Started Real World IFR training this weekend...

[RonCraighead]

So it’s been a while since I’ve ‘Blogged’ My IFR training.
School continues. Got an A in Aeronautics and a high B in math. Pre-calc and Meteorology for the next two months… Ugh. But I’m in the swing of things.
My Army duties have interrupted a bit… But I’ve been up 3 times since I last wrote… And finished my I5
One thing I learned, and the sim played a HUGE part in learning it, was cockpit organization. Flailing about the cockpit looking for plates, dropping the tablet, tuning frequencies and busting altitudes is a no go. I set up the sim with my actual headset, my tablet on a kneeboard, and my paper kneeboard on the other side. I keep my phone for running a second copy of garmin pilot… For looking things up without screwing with my screen. I also go old school and print some things out… Things I know that I will need. Pens in the right place, etc. The tablet uses “X-plane to GPS” so it works exactly like it does in the air.
When I need the 430, I put it on the top screen… Takes up most of it, but when I’m simulating IMC, I can’t see outside anyway.
Hey Keith, any chance of an ADS-B feed?
I’m at the point where I can fly a complete flight without a keyboard or mouse. Saitek yoke, CH pedals, Saitek switch, multi and radio panels handle everything.
I use Siminnovations Airmaster for the Baron panel, and a 32” TV for outside view. Works great, pretty immersive with PilotEdge and a lot of fun.
So, I flew a couple sets of approaches real world with my new organizational skills. It helped a TON. And yes, it IS getting easier. The more you practice and learn outside the cockpit, the easier it is when you’re up there. As I get better at doing simple things, like manipulating the tablet app, the further I get from task saturation. I’ve flown ILS in to palomar and Nontgomery, VOR to oOceanside and Brown, and lots of localizer approaches in to Gillespie, my home plate.
Sim-flew some partial panel offline from pilot edge. Then did it real world, and it was a piece of cake.
I’m flying holds tomorrow, as well as some approaches. I’ll prep ahead of time, although probably not in the sim. Schoolwork to do.
As usual thanks to all the controllers who tolerate me, both RW and on PE!
Cheers,
Ron

[BluesmanEP]

Hey Ron,

Assuming you're on X-plane you can setup Forflight to have PE traffic. Good luck!

(From the X-plane downloads section of the PE website):

Configuring traffic for ForeFlight
Note: this is available for Mac/Windows only and assumes that X-Plane is already configured to send GPS location data to ForeFlight

Navigate to the * plane/Resources/plugins/PilotEdge/VSPro Resources* folder
rename the VSProTrafficRelay.bak file to VSProTrafficRelay.ini
open the VSProTrafficRelay.ini file and insert the IP address of your iPad (ie, 192.168.1.10)
Connect to PilotEdge and enable Traffic within ForeFlight
You will now see all of the traffic within a 20nm radius of your location.

[RonCraighead]

Wow!

First, THANKS for the info! I run Garmin Pilot, because I'm an Android guy. I'll see if it works for that app and post the results.

Secondly, I should have known someone had thought of this. Still blows me away sometimes.

Cheers,

Ron

[BonanzaDude]

Wow!

First, THANKS for the info! I run Garmin Pilot, because I'm an Android guy. I'll see if it works for that app and post the results.

Secondly, I should have known someone had thought of this. Still blows me away sometimes.

Cheers,

Ron

Ron,

I was thinking that I read the newest release of Garmin Pilot was supposed include X-Plane connectivity. I have a blog with my IFR traning in my signature if you're interested. As Keith mentioned, all but a few hours of my IFR training was in old school 2 NAV, no AP trainer planes (C152, C172, P28R). I had limited time in a DA40 while in the middle of getting checked out in the DiamondStar.

I will agree that flightsim helped me tremendously with knowing how to communicate, read charts and fly approaches. I just wish PE was around when I was doing my training.

John

[RonCraighead]

Okay...

Updates. I tried a yoke mount for my tablet... Pricy, but worth the money!

I had a drill weekend and had to go to El Centro to play Army... KIPL is right down the road, so I decided to fly and have one of my soldiers pick me up. The TAF said that SEE was supposed to be socked in until 8AM. I guess I was going to be late!

The TAF was wrong, and I was wheels up before dawn. MAN, what a view flying in to the sunrise!

A day of planning and teaching combined arms breaching and bangalore torpedos later, we left for the night. It was 1730. To of my fellow NCOs wanted to try their hand at flying, so up we went.

The first guy flew really well. The sun set, and we go a great view of the lights, and then the vast darkness of the desert. Heading back, I clicked the mic to activate the pilot controlled lighting.

Nope. Awesome.

I could see the VASI no problem, so it HAD to be just to the right. At a quarter mile out, I could make out the numbers. The city lights AROUND the airport were not doing me any favors.

I couldn't judge my height well, but THUMP... Down we were, and we stuck. I taxid back and tinkered. The MIRL was finnicky...

I got it to work and went up again.

The next day there was more of the same. I took a Meteorology exam at lunch for school, and after an 11 hour day, flew back to SEE. It was a beautiful view with the setting sun.

3.1 hours total towards my instrument and commercial.

Actual today, then back to SEE.

With my instructor, ILS to KMYF, missed, VOR to Brown, Holds at RYA, then LOC in to SEE... Good flight, although I was behind the curve at first. The hold, localizer, etc were pretty much on point.

Back online till the weekend... Homework and such. I'll keep you posted!

Cheers,

Ron

[RonCraighead]

So...

Monday I had an interesting situation I hadn't considered.

We did Tower en route from KSEE to KMYF. Went well. Figured out that "Obstacle departure procedures" for SEE is in the "Takeoff minimums" section of the AFD on my tablet. It's under procedures, but not a specific procedure like you'd think.

