Rob's Instrument Training Experience

just how this school trains, I only use autopilot going to the IAF, turn it off a few miles before to slow the plane down. on the checkride between at least two of the approaches I have to hand fly. just another tool to stay ahead of the airplane.

 

Lesson 26
Date: March 31st, 2009
Hours: 2.8
Total Hours To Date: 64.3
Summary: final check ride prep

Got up today for final checkride prep, also needed to stay active as it had been 10 days since my last instrument lesson waiting on a DE. Went up in the morning and ran out of time for plane slot, so had to go back at night for a 2nd flight. For the morning we did the Alliance 34R ILS which is an approach I've done before, but not often. Most of our approaches have been at Denton or Decatur because ATC isn't required. FYI for those that don't know, ATC is required for Alliance because they have radar coverage, Denton doesn't although both Class D. We went missed and I was prepared for instructions... climbing left turn heading 210 intercept the FUZ 303 radial (or something like that). Well, we went missed so early and turnout so early we weren't even to the 303 radial yet. So I did clibming left turn to 210 heading, took me a minute to catch up with the plane that we were going AWAY from the radial. The published hold at Alliance as many know is a VOR cross radial Mineral Wells and FUZ I believe. Anyway, instructor turned GPS off. The Mineral Wells radial was slow coming in and I probably led it too much, went 1:30 out directly against strong wind. Because I lead the far away VOR cross radial too much and wind pushing us back when he turned GPS back on it showed us blown way past the fix. Not a huge deal as generally ATC just expects you to be in the area at altitude, but certainly lesson learned not to lead a long radial so much and maybe do even more than 30 second wind correction. We shot the 34R ILS again this time picking up the missed raidal correctly and entering the hold and nailing the fix. At night we shot the Denton ILS 17 and GPS 35 circle to land.

Ready for the checkride! I have had two scheduled so far, but both canceled. This afternoons checkride canceled just this morning.

 

Lesson 27
Date: April 8th, 2009
Hours: 1.8
Total Hours To Date: 66.1
Summary: keeping the skills sharp

Has been a week and still waiting on check ride, so went up today for practice. Shot the VOR and GPS into Decatur, tried Denton but too busy, so shot the ILS into Alliance. On way back did steep turns. A little rusty at first and challenging warm day with thermals, but I did OK. Instructor said I did great, but I must be getting really hard on myself as I remember every little thing I was slow on. I'm not making any big mistakes like busting minimum altitude or going wrong direction, but I am still slow correcting on some things. Worse today was going a minute 100 ft. over assigned altitude before catching, flipping from NAV to GPS transitioning from the VOR to GPS Decatur approaches, extending vectors to final once cleared for the approach, and stuff like not enough wind correction angle or timed leg adjustment.

 

Lesson 28
Date: April 9th, 2009
Hours: 1.7
Total Hours To Date: 67.8
Summary: check ride

Now an instrument pilot! Whew, this certificate was a little harder than that Flying Saucer plate on the wall in Addison. I was scheduled for this coming Monday after 3 weeks of cancels, delays, and problems scheduling a DE. I got a call yesterday at lunch saying Marcair canceled a Commercial checkride and that I could take his slot this morning. Not much notice and I had taken a few days off from studying the oral, but sounded better than studying through the weekend and sticking to my Monday slot. We got that flight in yesterday to sharpen everything up and I tried to study for the oral last night the best I could, but that was a challenge.

Up this morning 6am to study a little more and at airport 8am to do a final weather brief. Low ceilings and raining as we came up on 9am. DE was J.D. Daniels who I highly recommend. Old Army guy, very sharp, and mostly by the book not throwing anything out in right field. Also like many DE's he makes the entire thing a learning experience. Funny when before things got started J.D. was talking with the Marcair dispatcher about how he had failed 5 of the past 6 IR check rides. He said don't let that worry me. Oral went about an hour and didn't mess up anything too bad, a few of the more obscure things I got a hint here and there. I had the basics down pretty well though and I think that made him feel comfortable to breeze through it.

By the time we finished the oral it was clearing! High winds, but mostly down the runway. He briefed me the plans which consisted of clearance delivery departing 17 Northwest Regional, right turn intercept the FUZ 310, Decatur GPS circle to land, Bridgeport VOR/DME missed back to hold, and then ILS 16L into Alliance. Approaches and basics went well, again like yesterday I struggled with plane not wanting to stay down on me. Mostly I was on autopilot or watching closely, but any distraction like looking at charts, checklist, weather, it would climb on me. Unfortunately twice he had to give me a heads up I was getting away from the alt. Those were my worst problems. I also had problems today with the GPS flight plan, usually this is a no-brainer for me, but someone had messed with the settings or something. I ended up just having to direct to and selecting approach in most cases. The autopilot was also temperamental a few times I couldn't get it to follow the GPS direct to or a NAV radial. However, I'm very use to these temperamental autopilots and never let it take me off course, you just have to watch them closely, they will always follow the heading bug though.

Windy as heck, but not too bumpy until below 1500 AGL. Surface winds down the runway, actually didn't realize how hard the wind was until getting out of the plane. Landing at Alliance he said congrats you're an instrument pilot, I flew us back to Northwest and after that gusty landing he said you are a tailwheel pilot aren't you. Here are the current METAR's at the airports we did approaches.

