Friday, December 10, 2021

Flying IFR - Lesson 42 - Why Can't Yesterday Have Been Like Today?

So after yesterday's flight I was seriously thinking of calling a halt as I was not getting better or able to move forward with a checkride and this was getting beyond stupid expensive to not be actually getting it.

So today of course was a different experience and made me reconsider calling it quits.

Had N3553M with its autopilot inop. Had to wait though for all the other aircraft to get out of the hangar as it was tucked in the back, so lots of time to preflight, prep and get setup.  Had my handheld radio on so I got the ATIS ahead of time to speed things up later.

We would do the same flight as last night but just slightly different due to wind direction.  Flint's ILS 27, then VOR 18 Circle to 27 and land, then Pontiac's Backcourse Localizer 27L partial panel, and then the RNAV 27L and done.

Weather was warmer than yesterday and winds were pretty much calm at PTK and only slightly more windy around Flint with no massive gusting crosswinds nor turbulence either.

And I did everything pretty darn well. Go figure. Did the hold entry for 27 ILS no problem.  Much better on altitudes, caught each needle right off and flew everything quite well, with a bit more aggressive descent needed on the ILS.  Flew a bit of a tight pattern in the circle to land and again was high which I need to fix by descending earlier, but did a decent landing.  Then I taxi'd back and then flew to Pontiac partial panel.  

Intercepted the localizer quite perfectly and had a great partial panel approach with he needle practically dead center almost the whole way in.  Then just about a perfect RNAV approach to finish things up.

Since this was with my instructor though, it doesn't count as a mock checkride and I have another one of those scheduled for next week as I have to pass that before I can book a checkride. 

I half expect a snownado for that ride.

That's 1.9 with 1.5 simulated instrument, 4 approaches, 1 hold and 2 landings.

3 comments:

DaveS said...

It's apparent that you know the materials, you have the knowledge and skills. Trust in yourself and go make it happen. And if it doesn't go perfectly the first time, get up, dust yourself off and go do it again.

You'll succeed.

And there are a bunch of us quietly cheering you on.

B said...

Indeed, WE are cheering you on.

juvat said...

Aaron,
I wish I could tell you that once you get your wings (license) you’ll never again have a bad flight. Just ain’t so. The key part of flight training is learning how to:
1) Maintain aircraft control
2) analyze the situation and take proper action
3) land as soon as condition’s permit.

The flight’s when things go wrong only make the flights when nothing does that much better.

Hang in there and….

“Never give up, Never surrender!”