IFR Lesson 9 - All Along the Watch Tower
12/05/2007 Filed in: Flying
IFR Lesson 9 - All Along the Watch Tower
I walk in the FBO office and CFII is talking to another CFI. We'll call him CFI-A.
CFI-A: What are you guys doing today?
Me: (shrug) Instrument stuff.
CFI-A: (to CFII) You should show him the GPS 18 approach into Murfreesboro.
Me: Why's that?
CFI-A: Because there's a big water tower right along the approach course. It's a good lesson on why you never want to be low on an approach.
Me: Ack!
It strikes CFII as a grand idea and I can see the wheels turning as he begins to plot against me. I'll thank CFI-A later with one of any number of childish pranks. Most of them involve poo, so I hope he has a nose like a golden retriever.
CFII wants to head back towards Shelbyville and then on to Fayetteville for some approaches. You'll see a familiar theme with me on these lesson plans... I'm easy to please. Virtually every aspect of my instrument flying needs a whole lot of work, so I'm pretty much down for whatever CFII wants to throw my way.
The weather is, again, quite lovely for VFR flight. On the one hand, that's great because we can't take the Katana into IMC. On the other hand, I don't want to go through the entire IFR training without having punctured a cloud, and the stupid DA40 is still broker than the Liberty Bell. I voice my concern to CFII.
Me: At some point I want to fly in actual with you. I don't want my first flight into IMC to be by myself after my training.
CFII: Well, there's always the Arrow.
Me: I've got time in a Seminole which is basically an Arrow with two engines... I think that'll work!
CFII: Ok, we'll try that tomorrow.
Fantastic! That solves that problem. Tomorrow is supposed to bring some IFR weather with it when it comes, too. Of course, that puts me flying an airplane I've never flown before for my first time into actual. Still, it's better than not getting in actual at all. I'll take it.
We head towards Shelbyville (SYI) and I fly a no-gyro DME arc. Craptastic. That's all I got to say about that.
I go missed, again sans the heading and attitude indicators, and I'm coming around to the right to intercept R-340. Along the way I forget how a compass works. I'm shooting for about a 010 heading and totally blow through it as the compass overshoots upon leveling the wings.
CFII: (chuckling) Oh man, that turn gets everybody!
Me: Argh.
I manage to pull things back together after a few S-turns across a radial and enter a hold.
CFII: Ok, now let's fly the SDF 20 into Fayetteville.
Me: Okie doke.
I pull out the plate and immediately insert my cranium into the nether regions of my posterior as I start setting in the localizer frequency right away.
CFII: So tell me how this approach works.
Me: Uh....
CFII: What's this? (pointing to a feeder route consisting of a radial off of the SYI VOR)
Me: (slaps forehead)
Alright, so apparently it's important to not only fly the approach but to GET to the approach. Who knew?
I set everything up properly this time and follow the appropriate radial out to the localizer and then fly the approach like a person who has a modicum of clue from there on. We land at FYM and pull off, and I begin to taxi back.
CFII: So, how are we going to get out of here?
Me: Huh?
CFII: There are clouds everywhere. How do you get out of an untowered field without hitting anything?
Me: Excellent question.
CFII: (hands me his NACO book)
I flip and fumble and finally find the departure procedures. After I triumphantly show him the FYM departure procedure, he nods and tells me to fly it. Aye, aye!
I manage to get us up in the air and dodge the obstacles as dictated by his little NACO bible. My demanding passenger now directs me to Murfreesboro (MBT) for a GPS 18 approach, courtesy of CFI-A.
The setup and flying of the approach pose little trouble (hey, there may be hope for me yet!) and I'm now approaching the final approach fix and all is right with the world.
CFII: Pull up your glasses, I want you to see this.
Me: Ok.
I pull them up and immediately I see what CFI-A was talking about. There's a big white water tower at 12 o' clock and only slightly lower than we are. I briefly consider touching the mains to it so I can log another touch and go for the day. He's definitely made his point... I DO NOT want to be low on an approach. Hell I'm not even that thirsty!
On the way back out we get vectors from Nashville to ILS 32 into Smyrna. The setup poses no problem and I follow their vectors to intercept the localizer.
As I'm flying the approach, I briefly manage to get both the localizer and glideslope exactly centered. This is as close to Mecca as an IFR student can get.
Me: Hey, look, look! I got it!
CFII: Wow, very nice!
Me: Now look away!
CFII: (chuckle)
I'm momentarily the man, but I see no reason to tempt fate.
The needles immediately begin their usual dance once more, but the limits of it seem to be dramatically smaller than previously. This one might have even been within PTS. The needles are mesmerizing. I think I may be turning into an ILS junkie.
