From: hurvitz@oscar.UUCP (Dennis Hurvitz)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr,rec.aviation.owning,rec.aviation.misc
Subject: completed the c152 ferry, greensboro-sandyeggo. finally home...
Date: 19 Jan 93 17:34:35 GMT
Distribution: na

with a combination of tremendous luck, and a little bit of planning, i
have completed my trip across the u.s. in the winter, in a C152.

the following is a shortened version;

i left twin lakes, north carolina (aka mocksville) around noon on the
11th. the sky was obscured with an indefinite ceiling, and it was
raining, and the viz wasn't so hot. i departed and found myself in the
goo almost instantly. i was relieved to note that this airplane climbed
briskly for a 152 which told me the engine still had a few of those 115
horses left. i would be needing them as the trip continued.

i landed in greensville with a 200 ovc, 3/4 in rain/fog. i was a little
apprehensive, for i really didn't know how accurate this glideslope
needle would be. it was right on. i lucked out.

i departed greensville, south carolina for chatanooga. the weather in
chatanooga was the same. low ceiling in rain with fog. swell. enroute, i
would fly thru an area with an active convective sigmet. departure
offered some help in cb avoidance, but i still sweat gold bullets during
this leg. the trip was further anxiety producing for i had a headwind
and the system was moving northeasterly. i was on the northern edge,
flying across it. i landed in chatanooga, breaking out from the goo into
none other than rain and fog. so far, i've only flown in solid imc, in
light and moderate rain. i'm not a happy camper.

wx brief sez my next destination is 400 ovc and we cannot find an
alternate (600/2) within range. i elect to call it a day and found a
motel. next morning wx brief sez if i leave now, i'll miss the
thunderstorms. oh man, again ? i make a bee-line for the airport, drain
the tanks and fire it up. here again, center/apparoach provide some
isolation from the imbedded cells. i'm in solid ifr.

my next destination is the same.jackson, tenn is now lower than forcast
and i make in 400 ovc. now the rub.

my next destination, memphis has a low ceiling and requires an
alternate. nothing available within the range of the 152. i file
anyway, for if not, i'd probably still be there campers. i land in
memphis 300 ovc, and fuel up. the ceiling improved at my next
destination, little rock 600/4, and i now have better weather ahead.

i proceed to little rock, ft. smith(night), tulsa (night,cold), wichita
(really cold), dodge city (even colder), lamar, colorodo (sunrise),
front range, and finally fort collins. i'd flown all night for there was
a high pressure area and i took the window. i found coffee helped
tremedously. 
after handing over the airplane to firewall forward for a new engine, i
headed down to stapleton, checked into a hotel and fell into a deep
sleep at 6pm.

next morning i went up to minneapolis via american on hughes biz.
i returned to firewall forward friday night, preflighted the little 152
and styling new engine, and departed ft collins at midnight, bound for
sandyeggo. i stopped in pueblo for fuel, called the guy at 1:30 am or so
and he came out and fueled me up. he didn't even charge me the $25 fee.
nice guy. next stop, las vegas new mexico. man was it cold, when i
climbed out of that little puppy in the wee morning hours to call for
fuel. here again, the fueler came out to the airport. all smiles. nice
people.

landing in albuquerque, i fueled, grabbed 2 cups of coffee and proceeded.
there is a very moist system bringing in weather to southern california.
the freezing level may become a problem crossing the coastal mountains
east of sandyeggo. i decided to proceed due south from albuquerque
and fly along interstate 8 thru southern new mexico, arizona, into
sandyeggo. its works all the way into tucson and barely yuma, where i
skirted mountain peaks scud running. i made fuel stops in truth or
consequences, wilcox, tucson, gila bend and yuma. i fought 30 knot
headwinds most of the darn trip.
in yuma, i learned it will be solid ifr into san diego. i filed, and set
in 55% power to give me the cruise endurance of over 4 hours. as i began
to cross this last challenge before getting home, the coastal mountains,
center read-off the convective sigmet for imbedded thunderstorms, and
i'm smack dab in the middle of the defined area. i wondered if i would
ever get a break during this trip...
i immediately asked for freq change from la center and scrambled to
raise flight watch. i inquired as to the locations of the cells. none
painted yet.  (?)  i'm making 60 knots ground speed and i relax. the
clouds are getting lighter (i'm imc still from yuma) through it is still
moderate rain. after what seems like an eternity, i get a lower
altitude. descending, i make lower winds aloft, and vectors for the ils
home are given. ya-hoo.

winds have shifted though, and are now out of the south. his vector to
capture the localizer isn't working. the controller is sharp, and adds a
40 degree crab. it works. upon capturing the ils, i try his 40 degree
crab, and it works also. as i descend, i have to gradually reduce this
crab, for the winds reduce with altitude. i break out, after a very
bumpy ils, circle to land at 500 agl, and land, in none other, than my
old friend, the rain. i'm home.

i was up all night. again. it was worth it though. i got to watch the
dolphins game the next day, eating a lox and bagel sandwich.

one interesting side note. when i arrived at ft collins after flying
thru alot of rain, and then entering a very cold area, i noticed the
152 was dripping water on the hanger floor of firewall forward.
i climbed in, and started looking around. as i packed my stuff, i found
an noa approach plate book that i tossed in the back when no longer
needed, was *frozen solid*. the baggage carpet was *frozen solid*. i
removed the inspection panel to look into the rear fuselage, from
directly behind the baggage area. i was pleased to see the fuselage
looked very new, but then i noticed something on the floor of the rear
fuselage. solid ice.

the floor of the fuselage had frozen solid. i removed 2 large blocks of
ice from the rear fuselage. i estimate i carried 25 pounds of ice back
there ! the previous 7 hours of flight, were vfr !

that's the lucky part.

dennis hurvitz
C152 93508 ..
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr