I got a traffic
call for VFR traffic while flying IFR anywhere above a cruising altitude of
4,000 ft.

Another thing to consider is that on those marginal days, you'll still be
able to climb to a nice, comfortable cruising altitude and get better fuel
economy... not to mention a much smoother ride, and depending on direction,
a stiff tailwind to boot. The extra training alone will help improve your
skills, which is always a good thing as we all continue to use our "licenses
to learn".

--
Guy Elden Jr.


"Maule Driver" wrote in message
r.com...
Jay, the time thing is a bear.

But while you may not cancel many flights that you may "feel comfortable
with flying IFR", you will make more of those flights that you do make
"more
comfortably" IFR. More safely too.

Ironically, IFR you will spend more time in the sun rather than among the
attennaes. Bring your sunglasses.

Com'on Jay, try to make the time!

(but you've heard all that)

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:fLKUc.9708$Fg5.53@attbi_s53...
While the instrument rating may get one through some events, it is not
a
guarantee. In a single engine piston aircraft without weather
avoidance equipment, one runs the risk of flying into embedded cells.

My main reason for not finishing up my instrument training has been a
lack
of time. A close second, however, is the fact that I have been tracking
my
"weather vs. flight" ratio for several years, and it is indeed a rare
VFR
flight that is cancelled because of conditions that I would feel
comfortable
with flying IFR.

The flights I've scrubbed have usually been because of thunderstorms
(which
I wouldn't challenge IFR) or snow/ice -- for which my Pathfinder is not
equipped. I also have no weather avoidance equipment on board, so
flying
in
August in the clag would be unwise. (Check out a radar loop for Iowa
today,
and you'll see why.)

The bottom line is painful, but true: Until I own a much more capable
aircraft than Atlas, an IFR ticket would be a nice ego booster, but not
much
use.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Andrew Gideon" wrote in message
online.com...
Jay Honeck wrote:

The main change? The AvMap. It displays towers so clearly on that big
color screen, that you'd have to be a complete dunce to hit one.

Until these databases are and stay perfect...

I'll second that. I noticed while flying in Atlanta a few weeks ago that the
GPS (KLN 89B w/moving map) in the plane I rented did not display the Class D
around Dobbins AFB correctly. My sectional showed the SE cutout extension
which I presume is there for ILS approaches, but the moving map did not
display it at all. And the database was current! Guess it might be a
limitation of the software, but I'm leaning toward the "data being
innacurate" explanation.

--
Guy Elden Jr.

""weather vs. flight" ratio for several years, and it is indeed a rare VFR
flight that is cancelled because of conditions that I would feel comfortable
with flying IFR."

Jay,

As you just found out, weather many times has nothing to do with filing IFR.
It is just far simpler to file IFR and let the controllers worry about the
airspace ahead.

Usually in any kind of high density area, east coast, Los Angeles, Etc. IFR
is just way easier, faster, more relaxing and safer. Even in severe clear!

Karl

Jay,

Dream On! if you think you can rely on AvMap to have all the current
obstacles.

I have a great story about Clyde Wells hitting the wires that weren't there
yesterday.

You are getting desperate in your justification of not getting the other 75%
of your training.


Karl


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:TSKUc.320508$JR4.111734@attbi_s54...
under that cloud layer. Besides, there are some very, very tall
towers out there; that Cherokee of yours may be a boxy, funny-looking
little airplane, but it would look a heck of a lot worse hanging from
a guy wire on one of those 1,500 foot towers that live out in the
flatlands.

As an aside, my personal minimum of 2000 feet for "flatland cross-country
flight" USED to be 3000 feet.

The main change? The AvMap. It displays towers so clearly on that big
color screen, that you'd have to be a complete dunce to hit one.

That's what I mean when I say that the AvMap has changed the way we fly.