Photographic Logbook

JUNE 1, 2025

Weather factors for this trip included the always concerning combination of low ceilings and rough terrain over Pennsylvania combined with forecasts for strong, gusty wind. Although we deemed the ceiling adequate for the journey, pilots used a variety of tactics to manage it.

Airplanes

Photographic Logbook

MAY 18, 2025

2025 brought cold temperatures, low ceiling, rain, and gusty wind, the latter fortuitously right down the runway. A View from the Tower (Mostly) Shortly after my ascent of the tower, all four WFC airplanes were staged, ceilings were declared high enough to fly the usual ride circuit, and pilots simply awaited the arrival of passengers.

Ceiling

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

For an instrument pilot, though, there is one key difference between a smaller, non-towered airport and a larger one with an air traffic control tower: obtaining an IFR clearance. Call for your IFR clearance, including route, altitude, and transponder code. Here are three ways to get a clearance at a non-towered airport.

Clearance

Flight Training Central

OCTOBER 14, 2024

Though it’s rare, your destination airport could become unusable due to a thunderstorm moving in, or a disabled airplane on the runway. While every IFR flight requires you to file an IFR flight plan and receive an ATC clearance, not every flight is flown in IFR conditions. What services are available at the alternate airport?

Ceiling

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

Photographic Logbook

JULY 5, 2024

Dramatic Ceiling Date Aircraft Route of Flight Time (hrs) Total (hrs) 05 Jul 2024 N21481 SDC (Sodus, NY) - LKP (Lake Placid, NY) - SDC 3.2 While I have an instrument rating in my back pocket and the option to request a pop-up IFR clearance, I try to avoid playing that card unless it's truly necessary.

Clearance

Flying Magazine

MAY 30, 2025

Every phase of flight has a checklist, clearance, frequency change, routing amendment, weather check, or procedure review. A typical IFR flight might begin with a clearance to copy prior to takeoff. That clearance might include a complicated route, an altitude restriction, and a departure procedure you will need to brief.

Pilot

Air Facts

MAY 10, 2024

An acceptable meteorological combination of ceiling, visibility, and wind. If you depart MDA on the downwind or base leg, you’re on your own as far as obstacle clearance. What is the runway lighting? Only accurate within 10 degrees of runway heading). Be fully configured and on speed prior to receiving landing clearance.

Approach

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

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. You must maintain VFR cloud clearances appropriate for the airspace. Youre expected to land as soon as practical if you go around, or stay clear of clouds until issued a new clearance.

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. You must maintain VFR cloud clearances appropriate for the airspace. Youre expected to land as soon as practical if you go around, or stay clear of clouds until issued a new clearance.

Approach

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

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

This rating should end any temptation to “scud run” around TV towers or under a low ceiling and eliminate the dreaded VFR-into-IMC trap. One more thing: Just because you have earned an instrument rating, there is no requirement to go out and fly in low ceilings and visibilities. The ATC service is better.

Pilot

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

While the temptation to find cheaper gas at an uncontrolled field loomed large, the extra services provided by the approach control, clearance delivery, and a busier FBO seemed to make more sense. Bowman Field, where I had stopped on the way north, had a great FBO, 1,000-foot ceilings, radar, and a tower. It was time to divert.

Weather

Pilot Institute

APRIL 24, 2024

Pilots must meet equipment and certification requirements and have ATC clearance to enter. 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.

Clearance

Photographic Logbook

JULY 11, 2024

Moments after climbing through the ceiling over Beverly, MA. We made an IFR departure that morning on runway 16 and climbed above the ceiling in short order. But I accepted the clearance knowing that I could change it with a local Approach control like Syracuse. Sometimes I have good luck switching to runway 10." "If

Ceiling

Air Facts

DECEMBER 30, 2024

I completed the rest of the leg with a routine flight and some more mountain terrain with spectacular views although I did encounter solid cloud ceilings with the terrain sometimes less than a thousand feet below me and the cloud layer 500 feet above. I saw tumbleweeds blowing by and just had to laugh.

Weather

Photographic Logbook

APRIL 19, 2024

I expected to manage some cloud layers during the New York portion of the flight, but the forecast called for a high ceiling at Northeast Philadelphia Airport. Phantom City Initially, I believed that the original forecast claiming high ceilings around Philadelphia would come to pass. Runway and raindrops. Famous last words.)

Approach

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

While instructors idly watch, airplanes go off the runway, landings become too harsh, structure gets overstressed, and tolerances are exceeded. No flying in winds exceeding 10 knots, no chance of obscuring precipitation, no use of runways shorter than 5,000 feet, no risk of encountering darkness or lowering ceilings.

Wind Shear

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

While instructors idly watch, airplanes go off the runway, landings become too harsh, structure gets overstressed, and tolerances are exceeded. No flying in winds exceeding 10 knots, no chance of obscuring precipitation, no use of runways shorter than 5,000 feet, no risk of encountering darkness or lowering ceilings.

