The ink was still wet on my temporary IFR certificate when I scheduled my first IFR cross country from KORL (Orlando Executive) to KMSL (Muscle Shoals Alabama).
Preliminary Skirmishes
I had been a flying student for about 4 years and only recently got my private, and immediately went to work on my instrument rating. I knew before I got my private license that I would be an instructor and have at least a part time career in aviation.
It took me a while to get my private license as I didn’t realize I could change instructors. I was flying with a CAP guy who was nice enough as a friend but not a great instructor, at least not for me.
The Right Instructor
When someone pointed out to me that I could change instructors, I called the club manager (Jim Grady) for suggestions and he suggested Glen Perkins, who had a lot of military background but also very experienced as a civilian instructor. It turned out to be a great suggestion.
Early Trepidation and History
I was more than a little alarmed when Glen showed up for our first lesson in an old Pontiac with the license plate reading “GWP-666”. “Oh no” I thought, “What is this guy in to?”
Well I had to ask.
It was a great story, I had to admit. I decided to quit worrying about that number, at least how it applied to him anyway. I was really glad to meet him. We worked well together and became friends. I lost track of him a while back and apparently he passed away earlier this year. Makes me sad as I would have really liked to reconnect with him.
Instrument Pilot: Lessons Learned
Well here I was in late September of 1989 with a fresh IFR certificate. Now I had flown a lot of IFR with Glen and other IFR pilots but never as a “rated pilot” so this was going to be a new experience for me.
Cessna 177RG Cardinal Specifications
The Cessna 177RG Cardinal is a four-seat, single-engine aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear and a 200-horsepower Lycoming IO-360 fuel-injected engine. It features a constant-speed propeller, stabilator for improved pitch control, and a roomy cabin with excellent visibility.
Key Performance and Dimensions
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 hp
- Cruise Speed: 144–149 knots (depending on conditions)
- Top Speed: 153–157 knots
- Stall Speed (dirty): 50–57 KCAS
- Rate of Climb: 925 fpm at sea level
- Service Ceiling: 17,100 feet
- Range: Up to 500–888 nm (varies with fuel load and reserves)
- Fuel Capacity: 61 gallons
- Gross Weight: 2,800 lbs
- Empty Weight: ~1,665–1,765 lbs
- Useful Load: ~1,035–1,135 lbs
Lesson 1: Having an Instrument Rating Doesn’t Mean You Can Fly Through Crappy Weather
This should be so obvious but I am not the only one that tells a story like this, not by a long shot. Let’s talk about this particular flight. I was playing in a very popular traveling show band called “Clutch”, you may have heard of them.
I had to be in Muscle Shoals in the morning for a rehearsal but I had a “special reason” to get there the night before. (Her name was Wendy by the way, more about that later).
I decided to go up the evening before and spend some time with Wendy. In my trusty CAP Flying Club Cardinal RG (A Cessna C-177RG N7628V), which was currently my favorite plane, it was about a three and a half hour flight. I topped of the Cardinal, which held 60 gallons of usable fuel.
I normally ran it at “23 squared” which gave me 135 kts TAS (True Air Speed) and allowed me to lean it back to 9 gallons an hour. So I had plenty of fuel.
My preflight briefing with the Orlando Flight Service Station was only a little worrisome. “There is an area of embedded thunderstorms over Northern Louisiana beginning at the gulf and extended in to Arkansas which is expected to move eastward during your flight. You should have enough time if you plan to depart shortly.”
I left right away. In those days you rarely had to wait to take off except at certain peak times. I think I was #2 when I got to runway 25.
I departed and started heading northwest along the victor airway. I did notice I was only getting about 115 kts at 6000′ due to a headwindm which should have been expected. “No matter” I said “I have plenty of time.” Besides I was an instrument pilot now right? I could fly through weather. HAH!
Lesson 2: Listen to Advice From More Experienced Pilots
I had a friend near Tallahassee that had a private strip, Willis Forman. I met him through Clutch and we found out that we shared a passion for flying. Every time I flew over his area I made arrangements to call him on his handheld. This flight was no exception.
“Forman International this is Cessna 7628V”
“Cessna 7628V this is Forman International hey John how is it going?”
“Great! I am on an IFR flight plan and I’m by MYSELF.”
“Yeah John about that, have you checked in with flight service lately? That front of storms has picked up speed and I expected to hear from you a good 20 minutes ago.”
“Yes I’ve been talking to them and Jax Center. But hey, I’m an instrument pilot now. I’ll be OK.”
“John why don’t you land here and stay the night. Let the weather pass by.”
I considered it for a minute.
“Willis it’s still severe clear out in front of me. I will go further than this. Besides I have some people waiting for me there.” (Huge RED FLAG)
“I’m starting to lose you John, but be careful! Don’t do anything stupid.”
I should have landed there, made some phone calls, spent a peaceful night and gone on in the morning. But I suppose I wouldn’t have this story to tell if I had would I?
The Weather Worsens
As I headed in to Alabama Jax Center handed me off to Atlanta Center and they asked me my intentions concerning “a line of embedded thunderstorms directly in my route of flight.”
I asked them if anyone was getting through (this is in the 80s now) and they replied no one had attempted to go through below FL350. I requested deviations right of course. They said deviations were approved, let them know when I wanted a westbound turn. I continued up northbound along the storm line, staying visual and keeping clear air to my right. I considered landing somewhere and waiting it out but hey, Wendy and her mom were waiting for me. I was now experiencing something that has caused more deadly accidents, “Get There-Itis”
Lesson 3: Don’t Tell People to Wait for You. Tell Them You Will Call When You Land
It was staring to get dark too. Finally Atlanta told me a King Air had just gone through around 5 miles ahead of me at FL180 and reported a smooth ride. I said “OK let’s give it a try.”
