Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

The conditions were a mile of visibility and about 500 feet of ragged ceiling, barely enough to maintain orientation by landmarks passing below. Soon, the eagerly expected runway came into view, and the briefest of traffic patterns put us on the pavement, rolling out in relief. We descended to ILS minimums to see only solid murk.

Weather

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

If utilizing Runway 17 with left traffic, the crosswind turn will be heading 080, downwind 350, base 260, etc. Don’t accept the excuses of “I can’t fly if I can’t see the runway,” or “I can’t feel the airplane.” VFR to MVFR…then 2 miles visibility and a ceiling of 1,200 feet agl. It’s an ATD. What could go wrong?

Crosswind

Northstar VFR

JANUARY 4, 2023

For at least 1 hour before and for 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival, the ceiling will be at least 2,000 feet above the airport elevation and the visibility will be at least 3 statute miles. Ceiling 600 feet and visibility 2 statute miles. (B) Ceiling 800 feet and visibility 2 statute miles. (2)

Instrument Meteorological Conditions

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

Runway visual range (RVR) under 2,400 feet triggers a SPECI, and another is issued if it rises to 2,400 feet or more within 10 minutes. Cloud ceilings below 1,500 feet or cumulonimbus clouds can trigger a SPECI. Well, these events can quickly affect visibility or runway conditions so much that they call for a special report.

Altimeter

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

The conditions were a mile of visibility and about 500 feet of ragged ceiling, barely enough to maintain orientation by landmarks passing below. Soon, the eagerly expected runway came into view, and the briefest of traffic patterns put us on the pavement, rolling out in relief. We descended to ILS minimums to see only solid murk.

Weather

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Weather reporting at the destination isnt required so long as some reliable source says theres at least 1000-foot ceilings and three miles visibly. Another point is that when youre cleared for a visual to a towered airport, itll often be a visual to a specific runway. Thats a clearance, and changing runways requires permission.

Approach

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Weather reporting at the destination isnt required so long as some reliable source says theres at least 1000-foot ceilings and three miles visibly. Another point is that when youre cleared for a visual to a towered airport, itll often be a visual to a specific runway. Thats a clearance, and changing runways requires permission.

Approach

Photographic Logbook

FEBRUARY 4, 2024

More often than not, winter flying in Upstate New York is contingent on the ceiling. Ceilings are often too low to fly beneath and slowly climbing through a cloud layer of indeterminate thickness in sub-freezing temperatures risks icing. However, a persistent low ceiling scuttled those morning plans.

Ceiling

Air Facts

APRIL 24, 2024

We had light winds, good visibility, full cloud cover, and ample ceiling heights. What was changing, however, wasn’t the visibility, or ceiling heights, or wind—at least not perceivably. After a few minutes of flying through the “chop,” our runway was in sight. The flight started off uneventfully enough. We weren’t.

Turbulence

Pilot Institute

APRIL 24, 2024

Airports such as ATL and JFK have multiple runways and cover around 5,000 acres of land. This central core extends up to around 10,000 feet MSL, the airspace’s ceiling. However, the ceiling for each shelf is the same as the core. Although Class B airspace has a typical ceiling of 10,000 feet MSL, exceptions exist.

Clearance

Learn to Fly

MARCH 12, 2024

METAR KGGG 161753Z AUTO 14021G26KT 3/4SM +TSRA BR BKN008 OVC012CB 18/17 A2970 RMK PRESFR The runway visual range (RVR) may be reported following the prevailing visibility. RVR is the distance a pilot can see down the runway in a moving aircraft. Ceiling is broken at 800 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet with cumulonimbus clouds.

Weather

Flying Magazine

APRIL 30, 2024

The functionality is smart, in that it zooms in and out, adding and subtracting info from the display based on your speed and location relative to a runway—whether you are holding in the ramp area or taxiing onto the active for takeoff, for examples. Service Ceiling: 17,500 ft. Max Zero Fuel Weight: 3,400 lbs. Useful Load: 1,328 lbs.,

Pilot

Professional Pilot

AUGUST 8, 2024

According to the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam), a stable approach is defined as one in which the pilot establishes and maintains a constant angle glidepath toward a predetermined point on the landing runway. The ceiling is 800 ft overcast. Today it was 5 kts over, but tomorrow it may be 15 or 20.

Approach

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 2, 2024

I checked the weather by phone and was assured it would be great CAVU (ceiling and visibility unlimited) with 2-3-knot winds from 090 degrees. With nothing to lose, at a little over 1,000 feet agl, I started a turn to the left, looking for a place to land. Turning final, I set up myself with what is now my runway. More flaps.

Threshold

Air Facts

APRIL 29, 2024

KCPC was reporting IFR conditions with a 700’ ceiling and one mile visibility. Unicom also confirmed the weather was still showing a 700’ ceiling with one mile of visibility. I would then level off, slow down, dirty up, run a tight circle to land on the opposing runway. Tuning in the AWOS, I heard an unpleasant surprise.

Descent