Ever since obtaining my Instrument rating recently, the weather has been remarkably cooperative. I’ve only had to use it once or twice to depart Palo Alto early in the morning when low-hanging clouds put the field in IFR conditions, but otherwise, clear skies have prevailed.
Finally, an opportunity arose. I’m going to fly from PAO to SMO where some proper IMC weather and techniques will be needed. (Obligatory: I’m not a CFI(I), just sharing my own personal experiences.) While the weather is not too bad and VFR is still possible, I decided to fly the trip entirely in IFR to get used to the system.
Pre-flight Decisions
On the day before departure, I was checking the weather on the route PAO-PRB-SMO. It was mostly clear, but there were clouds forecasted between PRB-SMO right on my route, and there was trace / light icing forecasted as well. I decided to switch to another SR22 in the club that has FIKI, as it would be my first time flying a long IFR route and in and out of clouds for an extended period, and I wanted to be safe. This turned out to be a great decision.
On the day of the flight, I purchased 5 gallons of TKS deicing fluid (as our club doesn’t provide it) and topped off the tank before takeoff.
🔼 That’s what 5 gals of TKS fluid looks like. It was very heavy.
Icing Encounter
The first leg from PAO to PRB was nonchalant; everything went according to the book, and I had some fun flying through some clouds and feeling the bumpiness, but the autopilot was able to handle all of it. From PRB to SMO is where the fun began. Not long after en-route, I flew into clouds for no more than 10 ~ 20 seconds. I started seeing some ice on the windshield, so I pressed the windshield deicing button and started checking my wings. I was surprised to find that clear ice had formed on the leading edges in such a short duration.
🔼 Ice formation on the SR22’s wing leading edge
While it wasn’t a lot, and that was the only encounter on the route, it was a good learning experience, and I’m still glad that I picked the FIKI airplane to fly today.
SMO Approach
We were assigned the FERN7 arrival with DARTS transition and were told to expect the RNAV 21 for SMO. Probably due to traffic, we were kept much higher than the plate; actually, we were high all the way until the FAF. The controller did not clear me for the approach until almost FAF and opted to manually step me down, so I could not follow the LPV down to the runway. I was about 3600 ft at FAF, and the glideslope dot was already gone from the ticker. I basically forward slipped the entire way down. 😅
One thing I also learned about the TKS fluid: it is very viscous and evaporates slowly. I actually had a hard time seeing outside on the long final as the sun was directly in my face, and the TKS fluid made the windshield pretty hard to see through. Fortunately, forward slipping helped because I was seeing the front from the edge of the windshield, and the airport’s super bright PAPI was also a big help.
The landing was uneventful, and surprisingly, there were a lot of people at the terminal watching airplanes coming and going. I got asked a lot of aviation questions before they would let me go. 😆 (Transient parking at this airport is right in front of the viewing area, so there’s no escape lol; there is also Atlantic on the opposite side of the field though.)
The Way Back
It was mostly VMC and smooth the entire way. It was a little interesting that I got 3 tiny re-routes on the way. My filed flight plan was VTU DOCAL (for RNAV 31 PAO, it is an IF but it is very commonly used by the controller). A little after VTU, I was given a reroute to RZS DOCAL, then immediately (really, it was right after they’d confirmed readback correct 😅), it was updated to RZS PRB DOCAL. A little before PRB, it was again updated to BURLY, DOCAL. It was relatively short, so it wasn’t too much of an issue updating it, and the controller spelled out all the new waypoints.
Cirrus Perspective MFD Tip
One of the best feature of Cirrus MFD is it has a keyboard, which makes entering waypoint much faster. To insert a new waypoint on the MFD:
- Press the FPL button
- Press the FMS knob to enter selection mode
- Use the big knob to select the waypoint you want to insert BEFORE
- Start typing the waypoint using the keyboard
Near SNS, I received vectors for traffic and maintained a higher altitude. I initiated descent from 8,000 ft about 8nm from DOCAL and received clearance for the RNAV 31 approach into PAO.
🔼 Sandwiched between cloud layers above Cupertino
It was pretty cool to enter the cloud at ~4000ft and see there’s an empty layer in between. We broke out at the bottom at ~2300ft. (Sadly, if it were a tad bit lower, I would have been able to log this approach.) Once we broke out of the bottom, it was smooth sailing and an uneventful landing.
Conclusion
Instrument rating is truly worth it. It makes getting in and out of the Bay Area during this time of year so much easier. It also boosts your ability and confidence to make safe and sound decisions through more types of weather you may encounter. Plus, nothing compares to the thrill and view as you enter and exit the clouds!