What a foggy night

[flynavydiesel]

I know this has nothing to do with oil but man what a crazy night. Launched out of Willow Grove Naval Air station yesterday in zero zero conditions (Navy C-9). Can only see two runway markings in front of the aircraft, flew out of the fog at 2,000 feet into a very nice day. Of course our weather forecaster said this stuff would lift by late afternoon. Yea, right!! So had no legal reason to cancel the flight. Surprise Surprise when we leave ST. Louis to come home this was the METAR: vv001 1/8sm fg 06/06. Call up the weather guy, "we will be in this until tommorrow morning". Great!! Mcguire AFB, just across the river was calling slightly better but they have real nice approach lights and center line lights. This was the easiest flight into Philly airspace I had during low vis in a long time. Basically only the CAT III guys and crazy military (us) pilots were attempting approachs. Okay where am I going with this.

There is nothing sweeter when you are shooting an instrument approach down to minimums and everything works as advertised. The plane is locked up on the ILS, 10 ft above DA, you see the first set of approach lights, continue, runway end identifier lights come into view followed by the those big touch down zone lights saying come on home!!! What a night.

Just so you all don't think we were doing anything dangerous, we had plenty of fuel to divert down to Norfolk which was calling clear and a million. Oh, and I was giving my fellow pilot his check ride to become an aircraft commander, you can't buy trainig like that.

sean

 

[flynavydiesel]

Respect of weather and what it can do is key in any IFR flight. We were very tempted to get the jet back to Willow Grove,PAR only, and no centerline or touchdown zone lighting. We decided it was a varsity day and we needed all the players on our side if we had a chance to make it in.

Every time I do approachs like that I always walk away thanking the instructors who drove into my brain the procedures which make this stuff safe.

 

[Al]

Glad you made it O.K. and us poor taxpayers didn't need to pay for a new aircraft J/K

And thank you for your service.

 

[Terry]

FlyNavy...... what no autoland or HUD ??

Heres to you and that old C9

 

[Schmoe]

to you guys. I've always wanted to be a pilot since I was about 5 years old. I guess it came from all the trips abroad with my father but economics dictated otherwise in my career field. Even though I did take the Navy Aviation OCS test and passed with a 91%, but as with my luck, that was the year "Top Gun" came out and everybody but your momma wanted to be a pilot so they raised their minimal standards to 95%. Anyway, I had always wondered what it would be like landing in zero visibility while trusting your instruments. I bet that is one hairy scary arshe landing. Salute to you

 

[flynavydiesel]

Autoland!! that would be sweet. We keep hoping the PA Congressional types will help us get some new 737's, right now the Navy is buying them at a snails pace.

Thanks for all your support guys, us military types would not be here unless everyone like you supported us.

 

[wwillson]

quote:

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Originally posted by flynavydiesel:


Thanks for all your support guys, us military types would not be here unless everyone like you supported us.

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If you love your freedom, thank a vet!

 

[Rick in PA]

Willow Grove! You probably passed over our house on final. Saw a couple of military version MD-80s(?) on approach tonight. They were comming in a little lower than usual, probably the weather. Still look up with amazement at those big flying machines when they pass over.

 

[TheLoneRanger]

Flynavydiesel, just another day at the office, right?

That does sound like fun; I used to smash bugs with a C150, eyes were too bad to do the things you do.....

 

[Matt_S]

You guys probably had the same lovely weather that caused this:

http://www.clickondetroit.com/weather/4076399/detail.html

It was pretty bad around Detroit, too (the accident happened about 1 hour or so west). You could see the fog POURING off the snow. It was wierd. The fog was worst in places where there was a lot of snow sitting on the ground (fields, playgrounds, etc), so I can see how it would have been really bad on a rural interstate.

 

[wwillson]

Flynavydiesel,

After I took my instrument checkride, the examiner encouraged me to file IFR and return to my home airport under IFR. Good thing I did, when I got about 30 miles from the airport I saw that fog (not in the forcast) had rolled in. I did a full ILS down to DA before I saw the runway! Scared the #### out of me. Funny that I was smart enough to be scared with 150 hours of flight time. Now with 2000 hrs of time and with 1500 hrs of flight instruction time, I wouldn't even consider an approach down to minimums in fog, with ice, and in a single engine. I guess I'm a bit smarter now...

Wayne

 

[tom slick]

If you know anyone that has been stationed at Lemoore NAS ask them about "Tule Fog" (pronounced two-lee). it is some of the thickest fog in the nation. on a bad day school gets cancelled because with visability less than 50 ft it is too dangerous to drive a bus!!