IFR Lesson 13 - All Falls Away
12/13/2007 Filed in: Flying
IFR Lesson 13 - All Falls Away
I apply full power and release the brakes on the Arrow just as a gaggle of crows land on either side of runway 19 about 500 ft ahead of us.
Me: Watch those birds.
CFII: Ok.
Sure enough, about 100 ft before we reach them, they spring up and fly right in front of the airplane. I immediately pull the throttle back to the stops. Brakes aren't necessary as they clear out just moments before we puree them. I continue the takeoff from there as normal and try very hard not to view a flock of suicidal ravens as an omen for the flight.
But wait, let's back up a minute...
CFII and I are back in actual today on an IFR cross country to Bowling Green (KBWG). The conditions aren't as ugly as yesterday, but the ceiling is still somewhere around 800 ft. If you've been keeping up, I don't need to tell you the status of the DA-40, so we'll be flying the Arrow again.
I perform a normal preflight on it and as CFII and I hop in the plane, I get some long overdue payback on CFII for a prank he pulled on me months ago. It all started when it occurred to me he has no brakes on his side of the Arrow.
Me: (after taxi clearance) Ok, testing my brakes. (Stops) Good. Your turn...
CFII: (stepping on brakeless rudder pedals and giving me a dirty look)
Me: (sniggers and points)
So you know, the back story on that one is that just after completing my PPL I flew in the Arrow for the first time with CFII and another CFI from the school. I was not the pilot, but I helped with the preflight. That is, right up until CFII asked me to open the door on the left side of the plane. If you don't get the joke, you need to look up the number and location of doors on the Arrow. So you see, he was a big meanie head first!
Back to the flight, we're knee-deep in the clouds and, after getting vectored around at the whims and musings of BNA controllers for a short time, we're cleared direct to our destination. As we get closer, we break out on top and it's clear skies above with lots of fluffy tops below.
CFII: Isn't it cool how gray it can look from the ground and you climb up here and it's bright blue skies?
Me: That sounds like a hallmark card.
CFII: (chuckle)
I start prepping the VOR RWY 03 approach as we reenter the clouds, and despite needing a little prodding on where all the switches and levers are in this airplane, everything gets done in plenty of time. We tell ATC we're going to fly the full approach and they give us their blessing.
I wish I could say I flew this approach in an even remotely acceptable manner, but that just isn't the case. I'm pretty sure it was karmic retribution for that brake thing. Anyway, I flew to and identified the IAF (which is the VOR on this approach) and turned outbound just fine.
CFII: What altitude can we be at now?
Me: Duh...2300.
Since in most math circles, 2300 < 3000 (our current altitude) I began a descent and then flew the procedure turn. If that were the worst of it, I'd be thrilled. It's not.
Inbound I set the course and began my descent down to 1300 as called for in the IAP on the intermediate leg. I also call our position out on CTAF and complete my GUMPFS check. Keep in mind we're still very much in IMC.
Me: Ok, there's the final approach fix, descending down to minimums...
CFII: Stop descending. Look again how you identify the FAF.
Oh man, that can't be good. Apparently, I saw the 2nm from the runway on the plate and associated that with the 2nm reading on the DME, which are NOT the same thing. The 2nm DME reading shows the distance from the VOR, not the runway. In other words, I had just begun my final descent 2 miles early. Had CFII not been there, it could easily have really been my final descent. Now I'm really feeling guilty about my brake gag, dammit.
So I level off again at 1300, wait to cross the VOR as prescribed by the plate, and then I crash land the arrow in a bugger of a crosswind and CFII and I take a timeout for lunch. After that we're back up in the air for a whirlwind of approaches. Unfortunately, things don't get much better with a full belly.
First up is the VOR DME-A into M54. We're on top for a moment and then I descend down into the clouds and some pretty nasty bumps. I slow the airplane down considerably, but I'm startled at how much busier things feel when you're being jostled around. Despite that, I manage to fly the arc just fine and get turned inbound. Maybe I can turn this day around.
