IFR vs. VFR along the east coast - a long pilot's log

Valid point. Probably not the case here.

I cross checked the center freqs with my freq log on the way up (I write
'em all down when IFR). Not so much for altimeter settings but to
validate the 300XLs NRST Center function with reality. I've never done
this before because I always talk. No discrepancies noted.

I checked the appropriate approach freqs based on my location - that's
pretty straight forward for most of the flight. Though it's not clear
to me that Center up above is consistently uses the altimeter setting
corresponding to the corresponding approach down below. comments?

On a VFR day, there is so much VFR FF chatter, it's pretty easy to pick
up a call from a closeby a/c with a 'good' altimeter setting. Though I
wasn't talking I was at times listening to 2 freqs.

And, for most of this flight, Center freqs don't seem to cover all that
much territory. A congested NE statement I guess.

Bottom line, is it's not required. It's see and be seen at whatever
altitude I choose to fly. In CAVU with a slow plane on a simple weather
day, it's difficult to even come up with a dangerous scenario. But I
worked at it anyway almost unconsiously. There just wasn't that much
else to do.

Peter R. wrote:
Maule Driver wrote:
Believe me, an accurate altimeter setting is easy if you listen to the
radio. I can look up a close by approach or center freg using NRST on
my Garmin 300XL. I generally just listened to Center on this particular
flight because I was flying at 9 and 10K. Plenty of altimeter updates
there. Not a problem.

But are those altimeter settings you heard and used applicable for your
particular location?

In my experience, a center frequency typically covers a large area, one
that conceivably could have multiple altimeter settings depending on an
aircraft's location. With an approaching high or low pressure, the
difference in altimeter settings within that center's airspace could be
significant.

As a "lurker" to the frequency, one wouldn't necessarily know where the
receiving aircraft was located and, therefore, might use an incorrect
altimeter setting.

Maule Driver wrote:

I checked the appropriate approach freqs based on my location - that's
pretty straight forward for most of the flight. Though it's not clear
to me that Center up above is consistently uses the altimeter setting
corresponding to the corresponding approach down below. comments?

In my experience, center uses the altimeter setting from an airport that is
relatively close by, whether or not it has an approach facility. However,
it appears to me that they only use a select few airports across their
airspace rather than every nearby airport's setting, perhaps to ensure all
aircraft in a given "sector" are operating on one setting.

Hopefully this will be confirmed or corrected by one of the ATC regulars
here.

On a VFR day, there is so much VFR FF chatter, it's pretty easy to pick
up a call from a closeby a/c with a 'good' altimeter setting. Though I
wasn't talking I was at times listening to 2 freqs.

And, for most of this flight, Center freqs don't seem to cover all that
much territory. A congested NE statement I guess.

Certainly as you get closer to NY City, Boston, or Philly, I would agree,
but there are places across NY state where one frequency will cover a
hundred miles east-to-wast. Cleveland Center on one frequency starts at
Syracuse (central NY) and covers all the way to Lake Erie, located in the
far western part of the state.

To bring this back to the point, one day last March I flew this 100 mile
route (but lower through the approach facilities) and received a dramatic
drop in altimeter setting with each change in approach facilities. I
recall there being almost an inch difference in altimeter settings between
central NY and western NY. It was so noticeable that airline pilots on the
frequency were commenting on the difference.

Bottom line, is it's not required. It's see and be seen at whatever
altitude I choose to fly. In CAVU with a slow plane on a simple weather
day, it's difficult to even come up with a dangerous scenario. But I
worked at it anyway almost unconsiously. There just wasn't that much
else to do.

Yep, good point. It really isn't *that* important when VFR on a CAVU day.


--
Peter
























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