I walk in the FBO office and CFII is talking to another CFI. We'll call him CFI-A.
CFI-A: What are you guys doing today?
Me: (shrug) Instrument stuff.
CFI-A: (to CFII) You should show him the GPS 18 approach into Murfreesboro.
Me: Why's that?
CFI-A: Because there's a big water tower right along the approach course. It's a good lesson on why you never want to be low on an approach.
Me: Ack!
It strikes CFII as a grand idea and I can see the wheels turning as he begins to plot against me. I'll thank CFI-A later with one of any number of childish pranks. Most of them involve poo, so I hope he has a nose like a golden retriever.
CFII wants to head back towards Shelbyville and then on to Fayetteville for some approaches. You'll see a familiar theme with me on these lesson plans... I'm easy to please. Virtually every aspect of my instrument flying needs a whole lot of work, so I'm pretty much down for whatever CFII wants to throw my way.
The weather is, again, quite lovely for VFR flight. On the one hand, that's great because we can't take the Katana into IMC. On the other hand, I don't want to go through the entire IFR training without having punctured a cloud, and the stupid DA40 is still broker than the Liberty Bell. I voice my concern to CFII.
Me: At some point I want to fly in actual with you. I don't want my first flight into IMC to be by myself after my training.
CFII: Well, there's always the Arrow.
Me: I've got time in a Seminole which is basically an Arrow with two engines... I think that'll work!
CFII: Ok, we'll try that tomorrow.
Fantastic! That solves that problem. Tomorrow is supposed to bring some IFR weather with it when it comes, too. Of course, that puts me flying an airplane I've never flown before for my first time into actual. Still, it's better than not getting in actual at all. I'll take it.
We head towards Shelbyville (SYI) and I fly a no-gyro DME arc. Craptastic. That's all I got to say about that.
I go missed, again sans the heading and attitude indicators, and I'm coming around to the right to intercept R-340. Along the way I forget how a compass works. I'm shooting for about a 010 heading and totally blow through it as the compass overshoots upon leveling the wings.
CFII: (chuckling) Oh man, that turn gets everybody!
Me: Argh.
I manage to pull things back together after a few S-turns across a radial and enter a hold.
CFII: Ok, now let's fly the SDF 20 into Fayetteville.
Me: Okie doke.
I pull out the plate and immediately insert my cranium into the nether regions of my posterior as I start setting in the localizer frequency right away.
CFII: So tell me how this approach works.
Me: Uh....
CFII: What's this? (pointing to a feeder route consisting of a radial off of the SYI VOR)
Me: (slaps forehead)
Alright, so apparently it's important to not only fly the approach but to GET to the approach. Who knew?
I set everything up properly this time and follow the appropriate radial out to the localizer and then fly the approach like a person who has a modicum of clue from there on. We land at FYM and pull off, and I begin to taxi back.
CFII: So, how are we going to get out of here?
Me: Huh?
CFII: There are clouds everywhere. How do you get out of an untowered field without hitting anything?
Me: Excellent question.
CFII: (hands me his NACO book)
I flip and fumble and finally find the departure procedures. After I triumphantly show him the FYM departure procedure, he nods and tells me to fly it. Aye, aye!
I manage to get us up in the air and dodge the obstacles as dictated by his little NACO bible. My demanding passenger now directs me to Murfreesboro (MBT) for a GPS 18 approach, courtesy of CFI-A.
The setup and flying of the approach pose little trouble (hey, there may be hope for me yet!) and I'm now approaching the final approach fix and all is right with the world.
CFII: Pull up your glasses, I want you to see this.
Me: Ok.
I pull them up and immediately I see what CFI-A was talking about. There's a big white water tower at 12 o' clock and only slightly lower than we are. I briefly consider touching the mains to it so I can log another touch and go for the day. He's definitely made his point... I DO NOT want to be low on an approach. Hell I'm not even that thirsty!
On the way back out we get vectors from Nashville to ILS 32 into Smyrna. The setup poses no problem and I follow their vectors to intercept the localizer.
As I'm flying the approach, I briefly manage to get both the localizer and glideslope exactly centered. This is as close to Mecca as an IFR student can get.
Me: Hey, look, look! I got it!
CFII: Wow, very nice!
Me: Now look away!
CFII: (chuckle)
I'm momentarily the man, but I see no reason to tempt fate.
The needles immediately begin their usual dance once more, but the limits of it seem to be dramatically smaller than previously. This one might have even been within PTS. The needles are mesmerizing. I think I may be turning into an ILS junkie.