Be careful out there

I know I have posted a good bit on not using ADS-B/XM tactically but I am not sure the message has really sunk in.  Typically green and yellow on XM are safe to fly through if that's what they really are.  Today I was out shooting some approaches and the rain was building.  I had the XM on the 750xi and the live radar on the 500txi.  While being vectored for the GPS 13 SGJ we first were pointed at some weather that was mostly green with a few yellow spots on XM but it was painting a solid red core.   I was about to ask for a turn when the controller headed me North West towards ORSOF.  

You can see in the picture above just North and West of ORSOF there is a small but strong cell.  I was tilted up 6 degrees so none of this is ground clutter.  Also my radar does not display within 5 nm on the 40 nm scale so what you are seeing is clipped at the white ring.  We turned to avoid this and though we were mostly IMC, got a look at it.  It was raining but it would be hard to tell that the core was that intense.  Given its size I doubt it would have been really bad but I am thinking it was not a ride I wanted to take.

The XM picture is above.  It looks mostly benign and many would have no issue going through based upon the colors.  The rain was not moving much so this lag was less positional and more intensity but position is not the same.  These are cut from the same picture just after my radar swept so really the same instant.  On radar (and our eyes) the storm is more to the top right of ORSOF, not to the right as shown in the lower picture.  So if you tried to deviate based upon XM you actually might run right through the core.  As Sergeant Phil Esterhaus used to say, Let's all be careful out there.

Not as soft as it looks

Was heading back today after a localish flight.  The weather down South was mostly nice with a few isolated showers.  Up by home was a different story.  Rain was building on the coast and things were strating to look ugly.  Coming North I decided to cut inland North of Saint Augustine.

There was rain North and we could see clear air to the West but their was one cloud that looked tall and ominous.  This is where the radar really shines.  I was at 1,000' running 20 mile range and 6.25 tilt up.  This much tilt is not useful for much further ranges as the beam will likely go over the section you want to see and farther out, just over the top of anything of interest.

So back to our cloud.  No visible rain, no characteristich thunder head and it was small, maybe a mile around.  Well this little mass of wet air was painting bright red with a steep gradient.  Even with nothing showing below we avoided it and had a smooth dry ride.  It was a good reminder that just because something isn't really tall, or big, you still need to respect what you are seeing.

Sort of Planned IFR

I woke up early this morning to beat the heat and the weather.  Have not been flying as much due to a mechanical issue that had the plane waiting at the mechanics for a while.  Knock on wood, we have it all sorted. It was a hard problem to diagnose but since the fix everything has worked well.

My morning briefing and look out the window promised a nice VFR morning.  After preflighting, I pulled the plane out and took one last look at the weather and NOTAMS.  It was sunny right above me but the airport was calling 800 Broken, so I filed 2 flight plans.  One to get out and a backup to get home.  At the time it looked like it would all clear shortly so the second plan seemed a bit gratuitous but filing is free and always easier to have one in my back pocket.

Departure was easy with 800 broken starting at the end of the runway.  I was cleared to 3000' heading 280 and I soon popped out the top.  After checking in and climing 1000' above the tops, I cancelled and headed South to enjoy the morning and continue to knock the rust off my flying skills.

This was my 4th flight after getting the plane back.  I had used my third to shoot approaches with a buddy and I was well within the currency requirements.  I was both current and felt proficient.  While flying around I watched the airport go VFR on the ADSB display so when I checked back in with approach, I was surprised when she told me that was old news and the field had just gone IFR.

I had been down South and had not gotten the ATIS yet as I was beyond range.  I activated my IFR plan, was cleared to JEVAG and then was able to get ATIS which was calling it 800 Overcast.  So that was a change.  Ahead of me was a C-172 that grabbed a pop up IFR, I think the weather was unexpected for them too.

I briefed the approach, double checked minimums as there was a NOTAM on the LPV.  It was not a big change so not really an issue.  I was cleared straight in for the GPS 32 and made a smooth turn at JEVAG.  The winds were light but the clouds were definitely there.  I went in at 2500' and popped out at 900'.  The C-172 called it 700'.  It was nice and clear below and even managed to make a nice smooth landing.  It was not my intention to fly IFR today but always happy for the practice.  Just a reminder to think through the contingencies.