Recnt VMC, sort of flight

I just had a flght where I tried to get over some imc weather and find a hole to descend on the other side, Yes, Im inst rated, and current, but prefer not to get into serious imc where there is 8000 feet of clouds and both warnings and reports of icing. I am not as confident of being perfect in a real imc approach where a small mistake in setting a fequency can be fatal. I havent flown a T6 solo in a few years, but I am certain I could do safely with a hour to sit in the cockpit. I havent flown an airshow or done much formation in a few years, but sure I could do it safely. I dont feel that certain about imc and dont have latest aviaoincs, no moving map etc. I pass an Inst comp check each year, but that is really practice, and always a way out, not a life matter.
Anyway I went on top for half an hour, found a hole but could not get to destination. So I flew around in sort of vmc for 20 min could not get over one more ridge to get south to destination and finally said this could get silly. So I landed at nearby RLG and ended up having to stay overnight. Sure better than an imc induced accident.
Got very courtesous treatiment and a loaner car from the FBO and was safe on the ground.

PS saw an old newspaper and photos of when Charles Lindberg used to fly in and visit a local ranch family there. I have been rereading the Lindberg book.

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...finally said this could get silly. So I landed at nearby RLG and ended up having to stay overnight. Sure better than an imc induced accident.

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Thank you!

You get an A+ in decision making based on your aircraft, your own personal minimums, and the situation.

I much prefer reading a post you wrote about having to divert for safety and wait it out rather than a thread about how you Went West in IMC.

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Originally Posted by Frank Giger

Thank you!

You get an A+ in decision making based on your aircraft, your own personal minimums, and the situation.

I much prefer reading a post you wrote about having to divert for safety and wait it out rather than a thread about how you Went West in IMC.

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X2! Being new, and often called a "safety nazi" I really enjoyed reading this post that you were able to write yourself, opposed to someone else writing it for you. I've watched every single accident investigation video AOPA has put out, and many of them involve pilots of your same qualifications going into IMC rather than diverting to an alternate. Always better to stay a night away from home instead of an eternity.

I just piloted my first flight ever yesterday and it was hot and humid with thermal pockets galore...I couldn't even imagine flying into IMC, how bumpy that would be! Great post, and great decision! Godspeed

Thanks, I try tp always use good judgement, been flying a log time and only pushed the limit a couple of times. The key is to have an out, better yet several. On this recent flight I hsd at least 2 hours of fuel reserve, and my plan was that if I could not find a clear spot to descend to my destination, Id just stay above the overcast VMC and return to staring poinrt or divert north if I had to.
But I really didnt want to go back once Id done over half the distance, There were several big holes and smaller ones that allowed descent in good vmc. The problem was that the cloud bases didnt allow flying safely under them with a few high ridges still to cross. in other words the clear spots or holes were not in the right place to get to the destination.
I got close to an airport just one ridge from home, whcih had been vrf 45 min erlier and could not see the airport, I found a vmc path to descend , but it led into the valley just one ridge too far north and when I went down that way I just cooulnt turn south over that last ridge. I had room to turn around and climb back out and that is what I did, My backup was always that I had fuel rexeveers and could fly in imc if I had to , but with ice warnigs and even a report of ice I didnt want to leave vmc. As I went back to the VOR and took a look at an inst approach into RLG, versus returning to destination, I found a large clear spot, maybe 6 miles wide and landed at RLG easily.
I hadnt really planed an ifr trip, hadnt filed for it, and the icing report would have probably nixed that method anyway. But I have flown that inst appproach a number of times in practice, and should have been more confident about it. I even keep that chart on my yoke. I can fly the needles just fine, vor, ils, etc and fly the plane just fine, but that appropach had2 vors, plus and ILS (LDA) three different headings, 3 dme fixes and it is not hard to mistake a freqency. And the missed approach would have taken me a long ways and likely some icing.
So I was safe, but a bit frustrating that I wasnt confident that I could flyi it to A standards, not just so so. Some staight in ILS or vor in Kansas would be easy. as a matter of fact flew one coming back from OSH in actual imc.

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Originally Posted by FearTheH

X2! Being new, and often called a "safety nazi" I really enjoyed reading this post that you were able to write yourself, opposed to someone else writing it for you. I've watched every single accident investigation video AOPA has put out, and many of them involve pilots of your same qualifications going into IMC rather than diverting to an alternate. Always better to stay a night away from home instead of an eternity.

I just piloted my first flight ever yesterday and it was hot and humid with thermal pockets galore...I couldn't even imagine flying into IMC, how bumpy that would be! Great post, and great decision! Godspeed

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FWIW, IMC isn't necessarily bumpy. In fact, I've flown long hours in IMC that was perfectly smooth all the way.

But I agree with you, Bill. When you don't feel comfortable doing something, don't do it. For instance, for me the flight back from OSH each year has gotten more tiring. I get there OK, perhaps because it's a little shorter in time, but on the way home, I seem to be more tired sooner. I usually stop for fuel at GRI (Grand Island), and the last 3 years, I've stayed over night there, once because there was a serious weather front between there and home, but the last 2 have been strictly because I was tired. Could I have made it home? Probably, but why take the chance?

Your story reminded me of an attempted flight I wanted to make a few years ago, to Marble, CO. That's strictly a VFR flight through the mountains. There was a relatively low overcast and rain in the morning, so I hung around the airport, had lunch, and then when the rain stopped and the clouds became broken, I launched. I climbed up through a large hole and flew in good VMC above the broken layer toward Corona Pass, one of my usual crossings. But as I got closer to the pass, I could see that the clouds were stacked up on the windward side, so there was no point in even going close to the pass to check it out. So I turned around to head back to Greeley--and my big hole that I had climbed through was gone! The broken layer had completely closed in. I plugged in Greeley into the GPS, of course, but although the visibility above the clouds was easily 50-60 miles, as far as I could see there were no holes. So I called Denver Approach to obtain a clearance. I was given vectors to descend to the FAF of the ILS, but I broke out before I reached it and didn't really have to shoot the approach at all--the ceiling was still about 2000' AGL, or about 700' above the FAF. I was cleared for the approach, but as I started down the glideslope, I just cancelled and flew on in VFR.

It's always good to have a Plan B.

Cary