[tinman]

After reading some of the night flying adventures and news of the recently-lost pilot, I have done some mental scenario-based flight training. I have an ugly scenario that I wanted to run by VAF for possible solutions. I have just flown my -8 in darkness for the first time and get tense just thinking about how I would handle this:

Assumptions: Low-hour vfr pilot flying in day/night vfr only RV.
Weather: Currently clear night flight
Aircraft Equipment: EFIS with no glideslope for instrument approaches. Moving map gps.

Scenario: You are solo and flying along at night with no moon and you realize that you can no longer see the lights on the ground. Remembering your training, you shift to instrument flight in order to keep things rightside up. It is obvious that some sort of fog has rolled in and is blanketing the world below. To make things more interesting, you have only enough fuel to stay up for another hour. Your stomach is starting to churn and your mouth is getting dry...

You are caught on top with not very much fuel at night...what do you do to get her down so that you can make a post to VAF the next day to tell how you managed to survive your own stupidity? What steps would you take to get her down in one piece?

 

[pierre smith]

You won't..

...what do you do to get her down so that you can make a post to VAF the next day to tell how you managed to survive your own stupidity? QUOTE]

....more than likely get to make that post. On a serious note, a similar scenario killed John Kennedy...a black, clear night with no lights and no instrument rating, out over the Atlantic.

You said day/night VFR airplane. How are you going to keep the shiny side up?
IMO, night flying over dark, unlit areas, like I have in the country around here, equates to IFR flying.

My -o2,

 

[Geico266]

No problem. You know behind you is clear to the ground. Do a 180 turn, find the lights and and go back to the nearest airport, land, and figure out a new plan for the morning flight. Your self imposed punishment for not knowing what the dew point and temps in the area were is grounded until morning. Unless you are in a real desolate area you would have been able to see the lights disapearing as the clouds / fog moved in. It has actually happened to me, it's kinda spooky!

You only have an hour of fuel left? You should have been on the ground!

If you get caught on top remember the 4 "C"s. "Inadvertent IFR" is not all that uncommon.

Contact ( Call ATC)
Confess (Tell them your situation, N number, fuel, experience, plane, ect.)
Comply (Do what they tell you)
Conserve (Throttle back to best glide)

ATC will help you get to an area that is reporting clear skies, or at least areas with high ceilings. Remember, landing is not an option so you need to start stacking the deck in your favor. ATC is there to help. Like your scenario states you have "dry mouth", and are under stress. It's time to call in the Calvary and get help. Two heads are better than one.

The following is only what I would do, do not use if you do not feel comfortable with it. There are many ways to get though clouds. I'm the first one to post "a solution" here so don't shoot the messenger, come up with a better message. Lets make this a learning thread, not a "pick on Larry" thread.

Get to the clear sky or high ceiling area and hopefully you can see the ground, if not you will need to make a descent through the clouds. Hopefully you have a GPS on board and it has road data on it. Get over the biggest road you can find and use that as a decent line. They don't build towers in the middle of the road. Use the artificial horizon in the EFIS to maintain level controlled flight with a decent rate of 300-500 FPM, expect icing, but you need to get though it. Once though the clouds and you can see lights go to the nearest airport, land, and buy beer, lots of beer. Oh, and a lottery ticket.

JMHO

 

[tinman]

For the purpose of the discussion, let's assume an EFIS such as Dynon is on board along with a moving map gps.

You are in the do-do...let's not argue about the decisions that put you there...

 

[TomVal]

Night "Fright"

Hi Don,

My personal limits...I do not fly at night, I do not fly VFR over the top over a solid undercast. However, it is important to get some hood time in your aircraft with an observer and pratice turning, communicating, chart reading, and navigating.

Regards,

 

[tinman]

Contact ( Call ATC)
Confess (Tell them your situation, fuel, experience, plane, ect.)
Conserve (Throttle back
Comply (Do what they tell you)


So what will ATC most likely do to get you down? Will they offer you vectors to the nearest small airport and let you try to work your way down through the clouds or will they try to vector you to their "big" airport and talk you down?

 

[Geico266]

So what will ATC most likely do to get you down? Will they offer you vectors to the nearest small airport and let you try to work your way down through the clouds or will they try to vector you to their "big" airport and talk you down?

Why didn't you turn around and find the ground?

