:airplane:things in a hurry.
Now, lets see, J-14, FL210 to Spartanburg, J-14 to Greensboro, then intercept J-51 at CREWE intersection, (65DME North of Greensboro), to Flat Rock, then direct to Nottingham VOR, expect IRONS Four stars,(standard instrument arrival route), to Reagan National, contact approach control 119.85, ATIS, 132.65,(automatic terminal information service, which gives you local weather at that airport, the active runways for landing, wind direction and speed and altimeter setting). Oh, well, as long as this Collins FD-109 continues to work as advertised, should be ok. Gotta review missed approach procedures so I don't get any surprises.
Well, weather ahead that was not forecast! Big black area up ahead, maybe I can get a deviation around it. "Atlanta Center, King air 04 Poppa Mike, can we get a clearance around this stuff in front of us?
Roger, 04PM, turn left heading 010 degrees, then I will turn you back to J-14 past the weather ahead. Be advise, moderate turbulence being report by air carriers in and around the Washington area below 10,000MSL.
04Poppa Mike, Roger, thanks for the weather update.
OK, AVQ55, do your stuff and show me the way around this stuff. Hmm, storm king waking up, must be a good bit of lighting up ahead somewhere on my nose! Don't see much on the 300 mile range but a few specks, but that usually means something big if I can see it on the 300 range. (editors note, the AVQ55 radar will show targets 300 miles away, if they are thunderstorms with tops above 30,000 feet. The radar is actually picking up the ice and moisture in the tops of the storms, because of the curve of the earth).
Gotta call FSS and change my alternate landing site in case I can't get into Reagan.
Greensboro flight service, this is 5904PM, I need to change my alternate from Dulles to Richmond. Have 6 souls on board and will have fuel for alternate plus 45 minutes.
5904PM, stand by for clearance approval.
Roger, 04PM.
5904PM, clearance amended as requested, say your altitude.
04PM level at flight level 210.
Mild chop now, I need to get down lower, maybe find some smooth air lower. Washington Center, 5604PM requesting 16,000 if possible, getting to be quite a bit of chop up here.
Roger, 04PM, descend at pilots request of 16,000, report level and pilot report on ride please.
Roger, starting descent now, will give you a call. Need to set up 500 FPM rate and slow up a little to 220 IAS, might be a little smoother at that speed.
Washington center, 04PM level 16,000, tops of clouds 18,500, just an occasional bump every once in a while. Anything new on the Reagan weather you can share with me?
Hold on 04PM, be right back with you.
5604PM, be advised if you want to stay out of the heavy stuff, I need to turn you to 070 degrees for about 15 minutes, then North to Pax Naval Air station, then direct to Nottingham VOR.
04PM, roger, thats ok by me, turn now to 070 degrees?
Roger 04PM, turn now to 070, maintain 16,000, and I will turn you to Pax Naval Air, then descend to 10,000, contact approach control 119.85 for further clearance.
Roger, 04PM Pax Naval Air, by radar vectors, then direct Nottingham VOR, descend to 10,000 by Nottingham, contact approach on 119.85, thank you sir!
Darn, storm king is now showing 3 different bad storms off my left wing, hope they don't turn me into that crap.
Washington approach, 5604 Poppa Mike with you, out of 16,000 for 10,000, squawking 7166 on the box
04 Poppa Mike, squawk ident......roger, radar contact, expect hold at Nottingham, 270 degree radial, 1 minute legs, will be about a 10 minute hold, descend to and maintain 8,000.
04 Poppa Mike, descending to 8,000, will hold on the 270 degree radial, 1 minute legs, expect 10 minute delay in approach
Going through 12,500, need to slow up a little more to 200 knots IAS, 500 FPM,(feet per minute), to 8,000 and its starting to get choppier the lower I get, guess its going to be a "hockey packer" approach. Turn up all the instrument lights to full up, in case of lighting near by, then won't blind me for a few seconds. Although its day time, with all this low stuff full of rain, its about as black as night outside. Need to tell my passengers to tighten up seat belts and explain what is going on. Not been a lot of conservation since we started seeing all the black stuff to the left. Storm king useless now, turn it off, 55 is full of red stuff from 8 to 11 O'clock to me. So much for the STAR arrival procedures! All this weather is really screwing things up.
(More later)
