Have Some Compassion

Why is it when youre trying to do something good, the weather always turns bad? Todays mission is a Patient Airlift Services (PALS) flight from Montpelier, Vermont to Boston, Massachusetts. Your quick hop from your home base in Burlington, Vermont already gave you a decent instrument warm-up.

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, November 05, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A pilot on a Patient Airlift Services (PALS) flight encounters significant instrument and communication malfunctions, including radio static, a GPS integrity flag, and erratic CDI behavior, suggesting an electrical or system fault post-annual inspection.
The scenario highlights complex IFR challenges such as navigating conflicting departure procedures, dealing with lost communication protocols, and making critical safety decisions with compromised navigation systems.
The article prompts readers to apply advanced IFR knowledge, covering topics like obstacle departure procedures, required climb gradients, and exercising emergency discretion in adverse flying conditions.

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Why is it when you’re trying to do something good, the weather always turns bad? Today’s mission is a Patient Airlift Services (PALS) flight from Montpelier, Vermont to Boston, Massachusetts. Your quick hop from your home base in Burlington, Vermont already gave you a decent instrument warm-up.

The ILS 17 into Montpellier was extra fun because you missed the NOTAM for the glideslope being out of service and the radio static made understanding Boston Center extra challenging. Seems like static in the clouds has been the norm since your bird came out of annual last month. Luckily, ceilings were about 1000 feet with good visibility beneath.