KLUD 091945Z AUTO 25024G36KT 4SM HZ CLR 30/M10 A2952 RMK AO2 T03031104
KXBP 091945Z AUTO 24020G32KT 5SM HZ CLR 31/M08 A2953 RMK AO2 T03051077
KAFW 091953Z 21014G25KT 10SM CLR 30/13 A2950 RMK AO2 SLP976 T03000133

Finally never in this instrument experience past 12 months have I felt like I know so little and so much to learn as I do now. My first goal of getting my instrument was to be a better and safer VFR pilot, but I hope to slowly work into filing IFR for most XC's. I will continue to fly with an instructor as I learn instrument flying with the G1000 and also the Skylane. My first actual IFR flights will be little short hops solo in VFR conditions. I will also take advantage of any actual conditions if I can grab a CFII.

Time for a breather, but eventually I want to get the Commercial, I have the hours and complex time to make that pretty straight forward. Thanks for everyone's encouragement and advice.

 

Just did a quick edit of the post, had to add the part about J.D. telling the Marcair dispatcher he had failed 5 of the last 6 IR check rides and then I put the METAR's in of the 3 airports we did approaches. Crosswinds weren't that bad late this morning, but winds similar.

 

I wish you the best Vik, I assume you will be going in with some studying and already passed the written?

John, we should do a 50-50.

 

I didn't find any one thing too hard, but there is just an overwhelming amount of stuff that is completely new and a decent challenge. All mistakes I made were stuff I had already covered or done right before, but it all happens so fast and there are so many things that come into play it just takes 1 overlook for a mistake. Luckily the entire instrument experience is about redundancy and cross checks, so usually these overlooks don't make it too far. you'll hear it over and over, but all about staying ahead of the airplane. when things go wrong are when you get behind and start missing those little things.

Training is challenging because you might shoot 4-5 approaches one after another even at different airports. Often we would hit 3 airports and do 4 approaches in a 1.5 hour flight. I think in real life on a long XC you will completely run through the approaches in your head before you leave and also on the way you'll think it through. If you can stay ahead of airplane on the short training hops I think it prepares you well for actual long IFR flights.

 

Instrument Flying w/G1000
Date: April 15, 24, and 30th 2009
Hours: 4.9

• April 15th 1.4 in 172S G1000 GFC700
• April 24th 1.4 in 172S G1000
• April 30th 2.1 in T182T G1000

I can't really remember every little detail on the G1000 Instrument Training. The simple fact is G1000 Instrument flying is much easier because it maps out the fixes, course, holds, procedure turns, and you get a great view of the weather going on. The autopilot usage is also easier as it will fly everything, especially the updated GFC700 that is certified for vertical guidance on GPS approaches. Pretty cool to watch it fly the procedure turn through to just above minimums.

If any complaints I like following the traditional NAV glide slope cross hairs. The G1000 separates the lateral and vertical guidance between the heading indicator and the altitude bar.

For anyone considering learning the G1000 for instrument flying I suggest getting your complete instrument in the 6 pack, being familiar with the G1000 for VFR flying, take the King schools G1000 program, and then a few flights and you will be comfortable with instrument G1000 flying. It makes it so easy! It identifies the VOR, localizer, and GPS RAIM automatically. When you select the approach it automatically puts the frequencies in the NAV along with proper course. You can also bring up the METAR onscreen so you don't miss an approach call.

The best flight was yesterday as we took the T182T to Hard 8 for lunch. We had actual almost all the way there and back! Not only great practice for me with the new ticket, but perfect conditions for the training. I took the opportunity of a CFII in the right seat to take a couple "actual" pictures and video. They had us in the middle of it and also kinda skirting in and out just about 100 ft. below the tops.

Video skirting in and out of cloud (9.3 mb): http://www.ferrarichat.com/images/flying/20090430_T182TActual/MOV08626.MPG
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Instrument Flying - First Solo IFR
Date: May 7th, 2009
Hours: 2.3

So plan for today was to make my first solo IFR trip severe clear. Well, everything worked out except the severe clear, but it may have worked out better this way. By noon it was just a thin layer up there 1500-2000 bases. Filed my IFR trip 52F to KSEP picking up IFR clearance in air. They had me at 4,000 down to KSEP and that had me in and out of the clouds a little. Very straight forward flight, no complications or problems, shot the GPS 14 and didn't really get good visibility until after the FAF.

Had a little lunch (2 new karts are available) and then filed my IFR trip back. Again picked up in the air, but now wish I would have got clearance on the ground. They had me skud running maintaining VFR for a long time in the wrong direction. Much longer and I would have asked for higher or cancel IFR, but they were very busy. Lesson learned I think a ground clearance is better if possibility not being able to get up there several thousand AGL and you know they're busy. They finally sent me up, but had me vectoring every which way. You can see this crazy path on the 2nd image below. I shot the ILS 16 into AFW and then back home to 52F. Again straight forward flight and no main problems, one other little lesson learned is just tell them "full stop" when they ask your AFW intentions even if going over to 52F. They don't care to hear "touch & go, cancel IFR, and then to 52F" and her inflection of voice let me know. I have a ton to learn.

This was a great day, much confidence building doing two IFR flights and approaches without a CFII there to back you up if missing a call or your alt wanders off etc. Its all on you. Will continue to take it easy doing flights like this to different places.
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congrats! I still can't believe how intense it must have been for 10 days, but congrats! as they say it is just a ticket to learn, forget the FAA minimums, set your own conservative ones. mine are almost at VFR right now.

 

Far as I know no official FAA endorsement, just whoever is renting the plane to you or insurance requirement.