Is it possible to switch from VFR to IFR and back?

Mxsmanic wrote:
If I am instrument rated and my aircraft is fully equipped for
instrument flight, and I start out a flight with a VFR flight plan,
and it gets foggy enough that I'm below minimums, is there a way to
switch to IFR in flight,

*** I do it all the time. Coming home to the Bay Area from Fresno,
it's common
that the Valley will be severe clear, but the Bay Area will have some
clouds. It's
a pain in the butt to file IFR from the uncontrolled field in Fresno,
so I do it like this:

Immediately on takeoff from Fresno, I get flight following. Coming
up the Valley,
I ask to leave the frequency and talk to Flight Service on 122.2MHz. I
get a weather
update from them, and if there is so much as a hint of clouds in the
Bay Area, I file
and IFR flight plan with them, beginning at the next waypoint on my GPS
flight plan.
The GPS tells me when I'll be there ( ETE ), and I just make my best
guess as to
how long it'll take. Then I return to ATC.

About 10 miles from my waypoint, I mention to ATC that I would like
to activate
my IFR flight plan starting at ***. They give me the new clearance, I
write it down and
immediately turn to the new heading and altitude. Poof, I'm IFR.

If ATC isn't busy it's sometimes possible to file the IFR flight
plan in the air directly
with them. One common example is - you're flying along over a cloud
layer and
you'd like to land the airplane. So you ask ATC for an approach. I
get the feeling that
it's easier to get a single approach out of ATC directly than a whole
flight plan.

- Jerry Kaidor

wrote in news:1164646255.242808.209320
@l39g2000cwd.googlegroups.com:

*** I do it all the time. Coming home to the Bay Area from Fresno,
it's common
that the Valley will be severe clear, but the Bay Area will have some
clouds. It's
a pain in the butt to file IFR from the uncontrolled field in Fresno,
so I do it like this:

It's no biggie to get an ATC clearance from FSS? I've done this at 2G2 and
get an ATC clearance from FSS. 2G2 is below the Bravo airspace of
Pittsburg.

Just a headsup Jerry, you are dealing with a person who plays games on MSFS
and not a real aircraft. This itself is no biggie, but he is a troll and
does not give you the time of the day on your responses and question your
real world experiences as if we live in the simulated world.

While his questions are good, the intentions are questionable. Just look
back on the responses from Mxmaniac and you will clearly see what I am
talking about.

Allen

A Lieberma wrote:

While his questions are good, the intentions are questionable.


If his questions are good then what bearing does the intention have? If
you take such exception to Mx's eccentric personality then just direct
your answers to the many others who are undoubtably interested. I for
one would have liked to see some answers to his ATC questions, but you
guys made damn sure that wasn't going to happen. I think the anti-Mx
brigade are doing considerable harm whilst imagining they are doing
good, and 'Jim in NC' in particular is starting to look ridiculous.

Apologies in advance to those likely to take offence at a comment from a
mere sim pilot.

fromTheShadows wrote in news:ekf7sd$8in$1
@aioe.server.aioe.org:

If his questions are good then what bearing does the intention have?

Intentions are everything.

I'd rather put my time and effort to those that will truly use the
information rather then sit behind a keyboard and make it like the MSFS
game is reality.

As you will see from my postings, not only will I add to the responders on
topic, but I am going to advise them they are dealing with a troll.

If it talks, walks and quacks like a troll, it is a troll.

If you have questions, post away. Don't look to Mxmaniac.

If it's a sim question, post to the sim newsgroups. I am sure there are
pilots that monitor that group.

Also, don't expect pilots to treat simulation the same as the real deal.
IT IS NOT, and WILL NEVER BE!!!!

IF you are in the same simulated world that Mx lives in, then hopefully the
real world pilots will treat you just the same.

Allen

A Lieberma wrote:
fromTheShadows wrote in news:ekf7sd$8in$1
@aioe.server.aioe.org:

If his questions are good then what bearing does the intention have?

Intentions are everything.

I'd rather put my time and effort to those that will truly use the
information rather then sit behind a keyboard and make it like the MSFS
game is reality.

As you will see from my postings, not only will I add to the responders on
topic, but I am going to advise them they are dealing with a troll.

If it talks, walks and quacks like a troll, it is a troll.

If you have questions, post away. Don't look to Mxmaniac.

If it's a sim question, post to the sim newsgroups. I am sure there are
pilots that monitor that group.

Also, don't expect pilots to treat simulation the same as the real deal.
IT IS NOT, and WILL NEVER BE!!!!

