IFR Flights of 13MIKE

by Fred J. Calfior and Douglas W. Miller

Flight Scenario Four

San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe

(San Francisco Area - estimated flying time 85 minutes)

Have you ever taken off with your eyes closed? I don't mean as a passenger, I mean as the designated airplane driver! Well, get ready because that's almost what you will be doing in this departure. Hi, Professor Miller here with you again. WOW! A no-see-um takeoff. Now this I have to see! Sorry, I just could not resist that one! It looks like this is going to be some flight. It departs San Francisco International Airport using a SID with a transition and arrives at South Lake Tahoe doing a VOR approach with a procedure turn. Sounds very intense, busy, exciting, challenging, white knuckly, just down your alley, flight! So let's not dilly dally! Onward and upward into the yukky sky! First, Professor Calfior will help you with a rather extensive weather brief, followed by my modestly (I'm the best!) skillful guidance through the initial setup. By this time, you will be ready for Professor Calfior to assist you with the Preflight, Taxi, Runup, Departure, Cruise, Descent, and Approach to your destination airport. Listen to what Professor Calfior has to say about flying techniques. He is trying to help you obtain the best possible score.

FLIGHT PLAN-

This route of flight follows well established departure, climb, cruise, descent, and landing procedures. You will depart San Francisco International Airport (Airport diagram in Appendix C4) around 1900 Zulu on runway 28L, with near zero-zero visibility and cloud deck. You will fly the SHORELINE NINE DEPARTURE (Appendix C4) with the Linden transition out of San Francisco.

Once airborne, and it's safe, turn right to a heading of 040 degrees. You will then go direct to Oakland VOR, having transitioned to Bay Departure Control. Your initial cruise altitude will be 11000 feet, with a true airspeed of 135 knots. Go outbound on the Oakland VOR 040 radial, and make sure to cross the 8 DME fix at or above 6000 feet. You'll be told to switch to Oakland Center at some point. Continue on that track until arriving at the 21 DME fix.

Then proceed inbound on the Linden VOR 240 radial until station passage. Now refer to your IFR low altitude enroute chart L-2 in Appendix B4. From Linden VOR, go outbound on the 028 radial, which is Victor 28. Now, because SPOOK intersection at 48 DME has a minimum crossing altitude of 15000 feet, you will start to climb from 11000 feet to 15000 feet after Linden VOR.

From SPOOK intersection, you will go inbound on the Mustang VOR 192 radial to RICHY intersection. From RICHY you will turn left to go inbound on the Squaw Valley VOR 116 radial to the initial approach fix, LAZEE intersection, for the VOR/DME-A instrument approach into South Lake Tahoe Airport. You will begin to descend out of 15000 feet for 11000 feet at LAZEE, execute the procedure turn as depicted on the approach plate, and then proceed inbound on the intermediate segment of your approach on the Squaw Valley VOR 116 radial.

You now descend to, but don't go below 10400 feet, until you have arrived back at LAZEE intersection, which is now the final approach fix inbound. Then commence a descent to 8800 feet until arriving at 18 DME from Squaw Valley. If the field isn't in sight, then execute missed approach as published, and go to your alternate which is Fallon Field in Nevada. But the field should be in sight if you look to the right, so you can execute the visual segment by turning to a heading of 166 for a visual landing on runway 18 at South Lake Tahoe Airport. (Airport diagram in Appendix C4)

It's a long flight, lasting close to 85 or 90 minutes, but with 6 hours and 10 minutes of fuel on board, it's a walk in the park.

FILLING OUT THE FLIGHT PLAN -

Fill out the following Flight Plan completely, carefully paying attention to your route of flight. Trace out your route using the IFR low altitude enroute chart L-2 given to you in Appendix B4.

Now answer these questions from your flight plan and enroute chart.

** a) What is in block 8, Route of Flight, of your flight plan?

______________________________________________(10 pts)

** b) If going outbound on Victor 28 from Oakland VOR, and told to hold at ALTAM intersection, what kind of holding entry would be exercised?

_______________________________________(10 pts)

** c) What is the minimum obstruction clearance altitude on the leg of Victor 28 from SPOOK intersection to RICHY intersection?

_____________________________________________(10 pts)

** d) Without using Linden VOR or Mustang VOR, what two other ways can SPOOK intersection be identified?

1.____________________________________________

2.____________________________________________(10 pts)

** e) What is the total mileage from Linden VOR along Victor 28 to Mustang VOR?

_________________________________(10 pts)

"This would probably be one of the most picturesque cross countries to fly if it was available to see below us. The entrance to the South Lake Tahoe area is a view of paradise. From looking at your low altitude enroute chart, you notice how fifteen thousand feet is where we need to cruise later on due to the minimum enroute altitude from SPOOK intersection to RICHY? That stretches '13MIKE' very closely to its absolute altitude, plus it's in the oxygen area of flying, so we'll bring some bottles of oxygen along with us to meet the FAR requirements. It's good for you to see how this airplane flies near its top altitude limits.

Also, did you notice on the Shoreline Nine Departure that for props, the weather minimums are shown to be a one thousand five hundred foot ceiling with three miles prevailing visibility? I can see by looking out this window that we don't even come close to having those minimums. But I've already talked to departure control and for training purposes, I have obtained a special [for this book only!] permission to have you do an almost zero zero takeoff and departure. So we're spreading our wings and you are becoming very well versed in the various degrees of instrument flying happenings! I'm excited to get started, as I'm sure you are, so call Oakland and get your brief, plus file us an IFR flight plan. There are a lot of new things to see with this trip!"

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