Into the soup - Heavy IFR Flying 

I remember my first IFR lesson in a C-172. There i was flying above the clouds, sun was out, white clouds beneath me, flyng straight & level and my instructor yelled at me "what the hell are you doing?" I said "flying east, maintaining altitude" again he yelled "What they hell ARE you doing?" I replied "I'm FLYING'" He said "look at your instruments!" I looked down at my instruments and everything appeared normal EXCEPT for my attitude indicator was indicating I was in a 15° right roll angle. At first I was puzzled, then I leveled the plane as per the attitude instrument. He said "you know what you are seeing out the window????" Then it dawned on me. I was seeing an actual cold front coming from the north. Because cold air is heavier, it was pushing the left side of the clouds UP on an angle!! He said "never trust your body, always put your life in the instruments" from then on his words ALWAYS stuck in my head... He was an ex military instructor and pished me and the plane to their limits all the time. He was one of the BEST instructors I ever had. He also said "never take a single engine plane in IFR, your asking for trouble. If you are flying and get into IFR, just be safe and put it down". He enforced the "get-there-itis" thoughts that a lot of pilots die from. He would say "you don't NEED to be anywhere." I obtained my IFR rating and used it lots of times when I was flying and would see the coastal fog rolling in. I knew that most times my destination airport would be IFR in a matter of moments and even though I could see the actual airport, I was too far out to contact them and I knew I was going to be in fog shortly. I knew the area very well, so it was a matter of flying in actual IFR that I need the rating for. One if my lessons I was in a Beech King air flying back from Buffalo. Heading south into the very busy NY area we got into IFR, rain showers, thick clouds etc. Obviously I was on with ATC and was flying great, and then we had to fly out over the ocean, make a turn and descend. We were headed fro KFRG (Farmingdale, NY) as I got to the fix over the ocean, the sky was dark and raining. I got onto the localizer and began my final decent into the airport. We were cleared to land. I could not see ANYTHING in front of me except darkness & rain. I was white knuckled and PRAYING I was not going to slam into am apartment building or something. I kept coming down as the instruments were indicating. Setting up for landing, flaps, props, gear, etc) just a few feet above minimums I saw the the approach lights!! We broke out of the clouds ans the runway was right in front of me! We landed perfectly. Seeing your runway after those conditions we very welcome indeed! Very rewarding

During my instrument training my instructor -- Doug Niester --- made me wear a hood, blinding me to anyhing but the instrument panel, even before I lined up for takeoff. The takeoff was under simulated zero-zero conditions; I saw nothing of the runway at all. After navigating the airspace system and setting up for an instrument approach at an airport several hundred miles away he said, "Look up". I did and saw a runway directly in front and below me. It was a great illustration of how successful and safe an all-intrument flight and approach could be.

I like this guy. He stays on point no matter what the conditions are. Great job!

Great flight, love how you handled that takeoff delay in a professional, calm and concise manner of asking the other aircraft to state their intentions.

Didn't even realize this was a relatively small channel until the video was over. Great content!

Love the split screen between the instruments and out side view of the windscreen.

Will Ferrell as a PIC 😁

The fact is you pulled it off!!

Amazing skills!

Enjoyed the video. Very familiar with your products after working as an instrumentation tech. in a pulp mill for 42 years.

As a long time and avid flight simmer, and student pilot, this video had me enthralled 3 minutes into it. This video does a great job at illustrating some of the lesser thought of aspects of being a pilot and working within regulated airspace. I can recreate much of what I see here in the aviation RU-vid world in the simulator: descent rates, angles, procedures, etc. But getting to see the nuances of the more lack luster logistical aspects of aviation is just as valuable if not more than the fancy "check this out" content. A+

Great flying

Great job gentlemen.

Flying IFR great video nerve of steel..

I thought I recognized the plane 😊 Loved to fly that back in the 80’s and 90’s ✌️

Love the sound

:Nice panel, I’m scanning the steam gages and the pilot side. I dig the new stuff.

good work guys .. interesting departure

Great job 👍🏽🇺🇸

Great Video, first time view and now a subscriber.

I'm looking forward to getting my IFR rating so I'm riding along with you both

nice flight... been to that airport, good memories

The field testing video on there website is great!!!. I have only ever used a refractor to check specific-gravity of battery acid or the freeze point and boiling point of antifreeze.

Charley Alpha Aviation I miss flying with you guys in my favorite aircraft the Piper Panther 🐆

I found this a little more intense that it should have been. The causes of confusion at departure was inexcusable on all counts.! Never let anything that appears problematic progress beyond reason and authority, all the way through to the gate at landing. Thumbs up on this one.!

Near the end of my PPL training my instructor had me do a simulated zero-zero takeoff under the hood. I just kept the ball and DG centered and much to my disbelief reached rotation speed, pulled back and cleared 100 feet.

That was nice! real deal...

that's the first controller in a while that I've heard say tree and fife.

damn that was in the soup!

Born in Bradford many moons ago. Hopefully you get to stop back in when the leaves are turning. I've been to a few corners of the planet over the years and it's always funny to see souvenir Zippo lighters with local insignia then flip them over to see 'Bradford, PA' stamped on the bottom.

Thanks for the recorded flight MY FLIGHT NOTES: Piper Navaho Cumberland Regional Airport. Clearance IFR runway 23 heading, 5000 - 7000@ 10 min swak 2135. ATIS; scattered 2600 BRK 3000. 124.32 Cleavland Centre. 4500 wind 300 cancelled IFR runway 5 back taxi.

Bradford PA is a challenge in the winter

Hi There Great Video thanks . Like the earlier guy asked why did you take 05 when the wind was from 300 ? Crosswind and a tail in one ?.. greetings from the UK

Hold that Center Line !!!

