@voretaq7 I love flying with GPS as a backup, but there's something about watching the VOR needle dead in the center that puts a big smile on my face. :) Even better if it's tuned to a localizer.
I like the airspace awareness that comes from a moving map, but it's much easier (and IMHO more precise) to fly CDI needles than to try to track a (relatively) fat magenta line.
@voretaq7 I built my own app for moving map, I can switch it over to a HSI at the flick of a button. And I often do, at lot less clutter for the quick glance.
Note: I'm not a pilot, so I don't have much basic knowledge of how the pilot licence ratings work
If a pilot doesn't have an Instrument Rating, and the weather conditions drop below VMC; what do they do?
Presumably you can't instantly land, but nor can you safely continue to fly without suffici...
@JonStory looking at one instrument on its own is easy. Looking at 6 instruments at once is a bit more work. Crosschecking that they all agree to identify a failed instrument is yet more work. Ignoring the kinematic sensations your brain tells you that conflict with what the instruments are telling you is probably the hardest part. Doing all of this while remembering to fly is more work. Doing all of this while navigating is still more work. Doing all of this while talking to ATC, more work. Doing all of this while briefing and flying an approach, lots of work. Hope you brought charts. — casey1 min ago
@casey :) Granted, that's flying IFR, not inadvertent IMC
but I guess we've all been there, in the "how hard can it be?"-phase. I know I have. I kept telling myself that objectively speaking I'm probably wrong and actually can't, but you really need one of those events that catch you by surprise to let you actually know that you can't.
the kid didn't have the motivation to do the training. We (myself and other instructors) had the "if this isn't something you really want to do..." conversation and he did a few more flights and quit. His dad refused to interpret the situation any other way than we sucked as instructors (and the kid probably told his dad that to avoid saying he quit).
so the boss wanted to know what the hell was going on
Question for the regulars: I learned to fly and I've always flown in Europe (Belgium) but I have a lot of (stupid) questions on differences between Europe and the U.S. I could ask an instructor here but I prefer multiple opinions (because there are). Are those (stupid) questions on-topic at Aviation SE ?
@PhilippeLeybaert Why would they be stupid? As long as they're factual and not opinion-based then they would be very valuable questions. If they are about opinions then chat is probably better. If you're not sure, just ask and see how people respond :-)
@PhilippeLeybaert Well, you could probably say the same thing to some US questions about flying in Europe :-) As they say, there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers
For example, in Europe when you file a flight plan (VFR), you always get a full (IFR-like) clearance before you take off. That doesn't seem the case in the U.S.
Those things are hard to find in the "book" as it is considered "common knowledge" among pilots
@PhilippeLeybaert yep, our VFR plans are make-believe. Well, they are real but only the FSS knows they exist, not ATC. The exception are D-VFR flight plans which ATC does know about.
@PhilippeLeybaert Yes, that's correct: no flight plan is required for VFR in the US although it's recommended. But Canada is different: all VFR flights over 25nm (?) require a plan.
@falstro in Belgium you need the clearance before you take off (from a towered airport that is). I find that a lot easier than requesting a clearance in the air
I guess flight following is the better choice in the U.S. (although I once asked for FF in Florida and was denied)
@PhilippeLeybaert in germany, you get a clearance to the edge of the control zone by the tower, after that you're on your own and have to pick it up from the next radar facility to get a clearance into the next D or C.
