VFR rules

[Jean]

Good morning/night ev'rybody !

according to www.bluegrassairlines.com/bgad/gaar_2010/vfr_guide.htm

what have I to do :

may I fly through the cloud, or have I
- to climb above adding 2000 feet, or
- to turn around ?
(I could not fly under, according to the noise.
Whitch noise ?
the noise when hitting the ground...)

[rattler1]

. Note: For the purposes of the event, all pilots are deemed to hold a command instrument rating or night VFR rating and all aircraft are deemed suitably equipped for such operations

From the event briefing. Hope it helps. Nothing I can see says the rally must be conducted VFR, but make sure you can let down safely at the other end.

[Tom Goodrick]

I have completed the GAAR with my first aircraft, the C-123. All legs except the first require IFR. I was able to make all landings with visual approaches. But in several cases even those approaches would not qualify as VFR because of the distance-to-cloud rule. Also, there might have been some luck involved. There were a few cases where clouds touched the ground near the runway and could have moved to obscure the runway if the flight had taken longer. If you reach a runway but find it covered in a cloud, just wait abit for the cloud to drift away.

You will have to control and navigate your aircraft without visual reference to the ground.

None of these runways have an ILS.

The highest I had to fly to avoid terrain was 8,000 ft. I made flight plans using the FS9 Flight Planner (in the sim by default). Those plans indicated the minimum safe altitude for each portion of a leg.

[Andrew Godden]

An explanation of the weather scenarios and VFR and apologies for the long worded response. Firstly, the GAAR's VFR Guide page is as it states in the opening sentence, "...a simplified guide to VFR Rules..." from the VFR Guide produced by CASA (Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority).

Additionally, I am not a real world pilot. Everything I know about VFR flying is from reading and applying the rules from the VFR Guide. Having said that, I note CASA have taken the link away to the VFR Guide as it is currently being reviewed (I don't know what you are meant to use in the meantime, must be Government department logic.)

Without insulting anyones intelligence VFR rules vary from country to country, e.g. night VFR is permissible in Australia but is not allowed in other countries such as the United Kingdom (or so I understand).

As Rattler1 pointed out, I have included in the rules the clause "...all pilots are deemed to hold a command instrument rating or night VFR rating...". This ensures that, in the event of weather arisings, pilots can continue flying under the VFR rules, which I quote, "...the pilot in command must navigate the aircraft by visual reference to the ground or water, or by using any of the IFR methods...".

In an attempt to provide some realism and challenge in the event, all the weather scenarios (with a small degree of developer's licence) are broadly based on historical weather data for the Flight Leg area and for the day (first day of the 2 to 3 day reporting period) and month of flight, as recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology. This ensures the event is not flown in totally unrealistic conditions for the region. To date, I have only provided simplified weather briefings. I will add a more detailed weather briefing to the web site.

During the planning stages for this year's GAAR, I started to investigate the concept of different entry categories, i.e. novice, intermediate, experienced, with weather being a factor differentiating the categories. The whole category concept proved to be more complex than I first thought and I am continuing to look at it for next year's event.

[Tom Goodrick]

I think you have done well but I wonder why you didn't just get the "Real Weather" for several days in January, screen out the ones with solid IFR at the destinations, and use them. I recirded a couple of weather files at about noon Australian time (I can get that at about 9pm my time) and they were good. I would think that with abouyt four or five files, you could select a file that is appropriate for each flight. This gives you the realism of changing winds, especially winds aloft plus a variety of real cloud coverage.

It's a lot easier than doing it yourself.

I am a Private Pilot without an instrument rating in real life and have bumped against VFR rules. The main rules I have trouble with in your GAAR legs are the requiered vertical and horizontal separation distances from clouds. I don't have a copy handy of the US VFR rules but they are something like 1000 ft vertically and 2500 ft (half mile) horizontally. This is intended to give the VFR pilot some chance to see IFR aircraft coming out of clouds before the crash. Vertical separation of 500 feet does not always work well between VFR and IFR traffic.

