Organizational Skills Required During Instrument Flight

On Feb 19, 6:00 am, Thomas Borchert
wrote:

One thing I haven't figured out yet is where to put the handheld backup
GPS (we have a Garmin 430 in the plane). I would NEVER fly without at
least a handheld GPS in IMC (if there is none in the panel - if there
is, I still like the backup). The cost of that safety device has become
trivial, with the Lowrance Airmap 500 or 600c. One can put it on the
yoke, and I would if it were my primary GPS, to have it in the scan. But
in my set-up, it then gets obscured by anything on the yoke clip.


I have a Geko 201 I toss up on the glareshield. I used to use it
simply to record tracks, but now for IMC trips I will set it to
"navigate-to" my destination airport. No map; only track, desired
track, distance, and altitude. But I do train with it, so it would be
sufficient in the event of complete electrical failure....

Cheers,
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ

Lots of good advice.

For timers, I use:
http://www.lcflight.com/timers.html
"4 Channel Alarm /Clock Timer"

#1 is the 'active' timer (expected times, times approaches, etc.), #3
and #4 are fuel tanks. #2 is the countdown for beverage and meal
service, ie I dont' use it. ;-) My CFII said it was too complicated
but I had used it when I worked in a laboratory and it is very simple to
use. A few weeks later after he told me this, I saw a picture of the
cockpit of SpaceShipOne and it had one mounted in it.

Gerald

I skip all the fancy stuff. Lots of pens (so if I drop I have
another), the writing pad (I use the 4x6 ones), enroute chart and
terminal charts (bound govt--much sturdier), two pairs of reading
glasses. All I need. There is a flashlight or two, but I don't fly in
IMC at night. Put the heading into the heading bug, the altitude into
the altimeter bug and the freq into the radio. I find that to be a
godsend over trying to write everything down. I do write down initial
clearances, because they are usually long. I just file everywhere
direct (I have IFR GPS), and take what I get, unless I know how to get
something special out of ATC (then I file that). I don't need a timer,
but if I did, I'd just use my wris****ch. I store my pencil in my
shirt pocket. Nothing fancy.

If you do buy a bunch of fancy stuff, buy the cheap stuff. That way
when you throw it out, it won't hurt as much.

On Feb 18, 7:33 pm, wrote:
What methods do you deploy? How many folks use a kneeboard? What
kind of timer (analog or digital stopwatch) do you use, and where do
you put it? Where do you keep the charts, approach plates, and
scratch paper? How many people write down every clearance, heading,
altitude and frequency change? How do you keep from dropping your pen
(or pencil)? Is it on a string? Where do you put in when not in
use? Velcro? Your pocket?

I've read the books, but I just wonder how people cope in real life.
Rod Machado talks about using a clipboard (with extra clips on the 3
other sides) in his excellent training manual. This seems like a good
idea to me.

Steve
PP ASEL
Instrument student

Doug wrote:

snip
If you do buy a bunch of fancy stuff, buy the cheap stuff. That way
when you throw it out, it won't hurt as much.

On Feb 18, 7:33 pm, wrote:

What methods do you deploy? How many folks use a kneeboard? What
kind of timer (analog or digital stopwatch) do you use, and where do
you put it? Where do you keep the charts, approach plates, and
scratch paper? How many people write down every clearance, heading,
altitude and frequency change? How do you keep from dropping your pen
(or pencil)? Is it on a string? Where do you put in when not in
use? Velcro? Your pocket?

I've read the books, but I just wonder how people cope in real life.
Rod Machado talks about using a clipboard (with extra clips on the 3
other sides) in his excellent training manual. This seems like a good
idea to me.

Steve
PP ASEL
Instrument student




Nobody had mentioned this. I do use a clipboard and put velcro around
the pen. I have the mating velcro on the edge of the clipboard. It is
always where I need it. I haven't dropped it yet, but I keep a back up
in the shirt pocket.

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

I'd like to to consider another organizational skill for flying in
IMC, this is related to approaches etc.

