By BILL BOND
The stars were aligned — a worthy cause, plenty of time, and my very capable Mooney M20C based at Anoka County/Blaine Airport (KANE) under the Minneapolis Class B Airspace. It was the perfect recipe for a wonderful cross-country trip for this retiree who is always looking for a reason to fly.
However, the ease of the trip to Texas would contrast sharply with the return flight, which challenged me to the outer envelope of my IFR capability.
The purpose? My oldest son and his family had recently moved from Lakeville, Minnesota, to Bedford, Texas. He was transferred from an air traffic control position at the Minneapolis Center to the Fort Worth Center. Once the movers had deposited their belongings in their beautiful new home, I would be temporary live-in to help them unpack and settle in.
My mode of flight to Texas was never a question. True, commercial flights were cheaper, but not as much fun or flexible as a cross-country trip in my Mooney. However, flying IFR in late October and early November in the Upper Midwest creates an icing risk that most general aviation pilots must avoid.
The flight south to Texas was routine. My IFR flight plan filed for a 9 a.m. departure from KANE enabled a flight underneath 4,000-foot ceilings and six-mile visibility. I struggled the first three hours against a 20-knot headwind to my refueling stop at Ottawa Municipal Airport (KOWI) in Kansas, which ForeFlight identified as having fuel at $5 a gallon, plus a self-serve fuel charge, compared to the surrounding airports, which were charging between $6 and $7.50 a gallon.
Temperatures at my cruise altitude were well over freezing. I cruised the final three hours south on an IFR flight plan filed through the ForeFlight app on my iPad at higher altitudes of 6,000 to 7,000 feet above ground level (AGL) while occasionally in clouds, but without icing.
Using an IFR clearance as I flew into the bustling Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Class B Airspace to Arlington Municipal Airport (KGKY) meant I had to be prepared to accept an Approach Control-assigned Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR).
ForeFlight software for KGKY lists eight arrivals (STARs), which I found too intimidating for my comfort. My solution was to include in my IFR submitted flight plan comments section “no Standard Instrument Departure (SIDs), no STARs please.”
My IFR plan assumed as I came near the DFW airspace the controller would recognize my “no SIDS, no STARs” limitations. I anticipated Control would provide vectors through the extremely busy airspace to my destination under the Class B veil.
I definitely wanted to avoid being assigned a STAR. Based on past experiences with the DFW airspace with Approach Controllers seeming to be unaware of my “no STAR” request, I made sure to advise Approach of my determination to avoid STARs.
The controller professionally assigned me a heading and altitude to a nav fix which, coincidently, was a nav point (FINGR) on the DFW TULSA Arrival STAR. He then assigned me another controller frequency as I entered Class B airspace. This Approach Controller painstakingly vectored me in 10° to 20° heading increments for 15 minutes until I had the active runway in sight and the Tower assigned visual landing.
For my return flight to Minnesota, I used ForeFlight to file an IFR flight plan from Arlington Municipal Airport to refuel at Red Oak Municipal Airport (KRDK) in Iowa.
Fort Worth Departure enabled me to maneuver under the DFW Class B airspace without accepting a Standard Instrument Departure route (SID) on my flight out of town.
My strategy to help ensure this could happen was to demonstrate to the busy Arlington Municipal Tower and Fort Worth Departure I was IFR capable by selecting in my filed IFR flight plan a couple of SID navigational points exiting the DFW airspace.
My challenge was the heavy rain and a thick cloud layer over my destination airport in Iowa, which I was scheduled to arrive in near darkness.
The busy Kansas Center controller started my descent into the darkening cloud layer and heavy rain about 40 minutes south of the airport, assigning the RNAV 17 approach. I was handed off to the very professional and respectful Minneapolis Center controller who assigned a descent to 3,000 feet as I encountered heavy rain to the west of the approach.
He sensitively indicated he would vector me to the less intense rain east of the approach and then vectored left turns to intercept the glide slope.
I had never flown an actual IFR approach as a single pilot, so the heavy rain was a distraction I had to ignore for several long minutes until I broke out of the clouds at 2,500 feet.
I really appreciated Kevin McGrew, the friendly airport manager, who assisted my refueling, offered to hangar my Mooney, provided directions to a comfortable hotel, and offered the use of the airport courtesy car.
But the toughest approach was yet to come the next day. I filed an IFR direct to my home base KANE with a departure around 9 a.m. local time.
The airport manager, a strictly VFR pilot, remarked as we pushed my Mooney out of the hangar that he was surprised I would plan a trip given the weather at Minneapolis. I remarked that IFR weather and rain need not be a no-go verdict if the airplane is a solid IFR platform and the pilot is both current and proficient flying IFR.
However, this self-confidence was not an honest reflection of my internal misgivings about this flight.
Climbing though the white cloud blanket over Red Oak Municipal Airport into blue skies and bright sunshine was exhilarating. With a 30-plus knot tailwind and an 185 knot indicated ground speed, within an hour the Minneapolis Center controller had me descending into solid clouds and rain 40 miles southwest of the airport.
Then it got interesting.
