Ones and Zeros

I am a pilot in the Washington D.C. area and this is a collection of my posts and information about how I’m getting my IFR rating. I started in January 2009 with a school that has experienced instructors, some of which have many thousands of hours “in the system”. I’m flying with two instructors “R” and “M”. Both are good instructors and pilots but have slightly different points of emphasis, teaching methods and biases. They use the CPS (Cessna Pilot School) curricula. While the King videos are good, their jokes are painful. But, in the end, the videos teach well which is the goal.

I’ll continue to update this as I go though the learning process. I’m using the plane that I’m a co-owner of and that is entering into this process. It’s a bit cheaper, but maintenance issues are the owner’s responsibility.

I’ve benefited from other’s stories about their IFR ratings, I hope this can do the same for future IFR pilots.

Lesson One: We started with straight-and-level flight on the gauges. I practiced my “scan”, looking successively at each of the main “6-pack” of gauges. Each gauge tells me somewhat different information. And each has a different set of possible errors. Pitch or heading information is shared across multiple gauges.

Lesson Two: My instrument scan isn’t consistent. I’m getting fixated on one or another instrument. I’m told that I need to split my attention across the instruments. But, it’s more like time sharing of software in a computer. Check each in turn and move on to the next.

New Starter: My airplane’s starter wouldn’t start the engine. It’s been a couple weeks now, but the starter’s replaced. I also asked them to check and signed off an AD (airworthiness directive) on the alternate static air valve. But they found out the valve was stuck and needed replacement. This a good thing to fix, but it’s just one more expense unfortunately. After all, the starter wasn’t cheap either!

Lesson Three: Sysiphus the Pilot: My headings were pretty much on target as were my altitudes, I had a few “excursions”, but not too large. I’m pleased to find the airplane was more stable than the simulator. I was worried about my ability when on the sim. But not I’m sure I can learn to do this. (…) The airplane is more sensitive in pitch than in heading. I seemed to oscillate between 200 feet per minute and 700 fpm when I was trying to pin it on 500 fpm descent or climb.

Four: Back to the Sim: We scheduled the simulator again tonight. I’m not looking forward to this, I have a hate vs tepid friendship with that simulator. (…) Now, I’ve never managed to land a simulator very well. I can land a plane in a gusty crosswind, but not a simulator in no wind. Go figure. And I didn’t manage to exceed my past experience in this sim either.

Five: Unusual Attitudes and My First (Real) Localizer: Next, I was to fly with my eyes closed. This was to teach me to trust the instruments and not my own sense of balance. I knew how this would go, pretty soon I’d fall off the left or right, and loose track of level flight as well. (…) M then took control of the plane and I kept my head down and eyes closed. He flew up and down and turned various directions to disorient me, the gave me back control and said, “Recover!”

Six: Partial Panel, Unusual Attitudes, and Helicopters: We did some self-induced unusual attitudes next. I flew with my eyes shut to get a feel for what happens if I don’t pay attention. I proved again that humans can’t fly like a bird does. I need to trust and use my instruments. (…) After one or two of these then instructor R takes the plane and I get a closed-eye E ticket ride. Well, not quite. Nothing as bad as a roller coaster, but enough to make me loose touch with what the plane’s doing. Then, “Recover”.
Seven: BAI Stage Check: The tolerance in the FAA’s test standards is 100 feet in altitude and 10 degrees in heading. I seem to have taken that as permission to be 100 feet off altitude. M is expecting better of me, “Own that altitude, don’t let it change from 3000 ft!” This gets more interesting crossing the ridge with some temporary light turbulence. I do a little better and I’ll get a lot more practice in future lessons.