If ATC give you vectors to a big airport take them. Big airport mean less towers, good radar service, and they know where the towers are. They will lay out your options based on the info you give them. ATC is there to save lives. Remember the 4 "C"s.

 

[TomVal]

My Personal Night "Fright"

I'll keep this very long story very short. The year...1976. My rented aircraft was not IFR equiped. Night flight from Galveston, TX to Wichita, KS. Got caught over widespread low level stratus (contrary to the FSS wx briefing I had received). Had to declare a fuel emergency and landed at McConnell AFB. McConnell had a PAR approach (radar approach), plus two 10,000' runways. I was greeted with flashing lights and military police with M-16's. Got a call from the FAA, my flight planning and recorded wx brief saved my butt. Oh yea, the PAR also saved my butt!

Regards,

 

[Geico266]

I'll keep this very long story very short. The year...1976. My rented aircraft was not IFR equiped. Night flight from Galveston, TX to Wichita, KS. Got caught over widespread low level stratus (contrary to the FSS wx briefing I had received). Had to declare a fuel emergency and landed at McConnell AFB. McConnell had a PAR approach (radar approach), plus two 10,000' runways. I was greeted with flashing lights and military police with M-16's. Got a call from the FAA, my flight planning and recorded wx brief saved my butt. Oh yea, the PAR also saved my butt!

Regards,

Good decision making! Dealing with the FAA afterwards can be a hasstle, but at least you were around to deal with them. Good story, well done!

 

[tinman]

Good story, Tom. This is what I was hoping to learn. There is much to learn from electronic hangar flying. My preference is to learn from others rather than myself

 

[David-aviator]

The scenario is a tough one - you should not be there. But if you are follow the 4 C's - that is good option.

With all the money guys are spending on glass goodies these days, one item that could save a butt in such circumstances is a good auto pilot with altitude hold. Of course that presumes the pilot knows how to use it. If operated with some knowledge and confidence, it is as good as an IFR rated copilot.

If you have such a system, get accustomed to it and learn to trust it. But don't go nuts with it. It is not a license to find yourself in such circumstances as this topic. It is an ace in the hole.

 

[terrykohler]

Declare an Emergency

Good decision making! Dealing with the FAA afterwards can be a hasstle

Waiting for things to get worse (burning fuel) is a really bad plan. Pretty much the worse that can happen as a result of calling is the possibility of having to file a report. Only happens if the FAA requests it. I've called emergency twice (lost alternator and full loss of oil pressure), both in IMC and neither required a report. This action gives you priority and gets a set of arms around you very quickly. ATC will help you make decisions. Why not take advantage of that? They've got a much better "picture" than you do and are probably a lot more rational. Maybe an SAR is available. Perhaps they can direct you to VFR. Perhaps weather is closing fast (did you really pay attention to the temp./dewpoint spread?) and you need to act NOW. Pierre is correct in that VFR flight over many areas should be done with IFR capability. At the very least, you should have launched with and maintained flight following - you're that much closer to getting help. Don't be afraid of ATC or the FAA. I'd much rather tell them I made a dumb mistake after I've landed than have them tell my family about it the next day.
DECLARE AN EMERGENCY!
Terry, CFI
RV-9A N323TP

 

[N941WR]

Who cares? At least your friends and family won't be attending your funeral.

As for what I would do, if this were me.

Press the 180 button on the Dynon auto pilot and let it turn me around to a reciprocal heading while crying like a baby to ATC, "Get me down please!"

My short story on this was flying into to Petoskey, MI (KMGN) one winter night in a rental PA28-140. I missed the airport and flew out over the lake. Man was it ever dark out there. I thought the windscreen had fogged over and as I reached for the defroster button I noticed the lights on the shore over my shoulder. I made a 180, found the shore, then flew North until I found the airport. This was in the days before GPS's and autopilots, back when I had maybe 125 hours TT and flew everywhere by pilotage. I can't even describe how dark it was out over Lake Michigan in late November.

 

[flion]

I like the 180 turn idea, but let's assume that the fog didn't roll in; it rose from the ground. Get to the first large airport you can find on your EFIS; they've got good lighting and, if the fog is still light enough, may be enough to get you down. If you have several nearby airports, taking a minute to scan through AWOS/ATIS info might help you pick out the one that has little or no obscuration.