I pasted the ForeFlight RNAV 18 approach plate on my iPad chart in preparation for another challenging landing as I maneuvered manually through thick November clouds and medium intensity rain. Thankfully, again no ice was forecast or encountered.
However, I found myself tending to bank right, which I had to correct several times to remain on course at the assigned 4,000-foot altitude. The sympathetic Minneapolis controller sensed I was stressed and offered to take me up to the 5,000 feet VFR weather to make my turns out of the clouds to the final RNAV 18 approach.
I stated my appreciation, to which he also offered to stay with me through landing as my Century HSI picked up the precision approach glide scope.
I struggled valiantly as I descended through the clouds to keep on my vertical and lateral glide path until I finally broke out of the clouds. The landing was smooth and uneventful.
Upon completing the taxi to my hangar and shutting down the engine, I took a moment to reflect on my accomplishment and whisper a prayer of appreciation for a safe landing in this most extreme test yet of my flying proficiency.
Now safely on the ground and preparing to tuck my Mooney away into the hangar, this leg of the trip and landing seemed very satisfying and served to increase my self-confidence and aviating competency.
Nevertheless, my last thought as I walked toward the hangar door was, “I can’t believe I just did that.”
“If your honest thought is that you couldn’t believe you’ve done that, perhaps you shouldn’t have and perhaps you should not try it the next time either.”
Haven’t you ever done anything that you were proud of, and said something to that affect? It doesn’t mean you couldn’t do it. Maybe you should lighten up a bit!
This plane (N6900N) is the first plane I ever owned. Loved the Ray Jay turbo!
This article popped up in my Facebook feed. And when I saw the photo, I thought to myself “That looks like Bill’s Mooney”… And so it was. I’ve been a pilot acquaintance of Bill’s for well over a decade. He is a safe and contentious pilot and a great person to be around. The way I see this, is that Bill had some experiences that will change the way he sees flying. This is growth. It will drive his future training and aircraft equipment decisions. Growth and reflection are the hallmarks of safe aviators. Thanks Bill for sharing this story!
Chris Baye, CFI
I have been a VFR pilot for 40 years and appreciate your thoughts relative to the stress imposed by IFR. Sometimes the unexpected, unpredictable circumstances arise that totally tax the human senses to the point of numbness. On my long distance cross country flight for my private pilots license I had navigated around Nashville airspace enroute to Clarksville, Tennessee. The weather was perfect on this beautiful May morning. I was using my chart and keeping a close check on ground points. I was following a course heading of 310 degrees and maintaining an altitude of 4,500 ft. Suddenly, In the distance I notices an object at my altitude. The object was completely round and getting closer. I was staring at the Mother Ship of what had to be a U.F.O. Cold sweat, numbness and nauseating FEAR gripped my entire being. Fortunately an inner voice said, “Call Nashville Departure Control.” I quickly gave them my ID and altitude. There immediate response was, “ Cessna, 68129 turn left NOW!! I responded with a left bank and then leveled out. Looking to my right I saw up close and too personal the UFO! Emblazoned on the side of the UFO was…….FUJI FILM. By then I was headed towards Muscle Shoals, Alabama and completely lost. I finally got a vector to Outlaw Field in Clarksville and safely landed on the second leg of my cross country….in need of a change of underwear.
I say good job!
However I’ll add that it really pays to go out occasionally with a buddy and just do a bunch of approaches.
Back in the late 80’s through the late 90’s I flew a f33 bonanza out of 21D; flew a lot! Averaged 450 hours a year and when you fly that frequently, you encounter a lot of IFR and approaches….many down to min’s.
Back then my skills were Honed and I was subjected to occasional random “friendly” check-rides by a colleague.
Much later (now) I am far more conservative….still willing and happy to fly IFR and approaches but far more cautious during the months of November, early December and March.
I have a story to write/share about one winter flight from California to twin cities (in a strange airplane) long after my “honed-skills” period that tested me beyond limits I should ever have attempted…( for another day)
One comment I must add is this; back in my heavy flying days, there was never, ever a sound I appreciated more than the voice of a MN / Farmington atc voice which meant o was heading home. Those guys and gals knew me…recognized my call sign (because I flew IFR so frequently) and their professionalism helped me
Greatly under some difficult situations! Again….good job! But to each of us I’ll say, hone your skills so that when you need them, they’ll be sharp!
There always will be the “first” solo IFR trip. You cut your teeth on a relatively ” Easy” trip… you had VFR conditions above and below the cloud deck, so any problem with plane or navigation instruments could be handed by climbing or decending to VFR conditions… EXPECT the best, plan for the worst
Remember.. there are OLD pilots and there are BOLD Pilots, however, I don’t know any OLD , BOLD pilots
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Why not leave a day or 2 later. Whatever your reason is, it’s not good enough.
Well done – nothing you did risked your life so keep on being confident and know when to not go.