IF you are in the same simulated world that Mx lives in, then hopefully the
real world pilots will treat you just the same.

Allen

I have few specific questions, but I do have a general interest in the
answers to most of the posts here. I think that people effectively being
instructed to not answer certain questions is detrimental to the group.

I am a wannabe pilot who for various reasons is unable to fly for real
at the moment, so I content myself with trying to make my sim
environment as realistic as possible. If I want to know about how the
sim works, I go to a sim group. If I want to know how to fly a plane, I
come here. There will inevitably be some overlap between the two worlds,
but I don't think anybody (including even Mx) is expecting anybody to
treat simming as the 'real deal'.

Cheers,

Craig

"fromTheShadows" wrote

I think the anti-Mx brigade are doing considerable harm whilst imagining they
are doing good, and 'Jim in NC' in particular is starting to look ridiculous.

Just a quick reply to you, before you get blocked.

I was being as combative as possible, taking every point made by him that was
not right and throwing it in his face. My intention was purely to make him
uncomfortable.

If you knew me in person, I am very easy to get along with, and will try to go
with the flow, and make peace. Then I reach my breaking point, when I say
enough is enough.

Mx reached it, as stongly as anyone in a very long time.

Any part of my looking ridiculous and doing harm is not even half of the harm he
is doing/has done here. I make no apologies.

I'm done caring any longer, because when I see people still responding, and
sticking up for him like you and others are doing, I know my efforts are in
vain. My solution (suggested by another wise poster) is to just ignore you and
your ilk until the whole thing blowes over. I won't be bothered with you/them
again.

Apologies in advance to those likely to take offence at a comment from a mere
sim pilot.

Until you stuck up for him, I would have welcomed you with open arms. Not now.

Time for "tough love."

Thanks for making it so easy to see which people to throw in the sh*t can.
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote:
"fromTheShadows" wrote

I think the anti-Mx brigade are doing considerable harm whilst
imagining they are doing good, and 'Jim in NC' in particular is
starting to look ridiculous.

Just a quick reply to you, before you get blocked.

I hate to say this, but feel free to block me too while you're at it.

(Ironically I've taken my jabs at mxsmanic too, but in 18 years of reading
Usenet I've never felt the need to use filters or killfiles.)

writes:

I get a weather
update from them, and if there is so much as a hint of clouds in the
Bay Area, I file
and IFR flight plan with them, beginning at the next waypoint on my GPS
flight plan.

By this you mean that you essentially just read off the waypoints on
your GPS to them as your routing?

About 10 miles from my waypoint, I mention to ATC that I would like
to activate my IFR flight plan starting at ***. They give me the new
clearance, I write it down and immediately turn to the new heading
and altitude. Poof, I'm IFR.

Sounds great.

So do you plan waypoints and fly them for all your flights, even VFR?
If so, I imagine that makes it a lot easier to switch to IFR if the
weather doesn't cooperate.

I usually fly that way in the sim, too, and even when I'm being
"casual," I keep an eye on nearby radio fixes and other things I can
use to find my way if the weather changes. If I'm set to use
real-world weather, it often _does_ change, and then I just switch to
instrument flight.

Which makes me think of something else I was wondering: How do you
work things if you are on the ground at the airport, and there's a
layer of fog or clouds that prevents you from taking off under VFR,
but you know that the weather is clear only a few thousand feet above?
Do you file IFR and fly it until you are in clear air and then cancel
the IFR and switch to VFR, or what?

Does ATC get mad if you switch back and forth to and from IFR as
conditions change?

One common example is - you're flying along over a cloud
layer and you'd like to land the airplane. So you ask ATC for
an approach. I get the feeling that it's easier to get a single
approach out of ATC directly than a whole flight plan.

That's one scenario I've been wondering about. So do you just call
them and say you'd like to switch to IFR and ask for vectors for your
approach, or what? How much formality does switching to IFR flight
require?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
If I am instrument rated and my aircraft is fully equipped for
instrument flight, and I start out a flight with a VFR flight plan,
and it gets foggy enough that I'm below minimums, is there a way to
switch to IFR in flight, or do I have to have filed IFR from the
beginning? If it's possible in flight, how does it work? Is it
possible to later switch back again?

Yes you can switch between them. Just press the "~" key, and the ATC menu
will pop-up. There will be an option to open a VFR flight plan there.
Oz Lander

Crash Lander writes:

Yes you can switch between them. Just press the "~" key, and the ATC menu
will pop-up. There will be an option to open a VFR flight plan there.

There is no such option when using live ATC.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.