Would you attempt this flight today?

[Contacttower]

Just out of curiosity I thought I'd ask everyone's opinion on whether they would make the following flight at about 1400 today, considering the weather etc.

Aircraft is a standard non-turbo C182T (G1000 etc) flying from an airfield in southern Scotland to one in southern England...say Bournemouth or Southampton. Pilot and aircraft fully IFR equipped but without oxygen. Would be people do this and if so how would they do it?

I have already made up mind...just curious to see what other people would do...

[kevmusic]

Personally, no. Blowing a hoolie down here. Leastways, too much for me to pop up in a Turb.

[IO540]

It seems doable as a low level VFR/IFR flight, down the east coast of the UK.

As an airways flight, the high altitude weather would be more challenging.

But the radar is fairly clean and there is no lightning activity.

Not a nice day though, and it would be a rough flight due to the strong winds blowing over hills etc. Check the sfc winds against the runways A Cessna is not good for too much crosswind.

[kevmusic]

As usual, IO puts it better!

[bookworm]

I'd do it with an airways join at POL. E.g.

EGPH N0150F090 DCT TLA DCT DCS DCT POL P18 STAFA L10 HON DCT NEDEX SAM2A

Much more comfortable at FL90 than bouncing around at low level. Whether you go straight to 90 or pick an intermediate level through the wx in Scotland depends on what you find.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I think it depends very much on the experience, recency and licencing of the pilot, and the purpose of the flight. If the purpose was a fun day's flying, I certainly wouldn't.

G

[mad_jock]

Would you really go through POL?

I always tried to route away from there if possible. You would also be going against the North South flow of traffic. Usually the south bound would be NGL DCS Lakey,Man etc But at FL90 you would be a right pain in the bum so better to go outside and then come back in again to get round the outside of the Man arrivals. And North POL, TLA

Personally I would Route to NGY then pick up a service from Warton outside. Then rejoin and head down the east of wales on those airways running down towards Cardiff. Then once down south and past london then cut across.

As soon as you go near POL or HON you will get in everyones way and more than likely get vector'd all over the place that is you don't get a slot.

Also that way if you need to escape you have PIK, Blackpool, Liverpool, Man,BHX, Cardiff, Filton, Exeter.

And I wouldn't have a problem doing it.

[NorthSouth]

Winds 260 at up to 55 knots much of the way down between FL50 and FL100, possibility of hitting the freezing level south of EGPH, and you'd have to request a non-standard IFR departure out of EGPH which they might not give you. A very long and very tiring and probably scary flight. Low level option not much better.
NS

[Fright Level]

I just flew the other way round (S>N) today and the wind from 5,000 feet up is westerly at 50/60kts and it's IMC all the way up to FL300 with freezing level around 5-6,000 feet. A bit lumpy at lower levels due to terrain but no cells or indeed any rain in the cloud, it's just grey and miserable and a day for an Airbus rather than a Cessna.

[Fuji Abound]

Interesting the FL is so low.

[Captain Smithy]

Think I'd give it a miss myself. Winds aloft are forecast to be rather strong (noted at one point forecast wind at 10000' is 270/70 ), don't think it would be very clever in a little Cessna. Judging from the F215 I'd be worried about icing as well.

Crap forecast, crap actuals. I'd book a B&B for the night, get the train, or catch a lo-cost.

Smithy

[IO540]

The 1200 sounding shows IMC to about 200mb (about FL300) up north; slightly better in the south.

I would not fly at high altitude in this, unless de-iced.

[bookworm]

Would you really go through POL?

Well, it's the "standard route", but that doesn't always count for as much as the sort of practical experience that you mention. I've only done it once or twice, and IIRC though filed via POL got routed painlessly via MCT.

The point is that I would do it at higher level, not lower level.

Winds 260 at up to 55 knots much of the way down between FL50 and FL100,

What concerns you about that? Mountain waves? (Just asking -- I'm a flatlander and mountains + wind scare me.)

possibility of hitting the freezing level south of EGPH,

So stay a little lower until you get to warmer air.

and you'd have to request a non-standard IFR departure out of EGPH which they might not give you.

Why non-standard? I haven't flown it, but the SID looks like TLA at 6000.

A very long and very tiring and probably scary flight. Low level option not much better.

My instinct would be that the low level option in the boundary layer would be much more tiring.

[mad_jock]

Very good point Genghis I would be getting payed to do this flight.

If it was for any other reason I would be getting a flight to Gatwick and taking the train.

[Captain Smithy]

What concerns you about that? Mountain waves? (Just asking -- I'm a flatlander and mountains + wind scare me.)

From personal experience it can get a bit bumpy at low-level in a spamcan in the Central Belt near PH when the wind is >30Kt. At times rather uncomfortable near terrain, e.g. down the Borders. I'd be uncomfortable with the turbulence, there again that's personal.

[dont overfil]

The forecast looked not too bad earlier apart from the wind, but the actual looking out the window bears no resemblence.
I don't believe the freezing levels either. Very optimistic.
DO.

[NorthSouth]

What concerns you about that? Mountain waves?

That too - forecast says max VSP 800fpm - but flying for hours in IMC being constantly thrown about is incredibly tiring, even with an autopilot.

Why non-standard? I haven't flown it, but the SID looks like TLA at 6000

Indeed, but unless you were lucky and hit a period when there was no-one else wanting to fly the TLA SID they'd be unlikely to accept someone climbing slowly at, what - 90 knots? - and clogging up the system. In still air you might struggle to meet the 7.4% procedure design gradient too, although I accept that on a day like today with a southwesterly hoolie you'd probably be going almost straight up so that wouldn't be an issue.

NS

[mad_jock]

Smithy you are going to have some fun up North especially when the winds from the South.

Washing Machine below 2000ft is proberly the best description of it.

[wsmempson]

I reckon you could do it, lowish, VFR, down the east coast but it isn't something that I'd do for fun. A fairground ride all the way...

[cats_five]

Dunno exactly what bit of southern Scotland you mean or what the weather there is, but here (Fife) I'm sure nothing is flying except out of EDI. The weathercam at PMK shows just how horrible it is - the cloud on the hill is about 250m amsl - about 800'. Vis on the roads is awful as well and cars without lights merge into the murk.

Weather and Webcam

Live feed, if you look tomorrow (Friday) it will be different - nicer I suspect.

Think you would have to be south of Yorkshire for the weather to be OK, it's the first time I've seen an amended 215 (e.g. weather is very unstable), and whilst the weather is better the wind isn't for GA.