In the US you have difficulty changing from VFR to IFR in mid flight. You should usually file IFR if any portion of your flight will probably be completed in IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions) even if much of the flight would be in visual conditions. Thus, on most of these I will be filing IFR and flying at 3000ft, 4000 ft, etc. It does not bother me but some others may be bothered.

[Tom Goodrick]

One thing missing from the weather files is high temperatures. When I downloaded some Real Weather files at Noon, Australia time, I found 39C at YWSL and 37C at YMCO. Those temperatures are high enough to add interest to our takeoffs!

[Andrew Godden]

Jan 23, 2010 10:27:59 GMT -5 Tom Goodrick said:

One thing missing from the weather files is high temperatures. When I downloaded some Real Weather files at Noon, Australia time, I found 39C at YWSL and 37C at YMCO. Those temperatures are high enough to add interest to our takeoffs!

There are two lessons here!!!

Don't believe everything MSFS tells you and be sure of your facts.

Official observations as at 1200 hrs, 23 Jan 10 for East Sale (YMES) (nearest official weather station), 21.3 C, winds at 30 kmh (16 kts) gusting to 43 kmh (23 kts) and for Mallacoota, 21.7 C, winds at 28 kmh (15 kts) gusting to 46 kmh (25 kts). The only evidence of the quoted temperatures were East Sale with a high of 36.2 C at 1530 hrs, 22 Jan 10 and Mallacoota with a high of 34.0 C at 1557 hrs, 22 Jan 10.

Whilst these areas can be subjected to short periods of extreme temperatures in the subject moths, typical average monthly maximum temperatures for these weather stations are East Sale at 25.4 C in Jan and 25.3 C in Feb and Mallacoota at 24.0 C in Jan and 23.9 C in Feb.

The GAAR is officially conducted in February, therefore, the weather situation files reflect that period of February and not January. If participants chose to fly the event outside the official period, that's their prerogative, but weather situation files cannot be created for the myriad of personal choices. The GAAR 2009 was flown in the north and western parts of Australia where extreme temperatures are more the norm. The weather situation files for the GAAR 2009 reflected this and presented the expected challenges. The region the GAAR 2010 is flown in presents other challenges.

So, to reaffirm, the weather situation files were created using historical daily data (not averages) in the interests of presenting a degree of realism in the event (hence the 3 C at Mt Hotham (YHOT), which is an official recorded temperature). Consequently, the weather situation files reflect the region and period the event is conducted in, as planned and designed, and therefore, are not missing anything.

[Tom Goodrick]

OK. I understand your intent to get 'representative weather' for the region. The cases i noted were for January 11. 2010 at 12:30 pm local time at all GAAR airports. (But those cited were the highest.) I was not doing it to get my own weather set. I had no idea what weather to expect so I recorded the RW at that date and time and at another date and about the same time. It is funny that I just happened to get extremely hot weather. I had no basis to expect that and just tried for a 'representative January day'. I also had no idea that there would be a large change between January and February temperatures.

But here is another thing to think about. Usually the average of anything is much less interesting than the extremes. In the case of high temperatures, there is a significant effect on aircraft takeoff capability from short runways which is exactly what we have in this GAAR. Now I am not saying that every takeoff should be made in hot weather, but it would have been more interesting to include one or two cases because those cases do in fact occur in the hot part of the year. But we are operating strictly in nice, comfortable temperatures offering no challenge.

This is just a consideration for future GAARs. If we were doing a rally in the Southwest US or Southern US in summer months, I'd make sure we had one or two hot days, probably topping 40C. I would use Real Weather files since it is very easy to get a good number of these. I have found them to be reasonably accurate here in the US.

Rally visibility is something else. It is poor on most legs.

[Andrew Godden]

Tom,

I take your point about more diverse weather in future events and the date you downloaded the "real weather" files wasn't apparent in your post.

In the interests of providing a range of diversity, there is a focus on short runway airfields in this year's GAAR. I would have liked to include even shorter strips (I still fondly remember Murray Island (YMUI) at 1722' in the GAAR 2007) but these are available in the VOZ freeware scenery pack and not as discrete scenery files, so it is somewhat problematic. The increasing uptake of FSX and lack of freeware scenery also adds a further restriction here.

