The Complexities of Getting Going, with Video

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My trip down to Galveston was becoming remarkably complicated, which is always a red flag to me that signals the need to look out for increased risk. Sure enough, there it was, staring me in the face.

It was low IFR at Austin Executive as I did my preflight in the early morning mist. The automated weather said 400 overcast and a half-mile visibility, though the viz looked slightly better than that to the naked eye. The flight visibility, which is all that matters, was probably at or slightly above minimums for the LPV approach to Runway 13, which seems to default to active runway status when the winds are calm, which they were, as it means a shorter taxi to the takeoff end.

As you might know, there are no takeoff minimums for regular Part 91 operations, like the one I was conducting that morning, though there are numerous safety considerations that any pilot thinks about. One is, what happens if you need to come back around and land? If the airport is truly below minimums, then that’s not legally an option, though in an emergency, all bets are off, and a pilot needs to do what a pilot needs to do.

Getting my clearance was a bit of a chore. I have a Bose A20 headset with Bluetooth that I have hooked up wirelessly to my Samsung smart phone/video camera/email machine/lots of other things. I called Austin Departure on the phone number I have stored on my phone. The etiquette for talking to these folks on the phone is apparently different from talking with them on freq. One time I called with my N-number and request and they responded with something to the effect of, “Oh, hi, how’s it going?” I guess without the risk of stepping on someone else’s transmission you can chat in a more conversational way. I’m still working on it.

In any case, the controller was great about getting my clearance for me, despite my phone breaking up during my call, and when she asked how long it would be before I was ready to go, I replied that it would take about a minute for me to get the fairly simple flight plan in and then I was set to go. She was surprised, maybe thinking I’d called from the FBO and not my airplane (though I think I mentioned it in my initial “call”), and she told me to hold for release as there was another airplane inbound. She told me to give them a call back in a couple of minutes. I said I would.

I switched to advisory frequency at Exec, and soon heard the airplane in question, a PA-46 — I think it was a Meridian — calling his long final to Runway 13, which was just a ways in front of me. I couldn’t see him, but I thought it might be fun to get some footage of the landing while I waited. The Piper emerged from the clouds low and close to the runway and proceeded to successfully land.

I called Austin Departure back and, sure enough, the Piper hadn’t called to cancel his IFR, which he had to do before I could be cleared for takeoff. I said that I just saw him land, the controller asked what his N-number was, I said I truthfully didn’t know and she went off-line to ask if my seeing a PA-46 land in front of me was good enough or if she had to hear from the pilot himself.

I don’t know what the answer was — maybe he was calling as we talked — but shortly I was cleared for takeoff and hit the road. The departure was uneventful, though it was a strange thing to not be able to see the end of the runway as I was accelerating down it.

Then again, in IFR there are certain leaps of faith we take on every flight. Without them, instrument flying would not be possible. And thanks to the good work of Austin Departure (and my A20 headset) I was able to begin the process of taking those joyous leaps.

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Submitted by tmcdonough19 on March 12, 2013.

I think I royally annoyed a fellow pilot who was sitting on the taxiway there recently while I drove through the slag on that very approach. I declined to cancel my IFR clearance while in the air after breaking out because I wanted to make sure I landed safely before cancelling. At KEDC and other non-towered airports that are outside of radio range of ATC (although there is a GCO at KEDC but that's another story), I only call when I'm off the runway and I know that angers some folks who are waiting for their release. I once had a strut collapse on me (and no, it wasn't after a hard landing, though I would be lying if I didn't admit to a few in my time), and it was enough of a shock to really stick to my ribs, so much so that I never consider a flight to be safely on the ground until I'm on the taxiway. Only then do I call ATC to cancel.

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Submitted by robert goyer on March 12, 2013.

Very sensible practices, I agree.

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Submitted by BrownbearWolf on March 13, 2013.

The issue here is the ICAO RAC (Doc 1444) section of operations at non towered aerodromes. Aircraft A (The PA-46) and Aircraft B the filming aircraft) are a conflict because of the time between both movements. A has to advise on the ground and closing IFR flight-plan. before B can be issued a clearance. The design is to protect the controller from causing an accident and when aircraftA's N number is relayed as being sighted, then B has visually seen the conflicting aircraft A, and a clearence then can be issued. Controllers have the big picture in front of them while pilots are busy flying the glass and listening to the active area frequency. Having an RF scanner fitted to your aircraft and patched into the comm system with the surrounding frequencies being scanned. One will here what is happening within a 50 mile radius of the aerodrome and often, hearing something will put the explanation as to why you are not being issued a clearance. Area frequencies are for controllers to use as a tool to work a number of aircraft while the assigned frequency is used by a pilot to be in the controllers loop of control.

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Submitted by robert goyer on March 13, 2013.

Clearly, the controller didn't want to release me until she was sure the airplane that had landed was the one she was talking with. The chances were almost zero it was some other PA46, but there was a chance, and that's what the regs are designed to address. The question is, what would have constituted an official confirmation? Clearly, the landing airplane does not have to be on the ground--you can cancel in the air--but in this case that wasn't an option because it was at or near minimums, so a missed was a distinct possibility. I was, as I said, glad to have my Bose and my S2 (yes, pining for an S4). KEDC clearly needs a better remote communications link, as it will be getting more and more traffic as a prime reliever for the big airport in Austin.

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