Organizational Skills Required During Instrument Flight

I like the tip about using OBS #2 to hold altitude assignments! As
far as the flashlight goes, I have one that hangs around my neck on a
lanyard. I don't bother timing my approaches. With 2 GPS units and
associated situational awareness, timing is a waste of time.

--Dan



On Feb 18, 8:50 pm, "Andrew Sarangan" wrote:
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

The fewer things you have with you in the cockpit, the simpler
everything becomes. Leave everything in your flight bag but somewhere
within reach, and grab only what you really need. In a training
environment our students are trained as if every flight is an
emergency, and to be prepared for the worst. Nothing wrong with that,
but you have to decide the correct balance of things to carry for each
flight to minimize clutter and workload.

I clip the weather and flight planning printouts to the kneeboard.
That also doubles as my scratch paper. Attaching a string is a good
idea, but I have never done it. I carry one pen for multiple things
(signing logbooks and such), so tying it to the clipboard would be
inconvenient.

My wrist watch serves as the timer if I ever need one. I don't bother
timing the approach unless the weather is near minimum. All my charts
stay in the bag, and I only rip out the pages I need. For the most
part, the NACO chart book stays in my flight bag (which could be
outdated), and I fly with individually printed approach charts.

I don't write everything down. Squawk codes and radio frequencies get
loaded into the stack right away as I am reading them back to the
controller. I only write down stuff that the controller starts with
"advice when ready to copy". If an instruction is too lengthy and I
happen to miss something, I can always ask it to be repeated. It
doesn't happen often enough to worry about hogging the frequency.

Don't forget the flashlight. I have yet to find a good way to keep it
from getting lost. It is too bulky to attach it to a string but it is
too small to keep from rolling off into a crevice.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

On Feb 18, 10:59 pm, "Dan" wrote:
I like the tip about using OBS #2 to hold altitude assignments! As
far as the flashlight goes, I have one that hangs around my neck on a
lanyard. I don't bother timing my approaches. With 2 GPS units and
associated situational awareness, timing is a waste of time.

--Dan

Except when you need the OBS #2 for navigation! It sounds like GPS
navigation is now the norm. One of the planes I fly has a GNS-430,
but the other just has 2 old fashioned VOR's. Plus of course my
Lowrance 2000C, which I use for situation awareness only. But since
I'm still a student, I don't bring along the portable yet. I don't
think the examiner would appreciate it.

Dan,

I like the tip about using OBS #2 to hold altitude assignments!


We've got one of those extra pointer thingies Sporty's sell put on the
altimeter, with movable markers. Perfect - but not for renters.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

On Feb 18, 10:59 pm, "Dan" wrote:
I like the tip about using OBS #2 to hold altitude assignments! As
far as the flashlight goes, I have one that hangs around my neck on a
lanyard. I don't bother timing my approaches. With 2 GPS units and
associated situational awareness, timing is a waste of time.

--Dan


I have a small suction cup based bug that I stick on my altimeter.
Works absolutely great for altitude assignments. Much better than the
OBS #2 idea. And really cheap.

I use the zulu works knee board. Works great for me, place for charts
and pens and writing. Those are the things you need.

Greg J.

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?


I've got a kneeboard that I bolted an analog stopwatch to (on the clip). As for
pens, I carry a couple in my shirt pocket, and about a half dozen more in my
flight case. For night flights, I keep a mini maglite in my shirt pocket... the
one that takes the AAA batteries.... as I can hold it in my mouth if need be
until I have something better worked out. Two additional lights in the flight
case.

As for clearances, I write the original one. After that I usually just go by
memory unless there's a multipart change or I'm in an unfamiliar area where I
don't know where places are without resorting to a chart. But I seldom write
down a frequency, heading or altitude change. I can keep them in my head.

Flip flop radios are particularly handy for frequency changes: old frequency on
one side, new on the other. If nobody's at home on the new, just flip it back
to the old.

I keep my flight case between the seats or on the unoccupied front seat if I'm
alone.




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

On Feb 18, 11:41 pm, "Mortimer Schnerd, RN"
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote:
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?

I've got a kneeboard that I bolted an analog stopwatch to (on the clip).