I read most of the articles printed here and most all the associated comments. I usually don’t reply but I will on this one. I remember my first solo cross when I was trying to obtain my private ticket. I approached the airplane and almost didn’t go thinking to myself “What am I doing”! After completing my cross country, and landing, I thought the same thing. “I can’t believe I did that”! Not because I wasn’t prepared or I did anything dangerous, but it’s the natural response I did something out of the ordinary at the time, (learning to fly), and I was proud of what I just accomplished. I take the comment from this pilot to mean the same thing. He was prepared and he made the flight safely, within his skill set, and was proud of what he just accomplished. I am assuming he is continuing his training and to practice his IFR skills and will get better with time utilizing STARS/SIDS and all the resources that come with your IFR ticket, making him less intimidated. I’ve been flying for over twelve years, that is to say I am a new pilot with lots to learn. Some of the comments I regularly see on here would dissuade me from flying or continuing any training if they were directed towards me. That is to say they would make me feel like I was an idiot or I was incapable of getting better with practice. There are a number of incidents, such as running out of fuel, that probably deserve a little, (or a lot), of criticism. I think the pilot did a great job, had a great flight and my hats off to him. Improving skills as you continue to learn is what makes flying so great as long as it’s done in a safe manner. My hats off to all the pilots out here. Just remember, we ALL started at the beginning.
Thank You for sharing your experience. Staying current is more that just 6 approaches in 6 months. You did well during this flight and I am happy you had the thought “I can’t believe I just did that.” It means you are reviewing and evaluating yourself. A good pat on the back for that. Do you have a working autopilot in your airplane? Even an working wing leveler will reduce your work load so you can keep up on your fuel management. Again thank you for the account of your flight. Flying in IMC conditions is very stressful and it is why 121 operators use autopilots. They help in keeping the condition of being overwhelmed at a minimum. Another side benefit using an autopilot and the reduction of the work load is you can pick up the additional work load of flying a SID or a STAR. Blue Skies and Tail Winds to you, my friend.
I think you pushed it. You said this was your first instrument approach alone. You need to set higher minimums for your self, and stick to them until you’re way more comfortable flying instruments. Beast of luck.
Many of the comments here are the reason pilots don’t share their flight experiences. Be kind in how you respond.
I think that almost all of the comments are kind. Even most of the ones voicing criticism sound respectful and constructive for me. And those that are not, well, just ignore them. Missing the value of the exchange for a couple black sheep is not worth it.
on you 27 Dec flight, your altitude and airspeed were erratic. looks like you need some instruction
STARs exist for a reason. The world in fact does not revolve around you, so instead of relying on someone to feed you the arrival crumb by crumb…prepare to fly a STAR or stay out of busy airspace.
You should never complete a flight with the comment in you head “ I can’t believe I just did that”. Always be prepared to go to minimums or your alternate and accept SIDS and STARS. If you are prepared for the worst, you will fly your best.
‘Tendency to bank right on approach to KANE’ Hopefully just a fuel imbalance , and not the initial sign of a control rigging problem .
Sounds like a great job. And you estimate your obvious ability.
If you had better weather at divert fields why not give it a go. Fly to minimums and then declare missed and go to better conditions.
This is real. I was tense just reading it. The banking to the right is added excitement.
If your honest thought is that you couldn’t believe you’ve done that, perhaps you shouldn’t have and perhaps you should not try it the next time either. To learn that you are able to do something by doing it and surviving is too risky for obvious reasons but can be misleading to for less obvious reasons. What you want to know is that you are able to do the thing safely and survive, consistently, every single time. Surviving something once is no indication of whether you can do that every time, or you would get yourself killed once every 10 attempts. And by the time you discover that the latter was the case you and your passengers are dead and you have a bunch of very sad loved ones in grief. Proficiency can be validated by surviving the challenge, but should be assessed before and by other independent means so you face the actual challenge totally believing of course you can do that and end up thinking of course I did that, rather than not believing you just did it.
Why take this kind of risk in a small plane with ONE of everything – including the pilot – if you are just flying for FUN and you have no set schedule? Glad to hear everything worked out and you landed safely. Glad the iPad/foreflight didn’t have a hiccup, glad you didn’t pick up any ice,,,,,,, Be careful about your “challenges” !!
I just can’t help responding to this one. The concept of a “small” plane being dangerous… at what point did the designation of small become relevant? Do you feel more endangered in your small ground vehicle (car)?
Do you think it’s less safe than a bus?
Well it is.
Not because it’s small but because it’s not driven by someone who is held to a higher commercial standard and maintained to a higher standard.
Keep in mind that there are many more “small” aircraft than air-“buses” in the sky. And just because most people are only aware of the “air-bus stations” (commercial airports) and never notice the 15 non-commercial airports with hundreds more “small” aircraft that surround that “station” doesn’t mean that “small” is diminished.
Think cars and buses here. Private vs commercial.
Instead of small and not small.
Nice job!
Seems like the weather was fine… just some rain and clouds which happens during any of the seasons; so not sure why commercial would have been safer weather wise. That’s why we have our instrument ratings.
But I would certainly become proficient with standard arrivals and departures before flying this route. Seems like an unnecessary burden to place on busy controllers to try and have them accommodate that lack of education/proficiency.
I am disappointed that the solution was to ask for no SID/STARs rather than the more obvious solution of learning those procedures.
At that time of year seems safer to hop on a commercial flight.