The Cards play a hand on the way home from LOE

[scard]

Our adventure continued after LOE on the trip home.

We're learning new things every time we fly! Many thanks to the 4 ship behind Alex for the pireps of VFR between Pecos and Wink. We were and are very appreciative of those reports. I've never been one for getting trapped above the clouds in clear air so we started the run below. After passing the convective stuff on radar, we dropped down through a hole and started the hard work. Two pilots calculating heading and distance to the best OUT as we pressed forward each couple of minutes. Our trip quickly went from "this sucks", to "Uhhh....", just northeast of Fort Stockton. The solid ceiling got lower and lower with some very light precip. We did a little bit of recon around each side of the rabbit hole but found no good path. Tanya gets full credit for being the first to voice that she was ready to turn around. It was a very wise call. We executed our latest OUT just east of Rankin (49F) and turned back to Upton (E48). The weather still sucked there, but this was an immediate "Time Out, wheels on the ground".

There is absolutely nothing in Upton, no fuel, no phone number, no people, no shelter... Not the place to be stuck, but the runway was paved. After visiting the nearest bush, we (and I do mean WE) began our strategy session. I can't tell you how many times we told each other "There aren't any problems here, the OUTs are working, and the wheels are on the ground."
I called the nearest ASOS at Fort Stockton which was our next stop along our retreat path and that exit was still available with over 2k' scattered, and winds gusting over 30kts. Of course, all this burns fuel so that became an important component. We fired up and launched for Fort Stockton (FST) which was only about 20 minutes away. After landing back at FST, it was like coming off of the moon, back to civilization with a few blue skies, people, and the golden juice. We fueled up, tied the plane down, and went in to the weather computer for more analysis. After agreeing that we would be happy to stay here at FST at the nearest INN if need be, the weather picture made the answer quickly clear. We're going on top! Duh!

Remember, I predicated that I'm not a big fan of getting stuck on top, but we had a clear way up, and now had great weather data in front of us that we would absolutely be able to get down on the other side after about 160mi.. Way safer than the previous plan. So we launched from FST with full fuel (can't stress that part enough), plenty of data, and a new plan. Blue skies above allowed us an immediate elevator ride to over the top of a solid layer for the next 1.3hrs. We almost doubled our ground speed in the smooth air above. Super easy the whole way home. We're learning.

It has been talked about a number of times how important it is to have good viable OUTs when traveling by RV but I don't remember anybody with so few hours as us showing just how useful that concept is and how it can not only salvage a trip, but also preserve your bacon. Hopefully this is a helpful example of a set of pilots learning as we go.

fyi, if you look at our APRS track from this flight, it does NOT tell the story correctly at all as we were too low for the exciting parts. It doesn't show any of the shenanigans we went through looking for better weather and back tracking. The time stamps are correct though .

[aviationgeek84]

Scott,

Good story, good message. Glad you are home safe and have some experience to tuck away.

[zilik]

Scott, Nice story. We did the on top, down below, on top scenario and finally parked the plane in Colorado Springs. There was absolutely no way to get north of Palmer Divide as all of NE Colorado was thick overcast. Anyway, PZ is tied down and we be safe. Most likely will fetch the plane this Friday.

It was really nice talking with you two. We hope to see you again soon.

[Don Jones]

....to both of you for keeping your heads. There was enough tradgedy for one weekend. I only have 2 words for you--- "Instrument Rating"

Terrific job though of knowing when to quit and take another look at it from the ground. Too bad you aren't closer and I would do your IR for free. (just to get to ride in a terrific looking RV)

[scard]

Originally Posted by Don Jones

I only have 2 words for you--- "Instrument Rating"

Indeed! You can bet that I beat you to it .

[DeltaRomeo]

Good work, Scott and Tanya. Thanks for sharing and for doing the decision tree in your head in the order you did it!

...and thanks again for the chocolate chip cookies Tanya!

b,
d

[Don Jones]

Originally Posted by scard

Indeed! You can bet that I beat you to it .

Wouldn't help with the convective stuff, but getting trapped on top wouldn't be a problem again.

[Ironflight]

Great job Scott and Tanya! You have to play the "Cards" you're dealt, and decide when it's time to fold. we came very close to having the "second" LOE at the empty airstrip at Del City, north of the Salt flats VOR - if we hadn't had good pireps from Larry as he crossed the pass, I sure wouldn't have wanted to pres on in what looked like deteriorating weather and rising terrain!

I was having a little trouble with my XM weather today, but with Louise on my wing, and hers working fine, we used what we had to make it home - just like you did. Problem solving is always easier when you have multiple "outs" - and it looks like you're rapidly climbing the learning curve!

Paul

[dav1111]

Ann, Jacqui, and I waited until 1:30 p.m. local time to launch back to Lubbock after watching the weather all morning. Great VFR weather all the way to Plains, Texas but from Plains to Levelland, Texas it was about 1000 overcast. Made the decision to land at Levelland and wait out a line of thunderstorms between Levelland and Lubbock. After two hours and two others (one LOE pilot) diverting to Levelland Ann caught a ride into Lubbock, picked up our vehicle and came back to get me. Hopefully the thunderstorms will ease up today and I can go get N710RV and put her back in the Hanger at KLBB.

Having onboard XM Weather helped make the decision to stay out of the IFR stuff a good decision and not try and do a let down at Lubbock from on top. KLBB was 200 overcast Sunday morning and 600 overcast with rain when we left El Paso with forcast of 600 broken, 1500 overcast by our arrival time at Lubbock. In fact it never got above 600 overcase with rain all day plus KLBB was bordered on the west by a line of heavy rain showers (painted yellow with some reds) almost all afternoon.

As a side note, the unnamed, non IFR pilot (not an RV) who landed at Levelland 5 minutes after my 1:35 minunte flight from El Paso had taken off from LOE at about 9:30 a.m., climbed out on top and gone direct to Lubbock and tried to find a hole, couldn't get down, and flew to Midland, again couldn't find a hole to get down, and then flew to Hobbs, New Mexico, found a hole and landed. After waiting for a while in Hobbs he then flew under the weather at about 1000 feet to Levelland and also caught a ride home. I will encourgage him to get an IFR ticket and stop making such bad decisions.

I have made lots of decents down through the clouds on an IFR approach but looking at the weather at KLBB on Sunday morning told me that the conditions were not what I would consider acceptable for me and sitting on the ground waiting for it to clear up is lots better than making bad decisions.

[danielhv]

I always prefer to take the top side of low clouds/precip/low vis. I took the low side once before prior to my ifr rating... and when the storm moved behind me unexpectedly... I had no out, and realized it very quick when the storm was on all sides, front, and back of me. I had 0 vis, rain, etc... I held my heading and altitude for about 2 minutes trying to think of what to do... I REALLY thought to myself "man, you may have really ****** up this time..." And just as I was pushing the tx button to tell ATC what I had done, BAM! I broke out on the back side of the storm! *Whew* I couldn't wait to get home!

So, from now on... I choose the top side, where the sun is!

Good story btw!