I've been thinking about using an analog stopwatch, rather than the
digital models. I sure like an analog watch better, and it seems
like it would easier to note the passage of one minute using this
device. Do they still sell them?


As for clearances, I write the original one. After that I usually just go by
memory unless there's a multipart change or I'm in an unfamiliar area where I
don't know where places are without resorting to a chart. But I seldom write
down a frequency, heading or altitude change. I can keep them in my head.


Not me, at least not reliably. I hope that I get smarter and can
devote more brain cell cycles to short term memory once I get better
at flying the plane by reference to instruments! In the mean time
it's safer for me to write everything down. These responses are
giving me hope that this won't always be the case!

Flip flop radios are particularly handy for frequency changes: old frequency on
one side, new on the other. If nobody's at home on the new, just flip it back
to the old.

Unfortunately, not with KX-170B's. :-(

I keep my flight case between the seats or on the unoccupied front seat if I'm
alone.

Not much room between the seats in a Warrior or Dakota. I'll have to
settle for the lap of my passenger (or instructor, but probably not
the examiner).


--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

wrote in message
oups.com...


Not me, at least not reliably. I hope that I get smarter and can
devote more brain cell cycles to short term memory once I get better
at flying the plane by reference to instruments! In the mean time
it's safer for me to write everything down. These responses are
giving me hope that this won't always be the case!


The more you fly the more you will come to anticipate what to expect. That
makes remembering things far easier than when you are a student. This
change is akin to learning a new language. As a native English speaker I
don't have to decode every utterance of someone and match it up with the one
right word in an English dictionary. Once you engage in conversation you
will take special note of the important words with meaning. If you were to
try to have the same conversation in another language you would have to
devote vast mental energy to every syllable and try to rapidly assemble the
collection of syllables into words as you scrambled to remember the English
meaning of those sounds. That would be a lot of hard work for anyone doing
the same thing. Most of the problem you are is having to rapidly recognize
and decode unusual items with almost no ability to anticipate what is coming
next.

--

Scott

tscottme wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

Not me, at least not reliably. I hope that I get smarter and can
devote more brain cell cycles to short term memory once I get better
at flying the plane by reference to instruments! In the mean time
it's safer for me to write everything down. These responses are
giving me hope that this won't always be the case!


The more you fly the more you will come to anticipate what to expect. That
makes remembering things far easier than when you are a student. This
change is akin to learning a new language. As a native English speaker I
don't have to decode every utterance of someone and match it up with the one
right word in an English dictionary. Once you engage in conversation you
will take special note of the important words with meaning. If you were to
try to have the same conversation in another language you would have to
devote vast mental energy to every syllable and try to rapidly assemble the
collection of syllables into words as you scrambled to remember the English
meaning of those sounds. That would be a lot of hard work for anyone doing
the same thing. Most of the problem you are is having to rapidly recognize
and decode unusual items with almost no ability to anticipate what is coming
next.


Exactly. The hardest part of instrument training for me thus far has
been the clearances. But the last two times out, especially last night,
I finally got it. I even sounded (to my ears) smooth. It is really
difficult to fly the plane and listen while in the back of your mind
you're thinking about all the stuff the clearance is telling you,
altitude turn the plane, set the radios etc.

As for organization, I have the analog clock in the Cherokee Challenger
(my favorite part of the plane) and a digital kitchen timer that is
stuck on a blanking plate on the radio stack, ie: out of the way.

I use a kneeboard with enroute chart on top, then scratch paper and then
then checklist underneath that. don't forget your checklist. I have my
checkride this Friday. The PTS mentions the "proper use of checklists"
so I made up my own that incorporates the plane checklist with the IFR
checklists I had. Now I have 1 nice one to refer to. I'll share it if
you want. It has all the emergency stuff on there too.

I wear a baseball hat with a pen stuck into the band near my head. We
also have a wad of velcro on the dash with an extra pen stuck on that.
Plus the plane logbook has extra pens. That goes in between the back
seats. I also keep my loose plates in the binder back there. It is all
within easy reach.

Plates go on a yoke clip. All the plates I may need including the plates
for the departure airport. Plates are in order of use. I think that is
all of it. Oh yeah, flashlights. Each side pocket has a flashlight and
my flight bag (on the back seat if passengers) otherwise on the front
seat has a flashlight. I try to keep as many things as I can triple
redundant.

