Started Real World IFR training this weekend...

[RonCraighead]

Just thought I'd blog a little about my RW training, and about how it might pertain to Pilot Edge.

I was a 150 hour pilot. I learned to fly out of KSEE in Cherokees, and Sportcruisers mostly. It's great airspace to learn in. If you can fly here, you can fly almost anywhere. But 30 hours a year average isn't much, especially when it's sporadic.

I entered a degree program in Aeronautics. it turns out that a commercial certificate is worth 24 credits. Nearly a year in school. So I had an easy choice. A year in a classroom, or a year in a cockpit becoming a commercial pilot?

So I obviously began to fly like mad. The instrument rating is first.

I went the long way around to get my Private Pilot cert. Starting with Private, then switching to Sport and getting that rating. THEN getting private.

Then flying once in a while... And now it's time to drink aviation water from a fire hose.

It's time to do this the smart way. It's a new thing for me, but I'm going to give it a try.

I'm going to try to keep this relevant to PE. I will try to fly my IFR approaches on PE to prepare for my lessons, and eventually my checkride, and let you all know how it goes.

Thanks again to Keith and the team for this amazing tool!

And off we go...

Ron

[RonCraighead]

So I wanted to polish my stick and rudder skills before I started my IFR training.

I met Daniel Wotring of Aviator Flight Training three years or so while working the "Wings over Gillespie" airshow. He was the demonstration pilot for the Bearcat fighter. We became fast friends. He's been nagging me to fly up to Cable to finish my tailwheel endorsement, and I figured this would be a great way to get back in the saddle!

I DROVE to Cable after a vacuum pump failure after takeoff, and we got started.

Tailwheel flying is tough on the ego. I deal with explosives, I dive wrecks and caves, and I fly airplanes. I don't typically have a confidence problem. Neither does Daniel. But his short final checklist\mantra in the Cessna 170 said it all.

"Carb heat off. Heals on the floor, toes on the pedals. I'm not a loser, I'm not a loser, I'm not a loser.".

Yup, that from a legitimate fighter pilot who flies upside down in front of crowds.

After the first flight, and replacing the yoke dented from my death grip, we had a BLAST. We side slipped for miles three feet over the runway at Ontario airport, chilling me out and polishing my airmanship. It's tough to describe his technique, but I'm sure the look of surprise on my face when he said we were done was not. I was actually disappointed for a minute. I wanted to fly the 170 some more.

But that didn't last long. He needed to do a functional check flight in the SNJ (a Navy\Marine corps version of the World War 2 AT-6 Texan) to check out the hydraulics. He wanted me to fly while he tinkered...

So we put on flight suits and parachutes, and strapped in. I had a bit of a moment. Marine fighter pilots learned to fly warbirds in this seat. I was looking at the same panel and out the same windscreen. And Daniel was rattling off instructions. Hydraulics, manifold pressures and throttle settings, rotation speeds... My head was spinning. And then I fired it up.

It was tough to focus when the noise started. Flying a new airplane can always be a bit overwhelming. But THIS... Wow.

We taxied, ran up and I took off. I felt him nudge controls from behind me... Don't blame him.

We cycled gear, flaps and got to a safe altitude so that I could play with the manual hydraulic pump. I got a hell of a workout. She tolerated my shortcomings, and we lined up to land again at Cable.

I did a full stall landing, and turned off to the hangar.

I swear, you couldn't kick the smile off my face.

My endorsements were done, and it was officially time to start my IFR training.

If you ever want to cruise the skys of SOCAL RW, give me a call. If you ever want to get it right, call Daniel of Aviator Flight Training! He'll put a little swagger in your flying skills in no time.

Now comes the real work...

Cheers,

Ron

[rtataryn]

Great story Ron. Agreed, tailwheel flying is most definitely tough on the ego. I did my tailwheel training in a 170 also. What a great airplane. And training, I did the same drill flying the crosswind down the entire length of the 11,000 ft runway here at KGEG. Flying the mountain grass strips and river sandbars of North Idaho in the 170 has been hands down the most fun and exhilarating flying of my life.