Also, I'm assuming you had usable fuel left, not just your reserve (or, as someone mentioned, you should already be landing), so try to reach an airport out of the area you are in. No need to make that desperate, "land-in-obscuration-because-I-have-to" landing until you really have to; use up all your fuel including most of the reserve. I mentioned in another thread my night XC where I got caught over a layer coming home but it wasn't a problem, really. Not because I had my IFR-rated instructor with me but because it was a local condition and I could easily reach an airport with good visibility. Fog tends to gather in low areas, so an airport just over a ridge could have fine visibility. This is where the 4Cs really help, because ATC can keep you from flying circles to locate the nearest good airport. I would not, however, declare an emergency until it became clear that you would actually have to attempt to land in fog.

When all else fails, it's down to risk management. Let down through the fog at your best guess for airport heading and distance (I'm also assuming the EFIS has moving map, but even with steam gauges you should be able to navigate), keep your airspeed slow but don't stall, and keep the aircraft under control as best you can until it comes to a stop. If you do collide with something, your chances are better that way.

 

[tinman]

quote=tinman;378844...So what will ATC most likely do to get you down?...[/QUOTE]
Who cares? At least your friends and family won't be attending your funeral.


Bill,
What I was asking was what technique would ATC use to get you on the ground safely...like you said, who cares about what sort of "legal" trouble you might be in if you do manage to survive the event...

 

[ArVeeNiner]

Autopilot

An autopilot has been in my plans from the beginning. The main reason for getting one was for safety. These planes are much faster than anything I've every flown and trouble can happen fast.

If I ever get into a cloud I too plan to use the handy 180 degree turn panic button on the AP. Also, if I have to go down through it, I'd set a heading on the AP, trim for level flight, then slightly reduce power to set up a SLOW decent rate and then wouldn't touch anything. Then it's down to hoping there aren't any immovable objects between me and safety!

I hope I never have to put this plan to the test.

 

[TomVal]

Night "Fright" Story...almost unabridged!

I'll keep this very long story very short. The year...1976. My rented aircraft was not IFR equiped. Night flight from Galveston, TX to Wichita, KS. Got caught over widespread low level stratus (contrary to the FSS wx briefing I had received). Had to declare a fuel emergency and landed at McConnell AFB. McConnell had a PAR approach (radar approach), plus two 10,000' runways. I was greeted with flashing lights and military police with M-16's. Got a call from the FAA, my flight planning and recorded wx brief saved my butt. Oh yea, the PAR also saved my butt!

Regards,

In my scenario quoted above, there was a third factor that saved my butt?adequate fuel reserves. If you are planning a night flight outside of your local area, carry the max fuel possible.

In the above scenario from Galveston to Wichita, our first fuel stop was at College Station, TX. We received a face to face FSS wx brief and filed a flight plan to OKC (Oklahoma City) for a planned fuel stop. Wx was forecasted CAVOK all the way up to ICT (Wichita). We fueled up but due to cargo (a load of seafood) we were unable to completely top off. We then departed for OKC with ATC flight following. The wx at OKC was holding up until about 50 miles south of the field. By time we arrived overhead, the field was down to OVC001, ? SM, FG. You could look down and see the sequence flashing lights through the undercast. (That brings up the subject of vertical visibility versus horizontal visibility).

ATC advised that Tulsa was still VFR so we headed in that direction only to discover that the wx was also deteriorating there. We advised ATC of our fuel status and declared a minimum fuel emergency and that we were about to start into our reserve fuel. Now, due to the developing widespread low level stratus, ATC advised that our best option was to continue up to ICT (Wichita).

The only major airfield between Tulsa and ICT was Vance AFB. It was closed. There were also several smaller fields but no wx reporting. We decided to press on to ICT.

Approaching ICT, we watched the same deteriorating conditions develop leading to my decision to re-declare an emergency. That was the only way that I could get clearance into a SAC base (Strategic Air Command) and requested a PAR approach into McConnell AFB.

I wanted to keep my diatribe short, however, I also wanted to build on lessons learned in this discussion. Communicate with ATC early, don?t hesitate to declare an emergency (the lump in the pit of your stomach is a good indicator that you need to make that call), and when flying cross country, don?t skimp on the fuel planning.

Regards,

 

[N941WR]

...So what will ATC most likely do to get you down?...

Who cares? At least your friends and family won't be attending your funeral.