Lesson 4: Different Altitudes and Aircraft Sizes Have Very Different Experiences
I accepted the vector and went in to the “towering wall” of clouds in front of me. I immediately regretted it. I was IMC, it was dark, I was getting bounced around and rain was leaking through the upper pilot door seal all over my left shoulder and arm. The strobes were making the prop “stop” in front of me so I turned them off. Same with the beacon. Turned that off! It seemed like ten minutes but in probably 30 seconds I called Atlanta and with a raised voice said “Get me out of here. On the ground somewhere please. Someplace with a nice big ILS”
“Chattanooga is ahead to your right.”
Chattanooga? That’s Tennessee! I didn’t realize how close I was. “How about Atlanta? 40 miles at your 6 o’clock.”
“Yeah let’s do that! Vector me out of here!”
(Thinking back, it really wasn’t that bad, it was just my first experience with “hard IFR” at night and I wasn’t prepared for it.)
Lesson 5: Darkness Makes Weather Much Worse
They put me on what was then the ILS 8L for Hartsfield. I was doing about 140 kts on final and Approach told me to “Keep my speed up”
“I’m pedaling as fast as I can!” “Yes we know but you have a Boeing 757 8 miles behind you.” Yikes.
I kept my speed up till a 2 mile final and slowed down to put the gear down. Uh oh, no green light. (The Cardinal only has one green and one red.) I knew we had been experiencing trouble with the nose micro-switch previously but I was in no mood to try it. I recycled. Still no green light.
“Tower I have a gear unsafe indication. Request fly by.” “APPROVED”
As I flew by the tower he said, inevitably, “They appear to be down and locked.”
Great.
I swung around for another landing, staying VFR at 900 ft. I still didn’t get a green light but I needed to get down and out of this plane. I touched down and held the nosewheel off as long as I could. As it touched down, the green light came on. Go figure.
I taxied in using taxiway “Dixie”. I asked why it wasn’t Delta and he said “I bet you can figure that out on your own.” LOL I got it. (I hear with the wave of political correctness they have gone back to saying Delta. How stupid.)
I parked at Hangar One – the FBO now know as Signature. The lineman came out and looked at my plane in wonder. He had never seen anything so small. “What is this? a 210?” Anyway I made sure he put 20 a side of AvGas in to it.
Once More in to The Breach
After a much needed bathroom break and a soda to calm down, I called Flight Service and asked them when the storms would end.
“What storms?” they said.
“What storms? Those embedded thunderstorms that nearly scared the crap out of me!”
“No, there’s no storms, just some rain. The storms have dissipated.”
So I filed for MSL direct at 6000′ which he was more than happy to give me.
SIDS? STARS?
Clearance gave me a SID – A Standard Instrument Departure. Yes I’d studied them but never done one. They’re usually for bigger planes at bigger airports. Well here I was.
I took off and Tower handed me to Departure. Departure asked me if I could climb at least 1000 feet per minute. “Uh, I’ll give it my best shot.”
“Never mind, I will give you vectors. Turn left heading 280 climb to 6000 feet.” That was pretty much direct on course anyway.
After a few minutes he said “Turn left to 270, when able direct Muscle Shoals. Contact Center on (some frequency)”
So I did and it was the same guy from before. “Giving it another try?” I said “Yes, FSS tells me it’s just rain now.” “OK well you’re cleared direct MSL when able.” I had a LORAN which I was following. No, we didn’t have GPS then. I had the MSL VOR tuned in but was not receiving it.
So here I am at 6000 feet, and I see “The Wall” in front of me. I said a little prayer “Hope it’s better this time!” Well it wasn’t. Same thing. Bumpy, rain coming in, had to turn the strobes and beacon off etc. But FSS had told me it was just rain. Wait a minute, what was that? Did I see some moonlight for a second?
“Hey Center, 28V here. Any chance of 7000′?” “Well it’s the wrong altitude for your direction of flight but you’re the only one out there so yeah, approved, climb and maintain 7000′”
Lesson 6: Sometimes a Slight Change in Altitude Does The Trick
I climbed up to 7000′ and whaddya know, I was on top of most of it! There were still some embedded towering cumulus but I could see them in the moonlight. I made my way around them and headed towards MSL. I flew the ILS 29 right down to 400 ft AGL before I saw the runway, but landed fine and taxied in, feeling greatly relieved!
The relief was short lived. Wendy was there, with her mom, and they had been waiting for hours. They were not happy! I hadn’t known her very long and had hoped this would be a successful first date. It was not. I slept on the couch that night.
Epilogue: Lessons Learned
I learned at least six lessons that night and probably several more which I will write about later.
- Lesson 1: Having an Instrument Rating Doesn’t Mean You Can Fly Through Crappy Weather
- Lesson 2: Listen to Advice From More Experienced Pilots
- Lesson 3: Don’t Tell People to Wait for You. Tell Them You Will Call When You Land!
- Lesson 4: Different Altitudes and Aircraft Sizes Have Very Different Experiences
- Lesson 5: Darkness Makes Weather Much Worse
- Lesson 6: Sometimes a Slight Change in Altitude Does The Trick
I will never forget that flight but just in case I do, I’m writing down as much as I can on this blog. This is the second time I have written this article and I can already tell it is longer and more in depth than the first time.
