IFR return from the Bay Area (Full ATC) - You saw Weird Al?!

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waynemcc999
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IFR return from the Bay Area (Full ATC) - You saw Weird Al?!

Post by waynemcc999 »


An IFR return home, with an interesting departure from San Carlos, some enjoyable music, comedy courtesy of Weird Al (yes!!), and the ILS through a spotty marine layer. Might well have been easier to depart VFR (although those departure instructions begin much the same way), thread through restricteds on my own, and then request a pop-up clearance into Santa Barbara. In the airspaces you fly, is getting a pop-up approach clearance a 100% certainty?
Thanks for your insight and enjoy the flight!
Wayne, GeezerGeek Pilot
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smoss
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Re: IFR return from the Bay Area (Full ATC) - You saw Weird Al?!

Post by smoss »

Frequently flying into various airports in Los Angeles, if there is any chance of IMC at the destination, I will file an IFR plan from a fix just outside of L.A. (usually APLES) and then "pick it up" only if needed when I get near there. Then I depart my home VFR, usually flight following so already talking if the IFR plan is needed, then when close just tell ATC (LA Center, Joshua Approach, or So Cal depending on how early I call and how bored they are) I have an IFR flight plan in the system into XYZ that I want to pick up and they will give you the clearance. This has worked 100% of the time for me, busy skies or quiet. I have also on at least 5 occasions, when I thought I would be able to make it in VFR, but very close to destination (< 15 mins from destination) realized it would not work, told So Cal Approach that I need an IFR clearance into my destination, and was universally quickly given an easy clearance with no hassle. It seems it is quite easy for them to do such if you are close, just needing to go through a marine layer for example, and all they have to do is vector you to the ILS or IAF. I specifically recall doing this into KFUL, KSNA, and KMYF.
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waynemcc999
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Re: IFR return from the Bay Area (Full ATC) - You saw Weird Al?!

Post by waynemcc999 »

Steve, very good info... just what I was hoping.
When I was flying out of Reno & Truckee (usually VMC) I'd often do your first approach... file IFR, depart VFR, and optionally pick up a clearance enroute. And with Santa Barbara Approach, I have a 100% success rate with pop-up clearances. But those airspaces are super quiet so I wasn't sure about SoCal approach and these two methods.
Very much appreciate the inside scoop!
Wayne
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Re: IFR return from the Bay Area (Full ATC) - You saw Weird Al?!

Post by Colin »

Pop up clearances are effortless in SoCal.

I once tried it over Westchester and they made it sound like I had asked them to close JFK so I could do a practice approach. He had me circling over West Point for ten minutes while he figured it out. (So I was probably setting off all sorts of alarms down below as well.)
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waynemcc999
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Re: IFR return from the Bay Area (Full ATC) - You saw Weird Al?!

Post by waynemcc999 »

Colin, love your "they made it sound like I had asked them to close JFK"!
Agree, I've also found pretty-quiet Santa Barbara Approach also very amenable to popups... fits nicely with the frequent marine layers.
Thanks for sharing experiences,
Wayne
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