Vectors over water

Flying IFR in/around the Chicago Class B, it's not unusual to get
vectored out over Lake Michigan. I've always been a little nervous
about this but even more so after the recent PA28 downing off
Milwaukee. Flotation gear is no solution for probably 6 months of the
year because of water temperature.

Anybody else found a way to deal with this? I fly out of Gary, and
eastbound the vector is almost always 040, which puts me a fair
distance offshore.

In what direction are you generally heading?


"paul kgyy" wrote in message
oups.com...
Flying IFR in/around the Chicago Class B, it's not unusual to get
vectored out over Lake Michigan. I've always been a little nervous
about this but even more so after the recent PA28 downing off
Milwaukee. Flotation gear is no solution for probably 6 months of the
year because of water temperature.

Anybody else found a way to deal with this? I fly out of Gary, and
eastbound the vector is almost always 040, which puts me a fair
distance offshore.

"paul kgyy" wrote in message
oups.com...
Flying IFR in/around the Chicago Class B, it's not unusual to get
vectored out over Lake Michigan. I've always been a little nervous
about this but even more so after the recent PA28 downing off
Milwaukee. Flotation gear is no solution for probably 6 months of the
year because of water temperature.

Anybody else found a way to deal with this? I fly out of Gary, and
eastbound the vector is almost always 040, which puts me a fair
distance offshore.


I flew out of Gary recently with my wife and kids in the plane. When they
gave me vectors over the water I replied "Unable, I'm in a single engine and
I need to stay within gliding distance of the shore. I can head NNN" (can't
remember the heading). They said fine, and let me fly where I wanted. Maybe
I just got a nice controller

If I was on my own I still might request a different heading, but I probably
wouldn't use the "Unable" response.

Michael

Michael 182 wrote:

I flew out of Gary recently with my wife and kids in the plane. When they
gave me vectors over the water I replied "Unable, I'm in a single engine
and I need to stay within gliding distance of the shore.Â*Â*IÂ*canÂ*headÂ*NNN"
(can't remember the heading). They said fine, and let me fly where I
wanted. Maybe I just got a nice controllerÂ*Â*Â*

Something like that occurred a while back while taking my baby and wife to
Nantucket. I filed a "glide distance" route (and altitude) rather than the
documented preferred route. The CDW tower gave me what I'd filed.

Somewhere over NY or CT, however, ATC gave me a reroute that was the
preferred. I essentially said what you did. The controller hemmed a bit,
and gave me a clearance only to the next intersection on my original plan.

Shortly thereafter, though, I was given back my original clearance.

I've often wondered what went on in the background.

- Andrew

Andrew Gideon wrote in
gonline.com:
I've often wondered what went on in the background.

As a guess, some negotiation between the controller you were talking to
and the next one to get you. He may have had to move some traffic, or at
least make sure there was no conflict on the new route.

--
Regards,

Stan

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." B. Franklin

"paul kgyy" wrote in message
oups.com...
Flying IFR in/around the Chicago Class B, it's not unusual to get
vectored out over Lake Michigan. I've always been a little nervous
about this but even more so after the recent PA28 downing off
Milwaukee. Flotation gear is no solution for probably 6 months of the
year because of water temperature.

Anybody else found a way to deal with this? I fly out of Gary, and
eastbound the vector is almost always 040, which puts me a fair
distance offshore.

I believe you can claim "unable" or some other such response to the vector.

Michael 182 wrote:

I flew out of Gary recently with my wife and kids in the plane. When they
gave me vectors over the water I replied "Unable, I'm in a single engine and
I need to stay within gliding distance of the shore. I can head NNN" (can't
remember the heading). They said fine, and let me fly where I wanted. Maybe
I just got a nice controller

A similar situation happened to me a few months ago. I was flying an Angel
Flight from western NY to the top of northern NY (Dunkirk to Massena). I
filed and was given an easterly, then northerly route to avoid flying over
Lake Ontario.

About 15 minutes after departure, the controller gave me direct to my
destination airport (OK, so it's slow in northern NY). I responded the
same way you did: "Unable - Single engine aircraft without flotation
devices cannot overfly a large body of water." The controller immediately
cleared me as I originally filed.

I was then handed off to the next approach facility, who also
uncharacteristically cleared me direct. This time, though, since I was
farther east, I was unsure if the direct routing would take me over water
so I told him to standby. I then looked at my chart, extended my direct
route from my present position and discovered that it, too, would have put
us about 40 miles out over Lake Ontario. I again replied "unable" and was
given the remainder of my original routing.

Gotta stick to your guns...

--
Peter


















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On 28 Apr 2005 13:31:57 -0700, "paul kgyy"
wrote:

Flying IFR in/around the Chicago Class B, it's not unusual to get
vectored out over Lake Michigan. I've always been a little nervous
about this but even more so after the recent PA28 downing off
Milwaukee. Flotation gear is no solution for probably 6 months of the
year because of water temperature.

Anybody else found a way to deal with this? I fly out of Gary, and
eastbound the vector is almost always 040, which puts me a fair
distance offshore.

You could try filing with 'no overwater' in the remarks. I'm not sure
if this works, but I have heard of other pilots doing this.

-Nathan

wrote in message ...


paul kgyy wrote:

Flying IFR in/around the Chicago Class B, it's not unusual to get
vectored out over Lake Michigan. I've always been a little nervous
about this but even more so after the recent PA28 downing off
Milwaukee. Flotation gear is no solution for probably 6 months of the
year because of water temperature.


What's the difference with this and having a single lose an engine when
its 500 overcast and 1 mile, or something like that?

There is some difference, but not enough to make a choice to fly in a single
under those conditions. If I'm crossing western Kansas I still have a pretty
good chance of a decent outcome. I wouldn't cross the Rockies in a single in
IMC or at night.

Michael

wrote in message ...

What's the difference with this and having a single lose an engine when
its 500 overcast and 1 mile, or something like that?


The difference is if there's land under that 500' overcast you have a chance
of survival.