Then again maybe I should go back to model cars.
At least this time I descend at the proper points and to the proper minimums. However, once down there I cannot for the life of me find the runway. Where, where, where.... look at the chart again to get the orientation of it, but still nothing. What's worse is I'm actually very familiar with this airport; it's where I trained in the Seminole!
Despite all of that, I just can't find it and then I look directly to my left and finally catch it as it tries to dart out of sight again.
Me: Finally!
CFII: If it makes you feel any better, I just got it about 30 seconds ago myself.
CFII requests I go missed and I comply, but I'm off the radial I need so I start scooting back over to it to the left. Or so I thought. As it turns out, when I dialed in the inbound course, I put in the reciprocal course thus giving myself a good dose of reverse sensing, leading me in exactly the opposite direction I need to intercept the radial. CFII busts me on this and I'm 0 for 2.
Now on to SYI for a VOR DME approach I've flown a number of times now. I intersect the arc and miraculously manage to hold back the suck that is building inside me all the way up to the turn inbound. Despite an extra helping of vigilance the whole way leading up to it, it appears that I've blown through the turn...
Me: You gotta be kidding me!
CFII: What?
Me: I blew through... oh wait, nevermind.
Phew! No, I just momentarily misread the VOR needle. As it turns out, I flew this one ok. Blind IFR student finds a course? Anyway, after that, I go missed again and it's back to Smyrna for a ILS 32 that, despite my best efforts, I manage not to foul up.
The debrief for that flight was interesting. CFII struggles to find something positive to say about the flight, and I probably would have laughed if he had.
CFII: By the way, I didn't want to say anything at the time, but you had CTAF in wrong at M54 so I switched it over for you.
Me: (sigh) Par for the course today.
CFII: You'll just have to check and double-check everything.
In reflecting back on it, I know that's at least partly it. The other ingredient to the cure is probably just that I have to work my way through making all the errors available in the IFR mistake universe so as not to repeat them. At this rate I should have them all knocked out within the week.
I apply full power and release the brakes on the Arrow just as a gaggle of crows land on either side of runway 19 about 500 ft ahead of us.
Me: Watch those birds.
CFII: Ok.
Sure enough, about 100 ft before we reach them, they spring up and fly right in front of the airplane. I immediately pull the throttle back to the stops. Brakes aren't necessary as they clear out just moments before we puree them. I continue the takeoff from there as normal and try very hard not to view a flock of suicidal ravens as an omen for the flight.
But wait, let's back up a minute...
CFII and I are back in actual today on an IFR cross country to Bowling Green (KBWG). The conditions aren't as ugly as yesterday, but the ceiling is still somewhere around 800 ft. If you've been keeping up, I don't need to tell you the status of the DA-40, so we'll be flying the Arrow again.
I perform a normal preflight on it and as CFII and I hop in the plane, I get some long overdue payback on CFII for a prank he pulled on me months ago. It all started when it occurred to me he has no brakes on his side of the Arrow.
Me: (after taxi clearance) Ok, testing my brakes. (Stops) Good. Your turn...
CFII: (stepping on brakeless rudder pedals and giving me a dirty look)
Me: (sniggers and points)
So you know, the back story on that one is that just after completing my PPL I flew in the Arrow for the first time with CFII and another CFI from the school. I was not the pilot, but I helped with the preflight. That is, right up until CFII asked me to open the door on the left side of the plane. If you don't get the joke, you need to look up the number and location of doors on the Arrow. So you see, he was a big meanie head first!
Back to the flight, we're knee-deep in the clouds and, after getting vectored around at the whims and musings of BNA controllers for a short time, we're cleared direct to our destination. As we get closer, we break out on top and it's clear skies above with lots of fluffy tops below.
CFII: Isn't it cool how gray it can look from the ground and you climb up here and it's bright blue skies?
Me: That sounds like a hallmark card.
