Gang, the ol gang on this list know my passion for IFR training so I won't go into my soap box preaching. However, the following is an exercise in nessessity dictated controlled descent into IMC as a VFR pilot. Since most, if not all of us, now fly with GPS I'll use this as a tool. If you are VFR over the top and it does close in on you, you just may have no other choice than to drop down through the clouds to a runway. This would be if you had no other choice in finding a VFR letdown. I am a big believer in planning for the unplanned. This is an example only, use your own judgement.
Go fly, find a power setting that will allow your airplane to descend at 500' per minute with the aircraft trimmed for hands off flying, now remember your airspeed and RPM setting. Post this setting somewhere. Remember, 500', hands off. If you get caught on top and have no other choice, find an airport with reporting capability. Remember cloud bases are reported at AGL, tops are MSL. Find the cloud bases reported. Go to your GPS letdown page and punch in your descent rate at 1000' above the cloud tops (I'll expound on this next) and airspeed. This will tell you the distance from the airport you begin your letdown. Fly the runway heading, so you don't have to do any fancy yanking and banking just below the cloud bases, at an altitude 1000' above the cloud tops. This height gives you two minutes to get your airplane configured prior to cloud penatration. Now do some rough calculations of cloud thickness. 2000' thick clouds will take you 4 minutes to pass through at 500' feet per minute. This is only twice as long as it took you to get to the cloud tops from 1000' above, no big deal because you had prior set your airplane up for hands off controlled straight descent. Start your counter prior to cloud punch and now just keep the wings level, the airplane doesn't know it's in the clouds and will continue a 500' descent for 4 minutes. Watch for the clouds below you to start getting dark, this is a clue that you are starting to see ground. When you drop out, look straight ahead, the runway should be set up for a straight in approach. If the thought of clouds flashing past your canopy does not sit well with you, carry a baseball hat with you, pull the hat down low on your forehead, much like foggles. Now just consentrate on the heading and timer inside the airplane. It works. I am not saying do this, it is a good emergency procedure when all else fails. Dana Overall 1999 & 2000 National KR Gathering host Richmond, KY i39 RV-7 slider, Imron black, "Black Magic" O 360 A1A, C/S C2YK-1BF/F7666A4 http://rvflying.tripod.com/blackwing1.jpg http://rvflying.tripod.com do not archive _________________________________________________________________ Visit MSN Holiday Challenge for your chance to win up to $50,000 in Holiday cash from MSN today! http://www.msnholidaychallenge.com/index.aspx?ocid=tagline&locale=en-us
