Unicom—June 2024

Aviation Safety

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

Verified

Edited By: Omar Filipovic

Key Takeaways:

Pilots departing air shows, especially under IFR conditions, can experience significant ATC clearance delays or face the risks associated with scud-running VFR in high-traffic, marginal weather.
The requirement for VOR equipment for IFR flight varies: standard category aircraft need "suitable" navigation equipment per FAR 91.205, while experimental aircraft requirements depend on their specific operating limitations.
Atmospheric instability is related to the rate at which air cools with altitude; the dry atmosphere cannot have a statically unstable lapse rate, and moist air is inherently more unstable than dry air.

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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.