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From: marcum@sun.uucp (Alan Marcum)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Re: Grey skies and OOPS !
Message-ID: <3375@sun.uucp>
Date: Mon, 17-Mar-86 16:46:48 EST
Article-I.D.: sun.3375
Posted: Mon Mar 17 16:46:48 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 19-Mar-86 01:24:53 EST
References: <1951@cae780.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Lines: 25

> 				      I was on about a three mile final,
> with the airport in sight, when visibility went to zero !  No view
> ahead, or below. The clouds above had opened up with a rain shower
> that was _heavy_ !
> 
> I was lucky that the shower was small, even though very heavy. What
> do you do if it isn't small ? I was also lucky to be over the flat
> surface of the bay rather than coming through a pass in the hills.

What I'd recommend if the shower was larger would be to initially do
exactly what you did: fly the airplane, then contact the tower.  If
it was a big shower, I'd be prepared to declare an emergency, and
request vectors away from terrain and other planes.  Getting the
proper vectors may require a frequency change to approach, or center,
or whomever.

An interesting question arises if you're not at a controlled field
(especially one without even an FSS on field).  Then, I'd probably, again,
fly the plane, and go to 121.5 and declare mayday.

Perhaps the REAL interesting question is how a non-instrument rated
pilot would begin to know what to do, especially a low-time pilot!
-- 
Alan M. Marcum				Sun Microsystems, Technical Consulting
...!{dual,ihnp4}!sun!nescorna!marcum	Mountain View, California