I'm familiar with Johnstown Approach Control

A rather smart Navajo compared to many of the kennels I’ve seen

I don’t mind, as long as it is a newer plane and we’ll equipped. I flew a Cirrus SR20 for the first time into 400 ft ceilings. It was a good solid 5500 ft layer through Atlanta’s airspace. Would not have done it in an old Cessna. A new one, maybe.

Nice Video, don’t know that copying your clearance while taxing in reduced visibility is a good thing to teach others, but to each their own. Fly safe bud.

Damn those were some seriously big rain blops on the windscreen on final.

A few faux pas but very interesting flight.

The only time you can pick IFR clearance in the air is if you can take off VFR and maintain VFR until you pick up your clearance

I would have liked to Hear ATC from A to Z. But Thank you 👍🏼

Nice video! One (odd) question: How many flights actually fly at the 'second altitude after 10 minutes'? All clearances give 2, yet I have never flown it that way in 30 years. Does this part of the clearance need to be changed and simply one initial altitude - assuming all other altitudes will be as directed by ATC? Seems like it would be easier for ATC and pilots?

No complex or multi experience here. On t/o does your power stay back on the roll? Also love that panel

That citation was a pain

The best IFR flying in a small plane is right above the cloud layer. The top of the cloud layer was right at 7000ft, my cruising altitude.

I always asked for higher in light chop turbulence

The PA31s I flew never looked like that! All analouge and a Garmin.100!!!!! ONE HUNDRED NOT 1000 hahahahaha

Don’t let this Covid stop you both to getting back together

Will Ferrel!

Ricki Bobby can fly!

Great now you have to wait for Departure IFR Clearance until he cancels or receive

That was a scary departure takeoff

Looking like you guys are in a Mike Jones Navajo

the call seqance speed alove , v1 vr 2 take off posituve rate of climd gear up lol

Today I learned Will Ferrell is a pilot and has tattoos.

Strictly a "student" question here, but hearing what I thought were winds out of 300 as you were making your descent into Bradford, they gave you 5/23 as your only option. What/why was 5 the better choice for a crosswind landing when 23 would have meant even less crosswind and a little more headwind? Just brushing up from my ground schooling. Thanks!

If winds were at 300, I would have thought 23 would be better from a strictly wind perspective. What factors were in play to make 5 a preferred runway? You clearly have more experience than I do, just trying to gain insight.

I know it's been four years but hopefully, you can tell me about your throttle procedure in this Navajo... You advanced the throttles slightly, reached up, moved an overhead switch, put your hand on the prop control and mixture, then went back to throttle and slowly advanced to full throttle. All total it took twenty-one seconds to reach full throttle. How much runway did you use and is this the recommended procedure for this converted Navajo? Thank you

We call it the"Pacific North-Wet"

Pitot heat appears to be in the off position Why ?

I enjoyed this ride along. I do have a question however....why do you have (2) Transponders in your stack?

Not to pick on anyone, but did the airport not put out a NOTAM for the runway closure? That's a recipe for a bad day especially if you needed to make the approach to minimums that day.

Who’s PIC ?

With wind 300 why did you choose rwy 5? Doesn't that give you a tailwind landing? Perhaps I heard it wrong.

Would that be considered rude that the citation didn’t immediately let everyone know he had canceled his flight plan? Seems like common courtesy?

would have been nice to hear ATC comms

Nice video Charlie alpha, but it would be better to do, or have a short recorded "see around" for this Navajo so as to familiarize all with this plane outside look in the beginning of the video, and also have a camera dedicated to showing aileron and flap position both wings throughout the flight, props over the cawlings, and possibly a camera close and dedicated to flight instruments so as to follow thro with pilot inputs etc. I like it very much when Brad takes out one of the cameras to show us around, sometimes the props, etc. It's so spectacular when due to prop speed against camera shutter speed, blades appear stationary during power changes on t/off and landing. We would also need to routinely see MP, FFlows, Mfds info with a camera sweeping across the panel, and it looks like we are all on board. How about a remote Bt camera safely tucked underwing or below the tail section? It could give a spectacular views for gears in transit as well as the groundview. Occasionally, view us whatever else possible. We Soo much appreciate your kind effort you put into this and for allowing your following to fly along without asking for anything in return. Wish you safe flight always. Upcoming and former seasoned aviators do well to keep current in these situations you encounter like your patience dealing with an ignorant citation pilot. Cheers.

Sorry to say but did not look Hevey IFR to me?? May I ask Why do you keep your hand on the Power levers after V-1 ???? is that normal???

Enjoyed the video. Great professionalism. One question: on verifying gear down what is it you say after "three green ..."?

Is it a thing in the US to start a radio transmission with the word “and?”

No written checklists?

Just floor it man. Keep it pegged all the way up and out. Anybody gets in your way, just roll right over them.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Panther

I'm gonna try that my next IFR... Just start my turn, then tell ATC about it.

Great video! I would have been saying "what the hell is this guy doing ".

I’d check the Notams for icing. Don’t think there’s any deicing or anti icing on that plane.

I don’t like when you are ready for IFR release when others don’t cancel after landing

If operations are being conducted out of a controlled facility, doesn’t atc have the responsibility of closing the flight plan immediately after landing?

do not pitch for blue line, fly 10 above that. leave yourself a buffer

Soup or Gravy …… thanks

“Giving you a flash?!?” Anywhere else in the world we’d say “Wilco”.

We in Russia call it "into the milk".

We don't need no stinking IFR... To us IFR stands for In Flight Refueling.,. ;* ]

You phone is connected to your headset via bluetooth? or?

Why don't you just stop the airplane when copying a clearance, or have the other guy do it? CRM, utilize your resources.

SAYING SAME THING AGAIN AND AGAIN