Local IFR flight
The weather the past few weeks has been incredible. As a result, I’ve had quite a few VFR flights to take advantage of the situation. I noticed I had almost filled a page on my logbook with VFR flights and decided it was time to do some instrument approaches.
The local profile I use is KSAT-T89-KSSF-KSAT - this gets me three instrument approaches with about an hour’s flight time. In Castroville I do the NDB approach, at Stinson the VOR approach and I return to San Antonio Intl by flying down the glideslope of the ILS.
Clouds were increasing in coverage this afternoon so I was also hoping I might chalk up some actual instrument time as well. Turns out I didn’t…I was cruising just underneath a broken layer that was about 500 feet above me.
The approaches went well. I had some local traffic to contend with in Castroville and said a few cuss words when I forgot to start the timer for my VOR approach at Stinson but overall I was pleased.
Returning to San Antonio Intl, I ended up getting some holding vectors as ATC worked to sequence me in between an Astrojet and a Southwest 737. ATC requested “maximum forward speed” on the ILS approach and with the smooth cold air, I was doing a solid 125 knots in the Skyhawk SP I was flying.
My speed was so good that ATC told me I could slow down if I wanted since the Southwest jet was now a solid 5 nm behind me. It was a pleasure to touch the edge of the yellow arc on the airspeed indicator - something not easily done during the warm weather that persists in South Texas during most of the year…
Here’s the GPS track courtesy my GPSMAP 296…