Eight: VOR and Towbar:The VOR tracking went well we all do this in the private pilot training. And I’ve used VORs since too, I use Campbell’s method which works and is simpler, but tends to confuse others. All was uneventful as I have to demonstrate practical competence rather than follow a certain method.
Nine: NDBs: I’m flying with instructor R today. He briefs the lesson and it all seems so straightforward right now, here on the ground with no turbulence and no plane to fly. My job as a pilot with NDBs is to maintain the necessary heading to or from that beacon. In a crosswind I need to adjust for the wind direction by angling the plane toward the wind somewhat. (…) Once R and I are in the plane and I’m tracking toward the NDB this all becomes harder. I’m still having to keep the plane straight and upright by instruments alone. And we’re getting bounced around a bit.
Ten: Holding and Brain Freeze: I’ve been diagramming ADF and DGs from the last lesson. I’ve been reading up on holding patterns, and I think I’m really prepared now. (…) I see a bunch of numbers and can’t make sense of them. I find the heading for the VOR and turn to it. But I have no idea how to enter a hold or where to head in the hold.

Eleven: Holding in the Simulator: Back to the sim today. After the last lesson Instructor R and I start the sim to practice VOR and ADF holds and hold entries. Afterwards it is clearer to me. Also, using the sim is getting a little easier. The sim, or more accurately, the PC flight training device, is more sensitive in the controls from the real airplane.

Twelve: In the Clouds!: It seems the weather forecast is for a no-fly day for VFR flights, but would be a good day for a beginner IFR student like me. Clouds, but not too much, some ground visibility, but not very much, and freezing conditions not likely. (…) This approach worked well enough, the airport came out of the haze about three miles out and we landed normally.

What’s real? (Simulator): I’m banking on the idea that practice with x-plane and the controls I have attached to my computer will make me more accurate on the controls in the real plane and improve my scan. So while I can’t log this home simulator time, as far as the real goal of flying better it seems to be working.
Twelve b: DME Arcs: We track that around the arc and I’m late on wind correction as we swing around the VOR. I slide out of the 7 mile arc past 8 miles. I tell M, “I just busted my checkride, I’m over a mile off.” I start working to get back in, but I’m also turning in as well. So it takes a pretty big turn to get re-established. By then I’m almost on my outbound radial so start turning outbound.

Thirteen: GPS and Stage Check Two: The annual is finally finished. Not that it took very long in the scheme of things; only three days. But when you’re waiting it can seem longer. (…) My altitude control is pretty good too, most of the time it’s well within the +- 100 feet. I make an excursion later on the GPS approach that’s not good, but the sim work at home is helping.

Fourteen: Firsts: ISL and Carb Ice: I get my first ILS approaches today. So far so good, I learn the “snake dance” down the localizer. And get my first carb ice on the return trip.

Intermezzo: One Thing After Another: More electrical problems and an aborted flight. But, maybe for the best in the end.

Fifteen..Eighteen: Long Lesson: A 4.3 hour lesson with multiple approaches and cross-country combined. First GPS, first filed IFR flight, first IFR cross-country and more.

Nineteen: More Actual: More actual IFR. A VOR circling approach, missed, then ILS. Then back home with a GPS approach. All in actual clouds.

Nineteen: NDB Approach: State-of-the-art in the early 1940’s, ancient equipment now, the Non-Directional Beacon approach.

Twenty: Stage Check: ILS, VOR, and GPS approach. The trick of constructive distraction.

Twenty-One: Cross Country: My first official all-IFR cross country flight. With a twist. The flight is partially partial panel. That’s not in the curricula till a later lesson though.

Airplane is Fixed!: The new DG is installed now, finally.  Back to IFR training.

Twenty-Two: So How Do I Fly This Thing?: It’s been a while since my last lesson and the  DG failing. Time to get back into it.

Twenty-Two(b): Getting My Grove Back: More practice, I’m near the end of this training, but I need to polish my skills.

Back Again, and Storm Stories: More polishing, the lesson numbers don’t count anymore.  But the yellow area on the radar was important.  It would have been nice if it had been on the forecast.

IFR Diversions: More practice, diversions this time.