Unicom—June 2024

Aviation Safety

Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 12:19 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: Omar Filipovic

Key Takeaways:

Departing airshows under IFR conditions can result in extremely long clearance waits, potentially pushing pilots towards risky VFR scud-running; it's advisable to be prepared for significant delays or to wait for improved weather.
For standard category aircraft, IFR flight necessitates "suitable" navigation equipment per FAR 91.205, while experimental aircraft's IFR navigation requirements are determined by their specific operating limitations, not always mandating VORs explicitly.
Atmospheric instability concepts clarify that the dry atmosphere cannot be statically unstable, and moist air is inherently more unstable than dry air due to its lower moist adiabatic lapse rate once saturated.

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Air Show Arrivals

I have enjoyed your magazine for many years. Your airshow arrival article (April 2024) reminded me of a 2015 experience I had in Salinas, Calif., when I attended an AOPA fly-in there.

I flew in IFR, because I had recently obtained the rating. The coastal stratus at 1000 feet was still burning off, and it simplified the high-traffic conditions. By the time the show completed, around four p.m., the marine stratus layer had returned. I filed and got in line for takeoff with the other 100 or so planes, most of whom planned to scud-run out of the area VFR. I finally got to the number one position for departure and was told to pull to the side and await ATC clearance.