You’ve been dodging showery precipitation all the way home and you’ve got one area to bypass. The catch is the only VFR you can use is the peninsula on the west side of Tampa’s Class B, about 15 miles ahead. You stop and wait, but the only good airport is behind you and still IFR in showers. You circle to consider your options: VFR under the Bravo, VFR with a clearance through the Bravo, land without permission at a private airpark where no one seems to be monitoring the radio, or continue to circle, burning gas and hoping things improve.
John Zimmerman
Coming from an aviation family, John grew up in the back of small airplanes and learned to fly as a teenager. Ever since, he has been hooked on aviation of all kinds and regularly flies a Pilatus PC-12, a Cirrus SR22, and a Citabria. He is a 4000-hour ATP and also holds ratings for multi-engine, seaplanes, gliders, and helicopters. As a writer, John's work has appeared in Flying magazine, AOPA Pilot, and Plane & Pilot, and he is currently Editor-in-Chief of Air Facts and host of the Pilot’s Discretion podcast. John has worked at Sporty's for over 25 years, where he is President.
