IFR Lesson 10 - If You Could Only See
12/10/2007 Filed in: Flying
IFR Lesson 10 - If You Could Only See
Careful what you wish for. I wanted actual, and the NWS saw fit to deliver to us 700 ft ceilings throughout the area. I actually find that I'm pretty nervous about the whole thing as I'm driving in. I think in large part it's due to the fact that I'm flying the school's Piper Arrow for the first time. Were it not for my extreme confidence in CFII's ability to promptly correct my more life-threateing mistakes, there's no way I'd fly a new airplane into actual. The instrument-fu is strong with that one.
CFII and I discuss the plan and I then file an IFR flight plan to Shelbyville and back. I'm at least relieved there will be no new approaches this trip. I think CFII saw the possibility my brain might melt and opted to show some uncharacteristic mercy.
Walking out to the plane, it begins to rain harder. Good thing my big, awesome umbrella is in the car. Because I'm really smart. And wet.
CFII: Ok, so just preflight it like you would the Seminole.
Me: I see a problem. There's an engine missing.
CFII: (chuckle) Right, other than that.
Other than a couple of obvious differences like fuel drains in different locations, the preflight is basically the same. I find the same is basically true inside the cockpit, except there are about half as many switches and levers. I begin to think this may not be so bad... starting to feel pretty familiar. Still, one last plea is in order.
Me: You sure you wanna do this?
CFII: Yep, let's go.
Me: (sigh)
Start up and taxi out.
CFII: I'm putting some faith in you. I don't have toe brakes on this side.
The irony is delicious. And I immediately begin to wonder how fast this thing will taxi. Runup and the rest of it go as planned leaving me completely out of excuses. I'm staring down the runway with only a few hundred feet between me and my first clouds. Full power, off the brakes, and way too soon we're surrounded by an opaque, grey veil.
It's amazing how much busier things feel in actual versus the foggles. It seemed to require all my concentration to keep the airplane upright. It wasn't until after breaking out on top that I realized that I was sitting way forward in my seat, clutching the yoke, and generally stressing about the situation, at least a moderate degree. It was exactly my expectation of this feeling that discouraged me from wanting to do this by myself for the first time.
As we broke out at about 3500 feet I could feel the tension fall away as if I were taking an anxiety shower and ran out of water. It also wasn't until then that I realized that the Arrow's seat back doesn't come nearly far enough forward to accommodate my usual flying posture. When I lean back on it, even at its most upright, I feel as though I'm an IFR gangbanger cruising at 140 knots in an airborne lowrider. I make mental note to show off the hydraulics with the gear lever when we get back down.
The flight to Shelbyville is otherwise uneventful. We hear some other traffic talking to Memphis center practicing approaches here. CFII's prayers are answered when ATC gives me my first bonafide hold as a Diamond begins the very approach we've requested. Since the Diamond is enveloped in clouds and I can't see him to bust a cap, I decide to honor ATC's instructions and enter my hold.
It's actually a no-brainer, direct entry hold over the VOR. Nothing at all like a hold CFII would ever give me. Those typically require full-gainer inverted 540 teardrop barrel roll tailgrab entries, with a twist. And if he's feeling charitable I've got all of 45 seconds to figure it out.
CFII: See, I told you ATC usually gives you the easiest hold.
Me: I appreciate their consideration.
A few minutes later and we're cleared for the VOR 18 approach. I've settled down enough that I believe I can fly it reliably. It actually helped that I had some time to set up for the approach while holding. I get established outbound and it's back down into the clouds we go.
I tense up again a bit, but much less so than last time. Outbound for a couple minutes, procedure turn, and we're back inbound. So far I've done it all correctly. Descending at the proper points cements my studly status, and we break out just above minimums. Just as the IFR gods intended.
Me: I got the runway.
CFII: Good, let's go ahead and land.
My first landing in the arrow is passable if not great. CFII says nobody can land that thing really smoothly. I doubt that claim, but I certainly did not prove him wrong this time around.
We discuss again how to get back out without making a mess and a loud(er) noise and we're headed back to Smyrna. Since I've already requested my next ILS 32 fix from my ATC pusher, they just vector us all the way back to join the localizer. Works for me since the Arrow doesn't have an IFR approved GPS.
I'm a little faster than normal on the approach in the Arrow than the Katana, as one would expect, but the approach still goes quite well. We break out a few hundred AGL and the runway is right where it should be. I have to say, that's one very cool feeling. I plop us down again and CFII and I head inside intending to cut our day short.
As luck would have it, we get word that the next flight in the Arrow for the day is cancelled and the airplane is wide open. Woot! After a quick bite we file for some more ILS practice and back into the clouds we go.
This time, however, I get no breaks since the only time I'm not in a cloud is when we break out on the ILS. Lots of actual in those three approaches, and I must say I was feeling a lot better about the whole thing the second time around. Despite some pretty strong winds doing their damnedest to blow me off the localizer, I routinely keep the needles within PTS. Not crazy inside the doughnut ATP PTS, but certainly within the shaky, private instrument student PTS. Fear not, I'm a shoe-in for ATP standards next week.
We land and on our way back to the ramp there's a corporate jet being towed out on the same taxiway and coming right for us.
Me: How's about if I just gun it, jump him, and land behind him?
CFII: (chuckle) I think they should add that to the commercial maneuvers!
