Many thanks! Sounds like a similiar strategy to when flying over Donner,
high as you can to stay out of the turb over the pass.

I'll likely just transition to VNY tower freq after being transitioned to
their freq by the approach controllers (I like the idea of talking to the
folks who are eyeballing all of us on their radar - especially in or near
the L.A. basin,, 'cause you are right about the visibility being so poor and
the traffic bein dense).

One of my former students had come to me, wainting to head to a LONGer
cross-country destination than the 'long' x-country he did for his PPL, so
he told me to pick one out that would be somewhere close to 3 hours each
way. I've never been to VNY and I liked the movie grin... One Six Right,
so it should be a great experience all around. I've got to check to see if
there is a restaurant on-field at Van Nuys so that I can have the $500
hamburger grin,,, goodness knows I've done the local $100 hamburger runs.

Ice is definitely NOT nice. Glad you came through to tell the story!

Thanks again!

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Good Flights!

Cecil E. Chapman
CFI-A, CP-ASEL-IA

Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the
checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond!
Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com

"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery -

"We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with
this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet"
- Cecil Day Lewis -