In an earlier post, I eluded to the concept of entry categories and my idea here is the weather files could be more extreme for the experienced entrant, and maybe flying some legs under pure IFR conditions. Other thoughts around this include specifying fuel and pax weight loads, but this could also be problematic. I would certainly appreciate your feedback / input into these concepts for future GAAR's.

Finally, as I have had the fortune in 2009 to be able to retire at an earlier age than normal, I will have more time to devote to the planning and design of future GAARs.

[Tom Goodrick]

Good luck on that idea about more time for flying, etc now that you have retired. I retired 13 years ago at 53 and there is nowhere near as much time in my day as I expected to have. But if you learn not to be too hard on yourself, it can be fun. You also have to make a new peace with the dear one.

I appreciate your efforts on this GAAR. I am having fun and am feeling the challenge. I have not done as well as I expected. I must say that your target times are pretty good. There's just enough "extra rope to let us hang ourselves!"

I think the idea of more than one class or category in the Rally is good. I'd say two classes would work - "Standard" and "Tough." I am tempted to say they should include the same airports but the Tough Version would include some IFR, a hot day with a short runway between ridges, some adverse winds varying with altitude and location as mountain versus sea shore, some turbulence, some rain and on the second Leg the pilots would encounter ....

[Andrew Godden]

A few friends who retired in the last few years were preparing me and had told me how busy it is, and with no weekends, no public holidays and no annual leave. So I was somewhat prepared for that side of it. As for "she who must be obeyed", still has to work for her retirement (not as harsh as it sounds though).

Glad to hear you are finding it a challenge. Having co-ordinated two GAARs now, finding the right mix between the "first timers" and the more experienced guys can be a real high wire act.

Your thoughts on the category concept are appreciated. They are very much in line with my thoughts to date. Certainly was looking to keep it to the same route and with the possibility of diversions to alternates due to weather. Thought about adding in a "touch and go" at YPFT for this year but left it simple as that Flight Leg already has some navigation / weather challenges.

[Brett I. Holcomb]

Jan 24, 2010 2:12:43 GMT -5 Andrew Godden said:

A few friends who retired in the last few years were preparing me and had told me how busy it is, and with no weekends, no public holidays and no annual leave. So I was somewhat prepared for that side of it. As for "she who must be obeyed", still has to work for her retirement (not as harsh as it sounds though).

You retirees are bursting my bubble. Norm Hancock told me the same thing when I told him that some days retirement looked good - he was busier being retired then when working!

[Andrew Godden]

It's not as bad as it sounds. Friends were preparing me for it because I'm only 47. Some even thought I would be become bored and inactive. Clearly, these are not people who fully understand this sometimes all consuming hobby of ours.

I finished work at the end of Jul 09 and haven't looked back for a moment. The real difference, even though you are busy, is you are doing the things you enjoy (well mostly). I also find that I am doing things spread out over the whole week rather than normally cramming them into the evenings and weekends.

Oh, and yes, as expected, "she who must be obeyed" throws in the odd job just to give you a break from the flight schedule.

[rattler1]

Andrew, as a friend of mine once said, he had retired and become a honeydo. As in "Honey, do this, Honey, do that".

[Brett I. Holcomb]

Jan 25, 2010 2:14:46 GMT -5 Andrew Godden said:

It's not as bad as it sounds. Friends were preparing me for it because I'm only 47. Some even thought I would be become bored and inactive. Clearly, these are not people who fully understand this sometimes all consuming hobby of ours.

I finished work at the end of Jul 09 and haven't looked back for a moment. The real difference, even though you are busy, is you are doing the things you enjoy (well mostly). I also find that I am doing things spread out over the whole week rather than normally cramming them into the evenings and weekends.

Oh, and yes, as expected, "she who must be obeyed" throws in the odd job just to give you a break from the flight schedule.

I'm a bit older than that but enjoy my work so I'm not ready to go.

They sure do not understand this hobby where we could spend all day for years enjoying aspects of it. You have the key - have activities to keep you going.

Can't fly all the time <G>.