Bill,
What I was asking was what technique would ATC use to get you on the ground safely...like you said, who cares about what sort of "legal" trouble you might be in if you do manage to survive the event...

Sorry, I miss-read your post. Still, it is a good point to bring out. A lot of people will not talk to ATC because they are afraid of what the FAA will do when they get on the ground. Bad thinking IMHO. As my father used to say, "The problem with being dead is you can't do noth'n."

Ground fog is a real problem as you might have good vis right up to the last 20 feet or so. They might point you to a clear airport but there is no guarantee that the new airport will be clear when you get there.

If it is just clouds, they will probably give you a "contact" approach where they tell you when to turn, left or right, and what altitude you should be at on each step of the approach. I did one of these when I was getting my PPL back in the 80's, do they still do this?

When I get my plane back in the air I might head over to CLT on a slow day and do another one. I know a couple of the controllers there so maybe it is something we can schedule.

 

[TomVal]

ATC Guidance

quote=tinman;378844...So what will ATC most likely do to get you down?...

Who cares? At least your friends and family won't be attending your funeral.


Bill,
What I was asking was what technique would ATC use to get you on the ground safely...like you said, who cares about what sort of "legal" trouble you might be in if you do manage to survive the event...[/QUOTE]

Don,

If ATC could not direct you to a field with VFR conditions, depending on the nav equipment on board, ATC may be able to talk you through an approach.

Another option is to learn how to build a GPS course and vertical descent profile into a field.

Also, if your EFIS has synthetic runway approach software, get familar with it. It could be a tremendous aide in getting you down to safe landing.

In all three scenarios above, it is important to have some proficiency time under the "hood".

Regards,

 

[MauiLvrs]

Assumptions: Low-hour vfr pilot flying in day/night vfr only RV.
Weather: Currently clear night flight
Aircraft Equipment: EFIS with no glideslope for instrument approaches. Moving map gps.

Scenario: You are solo and flying along at night with no moon and you realize that you can no longer see the lights on the ground.... To make things more interesting, you have only enough fuel to stay up for another hour.

Shouldn't be able to get in this scenario...
DON'T fly at night if:

1) You don't have enough fuel to get to a definite VFR airport and fly for an hour beyond that (should never have an hour fuel at night unless something already went wrong)

2) Your aircraft isn't IFR capable

3) You can't fly an instrument approach

4) If you can't fly on instruments (night flight is really IFR - not the I Follow Roads kind)

If you get stuck...
Call ATC (should already have flight following if not get it)
Ask for vectors
Ask for the instrument approach if needed

 

[jetjok]

Know Your Plane

quote=tinman;378844...So what will ATC most likely do to get you down?...

ATC has many tools to assist a straying aviator. But, while they may be able to act as your "eyes", it will be useless unless you are able to put the plane where it needs to be.
How many non-instrument rated pilots ever practice flying under the hood when they have the opportunity? Before I got my instrument rating, I know that I would have rather had my toenails peeled back than put on the hood! But, being proficient at flying your plane without visual references could save your life!
You should be able to fly straight and level, climb and descend at constant airspeeds, and make turns to a given heading. This can be accomplished by taking your hood (Foggles, etc.) with you on you next trip when you have a passenger to act as a safety pilot. Start off with straight and level, and develop a good scan. You guys with the EFIS are lucky as you have all the information in a relatively small area. Keep doing this until you are comfortable, can keep a light grip on the stick and know where your scan needs to be. Once you have mastered cruise flight, start slowing to 120 kt while maintaining heading and altitude, then start adding flaps to slow to 90 kt. Next, start making standard rate turns at all configurations and speeds while maintaining altitude and keep practicing until you can do it with minimal altitude excursions and are able to roll out +/- 10 degrees. After this you can then begin to bring in a constant rate descent at a given airspeed.
If you ever find yourself having to be "talked down" by ATC, they will be wanting descents approximating 3 degrees. This equates to about 600 FPM at RV initial approach speeds. If you want to do the math for your edification, use 325' per NM. 120 kt = 2 NM/min = 650 fpm for a 3 degree descent. As has already been mentioned, if you find yourself in the weather, you should have already slowed down to conserve your fuel and be at a speed where you have time to think and 120 kt is a good RV speed. For approach, 90 kt would be approximately 500 fpm. If things were so bad that you were vectored for a PAR or an ILS with the above mentioned skills you can fly to a safe landing. If there are no suitable civilian airports, do not be afraid to ask for an approach to a military base. They have ILS's and controllers trained to do PAR and ASR approaches. A PAR is quite frankly a verbal ILS and a ASR is a verbal localizer approach, where they give you a begin descent advisory and if you can fly the above mentioned 3 degree descent you will find the runway.
Use the 4-C's, early, and force yourself to stay calm. Many of your RV's are better equipped than many of the airliners that you share the sky with. Make sure that you have all of your equipment calibrated correctly, and then trust it rather than the seat of your pants when the clouds close in.
I apologize for the length of this post, but in summary use the time in between $100 hamburgers to become as proficient as you can with your aircraft.

