Personal VFR Minimums

Hey all,

Thought I'd share a story of (unintentionally, of course) my first
flight where the weather made me feel a bit uneasy, and learned a good
lesson about why maintaining minimums are so important.

I'm a new pilot... got my PP-ASEL 5/25/04 with 48 hours. Now I have
about 70 with the majority of hours since my license being X-countries.

So I had this pleasure trip from Minneapolis Crystal (MIC) to Duluth Sky
Harbor (DYT) all planned out for last Sunday. DYT is supposed to be a
beautiful airport, running right down a sandy barrier island on the
south shore of Lake Superior. Duluth itself is also supposed to be a
nice city, not to mention beautiful flying along the rocky north shore.

Unfortunately, I woke up Sunday AM in Minneapolis to overcast and about
400 foot ceilings. Things started to thin out around 9:30 so I headed
up to the airport to keep a closer watch on the sky. Around 10 the sky
was still overcast, and a line of weakening thunderstorms were slowly
coming east from western Minnesota.

Around noon, the clouds magically parted, the sun came out and I was off
to Duluth, hoping to arrive and enjoy the city, then let the line of
thunderstorms pass, and then return in the evening..

I got VFR Flight Following and opened my VFR flight plan. Minne Appr
cleared me to 3000 then MP Ctr cleared me to my requested 5,500 which
happened to be nicely between a broken level 3000' - 4,500' and a thin
overcast around 11,000. I'd flown "on top" before so I was definitely
comfortable here (it was smoother too).

However, as I got closer to Duluth I couldn't take my eyes away from
dark, low clouds approaching from the west. Not only that, but the
cumulus clouds in the layer below me were getting bigger. ATC gave me
clearance for 7,500 to "Maintain VFR" and I heard them giving advisories
to IFR aircraft near me in "negative visibility." I was probably their
traffic! I was keeping my checkpoints by my glimpses of I-35 and my VOR
checkpoints.

I finally made a decision: weighing between the enjoyment of spending
the afternoon in Duluth in the rain multiplied by the likelihood of me
being able to leave DYT at all, waiting for VFR conditions to return. I
decided to turn around. At that second, Mpls Ctr said,

"Cherokee 242FT, for further traffic advisories, contact Duluth Appr on
xxx.xx"

I replied, "Minneapolis, this is Cherokee 242FT. The weather doesn't
look good to the west, I'm turning around to return to Crystal."

ZMP: "Cherokee 242FT, are you turning around now, or flying two more
miles?"

Me: "I'm turning around now."

ZMP: "Roger, I've got you returning to MIC. Maintain 8,500 and navigate
to maintain VFR."

[Interestingly, I had met another VFR pilot named Ed that morning, with
about 2,000 more hours than me, also checking the weather before
departing MIC. He was heading to Chicago. We talked a little about
decision making and what the weather would do that afternoon. He
himself had gotten his PP in the 80's in the airplane that I was flying
that day.

About two minutes after turning around, Mpls Ctr radioed me again.

"Cherokee 242FT, I have a message for you. Eddie who's near LaCrosse
wants me to tell you 'You made the right decision.'"

Me: "Thank you very much, Minneapolis."

How cool! He must have been listening to the same Center controller!
It was also very nice of him to recognize my N-number and care enough to
have Mpls Ctr pass on the message.]

So anyway, I'm heading back to Minneapolis, and I'm still watching these
clouds come in from the west. I actually fly more due south toward
Siren, Wisc., first, then cut back toward the Twin Cities. ZMP tells me
to descend and maintain 4,500, and I pick my way through the clouds.

As I'm cutting back west toward the Cities, I'm getting closer and close
to these tall, low clouds I've been watching this whole time. At 4,500,
I have plenty distance from clouds, but now I'm in the rain and my
visibility is probably 4-5 miles.

When I'm handed off to Minneapolis Approach, they tell me to maintain
3,000' and fly direct "Gopher." Gopher? What is that? The VOR? Does
that mean I'm cleared on that route? (Can someone help me out with
this? ATC giving clearances to Navaids to VFR pilots?) So I do as I'm
told and head at about 230 degrees to the VOR.

Finally, I'm really in too much rain, and I'm not comfortable anymore.
I radio: "Minneapolis Approach, Cherokee 242FT. My visibility is
deteriorating, and I'm not comfortable anymore. I'd like to land at Anoka."

Mpls App: "You're going to Anoka now?"

Me: "Affirmative. The visibility is deteriorating, and I don't want to
keep heading west."

Mpls: "OK. Cherokee 242FT, contact Anoka Tower on 126.05."

The visibility was better a little lower, but on final, I heard the
Cessna holding short for me ask tower if there was rain nearby. I
reported,

"Anoka Tower, Cherokee 242FT reporting 2 mile final for runway 18, and
it's still raining here at 1,800'"

Anoka: "It's raining there? Really?"

Me: "Sure is."

Was one of my best landings ever (as my nerves were really on edge).
After the rain shower passes, I scud run the 7 miles between Class D
airports and return to Crystal.

Watching the weather after I got home, Duluth had scattered showers all
afternoon and evening long. I'm sure I would have had to spend the
night if I'd decided to land.

Thanks for reading my story. Any thoughts, comments, questions? Anyone
with similar experiences as new or old pilots?

Can anyone explain my clearance to GEP?

Thanks, and I hope you all have clear skies and happy flying.

Neil Bratney

PS, I posted this to rec.aviation.student, too.