ChiefPilot
Well Known Member
Reading another trip write up on here reminded me of something I saw last month on an overnight trip from St. Paul MN to Kitty Hawk NC.
I was happily cruising along at 10,000 ft over Virginia on an IFR plan, in IMC, when ATC called traffic at my 2:00 and 3 miles, VFR. Odd, since the ceilings in the area were only 1500' or so. Anyway, I told ATC I was IMC and they acknowledged. A little later they called same traffic now about 3:00 and 1 mile, indicating 9700'. I was still IMC.
A few moments later yet, they called traffic no factor. I asked specifically if the traffic was VFR, and ATC said yes - it was squawking 1200 and they weren't talking to them. About that time I broke out "between" clouds and saw a white RV-10 off to the left a ways. There was no way they had legal VFR cloud clearance.
So here's a plea to those who might think about doing such a thing: Please don't. If you don't have an IFR ticket and aren't on an IFR plan, it's not just you whom you endanger.
I was happily cruising along at 10,000 ft over Virginia on an IFR plan, in IMC, when ATC called traffic at my 2:00 and 3 miles, VFR. Odd, since the ceilings in the area were only 1500' or so. Anyway, I told ATC I was IMC and they acknowledged. A little later they called same traffic now about 3:00 and 1 mile, indicating 9700'. I was still IMC.
A few moments later yet, they called traffic no factor. I asked specifically if the traffic was VFR, and ATC said yes - it was squawking 1200 and they weren't talking to them. About that time I broke out "between" clouds and saw a white RV-10 off to the left a ways. There was no way they had legal VFR cloud clearance.
So here's a plea to those who might think about doing such a thing: Please don't. If you don't have an IFR ticket and aren't on an IFR plan, it's not just you whom you endanger.
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