 

[jetjok]

If ATC could not direct you to a field with VFR conditions, depending on the nav equipment on board, ATC may be able to talk you through an approach.

Another option is to learn how to build a GPS course and vertical descent profile into a field.

Also, if your EFIS has synthetic runway approach software, get familar with it. It could be a tremendous aide in getting you down to safe landing.

In all three scenarios above, it is important to have some proficiency time under the "hood".

Regards,

Building an approach is all well and good if you have the time and mental wherewithal to get it done. I can tell you from personal experience, it is hard to quickly build an approach to an unfamiliar airport. Add in the fact that the stress level is now elevated and you likely have the sheepskin sucked up in your BVD's, and it becomes impossible. If you are in the clouds, even with a good auto pilot, your attention needs to be completely focused on where the plane is going not a lengthy programming cycle.
The best computer on board is the one between your ears. One would be doing a great service to themselves to keep their personal "database" as updated as they do the "gee whiz" stuff in the plane.

 

[John Clark]

The best computer on board is the one between your ears. One would be doing a great service to themselves to keep their personal "database" as updated as they do the "gee whiz" stuff in the plane.

Thanks Mark, that needed to be said.

John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

 

[tinman]

This is all great stuff! Thanks so much.
I started thinking about this the other night while trying to go to sleep. (A good time to "refly" your last flight and see how to do better next time...) During my PPL and BFR's, I have always enjoyed going under the hood...it seems easier to fly the plane with precision while not being distracted by what is going on outside. While thinking through this scenario, I could feel the sweat forming in my hands...I thought of a couple of escapes which have already been mentioned above. I have taken a ride in the FAA's vertigo machine and have a healthy respect for how your mind will try to kill you...

Keep the ideas coming....

 

[TomVal]

Building an approach is all well and good if you have the time and mental wherewithal to get it done. I can tell you from personal experience, it is hard to quickly build an approach to an unfamiliar airport. Add in the fact that the stress level is now elevated and you likely have the sheepskin sucked up in your BVD's, and it becomes impossible. If you are in the clouds, even with a good auto pilot, your attention needs to be completely focused on where the plane is going not a lengthy programming cycle.
The best computer on board is the one between your ears. One would be doing a great service to themselves to keep their personal "database" as updated as they do the "gee whiz" stuff in the plane.

Mark,

I agree with what you said. By the same token, you need to be familar with the equipment you have on board. Particularly if you fly IFR or at night.

Regards,

 

[jetjok]

Right! But Wrong

Mark,

I agree with what you said. By the same token, you need to be familar with the equipment you have on board. Particularly if you fly IFR or at night.

Regards,

Tom,
Here is the scenario that started this thread:

"Scenario: You are solo and flying along at night with no moon and you realize that you can no longer see the lights on the ground. Remembering your training, you shift to instrument flight in order to keep things rightside up. It is obvious that some sort of fog has rolled in and is blanketing the world below. To make things more interesting, you have only enough fuel to stay up for another hour. Your stomach is starting to churn and your mouth is getting dry...