Always -- make that ALWAYS -- brief yourself on the approach, but with
this important difference. You may have said to yourself "OK, final
approach fix at 3500, fly 210 degrees, descend to 2150, fly for 2
minutes 30 seconds, land. Don't do that!

Always self brief the miss. "Fly for 2 minutes 30 seconds, look for
the airport, full throttle, gear up, establish positive climb rate,
report the miss to approach, maintain 210 degrees, climb to 4000, left
turn,"

Always treat seeing the airport as a happy accident -- you know how to
land, don't sweat that.

In real life, especially if you're flying into uncontrolled airports,
you may be flying missed approaches one time in 20 or 1 time in a
hundred, and I want you to be ready for that exceptional time. It'll
be handy on your check ride, too, because you just know the examiner
is going to tell you to fly the miss at a time when you're focusing on
landing.

Treat this advice like the others you have gotten -- if it makes sense
to you, make it your own. But trust me on this. This mind set, that
seeing the runway at MDA is a happy accident, and you've already
planned to fly the miss, will save you a lot of workload at a critical
time. I can't imagine a downside, although some readers may find one.






On Feb 18, 9:33 pm, wrote:
What methods do you deploy? How many folks use a kneeboard? What
kind of timer (analog or digital stopwatch) do you use, and where do
you put it? Where do you keep the charts, approach plates, and
scratch paper? How many people write down every clearance, heading,
altitude and frequency change? How do you keep from dropping your pen
(or pencil)? Is it on a string? Where do you put in when not in
use? Velcro? Your pocket?

I've read the books, but I just wonder how people cope in real life.
Rod Machado talks about using a clipboard (with extra clips on the 3
other sides) in his excellent training manual. This seems like a good
idea to me.

Steve
PP ASEL
Instrument student

Always self brief the miss. "Fly for 2 minutes 30 seconds, look for
the airport, full throttle, gear up, establish positive climb rate,
report the miss to approach, maintain 210 degrees, climb to 4000, left
turn,"

Good advice to brief and be ready for the missed approach. However, for the
actual mechanics of the missed, I'd add as the first step "pitch up to climb
attitude" (generally about 10 degrees, or 2-3 bar widths). Many times on an
instrument proficiency check I've seen the pilot add full power without a
definite pitch up, and spend a lot longer than he should down near 200 feet.
Absolute priority on the missed is to get the climb established, and you do
this with both pitch and power.

Barry

On Feb 19, 6:10 pm, "Tony" wrote:
I'd like to to consider another organizational skill for flying in
IMC, this is related to approaches etc.

Always -- make that ALWAYS -- brief yourself on the approach, but with
this important difference. You may have said to yourself "OK, final
approach fix at 3500, fly 210 degrees, descend to 2150, fly for 2
minutes 30 seconds, land. Don't do that!

Always self brief the miss. "Fly for 2 minutes 30 seconds, look for
the airport, full throttle, gear up, establish positive climb rate,
report the miss to approach, maintain 210 degrees, climb to 4000, left
turn,"

Always treat seeing the airport as a happy accident -- you know how to
land, don't sweat that.

In real life, especially if you're flying into uncontrolled airports,
you may be flying missed approaches one time in 20 or 1 time in a
hundred, and I want you to be ready for that exceptional time. It'll
be handy on your check ride, too, because you just know the examiner
is going to tell you to fly the miss at a time when you're focusing on
landing.

Treat this advice like the others you have gotten -- if it makes sense
to you, make it your own. But trust me on this. This mind set, that
seeing the runway at MDA is a happy accident, and you've already
planned to fly the miss, will save you a lot of workload at a critical
time. I can't imagine a downside, although some readers may find one.

On Feb 18, 9:33 pm, wrote:

What methods do you deploy? How many folks use a kneeboard? What
kind of timer (analog or digital stopwatch) do you use, and where do
you put it? Where do you keep the charts, approach plates, and
scratch paper? How many people write down every clearance, heading,
altitude and frequency change? How do you keep from dropping your pen
(or pencil)? Is it on a string? Where do you put in when not in
use? Velcro? Your pocket?