CFII: (chuckle)
I start prepping the VOR RWY 03 approach as we reenter the clouds, and despite needing a little prodding on where all the switches and levers are in this airplane, everything gets done in plenty of time. We tell ATC we're going to fly the full approach and they give us their blessing.
I wish I could say I flew this approach in an even remotely acceptable manner, but that just isn't the case. I'm pretty sure it was karmic retribution for that brake thing. Anyway, I flew to and identified the IAF (which is the VOR on this approach) and turned outbound just fine.
CFII: What altitude can we be at now?
Me: Duh...2300.
Since in most math circles, 2300 < 3000 (our current altitude) I began a descent and then flew the procedure turn. If that were the worst of it, I'd be thrilled. It's not.
Inbound I set the course and began my descent down to 1300 as called for in the IAP on the intermediate leg. I also call our position out on CTAF and complete my GUMPFS check. Keep in mind we're still very much in IMC.
Me: Ok, there's the final approach fix, descending down to minimums...
CFII: Stop descending. Look again how you identify the FAF.
Oh man, that can't be good. Apparently, I saw the 2nm from the runway on the plate and associated that with the 2nm reading on the DME, which are NOT the same thing. The 2nm DME reading shows the distance from the VOR, not the runway. In other words, I had just begun my final descent 2 miles early. Had CFII not been there, it could easily have really been my final descent. Now I'm really feeling guilty about my brake gag, dammit.
So I level off again at 1300, wait to cross the VOR as prescribed by the plate, and then I crash land the arrow in a bugger of a crosswind and CFII and I take a timeout for lunch. After that we're back up in the air for a whirlwind of approaches. Unfortunately, things don't get much better with a full belly.
First up is the VOR DME-A into M54. We're on top for a moment and then I descend down into the clouds and some pretty nasty bumps. I slow the airplane down considerably, but I'm startled at how much busier things feel when you're being jostled around. Despite that, I manage to fly the arc just fine and get turned inbound. Maybe I can turn this day around.
Then again maybe I should go back to model cars.
At least this time I descend at the proper points and to the proper minimums. However, once down there I cannot for the life of me find the runway. Where, where, where.... look at the chart again to get the orientation of it, but still nothing. What's worse is I'm actually very familiar with this airport; it's where I trained in the Seminole!
Despite all of that, I just can't find it and then I look directly to my left and finally catch it as it tries to dart out of sight again.
Me: Finally!
CFII: If it makes you feel any better, I just got it about 30 seconds ago myself.
CFII requests I go missed and I comply, but I'm off the radial I need so I start scooting back over to it to the left. Or so I thought. As it turns out, when I dialed in the inbound course, I put in the reciprocal course thus giving myself a good dose of reverse sensing, leading me in exactly the opposite direction I need to intercept the radial. CFII busts me on this and I'm 0 for 2.
Now on to SYI for a VOR DME approach I've flown a number of times now. I intersect the arc and miraculously manage to hold back the suck that is building inside me all the way up to the turn inbound. Despite an extra helping of vigilance the whole way leading up to it, it appears that I've blown through the turn...
Me: You gotta be kidding me!
CFII: What?
Me: I blew through... oh wait, nevermind.
Phew! No, I just momentarily misread the VOR needle. As it turns out, I flew this one ok. Blind IFR student finds a course? Anyway, after that, I go missed again and it's back to Smyrna for a ILS 32 that, despite my best efforts, I manage not to foul up.
The debrief for that flight was interesting. CFII struggles to find something positive to say about the flight, and I probably would have laughed if he had.
CFII: By the way, I didn't want to say anything at the time, but you had CTAF in wrong at M54 so I switched it over for you.
Me: (sigh) Par for the course today.
CFII: You'll just have to check and double-check everything.
In reflecting back on it, I know that's at least partly it. The other ingredient to the cure is probably just that I have to work my way through making all the errors available in the IFR mistake universe so as not to repeat them. At this rate I should have them all knocked out within the week.