Colorado Flying

[FLYBOYJ]

Yesterday I had to go to a town called Lamar, its located in south eastern Colorado. There was an aerobatic competition to be held there and the USAFA had several aircraft there for the competition. At the 11th hour I called my father-in-law and asked him to go, I was glad I did. About half way there a low cloud layer developed underneath us and it was that way all the way to Lamar. We called Denver Center, received vectors and I did a VOR approach into the airport (it also helped to have "Dad" with me as he crosschecked my progress with a GPS, we had 2 on board). When we went into the "soup" the ceiling as 400 feet with 3 miles visibility and mist. When I broke out we were about 3 miles from the airport and about 10 degrees off runway center-line, at that point everything else was uneventful.

Because of the weather, there was no competition held, but we did take some photos. There is one with my father in law talking to Lee Mazzeralla, one of out tow pilots. lee flew Skyraiders in Viet Nam...

We went out IFR, broke out and climbed to 10,000 feet. The flight home was uneventful. Because I had my father in law with me, we remained IFR so I could shoot a practice ILS into our home airport. ATC vectored us right over Denver, which is highly unusual. Anyway a great day of flying, got some real IFR in and even got paid to do all this!!!!

 

[mkloby]

Nice pics FBJ. You mean you didn't just fly through the bag of clouds with your fingers crossed? What kind of pilot are you!? What's that 2nd craft - the red biplane? I ran into one of them in Mo on that CCX i did last weekend. I know little about civil planes. Looks like a hoot to fling around though!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

The red bi-plane is a Pitts. It belonged to a guy that my father in law used to work with, just happened to be there. Goes to show you how small the aviation community really is.

Yea - punch through the layer and grab the rabbit's foot! LOL! Not for me, eventually in that cloud bank one would find a Cumulus-Granite!

 

[mkloby]

FAA only recommends punching through cloud decks if you are a celebrity w/ 0 inst training. Towering cumulogranite can make for a short flight. Glad you had fun and were able to fly some actual imc. they cancelled my "last flight" on thursday last week so now my last flight of primary is tomorrow. Heading to Panama City, FL. Should be fun.

Those city pics are of Denver? I've never been out there.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

FAA only recommends punching through cloud decks if you are a celebrity w/ 0 inst training. Towering cumulogranite can make for a short flight.

Glad you had fun and were able to fly some actual imc. they cancelled my "last flight" on thursday last week so now my last flight of primary is tomorrow. Heading to Panama City, FL. Should be fun.

Those city pics are of Denver? I've never been out there.

Good luck on your last flight - yes, that's the city of Denver, the class B TCA Starts right over the city so it's unusual to bring GA aircraft directly over the city at the altitude we were at.

 

[evangilder]

Cool stuff Joe. The really cool part is that you got paid to do that... I have said it before Joe, you get to have all the fun! Now I will have an idea of what your father in law looks like so I can maybe find him at Edwards.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Great pics there Joe. When I get to Alaska I am going to have to fly down to Colorado and go flying with you one time.

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff Joe!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Great pics there Joe. When I get to Alaska I am going to have to fly down to Colorado and go flying with you one time.

Anytime!!!