Anyway, did my right turn under the hood to 165 then MZB. Got surprised when Socal made us go to MYF ATIS for weather. They usually just give it to us. So... Flail for frequencies while juggling under the hood... Saved by my CFI. I should have known it. I've flown from MYF many times, but under pressure, the memory fails.

Then ILS, Missed, Brown VOR, Missed... Vectored to the left on missed to avoid KSAN inbound IFR traffic.

British Airways recently began flying the only 747 service in to SAN. Once a day in the evening. So, socal said... "Cherokee zero eight one, you are passing under the 747. Caution wake turbulence."

Should have been intimidating, but I should be smarter, so that's how that goes... It was just COOL! Nothing like a little reminder that you're flying with the big boys.

Anyway, we are off to RYAHH so my CFII can be a dick and make me hold partial panel. (He says, "Call me a dick" and covers my instruments)

But the clouds were too low to get good terrain clearance. We decided to do the localizer in to SEE and call it a night.

Nope. The clouds were low enough that SOCAL couldn't give us a clearance.

We were getting pinched in. NOT scud running and looking for an open field in Alpine, east of SEE... But it was a good object lesson.

Had things deteriorated a lot, it could have happened. We could have had to land in the dirt patch there, or declared an emergency and climbed to MSA. It's a fascinating quandary that I would not like to have to discuss at the fed shed at MYF after declaring.

We DID have a nice VFR approach to SEE, and had a chat about it in the ready room.

I was supposed to fly up to Cable for work Tuesday. Marine layer wouldn't let me out of MYF (1200 overcast), so I drove. Hit some landings VFR at SEE and MYF wednesday night instead. So, Monday we do it again...

I hope to do the I-6 rating tonight or Sunday... Wish me luck!

Ron

[Keith Smith]

outstanding. One thought on this...

So... Flail for frequencies while juggling under the hood.

You want to be briefing your approaches, loading the GPS with the approach and setting up the radios well in advance of the approach. On a short flight like KSEE to KMYF, that might even mean briefing it before you leave the ground. That way, when you need to report the weather for MYF, you would already have received it as part of the approach briefing (as you're going through the comm panel, you'd see the ATIS portion and say, "oh yeah, gotta get the ATIS."). Also, try to get into the habit of reporting with the ATIS at the time you request the approach. That way, the controller isn't prompting you for it, and you're not trying to pick it up later in the game.

Truth be told, I'm not a big fan of intense flights doing short IFR flights with back to back approaches. I think that while they are common instrument training, the reality is that once you have your ticket, you're going to fly from A to B where you'll either cancel, shoot a visual, or do an instrument approach at B and land full stop. A and B will be sufficiently far apart such that there is no 'rush' to get the weather. Sadly, though, most IFR training starts with the 'hardest case' scenario and other than the long XC, never actually gets any easier. It's one reason why many people dislike instrument training and finish the rating thinking that IFR flying is a pain in the butt Still, if you can handle the short hops with back to back approaches, you'll find 'normal' IFR to be very easy indeed.

[RonCraighead]

It's been a while since I posted...

I completely agree about briefing early and the rapid-fire approaches I train...

I'm hoping that the PE controllers can accommodate me with a few practice checkrides.

I might be doing my ride out of SEE or RNM at the end of August.

Took about six weeks off flying because of my three week reserve summer training. That was grueling. Our Sapper squads (mine included) got farmed out to some light infantry companies to breach for their assaults. We went through a ton of demo, which is always fun, but I'm getting a little old to play Saving Private Ryan for weeks on end! The young guys were beat, and I'm twice their age.

Anyway, got back in the saddle with a trip to Cable for a 4th of July hangar party... Then on to SBA to see my son and his wife, then back to Ramona. It was a great little mini-cation!

Then I finally got the I-6 done...

Since then, I've been doing a lot of sim time in an Elite ATD. This is so I can log about 15 hours inexpensively for the instrument rating, and even more for commercial. It's $45 per hour plus CFII cost. It's also become really helpful... Being able to freeze the sim and talk about things with one of my CFIIs.

It's also a TON easier to get to the field and do sim training twice a week than it is to actually fly. It's 5 minutes from work, and I can log 1.5 before 7PM.

It uses a simulated 430, the same one you can use for FSX. It's not bad... Tough to 'Fly' compared to x-plane, which is good for task saturation. The CFIIs are not great controllers...

I have a trip to DC coming up, and will be back early August. I'll keep flying the sim twice a week in the meantime. Then when I get back, it's the long cross country and checkride prep time!

[RonCraighead]

Well, I've been up a couple times. Once doing approaches, once VFR.

Just tried to fly the I7 today, but had a brain fart and descended below 3400 before I got established... It was a good slap on the wrist!

Trust me... I'd rather a controller keeps me honest, than an FAA examiner.

Still in school hot and heavy, playing Army is getting in the way too.

I'll finish this thing soon I hope!

Thanks to the controllers, who also play CFII for a greatly reduced rate.

Cheers,

Ron

[RonCraighead]

Took some time off flying...

Boss quit, Army stuff, etc.

So I decided I needed something to study for.

Took the Instrument Ground Instructor exam. It's the same as the Instrument exam, but you don't need an endorsement to take it.

Not proud of the score I got. SO many of the questions are seemingly ambiguous. But I passed, and now add another rating to the AGI. I have a lot to learn, of course.

Time to start flying again next weekend, here and RW. 14 hours to go.

I'm thinking that my long cross country should be from SEE to Mojave to Santa Barbara maybe...

Anyway, the quest continues.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Cheers,

Ron