I love being instrument rated. :)

Out here in the Rocky Mountain states, those of us who are instrument
rated rarely get a chance to practice our skills in real IMC since
"real IMC" usually implies either thunderstorms (summer) or severe icing
condiditions and blowing snow (winter). However, today I was given a
real treat by the weather goddess in the form of widespread low-lying
stratus with light rain, tops above FL 250, no convective activity, no
turbulence and a feezing level well up into the flight levels. That
almost NEVER happens in New Mexico.

CNM (Carlsbad, NM) to LAM (Los Alamos, NM): 1.8 hours on the hobbs,
1.5 in solid IMC.

My kids couldn't figure out why Daddy was grinning from ear-to-ear after
we landed. "But Dad, you couldn't *see* anything outside. How could that
be fun?!?" Muhahahahah!!!! *NOW* I remember why I put all of that time
a couple of years ago into getting my instrument rating, and why I go
out on warm bumpy days under to hood to stay current.

Sometimes I'm almost jealous of you Midwesterners and East Coasties.....
almost.....

-- Dane

-----Original Message-----
From: Dane Spearing ]
Posted At: Sunday, September 03, 2006 7:50 PM
Posted To: rec.aviation.ifr
Conversation: I love being instrument rated.
Subject: I love being instrument rated.

....

Sometimes I'm almost jealous of you Midwesterners and East
Coasties.....
almost.....

-- Dane

I know what you mean Dane. I took my training in Oklahoma and after two
years had only 10 hours of actual - usually climbing out or descending
through stuff too bumpy to let passengers ride in.

Moved to Seattle in '74 and doubled my actual time in the first week.
Within 9 months I was spending almost 25% of my time in the soup. Coming
back to Oklahoma was a real change. Of course, we thought nothing of
flying in 20G25 in Oklahoma, but you'd have thought the world was coming
to an end if they ever saw that at BFI.

Bravo! Good for you! I'm in the same boat. Instrument rating 3 years ago, and
only 5 or so hours of actual. As you said, here in Arizona, it's either
thunderstorms or icing. Not to mention the MEAs of 13000 make it a pain to go
IFR. I've filed a few times just for practice, but all the restricted
airspace and the high MEAs make it hardly worth the trouble.

Mike

Hi Dane,

I am only an instrument student, but after about 26 hours of simulated
I finally got to experience some actual on saturday here in Denver.
Flew out of BJC and did an ILS back in, and then headed over to APA for
two more ILS appchs, then back to BJC for another ILS. Had a total of
1.6 with 1.0 actual. It was a very cool experience to see what I'm
actually training for!

Pray for upslope. Bill Hale, Loveland CO... was only down to
about 1000' up here.



wrote:
Hi Dane,

I am only an instrument student, but after about 26 hours of simulated
I finally got to experience some actual on saturday here in Denver.
Flew out of BJC and did an ILS back in, and then headed over to APA for
two more ILS appchs, then back to BJC for another ILS. Had a total of
1.6 with 1.0 actual. It was a very cool experience to see what I'm
actually training for!

wrote:
Hi Dane,

I am only an instrument student, but after about 26 hours of simulated
I finally got to experience some actual on saturday here in Denver.
Flew out of BJC and did an ILS back in, and then headed over to APA for
two more ILS appchs, then back to BJC for another ILS. Had a total of
1.6 with 1.0 actual. It was a very cool experience to see what I'm
actually training for!

I have been instrument rated since December, and have had only 1.2 of
actual until Saturday.

I flew a x-c from BJC to PUB and back, and did it solo (after quite a
debate with myself on whether I should do this or not). The only
concern I had was freezing levels, which were forecast to be 12,000. I
filed for 9,000 and departed. Denver approach had me climb to 10,000,
where I found 32F temps. After a few minutes, I started getting
strange readings from the altimeters and VSI as the static port was
partially blocked. I requested return to 9,000, and after a short
delay due to traffic, they got me back down to 9,000, where it was
36-37F. No issues after that for the remainder of the trip.

I did get the treat on the way back over COS at 10,000 to ~9,000 foot
solid cloud layer top, clear above, and Pikes Peak showing through the
cloud layer. I wish I would remember a camera! I did pick up
another 2 hours actual, though.

-Brian

On Mon, 4 Sep 2006 00:49:47 +0000 (UTC),
(Dane Spearing) wrote:

Out here in the Rocky Mountain states, those of us who are instrument
rated rarely get a chance to practice our skills in real IMC since
"real IMC" usually implies either thunderstorms (summer) or severe icing
condiditions and blowing snow (winter).

Sometimes I'm almost jealous of you Midwesterners and East Coasties.....
almost.....

-- Dane

Here in central PA, we also have a lot of thunderstorms in summer and
icing in the winter. We're in the lee of Lake Erie, and have, I
understand, some of the worst icing in the country.

vince norris

wrote in news:1157379056.288182.36240
@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:


Hi Dane,

I am only an instrument student, but after about 26 hours of simulated
I finally got to experience some actual on saturday here in Denver.
Flew out of BJC and did an ILS back in, and then headed over to APA for
two more ILS appchs, then back to BJC for another ILS. Had a total of
1.6 with 1.0 actual. It was a very cool experience to see what I'm
actually training for!

I sure hope you have an instructor like I had. He had me do ILS minimums
in actual conditions. First time I did an approach myself, with 1000 foot
ceilings, felt like I had a ton of time after breaking out.

Saturday, flew up to OWB from MBO, and did a GPS 5 approach, broke out at
600 AGL, light rain and 2.0 mile viz with the two strobe lights on each
side of the runway calling me home :-)

Allen

Dane Spearing wrote:
Out here in the Rocky Mountain states, those of us who are instrument
rated rarely get a chance to practice our skills in real IMC since
"real IMC" usually implies either thunderstorms (summer) or severe icing
condiditions and blowing snow (winter)....

Sometimes I'm almost jealous of you Midwesterners and East Coasties.....
almost.....


I hear ya, Dane. I spend alot of time under the hood, just to keep
current.

I like the title of the subject!! I live in England and spend half of my
flying time without seeing the propeller!! And I love it!!


Gus
RAF Coltishall
"Dane Spearing" wrote in message
...
Out here in the Rocky Mountain states, those of us who are instrument
rated rarely get a chance to practice our skills in real IMC since
"real IMC" usually implies either thunderstorms (summer) or severe icing
condiditions and blowing snow (winter). However, today I was given a
real treat by the weather goddess in the form of widespread low-lying
stratus with light rain, tops above FL 250, no convective activity, no
turbulence and a feezing level well up into the flight levels. That
almost NEVER happens in New Mexico.

CNM (Carlsbad, NM) to LAM (Los Alamos, NM): 1.8 hours on the hobbs,
1.5 in solid IMC.

My kids couldn't figure out why Daddy was grinning from ear-to-ear after
we landed. "But Dad, you couldn't *see* anything outside. How could that
be fun?!?" Muhahahahah!!!! *NOW* I remember why I put all of that time
a couple of years ago into getting my instrument rating, and why I go
out on warm bumpy days under to hood to stay current.

Sometimes I'm almost jealous of you Midwesterners and East Coasties.....
almost.....

-- Dane