If you fly IFR as you stated, then you would not be in this predicament anyway, so that is not a issue. The originator of this thread was speculating on a non-instrument rated pilot finding his way on a dark night with no outside references and down through the fog.
I believe that I stated at least twice in both postings that one should be familiar with his/her plane and installed equipment, so we agree there. However, building a great approach with "highway in the sky" displays does you no good if the plane has gone inverted due to the pilot being scared spitless and losing control.
The "gee whiz" stuff is a great tool to assist you in finding your way, and also providing situational awareness, i.e. moving map with terrain, WX, etc. Keeping in mind that the moving map really requires no programming, that display should be used for sure, especially if you live out here where the rocks are tall, and just like the midwest so are the antennas! The intent of my second post was to voice my opinion that when the chips are down, and you have already asked for assistance, where the plane is going and the attitude that is flying is much more important than trying to build a cutesy approach at a strange airport in the heat of the moment. That said, if the pilot finds himself with time and enough attention to do it, have at it. But if you are in the approach environment, being vectored for a landing, you are best served by flying the airplane. As proof of my philosophy, I would cite that most airlines (including mine) make it a policy that below a certain altitude in the terminal environment, both pilots should be "heads up", and not reprogramming the computer.
If for some chance it is my time, I plan on being found with my hand on the stick and throttle not imbedded in the GPS or MFD!
BTW: The past paragraph of your earlier post (#17) is dead on!!

 

[Ron Lee]

Reality

In that scenario you would most likely be dead within 30 minutes...if not sooner (read about JFK Jr). Paying attention to the decision making that prevents such an event is as critical..more so to me...than getting out of it in one piece.

A wing leveler autopilot (2 axis is better) could save your life. Practicing those under hood skills is also good.

Fuel management: When I came back from the Caymans, I had to stop and overnight is southern Florida. The line of bad weather was beyond my comfort zone (good decision making on the air and ground).

The next day I departed and made two more fuel stops than normal because I was flying lower than normal and I went to A TWO hour fuel reserve due to less than good weather (clouds...not rain).

Same thing several weeks ago. I knew weather was a problem at home so I made an extra fuel stop in eastern Colorado to give me enough fuel to get near home and back to other airports in Colorado or Kansas if I could not make it home. Sure enough, I got to about 13 miles out and had to divert 80 miles to the southeast to stay overnight.

I have two axis autopilot and would be comfortable (at least sitting here) going through a thin, benign cloud layer if I had to. Better yet is to avoid that situation even if it means spending money for a hotel, getting home later than planned, etc

 

[TomVal]

Tom,
Here is the scenario that started this thread:

"Scenario: You are solo and flying along at night with no moon and you realize that you can no longer see the lights on the ground. Remembering your training, you shift to instrument flight in order to keep things rightside up. It is obvious that some sort of fog has rolled in and is blanketing the world below. To make things more interesting, you have only enough fuel to stay up for another hour. Your stomach is starting to churn and your mouth is getting dry...

If you fly IFR as you stated, then you would not be in this predicament anyway, so that is not a issue. The originator of this thread was speculating on a non-instrument rated pilot finding his way on a dark night with no outside references and down through the fog.
I believe that I stated at least twice in both postings that one should be familiar with his/her plane and installed equipment, so we agree there. However, building a great approach with "highway in the sky" displays does you no good if the plane has gone inverted due to the pilot being scared spitless and losing control.
The "gee whiz" stuff is a great tool to assist you in finding your way, and also providing situational awareness, i.e. moving map with terrain, WX, etc. Keeping in mind that the moving map really requires no programming, that display should be used for sure, especially if you live out here where the rocks are tall, and just like the midwest so are the antennas! The intent of my second post was to voice my opinion that when the chips are down, and you have already asked for assistance, where the plane is going and the attitude that is flying is much more important than trying to build a cutesy approach at a strange airport in the heat of the moment. That said, if the pilot finds himself with time and enough attention to do it, have at it. But if you are in the approach environment, being vectored for a landing, you are best served by flying the airplane. As proof of my philosophy, I would cite that most airlines (including mine) make it a policy that below a certain altitude in the terminal environment, both pilots should be "heads up", and not reprogramming the computer.
If for some chance it is my time, I plan on being found with my hand on the stick and throttle not imbedded in the GPS or MFD!
BTW: The past paragraph of your earlier post (#17) is dead on!!

Mark,

Well stated. I completely agree. I was speaking of a subset of all piloting tasks and as you know, you must prioritize your activities between Flying, Communicating, and Navigating. Number One is always "Fly the Airplane".

My mention of GPS vertical descent aides and EFIS highway in the sky displays was to highlight common features/tools available in today's GA cockpits. As you know, both features are relatively easy to program if your end waypoint is the intended field of landing.

