On 1 Apr 2005 06:26:48 -0800, "paul kgyy" wrote:

I think the problem is that, with a high-mounted compass, you are
looking out the window every time you look at the compass. I'm not
sure how examiners deal with this.

When I took the instrument flight test, I asked the DE about it. He
asked me if I could see out when doing that. I replied, "I wear
bifocals. If you mean can I see any thing the answer is no, but if
you mean can I see light and dark and I could probably figure out
where the horizon was if the conditions were just right. If they
weren't just right I would probably come up with a false horizon". He
said not to worry, he'd just give me readings when appropriate.

Whether he read the vertical card compass on the glare shield for me,
or I read it made no difference to me. Actually it was probably
easier as I didn't have to look up away from the panel. Compasses
that are not very close to your flight instruments are a royal pain in
the real world.

Whether they let you look at it, or not should make no difference to
you. You know how to make timed turns and they are *not* going to
have you make turns while watching the compass. I seriously doubt any
one in their right mind would even ask for it in VFR conditions. They
just want the student to be aware of the quirks of a magnetic compass.
I've never head of them expecting the student to make turns with one.
However if I had to use the compass I'd cheat by getting the heading,
then rolling into the turn and ignoring what the compass was doing.
Just remember that 2 minute standard rate turn, one minute for a 180,
half a minute for 90, 15 seconds for 45. you can interpolate for
anything in between.

Timed turns are not the same thing.

Even VFR you should be looking at the compass to get a heading, make
the turn for so many seconds, roll out and then check the compass
again. If you are VFR, who cares if you miss the heading, you make a
correction and check again.

I had an instructor cover up everything except the TC, air speed, and
altimeter to see how long I could fly a straight course. After five
minutes, he said, never mind...we were still on course. :-))

Now when he had me close my eyes and fly, I lasted about a minute and
a half before "we had to recover". (mainly due to the plane being
well trimmed and rigged and little to do with any skill of mine) He
said he saw very few students who managed more than 15 to 20 seconds.
I admitted I was letting the plane do most of the flying with me just
nudging the controls from time to time.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com