AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 18

WAYPOINTS

Sometimes you have
to say 'no'

BY THOMAS B. HAINES
Editor in Chief

Reminding ATC who's in charge
"WELL, HERE IT COMES," I said to video producer Josh

Editor in Chief TOM
HAINES has been
dodging eastern
thunderstorms
since the days
when just having
a Stormscope was
a big deal.

18 | AOPA PILOT October 2019

Cochran in the right seat and to Chris Rose, senior
photographer, sitting in the back of my Bonanza. "I
predict a re-route in our future."
My cue for that expectation was the handoff to
approach control at Roanoke, Virginia.
Previous experience told me that the Roanoke
controller would issue a new clearance off our northeasterly route to a nearly due north route across the
mountains to the Kessel VOR in the middle of West
Virginia before we would be turned more easterly
to Martinsburg, West Virginia. From there the IFR
clearance would have us fly northeast on V166 to
the Westminster VOR-right over our destination of
Frederick, Maryland, and then we would be cleared
direct back to the west to Frederick. Life in the shadow
of the Washington, D.C., airspace.
Apparently, Roanoke Approach has a letter of
agreement with Potomac Approach that any traffic
from the south headed for the D.C. area will be on
that route. I've often found that if I accept this route,
I can usually negotiate something more direct with
the next controller. A more direct route is not only
shorter, of course, but it keeps light airplanes away
from the Appalachian Mountains, a breeding ground
for thunderstorms and turbulence in the summer and
turbulence and icing in the winter.
However, this day a series of Level 3 and 4 thunderstorms had parked northeast of Roanoke and north
of Lynchburg. The new clearance to Kessel would put
us right through the middle of them.
The Roanoke controller did not disappoint. He
read me the revised clearance. I acknowledged it and
told him that the route would take us through the
thunderstorms. He responded that he was required
to issue that clearance, as if that was some sort of
comfort for me as we stared at the towering dark
clouds off our left wing and the green, yellow, red,
and magenta radar returns and yellow lightning
strike indications on various displays in the panel
and on my iPad.
After a couple of back and forths on the radio, I
finally replied, "The cleared route is not acceptable.
Let me know what else you have."
Pregnant pause on the radio.

And then from the controller, "OK, fly current
heading until you can go direct Martinsburg; report
direct Martinsburg. How many miles will that be?"
"About 70 miles," I replied and repeated the rest of
the clearance. Seventy miles would put us about over
the fix we had already been cleared to, followed by the
turn direct Martinsburg-as we had been cleared earlier. In other words, keep on keepin' on....
As we trucked farther northeast, though, an isolated
cell began to blossom just west of Washington Dulles
International Airport. Our northerly turn beyond the
immediate weather would have us pointed right at it.
Fortunately, the easternmost part of the system to
our north began to dissipate and was soon starting to
fall apart. An alley opened up between two areas of
green returns on the Nexrad that would allow direct
Martinsburg sooner and help us avoid the cell near
Dulles. Knowing that one should not use ADS-B In or
satellite-delivered Nexrad for tactical flying-strategic
only-I was hesitant to make the turn based solely on the
returns. However, I could soon see blue skies through
the alley and at 9,000 feet we would be on top of a few
lower clouds. So, being able to maintain visual conditions-always a good goal when flying in the vicinity
of thunderstorms-I made the turn and let ATC know.
The isolated cell near Dulles looked spectacular in
the evening light as we motored northward just west
of it-its bright white clouds turning golden as the sun
set. A helpful Potomac Approach controller allowed
us to cut the corner, passing through the Washington
Class B-which doesn't always happen-and soon we
were on a visual approach to Frederick.
As I've written many times, our controllers do a great
job and are generally really resourceful in helping us navigate around weather. I've lost count of the number of
times they've proactively given me vectors around areas
of weather before I even knew a problem lay ahead.
Occasionally, though, one must exercise pilot in command responsibilities and let them know that letters of
agreement drafted by a bureaucrat at HQ don't cut it
when flying in a dynamic atmosphere. In other words,
it's OK to say no when you have a good reason.
AOPA
EMAIL thomas.haines@aopa.org

@tomhaines29



AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019

Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - Intro
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - Cover1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 4
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 9
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 10
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 11
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 12
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 13
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 14
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 15
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 16
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 17
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 18
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 19
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 20
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 21
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 22
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 23
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 24
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 25
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 26
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 27
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 28
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 29
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 30
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 31
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 32
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 33
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 34
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 36
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 37
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 38
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 39
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 40
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 41
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 42
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 43
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 44
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 45
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 46
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 47
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 48
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 49
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 50
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 51
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 52
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 53
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 54
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 55
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 56
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 57
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 58
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 59
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 60
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 61
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 62
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 63
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 64
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 65
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 66
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 67
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 68
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 69
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 70
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 71
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 72
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 73
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 74
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 75
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 76
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 78
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 79
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 80
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 81
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 82
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 83
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 84
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 85
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 86
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 87
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 88
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 89
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 90
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 91
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 92
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 93
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 94
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 95
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 96
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 97
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 98
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 99
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 100
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 101
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 102
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 103
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 104
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 105
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 106
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 107
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 108
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 109
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 110
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 111
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - 112
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2019 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_202001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201103_test
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201011demo
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot_201011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aopa/pilot0308
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com