Flying IFR - Lesson 15 - There, That's Better

So for Lesson 15, I  dusted myself off from the fracas of Lesson 14 and then arrived early at DCT and pre-flighted the plane.

I then met with Kevin and went over all the approaches and the issues I had with them in the dumpster fire that was Lesson 14.

In short, I need a faster instrument scan and there were a few things about the approaches themselves I wasn't quite getting and part of it was that when they were simulated IFR you have to hit minimums for it to count, which was causing me to second guess things a lot, and a few other issues.

Then we headed off to fly them all again.

I had very nice radio work if I do say so myself, and it has improved quite a bit since starting IFR training.  Much better at conveying what I want and in keeping up with some very busy controllers and getting clearances down pat.  I'm also better at taking notes during approaches when they add information such as a modified missed procedure, which Flint does a lot.  I now write it right on the plate in Foreflight and that works rather well.

We did the VOR 18 approach first, and yes, I pooched that one yet again. Basically, I was behind the airplane and didn't get low enough to circling minimums fast enough, but the rest of it was ok.  It was an ok landing on the circle to 27, and an ok initial procedure turn, but not a particularly great end to the approach at all. Good lesson learned.

After landing I taxi'd back to 27 and then did the ILS 27 approach which went a lot better than last week even as we were getting a little rushed through it, and ended it with a missed approach.  I did forget to audibly identify the localizer in all the rush but had confirmed the right frequency was in - will not miss that next time.

Then the RNAV 27 approach which went very nicely and again went missed and back to Pontiac.

The RNAV 27L circle to 27R at Pontiac went pretty much perfectly, got a much better idea of using the GPS glide-slope for it and basically was dead on both vertical and lateral guidance and nailed it.

So, that was much better and I have a better understanding of what I'm doing now, which is good.

I need to speed up my instrument scan and be more choppy-and-droppy on the non-precision approaches (ie chop the throttle and drop like a rock to get down in altitude for circling quickly).

So today's flight was a good improvement overall, I think.  At least I sucked less than last time.

That's 2.1, 2 landings, 4 approaches, 2 holds, and 1.7 simulated instrument time.