Pend O'reille River

IMG_2878.jpg (185.52 KiB) Viewed 10213 times

Interestingly, the day after that photo was taken, this happened at KGEG (fortunately not me in the cockpit). Apparently a student picked up some wake turbulence while taxiing from a departing 737 on the opposite runway. Sad day for the 170. And as you said, tough on the ego for sure.

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Ron, I get to SoCal a few times a year. In fact I'm flying 612SR to KPSP in a few weeks, but I'm slammed busy that weekend. I'd love to meet up and do some RW SoCal flying with you sometime. Good luck on your instrument rating!

[RonCraighead]

So I had Friday off, and my Instrument Instructor was available.

I need to build a staggering 32 hours of instrument or simulated instrument time between now and my checkride. I figure about 15 to 20 of that will be with Rob Mai, my CFII. The rest is going to have to be with a safety pilot or in a certificated sim.

Rob and I haven't really hashed out a syllabus yet, be we know I need to get my general instrument flying down pat. So we decided, being a nice SoCal February day, that we would do that on our way to Big Bear. I need a bit of cross country time too.

So we caught flight following after taking off from Gillespie (KSEE). He, and the controller. guided me around and eventually to beautiful Big Bear. I landed there for the first time... Nice and easy.

Lunch was okay... But the view rocked.

Off we went, but this time I handled SoCal too and flew us back. We asked for the LOC\DME practice approach to SEE, and got it. Ironically, I'd never flown it, not even in the sim. When I finally whipped off my hood, I looked down and saw the airport.

"Holy crap, how did I overshoot so bad?!"

It's a circling approach, which I hadn't considered. Duh... It was an okay landing. But it was my 500th. So it was a bit of a milestone.

Good bad or indifferent, it was my first IFR training flight, and my first instrument approach!

Rob said my flying was fine to move on to approaches and procedures... So off we go!

I really like the Cherokee I was flying. Vertical compass, just like the HSI, and a touch screen GPS.

Went to Santa Monica the next day VFR with my wife. Got flight following, then through the Special Flight Rules Area both ways...

BARELY made it out VFR when the marine layer came in. Took off runway 3 (backwards!) and shot out from under the clouds Special VFR. Popped up over them and went back the way we came. The airport was IFR before I cleared 500' AGL!

Anyway, 1.9 hours hood time, 4.8 hours cross country for the weekend...

We'll see what this next two weeks brings. I have duty this weekend (I'm a Combat Engineer in the Army National Guard).

Going to tr to fly in the evening... We'll see!

Ron

[RonCraighead]

Rod, I'm supposed to be at PSP the weekend of the 27th. If that's when you'll be there, maybe we'll bump in to each other!

(Figuratively speaking, of course!)

Ron

[rtataryn]

Ron, Nope March 11-13 for a Cirrus pilot proficiency program. Lectures and courses though the entire time. Rod

[Keith Smith]

Rod, if you're at the CPPP event, be sure to book a sim session. Guess what system they use for ATC on the TouchTrainer

[rtataryn]

I'll do that. PilotEdge is lauded in the Cirrus community, and Carl sells a TouchTrainer for every 3.8 Cirrus aircraft sold.

[RonCraighead]

So... It continues. And I continue to suck sometimes!

Ended up doing the VOR-A in to Oceanside tonight from Montgomery.

Montgomery is a zoo... Waits to get cleared, and on the way back, got bounced around east county near SEE by Socal to avoid other traffic and wait our turn to get on the ILS.

I flew well sometimes, but had trouble maintaining my altitude when turning for some reason... Spatial disorientation is real.

Especially at night. The added burden of using a flashlight isn't something I thought of. I'm using a head lamp next time. It's like juggling cats...

The warrior was under powered, the avionics old... Think the Caerenado Cherokee.

Friday I'm up again, day time, in a sweet 430 and two axis auto pilot bird.

I hope it gets easier! I'm sure it will. Just remembering my tail wheel mantra... "I'm not a loser... I'm not a loser... I'm not a loser..."!

Cheers

[Keith Smith]

Ron,

The formative portion of my IFR training was flown in XP8 with the 160hp Chandler Warrior with 2 NAV radios, no GPS and no AP. It is a great way to learn the fundamentals, don't be too down on the older equipment