2022 Cessna 170 Convention - Burlington, Vermont

[GAHorn]

Jamie and I are on the way to Convention and the ADSB-IN capability of the SkySensor saved our bacon as we slipped thru a pretty good line of Thunderstorms (the magenta line was our course, which would have taken us thru the worst part of it.)…to get to our first night of the trip at Mountain View AR where we are now ensconced in a B&B. Here’s what an I-pad, and ADSB- IN will do for you when you ask for ATC Radar to be superimposed onto your track… All we got was a light sprinkle on the windshield but what a Lightning-Show both left and right of us!:

[dstates]

Jamie and I are on the way to Convention and the ADSB-IN capability of the SkySensor saved our bacon as we slipped thru a pretty good line of Thunderstorms (the magenta line was our course, which would have taken us thru the worst part of it.)…to get to our first night of the trip at Mountain View AR where we are now ensconced in a B&B. Here’s what an I-pad, and ADSB- IN will do for you when you ask for ATC Radar to be superimposed onto your track… All we got was a light sprinkle on the windshield but what a Lightning-Show both left and right of us!:

That’s not a very big gap. You have to be careful to know how old the radar image is. I wouldn’t recommend threading the gap with ADS-B in radar. It is a great tool and amazing, but I don’t trust it that much. I believe the standard recommendation is to stay 25 miles from a thunderstorm. Now if you are VFR and able to see the rain shafts, it is a different situation. No offense, George, I just don’t want someone seeing your success here and thinking it is always going to work.

[cessna170bdriver]

I just got back from the weekly pilot class that our airport association puts on, and today was a recent AOPA webinar on using datalink weather. It covered the basics, as well as several real-world scenarios. Well worth the hour spent watching.

https://webinars.aopa.org/detail/videos ... ips?page=0

[GAHorn]

Jamie and I are on the way to Convention and the ADSB-IN capability of the SkySensor saved our bacon as we slipped thru a pretty good line of Thunderstorms (the magenta line was our course, which would have taken us thru the worst part of it.)…to get to our first night of the trip at Mountain View AR where we are now ensconced in a B&B. Here’s what an I-pad, and ADSB- IN will do for you when you ask for ATC Radar to be superimposed onto your track… All we got was a light sprinkle on the windshield but what a Lightning-Show both left and right of us!:

That’s not a very big gap. You have to be careful to know how old the radar image is. I wouldn’t recommend threading the gap with ADS-B in radar. It is a great tool and amazing, but I don’t trust it that much. I believe the standard recommendation is to stay 25 miles from a thunderstorm. Now if you are VFR and able to see the rain shafts, it is a different situation. No offense, George, I just don’t want someone seeing your success here and thinking it is always going to work.

Yep.. no offense taken… I’m an old pipeline patroller (hundreds of hours of this kind of stuff in Florida) and approach this sort of thing with a ready willingness to do a 180. In this case, I had 20 mi viz thru the shafts. What I look for is higher cumulus beyond openings and avoid that direction, and turn toward the higher blue-sky holes. I found the ATC radar to be very accurate and up-do-date in this instance.

I’m not trying to encourage anyone to “run scud”…that’s NOT what I did in this case. In that screenshot I was in complete visual contact not only with the rain-shafts on my right and left…but also with the ground from 4500 msl,(notice the altitude read-out at the top left of that screenshot) and had 20 mile vis in the direction of flight and enough room to turn-around if necessary.

[c170b53]

Well this is just like me, I now see our convention hotel is right beside Burlington International but the host airport is a distance from the hotel. Is the idea to shuttle back and forth or fly back and forth. Can we park at Burlington International and if so with whom?

[4583C]

The idea is to shuttle back and fourth but there is a 170 @ BVT who came in late yesterday. The plan is to bring folks in later today from FSO when the weather clears. Somebody will come get you either place when you can get in. The hotel has a shuttle from BVT.

[GAHorn]

I landed at BTV briefly due to wx (got caught between layers and got an approach clearance)…but hopped over to FSO and tied down along the flight line with about 8 or 9 others. If you land at BTV the FBO is “Heritage”…and they normally charge a “handling fee” but waived it for me since I was a quick-turn. (Also be aware due to construction, taxi-way “G”…which is parallel to the long runway becomes one-way temporarily while in-use by other aircraft. Small aircraft usually use Rwy 19…turn off mid-point at “B” …take it to “G” … to Heritage. )

[Sweetnam]

Leaving Woodstock, CT (64CT) pre-dawn patrol (WX permitting) and see you all at KFSO. Planning to fly home that evening. Happy landings, all.

[3958v]

I just want to thank Maria and Steve for hosting this Convention. Although we had to leave early Lorraine and I sure enjoyed our time there. We are sure lucky to have members willing to put in the effort to make these conventions work. Thanks. Bill K

[rnealon1]

I want to second that motion!

Jeanne Marie and I had a great time, great weather, and despite numerous obstacles Steve and Maria put on a great show.

Thanks again!

Bob

[c170b53]

I thought this was a great convention. Steve did everything he could to make it so despite the numerous challenges. Unfortunately a few members fell ill and the rest of us were wondering whether we would too. Fuel was very expensive everywhere. I flew from YVR to Greenwood NS then back to Burlington VT at a little over $2K. Best price was Berlin NH at a hair over $ 5 , worst was St John NB at 9.75 a gallon. Fuel costs and hotel costs took a bit of a shine off the trip, meeting members put it back on.
Next years convention looks like a beauty, its in the middle of the country and dated just before Oshkosh. Hope to see everyone there!

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Congratulations to Steve and Maria for a fine convention. A convention Steve had been waiting years for retirement to do and then voluntarily waited a few years longer due to the Pandemic. Teresa and I had to bow out early and are doing fine. See everyone next year.

[GAHorn]

“…the Road goes on Forever…and the Party Never Ends…” (Robt Earl Keene, Jr. song)

Nothing can stop a Great 170 Convention! THANK YOU STEVE AND MARIA….!! : P