A big congratulations to Mr. Rice (ATX48), who passed the CAT II flight check. This is the first CAT II cert we've awarded since we changed the way we do these flight checks - online and in tandem. We logged into VATSIM this evening and prepared for a short, but challenging flight from Portland to Eugene. Portland Tower online, amd with us and a few others the comms traffic was pretty chatty. Departing KPDX the winds were variable with visibility at 3 miles in haze with a broken layer starting at 500 feet and extending up through about 7500 or so. On top it was clear above with a nice view of Mt. Hood off the left wing.
After departure the controller was nice enough to switch hats and became Center and helped us along our way to Eugene. He cautioned that low visibility instrument flight rules were in effect at KEUG, and I think this might have been his first CAT II as well! I was lead aircraft, flying my favorite Boeing 737-700, while Rice followed about 10 in trail. Here you can just barely see his right wing light...
As I set up for the approach I verified that the surface conditions were very low. It seemed like the runway never came into view until just above the decision height, which for CAT II is 100 feet! Winds were light but visibility was 1/4 mile in fog and even the vertical visibility was 100 feet. Here the on-board radar shows him being vectored into position - Center was giving him S turns though there was plenty of room...
Cleared for ILS RWY 16R CAT II, I landed with variable runway visual range (RVR) from 2500 to 3500 feet. My landing was not as good as I had hoped, but I taxiied around and managed a quick snapshot of Rice as he made a perfect landing.
Captain Rice makes a perfect landing and earns his CAT II flying the CRJ.
Posts
