August 22, 2004 12:30 2.2 hrs. (.4 actual)
First flight after my IFR checkride, with actual!
For one of the few times in my brief aviation journey, I had a plane
reserved and hoped for cloudy skies. Not the towering,
throw-down-fire-from-the-heavens kind of clouds, but a benign overcast that
I could sail through while forced to keep my eyes on the gauges. And for
once the gods of Wilbur and Orville smiled upon me.
All week long I have been practicing the ILS 31 approach into La Grange, GA
(KLGC) on the simulator. I had planned on LGC for a few reasons: one, at 85
miles it qualified for a cross country flight, two, it had an ILS, and
three, the direct track would take me close to Atlanta Hartsfield and I
hoped it would really give me a workout with ATC. I had a little bit of
nervousness not only because this was to be my first IFR flight filed under
my name, it was also to be solo.

I arrived at the airport about a half hour before I was scheduled with the
plane, only because the AWOS was reporting 100' ceilings at 47A, so there
was no way I would be leaving until they lifted enough to permit a possible
emergency return. While I waited, Karen suggested that Tom, another
instrument pilot that I flew with just before my checkride, was wanting to
fly this afternoon after me. So I dialed him up on his cell phone and
invited him along. He was busy but said sure, he could be at 47A in an hour
and a half. So I headed off airport for lunch and got back to the airport in
time to preflight before he arrived.
Then with a weather brief in hand showing scattered and broken clouds all
over the place from 2500 up to 6000+ with lots of haze, I filed an IFR
flight plan in MY name.
We climbed in and figured our best plan of action was to pick up our
clearance in flight since communicating with ATC on the ground at 47A can
pretty difficult at times. Just a few feet in one direction or the other on
the ramp can make a lot of difference in the quality of reception. So we
took off from runway 4 and left the pattern from downwind. We leveled off at
3000' and called for our clearance. ATC came back with instructions to climb
to 4000' and vectored us a bit west to keep us clear of ATL.
Then came the clouds. A little puffy one at first and then much bigger ones
that were darker inside. Bigger meant bumpier too, with some kicks sideways
thrown in for good measure, and I could see Tom was keeping a good eye on my
attitude indicator.
Then a hand off and instructions to climb to 6000 where we were in and out
of the white stuff constantly. I trimmed it for level and sat back to enjoy
the view as we "joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds".
Then a hand off once again, but this time the reception was bad and the
controller sounded a bit short when I asked "Say again" at his first
transmission. Shortly after that, we passed ATL and were cleared direct to
LGC.

As a rule of thumb, I use 4 miles flown for every thousand feet to be lost,
thus 4 miles x 4000' = 16 miles. But at 18 miles out we were still at 6000'
and with an approach altitude of 2200', we would need to start descending
soon if we were to have any chance of making an elegant transition into the
LGC airspace.
So at 17 miles I called up the controller and asked for a lower altitude and
he immediately cleared us to 3000'. A few minutes later we were fat, dumb
and happy at 3000', in VFR but hazy conditions, with the field in sight and
a mile from the FAF. So we cancelled IFR. "Squawk VFR, frequency change
approved, good day".

Over the FAF at DONAH, I felt we'd come all this way and I'd practiced it so
many times, I thought I might as well do the whole ILS procedure, so I did.
After we landed, I taxied to the FBO for a coke, a quick rest and filed for
the flight back home.

Going home, it was pretty much the same song, played backwards. But instead
of picking up our clearance in the air, we made the small mistake of waiting
for it on the ground. We waited almost 10 minutes at the hold line with the
Hobbs turning like a dervish, and were just about to call and say we'd be
departing VFR and pick up the clearance later, when they called us. Lesson
learned. But all in all, one of the most fun flights I've had in a long time
and a big confidence builder.
Next flight: September 5, and I'm hoping for clouds again. But where to go?
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino
Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
www.wizardofdraws.com
www.cartoonclipart.com