(Rob Pesan) writes:

I assume I would be cleared via the Island 8 departure and vectored
to V443. The HADAR arrival says DME required, yet I don't have DME
so what to file??

Don't file a STAR, and don't accept the HADAR arrival if it shows up
in your clearance (it might be a good idea to get your clearance on a
handheld before starting up, since it could be a long negotiation).
Try filing something like YQO V2 HADAR DIRECT YQC CYQC and see what
happens. It looks like identifying STROW in the STAR would be the
problem, since it's only a DME fix.

On the return trip the preferred route is: DXO DXO 093 V90 V443 YQO
V460 BEATE I would assume here that one would be vectored from BEATE
since the CYTZ don't show and transitions from here?

I'll guess that you're going to be vectored automatically *anywhere*
inside the Toronto Terminal area, but you probably have more
experience with that area than I have (I've flown only three times
inside it).

The second problem on the return is the MEA. A short section of V90
DOLFN to BELZY before intercepting V443 has a 10,000' MEA. There must
be some way around this for a poor C-172.

.... and since 10,000 ft would be WAFDOF for an eastbound flight, you'd
have to plan on 11,000 ft. So, to be legal, you'd end up carrying
oxygen *and* water survival equipment for this trip (since you'll be
in the middle of Lake Erie, out of gliding distance from land).
Personally, I'm too nervous to take a single-engine plane that far out
over cold, open water, so I would refuse that clearance. If they
don't want you on V443 going back to Toronto, try filing a more
northern route through YXU, which seems to have reasonable MEAs.

Any help would be appreciated by this IFR newbie!

This is from another IFR newbie (and one who has not flown IFR in SW
Ontario), so take with an appropriate grain of salt.


All the best,


David