Wind Shear

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

ABEAM

AUGUST 26, 2023

So that’s what we did … They conveniently gave us runway 06, and off we were, carefully noting our fuel situation as a general repetition of things to come. IFR clearance was direct to DEVBI while we knew we could pick up our oceanic clearance (my first ever !) Westbound !! Towards Oshkosh !!! So perfect weather.

Weather

Photographic Logbook

JULY 9, 2024

Exactly like NYC, downtown Boston is encircled by restrictive Class Bravo airspace down to the surface that requires explicit clearance to enter. Boston Skyways -- a Boston Logan Tower frequency dedicated to city tour traffic -- will set restrictions for pilots based on which runways are in active use at Logan. I was a little nervous.

Clearance

Flying Magazine

JUNE 16, 2025

Courtesy: Meg Godlewski] The Fly Along It was a typical gray overcast morning in Olympia, Washington, but the ceilings were high enough for a flight. Statema obtained the ATIS and called for a taxi clearance. A few minutes later, Smokey was cleared for takeoff from Runway 35.

Pilot

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Also, having an option to land might force you to fly a more difficult approach for therunway in use, or fly to circling minimums and circle to the landing runway. Circling is a great skill even if youd only use it with high ceilings and in daylight. Clearance for the approach means youre still getting separation from IFR aircraft.

Approach

Air Facts

OCTOBER 30, 2024

The flying club’s Cessnas and Pipers stood out like a flock of scrawny pigeons as the eagles of Pan Am, TWA, British Airways, and the like lumbered by on their way to and from the runways. After startup, I’d record a VOR check in the aircraft log while waiting for our clearance. Then came the long taxi to the runway.

NDB

Gary's Flight Journal

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

I called the clearance delivery number on the OXB NOTAM but they gave me another number to call. I could not get my Bluetooth headset to connect so the I tucked the iPhone up under my ear seal and picked up my clearance and release. I decided to depart VFR and pick up my clearance in the air if I needed it. It’s good to be home!

Clearance

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

MARCH 28, 2024

While taxing to the runway, it started raining and off we went! Once we reached the runway, it started pouring. At this point, it was slightly turbulence as we flew through some low ceiling clouds. Below) We were on final approach to runway 27L. inches wide with a legroom space of 32 inches and can recline up to 8.4

Turbulence

Photographic Logbook

OCTOBER 11, 2024

Off Sodus, I briefly leveled at 2,500 feet to remain visual until I received my instrument clearance from Rochester Approach. Fortunately, the clearance was a simple one that morning because I was absurdly tongue tied while talking to Rochester. Moments before turning final for runway 21 at Put-In-Bay. This airport is a mere 1.4

Runway

Air Facts

AUGUST 5, 2024

Next you look at NOTAM’s once again and notice that Runways 8R and 26L are closed. And a quick check of the ATIS on your trusty Sporty’s handheld VHF radio reveals that Runways 35 is currently in use. Can I safely land or depart given the density altitude and runway length? Let’s just have a look at those takeoff minimums.

Density Altitude

Photographic Logbook

AUGUST 13, 2023

While I anticipated an IFR departure that morning, I wanted to see ceiling and visibility of at least 300 feet and a mile to avoid smacking into mountainous terrain around Pickens County Airport during take-off. The direct route from our departure runway (34) to IPECA would also help manage terrain.

Approach

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

Air Facts

APRIL 29, 2024

KCPC was reporting IFR conditions with a 700’ ceiling and one mile visibility. I queried ATC about when to expect the approach clearance and was informed that the Saratoga had appeared to land but the pilot hadn’t contacted ATC to close his IFR flight plan. Tuning in the AWOS, I heard an unpleasant surprise. The little voice agreed.

Descent

Photographic Logbook

OCTOBER 28, 2023

Once the rain relented, we staggered our departures and called for our IFR clearances on the ground. Despite those ground clearances, we found that the ceiling above our home airport was high enough to accommodate VFR departures with airborne clearances. Final, runway 34, photographed from Two Six Romeo.

Clearance

Photographic Logbook

AUGUST 20, 2023

The sun was setting as I sped down Oakland County International's runway 27L and took to a sky suffused with a ruddy evening glow. hours, the 4,000 foot ceiling over the Williamson Sodus Airport was high enough that no instrument procedures were needed that night.

Runway

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 26, 2024

Upon completing his mission, Kidder requested a clearance to land over the radio, and received a vector heading and told by the controller he was only 15 miles from the base. The weather along the flight path was poor, described by Pruett as consisting of “…low clouds and heavy fog, a ceiling of only a couple hundred feet.”

Weather

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

JULY 22, 2024

The airport mayhave 2 runways (runway 14/32 and runway 09/27) but only one runway is in operation (09/27) and if this runway is in maintenance, the other runway will be in used. Departure Hall (Landside) The design of the ceiling caught my attention. I can imagine how nice it is at night.

Cabin Crew