Instruement checkride...for real this time (long)

Mark Hansen wrote:

Here is a good accounting of Joe Campbell's IFR training experience:

http://www.campbells.org/Airplanes/Diary/toc.html

This is definitely a good read. I have to checkout the others.

Not having done the IA rating yet, it's a little daunting to hear
*everyone*, even those that have gone all the way to ATP, say the
instrument rating was the hardest one! Doesn't ANYONE say, "It was
hard, but not as bad as I anticipated" ???


I will ;-)

Figures... :-)

Seriously, I expected it would be much worse than it was. I had a hard
time getting over the knowledge test hump, in that initially, it seemed
like an incredible amount of information that I had to somehow learn.

To me, this is one aspect that added to the "overall harder rating"
idea. Sure, once you get your head around some stuff and can deal with
the procedures (while flying the plane), things get easier. However,
getting to this point can be mind numbing at times and can take much
more concentrated effort. In the end, I'm glad that I experienced total
brain overload while flying *and* having my CFII in the right seat.
These times were very good object lessons that you really need your act
together while flying IFR.

However, there are lots of things you can do to make this work, and
they each just take some time, so you have to be patient and be willing
to study.

Yes, patience patience patience and study study study. Lather, rinse,
repeat...


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-Instrument Airplane
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

unicate wrote:
Thanks for posting your checkride story. I'm about to begin, and have
printed out your story to re-read when more of it will make sense to me!

Glad to hear that my experience can be of benefit to you. I've done the
same with other posts. I remember reading through all the checkride
posts from Gene Whitt's website before I took my PPL checkride.

Not having done the IA rating yet, it's a little daunting to hear
*everyone*, even those that have gone all the way to ATP, say the
instrument rating was the hardest one! Doesn't ANYONE say, "It was hard,
but not as bad as I anticipated" ???

Well, MarkH did already so there's one :-) To me, it wasn't daunting
hearing this but did help set my expectations a bit. As usual, study
and fly as much as you can. Always think of questions to ask your CFII.
Realize that there is absolutely no way to know it all but know where
to find the answers.

Congrats on deciding to pursue your instrument rating. It will be worth
it in the end. Post your progress too as I know many of us here would
enjoy reading the progress.


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-Instrument Airplane
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

On 02/26/06 10:56, Jack Allison wrote:
unicate wrote:
Thanks for posting your checkride story. I'm about to begin, and have
printed out your story to re-read when more of it will make sense to me!

Glad to hear that my experience can be of benefit to you. I've done the
same with other posts. I remember reading through all the checkride
posts from Gene Whitt's website before I took my PPL checkride.

Not having done the IA rating yet, it's a little daunting to hear
*everyone*, even those that have gone all the way to ATP, say the
instrument rating was the hardest one! Doesn't ANYONE say, "It was hard,
but not as bad as I anticipated" ???

Well, MarkH did already so there's one :-) To me, it wasn't daunting
hearing this but did help set my expectations a bit. As usual, study
and fly as much as you can. Always think of questions to ask your CFII.
Realize that there is absolutely no way to know it all but know where
to find the answers.

Congrats on deciding to pursue your instrument rating. It will be worth
it in the end. Post your progress too as I know many of us here would
enjoy reading the progress.



And, just keep in mind that getting the rating is not the end of the story.
I'm going to create a separate thread on currency after getting the rating
which will offer my experience; please have a look at it.

--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA

Jack Allison wrote:
The short answer: I passed :-)

snip


It feels good to be done...but I can hardly wait to start flying IFR on
x-c trips even when it's a CAVU day.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice along the way. It's been a long
road as I started this in November of '04. Buying a plane and having my
CFII go work for the airlines for a bit didn't speed things up but I'm
very happy with the outcome. I had a great CFII and the chance to log
even more time in my own plane. Not a bad combination.

Ah, and last but not least, the updated sig. line. Cool! :-)



So glad I passed my instrument in 1970.

Congrats Jack! And, nice write-up.

I can completely relate to the lack of sleep, the night before, and
waking up before the alarm! I purchased the King check-ride video
(mainly because I knew I could get a refund, if I busted :-), and
watched it over and over again the two days prior to ride, and 3 or 4
times the night before. Although annoying at times, and riddled with
fopahs, it worked well at getting the routine of a standard check-ride
into my head.

The rating, as you said, a lot of work, and much more difficult than
the PPL, but in hind-sight not really that bad (for anybody considering
going after it). It is definitely an accomplishment to be proud of!
The ability to fly the plane precisely, and better handle an emergency
is much worth the price of admission.

Way to go!!!

Best Regards,
Todd

Great story...
Interestingly, one of the locals on my field just took and flunked his
IFR check ride last week... He says the the oral and the ride actually
went like clockwork... He felt confident and he felt that it showed in
his handling of the airplane...
The examiner told him to finish the ILS they were currently shooting,
by declaring the miss at the DH and fly the missed approach to the
holding fix called out on the plate, fly it once around then depart to
a VOR-A approach back to our field and that would be it... So thinking
ahead, as soon as he hits the DH for the ILS approach he calls the
missed approach and begins flying the profile, he quickly dials in the
VOR-A approach on the Garmin 430 NAV-COM and presets the OBS for the
proper radial (125) to be set up for the VOR-A as soon as he departs
the hold, then he uses the 430 moving map to navigate to the holding
fix... As soon as he turned inbound to the holding fix the examiner
told him he was busted for failing to use the OBS.. Period... End of
discussion... Ride over...
So, today he was to refly the missed approach to the holding fix and
then fly the VOR-A to complete the ride... I don't see his choice of
using the map as a disqualifying error... I would have told the
candidate that he needed to depart the hold, reacquire it using the OBS
and demonstrate proficiency... The DE saw it otherwise...

denny

Interesting Denny. One thing I remember my CFII saying was that when
flying the VOR approach, plan to use the VOR and not the GPS. His take
was that it showed the DE I could do a VOR approach *without* the GPS.
Sure, I'd probably use the overlay whenever possible in actual
conditions (and do practice approach work without it)...anyway, that was
his idea.

As for MarkH's point, IIRC, if you can identify the holding fix with the
GPS, you can legally use the GPS. As I understand, it comes down to the
fact that if it's in the GPS database, you can use it. I'd pull out my
AIM but, gee, I just put it back on the shelf and sort of don't feel
like looking at it for a bit...go figure. :-)

As for the guy that busted, sounds like the DE could have been more
clear as to what he wanted to see vs. busting him.


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-Instrument Airplane
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

On Mon, 27 Feb 2006 19:13:30 -0800, Jack Allison wrote:

As for MarkH's point, IIRC, if you can identify the holding fix with the
GPS, you can legally use the GPS. As I understand, it comes down to the
fact that if it's in the GPS database, you can use it.

For you to use the GPS approach in the Garmin 430, the approach must be
labeled GPS on the approach you select. For example, I select the VOR
alpha at my airport (KMBO), the approach has gps next to it.

This means I can use the GPS mode for the approach or use the OBS for the
approach.

Personally, love the map overlay. If you cannot keep the lil plane on the
purple line, you have no business flying IMC or you are in conditions
beyond your capabilities.

I am so glad I got my IFR ticket b4 getting my 430 installed. Makes me
fully appreciate the ease of situational awareness with the 430.

Allen