For this lesson to my surprise I had DCT's chief instructor checking me out to see how I was doing.
Had N1689H and yes, the seat slipped yet again, the seat was also stuck too high up, and the tachometer is funky and not goving proper readings. On top of that, the yoke is a bit off center rig-wise.
In short not the best plane to be in for this check-up.
So yep, everything started off a little off and went on from there.
Took off in a nice 10 knot direct crosswind which wasn't too bad.
Headed for Flint and did the ILS 27 which went pretty well and I figured out the hold but got thrown a bit by what the GPS was telling me to do for the hold, but it worked out ok. Good descent but was over-controlling and chasing a bit.
Then on to the RNAV 27 approach with a hold it went very well, knew what the entry would be, and even as I had to do a hold a second time for traffic separation which was a bit unexpected it went ok. Decent approach and landing. In short I think I've got knowing what the hold entry will be down, need to perfect the actual entry and intercept itself still.
Then as a surprise he added a VOR 36 approach, so I had to retrieve that plate from inside Foreflight as I was being vectored to it, and he then turned off the attitude and heading indicators which he had me do it partial panel as I had been using the VOR 2 just to keep track of the missed headings after each approach and had been expecting to head back to Pontiac. F'ing great timing on that.
This did not go well. I setup VOR 2 quickly but the controller dumped me off too far west of the approach and it was a massive pain to get back onto the approach course and was a complete mess. Finished it up and went missed. Interesting miss, as the missed approach point is when the VOR flips from From to To. However that flip occurs when you're well past the runway. Fun to watch anyways. Not a particularly enjoyable surprise approach.
Then back to Pontiac for the Localizer Back Course 27L with a lot of vector changes due to traffic and an expedited climb request to add to the fun. He then gave me back the heading and attitude indicators for the approach and I did it ok, but came in on final rather high but did a very nice landing. A very long taxi back from 27L due to all the construction and done.
Overall, per the chief instructor I apparently know what I'm doing but I was really over-controlling the aircraft. I really need to refuse to fly in N1869H.
Feels like 1 step forward and 1 step back. Certainly not as great a flight as last Friday. Definitely in the F stands for Frustration in IFR stage.
That's 2.0, 1.8 simulated, 4 approaches, and 1 really great landing.
2 comments:
Multiple issues NOW is better than everything going south when you are actually doing it. And yes, gripe the aircraft. If you don't the next pilot will have to put up with the same crap.
My D{E said that "surprise!" approaches are bullshit as one never really encounters that in the wild.
Equipment failures he was fond of ,however, as those really happen.
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