Flying IFR - Lesson 12 - IFR To Lansing And Back

Well, lots of news to report from this lesson.

I filed my first IFR Flight plans today.  Kevin talked me through it as there are a few interesting steps and idiosyncrasies, but I did all the work.

I arrived early and did the flight planning and chose the appropriate departure, arrival and approach.  I then completed the flight plan and filed it via Foreflight.

I then did the return flight and again filed via Foreflight.

Both plans were accepted and I got the clearance and had a perfect and organized read back, had everything loaded in the Garmin 430W exactly as I needed it, and then we were in the air at 10:45.  I got everything I could pre-loaded on the ground and that paid off in organization and reduced workload in the air. 

We went up and were almost immediately into the soup.

Actual IFR.  It's lovely grey/white clouds with no horizon or nothing.

Yes, spatial disorientation sets in and happens very quickly with your body telling you one thing and your instruments another.  

Believe the instruments.  My body was telling me we were descending in a right turn - no such thing was actually happening.  It went away as I concentrated on the instruments, but it is quite a feeling when that happens.

We then contacted Detroit Approach and got a vector to Lansing via our plan, and then got a change to direct to avoid some weather that was moving in.

I did the ILS 28L approach into Lansing and did a nice breakout with the clouds above minimums, and landed just fine.

Then we activated the plan for the return to Pontiac, loaded everything up on the ground and then got cleared to take off.

We hit a fair bit of weather and again got vectored around some but got into some light precipitation and solid IFR on the way back.

We then had to get vectored due to other traffic and then were again on the RNAV approach to Runway 27L which is out of service for construction.  We then circled to Runway 27R and landed.  Right after we landed, we heard some thunder come in.  Excellent timing.

My first IFR Cross-Country Flight. Lots of effort involved. Lots of radio work, setting the GPS for changes en route, and checking over plates etc.  A lot of fun and very satisfying to do, but I do need more practice for sure, even as I'm grasping the concepts and steps a lot better.

That's 2.1, 2 landings; 1.0 actual IFR; .6 simulated; and .5 VFR.

Governor Half-Whit And The Lansing Protest

It's been said conservatives don't protest because they're too busy working. Well, by government fiat, they're not working now.

Legal Insurrection: Operation Gridlock” Locks Down Lansing (MI) To Protest Whitmer’s Shutdown Overreach

A solid turnout to protest the governor's executive overreach and arbitrary closure edicts.

How did the governor react today? First by not saying much more than because it's snowing today it doesn't matter that by law she prohibited you from boating, golfing and buying seeds to plant in your gardens until at least the end of April.

Yes, really:

"The fact that we’re cracking down on people traveling between homes or planting or landscaping or golfing, really, for a couple more weeks isn’t going to meaningfully impact people’s ability to do it because the snow will do that," Whitmer said.

Second by threatening in a "now look what you made me do" kind of way to extend the shut down and blaming such an extension on the protest itself:

"The sad irony here is that the protest was that they don't like being in this stay-home order and they may have just created a need to lengthen it," Whitmer said. "...Just by congregating, they've made that a real possibility."

The attitude kinda reminds you of the principal from The Breakfast Club now doesn't it?

After all, how dare those peasants express their frustration with arbitrary orders that prevent them from earning a living? Arbitrary orders that go beyond even the current federal guidelines and makes pot and lottery ticket buying legal, but makes buying gardening items, paint, golf, landscaping, and power boating illegal?

The Recount Chaos Stumbles In Michigan's Blue Zones.

Funnily enough there seem to be a number of severe irregularities in Michigan's highly Blue areas - Detroit, Flint and Lansing that may prevent a lot of ballots being recounted due to "problems".

Problems like Poll Books not matching the number of ballots cast. I.E. an indication of a high potential for ballot stuffing with more ballots than those that were shown to be issued by the books. Problems like a hole in a "sealed" ballot box in Lansing. Par for the course in these areas.

The Detroit News: Half of Detroit votes may be ineligible for recount

Funny how these irregularities crop up so regularly in Democrat strongholds - the very same ones that handily delay getting their totals in until late in the game so they can "adjust" as needed, eh?

Whether Stein's game is to delay the confirmation of Michigan's totals as to put the state's 16 electoral votes in jeopardy, or just done to threaten Trump's legitimacy at the outset, or whether this is just a fundraising stunt is open to question. Even if the recount doubles Stein's votes received she and the Greens would go from all of 1% to 2% - which just won't carry the state for her.

Either way the State and people of Michigan are going to bear a large amount of the cost for her tilting at windmills, but the Left does so enjoy spending other people's money.

SIN Studios Grand Opening

Yesterday I attended the grand opening of Strength In Numbers Studios in Lansing Michigan.

SIN Studios is a video game development company that I'm proud to have as a client.

They're developing a hot new online video game, Project Tuebor.

This game is going to seriously rock.

They've got quite a team of very talented developers and the animation modelling is exquisite. The game should be released next year and it's going to be one to watch - and play.

If you're wondering what Tuebor means:

It also happens to be the motto of the State of Michigan.

Entering the studios you see these signs:

It's setup like a startship - each colored line lead you to that designated area in the office. Command Bridge being the president, marketing and such, Engineering being the coding aspects, Science being the secret development area and the Holodeck being the break room for entertainment.

Each sign has a catchy little tagline at the bottom, here's the one for the science deck sign:

As you might figure, its a fun place to work and they're quite enthusiastic about what they're doing. The opening party was very well attended.

Yes, that is an Imperial Stormtrooper in the crowd. Elements of the Great Lakes Garrison of the 501st Legion attended the grand opening.

Hey! That is the lawyer we're looking for!

Among the activities at the opening there was the opportunity to play a pre-release level of the game. You could also be motion captured by their animation system and your movements loaded up in the computer in 3D. There were also some wings on display:

Even if you got them on, you still wouldn't look as good as this wearing them though:

That will be one of the player characters the players can play in the game. Like I said, it's going to be pretty awesome.

It's going to be a great game and I strongly believe that based on their vision and effort they're going to have a major success on their hands.

It's good to see a new Michigan-based business poised to take off.