I've read the books, but I just wonder how people cope in real life.
Rod Machado talks about using a clipboard (with extra clips on the 3
other sides) in his excellent training manual. This seems like a good
idea to me.

Steve
PP ASEL
Instrument student

Sounds like great advice to me! I imagine as time goes on it will be
easy to become complacent. This sounds like a good way to guard
against that!

On 2/18/2007 8:33 PM, wrote the following:
How many folks use a kneeboard?

Me. And a yoke board.

What
kind of timer (analog or digital stopwatch) do you use, and where do
you put it?

ASA Timer but it's very bulky. Attached to yoke board with 3M Dual Lock,
similar to Velcro.

Where do you keep the charts, approach plates, and
scratch paper?

On the knee board, either Jepp punched on the binder rings or under the clip.
Plates are moved to the yoke board when I'm using them, so very little head
movement and easy to see. Otherwise the airplane specific checklist is visible
on the yoke board.

How many people write down every clearance, heading,
altitude and frequency change?

Me. Or I try to. I use custom paper printed from an Excel spreadsheet that
gives me, among other things, three columns of blanks titled Altitude, Heading,
and Frequency. The bottom number written in each column is the current
assignment. I could email you the spreadsheet if you like.

How do you keep from dropping your pen
(or pencil)?

Sometimes not too effectively. I have spares. Waiting until three are on the
floor substantially increases my odds of finding _one_ by blind groping.

Is it on a string? Where do you put in when not in
use? Velcro? Your pocket?


Both the yoke board and the knee board have velcro to hold pens.

On Feb 18, 8:33 pm, wrote:
What methods do you deploy? How many folks use a kneeboard? What
kind of timer (analog or digital stopwatch) do you use, and where do
you put it? Where do you keep the charts, approach plates, and
scratch paper? How many people write down every clearance, heading,
altitude and frequency change? How do you keep from dropping your pen
(or pencil)? Is it on a string? Where do you put in when not in
use? Velcro? Your pocket?

I've read the books, but I just wonder how people cope in real life.
Rod Machado talks about using a clipboard (with extra clips on the 3
other sides) in his excellent training manual. This seems like a good
idea to me.

Steve
PP ASEL
Instrument student


Thanks to everyone who offered up so many great ideas! This seems to
be a very individual thing, but it's great to have so many workable
ideas to choose from.

I've only been posting for less than a week, but I have found this
group to be invaluable! It's amazing to me that so many folks with
common interests are willing to provide thoughtful responses to a
perfect stranger (me)! I really appreciate it!

It's not just you, we post because we learn from each other as well.
You're a low time pilot seeing things with unbiased eyes so you may
see thigs others of us have overlooked. Post your comments about your
discoveries, you may help some of us learn from your experiences.


On Feb 20, 8:59 am, wrote:
On Feb 18, 8:33 pm, wrote:





What methods do you deploy? How many folks use a kneeboard? What
kind of timer (analog or digital stopwatch) do you use, and where do
you put it? Where do you keep the charts, approach plates, and
scratch paper? How many people write down every clearance, heading,
altitude and frequency change? How do you keep from dropping your pen
(or pencil)? Is it on a string? Where do you put in when not in
use? Velcro? Your pocket?

I've read the books, but I just wonder how people cope in real life.
Rod Machado talks about using a clipboard (with extra clips on the 3
other sides) in his excellent training manual. This seems like a good
idea to me.

Steve
PP ASEL
Instrument student

Thanks to everyone who offered up so many great ideas! This seems to
be a very individual thing, but it's great to have so many workable
ideas to choose from.

I've only been posting for less than a week, but I have found this
group to be invaluable! It's amazing to me that so many folks with
common interests are willing to provide thoughtful responses to a
perfect stranger (me)! I really appreciate it!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -