My experience recording the SKY-1 flight
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 11:39 am
Although I've used the TOA departure leg several times in other scenarios for other commercial programs, this was my first time tying it together with back to back approaches VNY. Everything went reasonably well until the second approach into VNY. The controller offered a vector onto the base before I was completely finished with the briefing. As a result, I was still working pretty hard when the approach clearance was issued and I managed to overlook the VLOC/GPS setting (toggled with the CDI button on the GPS).
Interestingly, this is known as the 'fail' button by many DPEs who administer IFR check rides as so many candidates blow through the final approach course as a result of having the GPS in the wrong mode. It took a little while to resolve it, but it worked out ok.
This was a great reminder to me of the amount of work associated with shooting back to back approaches (something that you don't often do on normal end to end IFR flights outside of the training environment).
Interestingly, this is known as the 'fail' button by many DPEs who administer IFR check rides as so many candidates blow through the final approach course as a result of having the GPS in the wrong mode. It took a little while to resolve it, but it worked out ok.
This was a great reminder to me of the amount of work associated with shooting back to back approaches (something that you don't often do on normal end to end IFR flights outside of the training environment).