Me: (laughs)
I vote we work to get that approved. Never know when that'll come in handy.
Careful what you wish for. I wanted actual, and the NWS saw fit to deliver to us 700 ft ceilings throughout the area. I actually find that I'm pretty nervous about the whole thing as I'm driving in. I think in large part it's due to the fact that I'm flying the school's Piper Arrow for the first time. Were it not for my extreme confidence in CFII's ability to promptly correct my more life-threateing mistakes, there's no way I'd fly a new airplane into actual. The instrument-fu is strong with that one.
CFII and I discuss the plan and I then file an IFR flight plan to Shelbyville and back. I'm at least relieved there will be no new approaches this trip. I think CFII saw the possibility my brain might melt and opted to show some uncharacteristic mercy.
Walking out to the plane, it begins to rain harder. Good thing my big, awesome umbrella is in the car. Because I'm really smart. And wet.
CFII: Ok, so just preflight it like you would the Seminole.
Me: I see a problem. There's an engine missing.
CFII: (chuckle) Right, other than that.
Other than a couple of obvious differences like fuel drains in different locations, the preflight is basically the same. I find the same is basically true inside the cockpit, except there are about half as many switches and levers. I begin to think this may not be so bad... starting to feel pretty familiar. Still, one last plea is in order.
Me: You sure you wanna do this?
CFII: Yep, let's go.
Me: (sigh)
Start up and taxi out.
CFII: I'm putting some faith in you. I don't have toe brakes on this side.
The irony is delicious. And I immediately begin to wonder how fast this thing will taxi. Runup and the rest of it go as planned leaving me completely out of excuses. I'm staring down the runway with only a few hundred feet between me and my first clouds. Full power, off the brakes, and way too soon we're surrounded by an opaque, grey veil.
It's amazing how much busier things feel in actual versus the foggles. It seemed to require all my concentration to keep the airplane upright. It wasn't until after breaking out on top that I realized that I was sitting way forward in my seat, clutching the yoke, and generally stressing about the situation, at least a moderate degree. It was exactly my expectation of this feeling that discouraged me from wanting to do this by myself for the first time.
As we broke out at about 3500 feet I could feel the tension fall away as if I were taking an anxiety shower and ran out of water. It also wasn't until then that I realized that the Arrow's seat back doesn't come nearly far enough forward to accommodate my usual flying posture. When I lean back on it, even at its most upright, I feel as though I'm an IFR gangbanger cruising at 140 knots in an airborne lowrider. I make mental note to show off the hydraulics with the gear lever when we get back down.
The flight to Shelbyville is otherwise uneventful. We hear some other traffic talking to Memphis center practicing approaches here. CFII's prayers are answered when ATC gives me my first bonafide hold as a Diamond begins the very approach we've requested. Since the Diamond is enveloped in clouds and I can't see him to bust a cap, I decide to honor ATC's instructions and enter my hold.
It's actually a no-brainer, direct entry hold over the VOR. Nothing at all like a hold CFII would ever give me. Those typically require full-gainer inverted 540 teardrop barrel roll tailgrab entries, with a twist. And if he's feeling charitable I've got all of 45 seconds to figure it out.
CFII: See, I told you ATC usually gives you the easiest hold.
Me: I appreciate their consideration.
A few minutes later and we're cleared for the VOR 18 approach. I've settled down enough that I believe I can fly it reliably. It actually helped that I had some time to set up for the approach while holding. I get established outbound and it's back down into the clouds we go.
I tense up again a bit, but much less so than last time. Outbound for a couple minutes, procedure turn, and we're back inbound. So far I've done it all correctly. Descending at the proper points cements my studly status, and we break out just above minimums. Just as the IFR gods intended.
Me: I got the runway.
CFII: Good, let's go ahead and land.
My first landing in the arrow is passable if not great. CFII says nobody can land that thing really smoothly. I doubt that claim, but I certainly did not prove him wrong this time around.
We discuss again how to get back out without making a mess and a loud(er) noise and we're headed back to Smyrna. Since I've already requested my next ILS 32 fix from my ATC pusher, they just vector us all the way back to join the localizer. Works for me since the Arrow doesn't have an IFR approved GPS.
I'm a little faster than normal on the approach in the Arrow than the Katana, as one would expect, but the approach still goes quite well. We break out a few hundred AGL and the runway is right where it should be. I have to say, that's one very cool feeling. I plop us down again and CFII and I head inside intending to cut our day short.
As luck would have it, we get word that the next flight in the Arrow for the day is cancelled and the airplane is wide open. Woot! After a quick bite we file for some more ILS practice and back into the clouds we go.
This time, however, I get no breaks since the only time I'm not in a cloud is when we break out on the ILS. Lots of actual in those three approaches, and I must say I was feeling a lot better about the whole thing the second time around. Despite some pretty strong winds doing their damnedest to blow me off the localizer, I routinely keep the needles within PTS. Not crazy inside the doughnut ATP PTS, but certainly within the shaky, private instrument student PTS. Fear not, I'm a shoe-in for ATP standards next week.
We land and on our way back to the ramp there's a corporate jet being towed out on the same taxiway and coming right for us.
Me: How's about if I just gun it, jump him, and land behind him?
CFII: (chuckle) I think they should add that to the commercial maneuvers!
Me: (laughs)
I vote we work to get that approved. Never know when that'll come in handy.