"cessna 12345, houston approach, cleared into class B, maintain VFR at 5500 ft squawk 4123"
@falstro in the US you don't need clearances in class C or D but if you are VFR down low enough to be in that airspace you'll have to do the same thing. you'll have radar services terminated exiting C and you'll have to call up the next C or D facility yourself
flight following will coordinate those handoffs and give you to the center between surface facilities
@PhilippeLeybaert i might not be the best to ask. The vast majority of my experience is in a part 121 cockpit (always IFR with the rare exception when we could cancel early before going into a non-towered airport)
in small planes I always went with FF but I knew the facilities and where I would and wouldnt get handoff service
@PhilippeLeybaert I always file IFR when I'm going somewhere specific, even in VMC. It's good practice and it avoids any airspace complications (if that's a concern). I don't know if it makes it less stressful, though :-)
@PhilippeLeybaert Nothing is obvious about FAA regulations. But they have lots of lawyers to explain to you why breathing is grounds to have your certificate yanked :)
@falstro Actually all my dealings with the FAA have been pleasant. If you're not a screwup or an asshat they actually go out of their way to be helpful.
@voretaq7 they've made themselves so helpful I don't even deal with them anymore. I can submit my CFI renewals via IACRA and never interact with an FAA employee at all
in fact, I don't even have to interact with any person
@Lnafziger Do you know offhand if JFK or LGA has relaxed the "no private vehicles airside" rule? I haven't really kept up since the chances of my needing to drive out onto the ramp at either of those airports is effectively nil :)
"Due to the sensitive nature of the information included in the directive, the TSA has not made the full content of the document widely available." So you must comply, but we're not telling you with what...
Yeah, last I heard the policy was no private vehicles and authorized escorts for pedestrians airside at JFK. (At Islip they'll let you drive onto the GA ramp with an escort, but that's probably because the GA ramp is waaaaaay the hell away from the commercial terminal)
@Pondlife Welcome to America. Secret laws are the new black. As in black bar. As in redacted. As in you're under arrest for [REDACTED].
@voretaq7 I read an interesting article about the TSA searching a GA pilot before he took off. With several (legal) firearms, camping supplies etc. for his backcountry trip...
Don't the TSA guys themselves ever get struck by the pointlessness of it all?
Yeahhhh, my general policy on that is if you want to search me, my passengers, or my aircraft you better be serving me with a warrant (or be prepared to explain your probable cause to the local constabulary).
I'm pretty easygoing about most things, but literally THE reason I spent the time and money on a private pilot license and an airplane is so I could travel at least regionally without having to deal with that crap. (It's just a bonus that it's also fun :)
Unfortunately, there's a massive imbalance of power: they can make your life a lot harder than you can make theirs. They don't have to pay any lawyer fees, for a start, whether they're right or wrong.
@Pondlife Retainer for at least one of the lawyers I could rely on in such a situation is "I let her drink my scotch", so I've got that going for me - but yes, they can make me far more miserable than I can make them.
Then again the existence of some of this crap makes my life pretty miserable to begin with, so if I'm going to be inconvenienced I may as well do it on my terms and make sure the letter of the law is being given at least casual lip service.
Just heard someone requesting to transition AUS class C airspace but was told to stand by. Isn't it a lot easier to just fly over the airspace without bothering Austin approach? (for example at 5,000 ft because the ceiling off class C is 4,500 at AUS). His destination was 100 nm away so he had no reason to stay low.
@PhilippeLeybaert Yes, he could have flown right over it like you said. And class C doesn't require a clearance, if the controller acknowleged his callsign he was allowing him to enter.
From the AIM: "If the controller responds to a radio call with, "(aircraft callsign) standby,"radio communications have been established and the pilot can enter the Class C airspace."
but personally if they had 100NM to go and there's no headwind? Climb over it and try to get flight following (or at least listen to the frequency) as a courtesy.
For some reason there are a lot of pilots (and instructors) who are afraid of heights.
One of the instructors my friend flies with actually said "these training planes don't much like climbing above 3000-4000 feet" - that got some interesting glances since he's flown with me and I'll routinely haul the Cherokee up to 7,500-8,500 on longer trips.
Note: I'm not a pilot, so I don't have much basic knowledge of how the pilot licence ratings work
If a pilot doesn't have an Instrument Rating, and the weather conditions drop below VMC; what do they do?
Presumably you can't instantly land, but nor can you safely continue to fly without suffici...
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