For the night flight, fog embedded, min fuel, VFR pilot; forced to divert to a field without terminal approach radar or has descended below ATC radar coverage, it would have been wise to have learned how to set up these basic profiles. It is just one more tool to have in your bag of tricks if the situation so warrants.

I have a default VNAV descent path set up in my 496 to place me 1000' and 3miles from my destination field. To set up a synthetic highway in the sky involves only a few (literally) key strokes.

I think this thread has done a good job of highlighting the options/tools at hand to assist today's VFR pilot.

But as you correctly stated, your first priority is always to "Fly the Airplane".

Regards,

 

[Bill Wightman]

Night OR Day...

For the VFR pilot, this scenario is problematic no matter the time of day or night. Problem is VISIBILITY, and fuel/time remaining.

The lesson that needs to be taken away here is all about understanding the problems of flying in reduced visibility. If the VFR pilot can't see where he's going, then he's in a very compromised situation.

Keep out of the junk; keep a close eye on the temp/dewpoint spread (less than 3C should get your attention); plan flights with plenty of fuel, and always know which way to head for improving conditions.

Larry Geiger's post sums it up perfectly, IMHO.

 

[Geico266]

If you have several nearby airports, taking a minute to scan through AWOS/ATIS info might help you pick out the one that has little or no obscuration.

IMHO this is not a good idea. If you get in contact with ATC they will do all of that for you, and you can concentrate on flying. Looking for the best place to land when you are short on fuel in not a good plan. You need to be on the ground and the faster you do that the safer you'll be. Contact ATC as soon as there is a problem, you'll be glad you did.

 

[Flying Scotsman]

My mention of GPS vertical descent aides and EFIS highway in the sky displays was to highlight common features/tools available in today's GA cockpits. As you know, both features are relatively easy to program if your end waypoint is the intended field of landing.

For the night flight, fog embedded, min fuel, VFR pilot; forced to divert to a field without terminal approach radar or has descended below ATC radar coverage, it would have been wise to have learned how to set up these basic profiles. It is just one more tool to have in your bag of tricks if the situation so warrants.

I have a default VNAV descent path set up in my 496 to place me 1000' and 3miles from my destination field. To set up a synthetic highway in the sky involves only a few (literally) key strokes.

I think this thread has done a good job of highlighting the options/tools at hand to assist today's VFR pilot.

But as you correctly stated, your first priority is always to "Fly the Airplane".

I feel compelled to comment on this aspect (I'm just using this post as a quote to start with, not trying to pick on anyone's ideas in particular). The idea of cobbling together your own "approach" is, IMHO, unbelievably risky. Granted, I'm used to flying with the standard 6-pack and a GPS Nav/Com stack, not a synthetic vision glass cockpit (yet, anyway...that's the plan for the -7!), but unless you've plotted out the course you're ginning up on a chart that includes terrain, obstructions, etc., you have no guarantee that you're not going to plow full-on into something with this "approach".

Approaches are certified, test-flown, and demonstrated to meet all sorts of criteria to ensure that if you fly them correctly, you won't hit anything. A courseline and VNAV won't.

To my way of thinking, this should be one of your very last choices, to be used only in the event that just about all other options are closed to you.

ETA: In fact, you'd probably be safer if you stayed *high*, flew to directly over the airport, and made a circling descent (assuming you were instrument proficient enough to do this without ending up in a spiral) while right on top of it, and hopefully see the field with enough altitude left to make a decent landing.

 

[JCFL]

Avigate, Navigate, and Communicate

Many good replies to this post. The old and trusted advice to "avigate (fly the airplane), navigate, and communicate" in ANY emergency codifies and serves to remind, and to prioritize the required actions to survive. As to the question of when should you declare an emergency, a good answer is "when you wonder if you should". Few have been penalized for prematurely declaring an emergency (none in my personal experience), but many have been severely criticized and penalized for not asking for help. IMO, one of the greatest advances in safety training in the industry was CRM (cockpit resource management) which evolved from the realization that, in a great percentage of accidents, someone accessible to the PIC had the information available that would have prevented the accident but the PIC didn't ask for or didn't utilize that information.

Just wanted to emphasize that ATC can be an invaluable cockpit resource.

 

[turbo]

2 things.........

all this talk about approaches and this guy will barely be able to keep this RV right side up!!!!!!!!!! that is the most important issue here. if not by by. get out of the fog area and land. 1 hour or 150 miles should do it. now do the right thing.