Good luck with the training. It is very intense.

KC

On Feb 19, 6:41 am, Kevin Clarke wrote:
tscottme wrote:
wrote in message
roups.com...

Not me, at least not reliably. I hope that I get smarter and can
devote more brain cell cycles to short term memory once I get better
at flying the plane by reference to instruments! In the mean time
it's safer for me to write everything down. These responses are
giving me hope that this won't always be the case!

The more you fly the more you will come to anticipate what to expect. That
makes remembering things far easier than when you are a student. This
change is akin to learning a new language. As a native English speaker I
don't have to decode every utterance of someone and match it up with the one
right word in an English dictionary. Once you engage in conversation you
will take special note of the important words with meaning. If you were to
try to have the same conversation in another language you would have to
devote vast mental energy to every syllable and try to rapidly assemble the
collection of syllables into words as you scrambled to remember the English
meaning of those sounds. That would be a lot of hard work for anyone doing
the same thing. Most of the problem you are is having to rapidly recognize
and decode unusual items with almost no ability to anticipate what is coming
next.

Exactly. The hardest part of instrument training for me thus far has
been the clearances. But the last two times out, especially last night,
I finally got it. I even sounded (to my ears) smooth. It is really
difficult to fly the plane and listen while in the back of your mind
you're thinking about all the stuff the clearance is telling you,
altitude turn the plane, set the radios etc.

As for organization, I have the analog clock in the Cherokee Challenger
(my favorite part of the plane) and a digital kitchen timer that is
stuck on a blanking plate on the radio stack, ie: out of the way.

I use a kneeboard with enroute chart on top, then scratch paper and then
then checklist underneath that. don't forget your checklist. I have my
checkride this Friday.

Good Luck! Please let us know how it went down!

The PTS mentions the "proper use of checklists"
so I made up my own that incorporates the plane checklist with the IFR
checklists I had. Now I have 1 nice one to refer to. I'll share it if
you want. It has all the emergency stuff on there too.

Please do share it!

I wear a baseball hat with a pen stuck into the band near my head. We
also have a wad of velcro on the dash with an extra pen stuck on that.
Plus the plane logbook has extra pens. That goes in between the back
seats. I also keep my loose plates in the binder back there. It is all
within easy reach.

Plates go on a yoke clip. All the plates I may need including the plates
for the departure airport. Plates are in order of use. I think that is
all of it. Oh yeah, flashlights. Each side pocket has a flashlight and
my flight bag (on the back seat if passengers) otherwise on the front
seat has a flashlight. I try to keep as many things as I can triple
redundant.

Good luck with the training. It is very intense.

KC

Thanks for all the tips KC! Don't forget to let us know about the
checkride!

On Feb 19, 3:28 am, "tscottme" wrote:
wrote in message

oups.com...



Not me, at least not reliably. I hope that I get smarter and can
devote more brain cell cycles to short term memory once I get better
at flying the plane by reference to instruments! In the mean time
it's safer for me to write everything down. These responses are
giving me hope that this won't always be the case!

The more you fly the more you will come to anticipate what to expect. That
makes remembering things far easier than when you are a student. This
change is akin to learning a new language. As a native English speaker I
don't have to decode every utterance of someone and match it up with the one
right word in an English dictionary. Once you engage in conversation you
will take special note of the important words with meaning. If you were to
try to have the same conversation in another language you would have to
devote vast mental energy to every syllable and try to rapidly assemble the
collection of syllables into words as you scrambled to remember the English
meaning of those sounds. That would be a lot of hard work for anyone doing
the same thing. Most of the problem you are is having to rapidly recognize
and decode unusual items with almost no ability to anticipate what is coming
next.

--

Scott

I know this is at least partially true. I learned to fly at an
uncontrolled field, so at first I had limited exposure to the ATC
lingo and was frequently tongue tied. I am now based at a Class D
airport, so I've gotten much better at VFR verbiage. I know my IFR
language skills are still dismal (what did he just say?). The
combination of so much thought going into actually flying the
airplane, adjusting the radios, reading the approach, and having ATC
say something I wasn't expecting can put me in brain overload
sometimes! Practice, practice, practice!!!