With a mediumsized airport like Indianapolis International, it is not impossible to file and fly in on an IFR flight plan.
In the mighty 1979 Skyhawk, we flight planned for 7,000 feet. Our route included seven RNav fixes. Because the radar system was working fine, we only used the first fix. Chicago Center gave us direct to KIND as soon as we left C90’s airspace.
We passed through Grissom AFB’s approach control airspace as we got closer to Indy. We were number 5 for the airport, so we were given a 12 Mike final. This allow approach to sneak another jet in front of us before we could land.
The extended downwind added 28 minutes to our flight. That is life in the big city.
At Signature Flight Support, we were able to use their crew car to get lunch. Someone had suggested Eagles Next Restaurant, which was 16 minutes away.
I expected it to be a greasy spoon dive. This reveals a lack of preflight planning on my part. It turns out that the Eagles Nest is the finest restaurant in town at the top of one of the tallest buildings in the city.
The food was excellent, but a little more upscale than planned.
What the heck! Who knows when we will pass this way again?
It was a smooth flight. Nick Legenza and Richard Tado had a great time. Totally worth it.
Gas at Signature was $8.60 per gallon. Nick obtained a few extra bags of free snacks to even the deal.
The day before, Nick had passed his IFR checkride. This flight was a good way to illuminate the potential of flying in the IFR system.
Sporty’s Dick Collins had talked about the fun of flying in to Indy during my IFR training CDs in 1994. So this was the realization of a dream that he had planted in my head almost 30 years ago.
Good luck at Embry Riddle this fall, Nick! I hope you can realize your dreams, too.