IFR Currency

[frankh]

AKA...I need a nap!

As many of you know I got my IFR ticket just under two months ago.

Since that time the sun has come out and there has been very little in the way of real weather.

I had resolved myself to do 3 Instrument approaches a month with my safety pilot buddy thinking this would keep me current.

Well today, Mr IMC came came back with 1800ft ceilings and proper IFR up about 6k.

Time to grab the buddy again and go do a few.

Now Imust point out that even thought the ceiling was quite high the conditions were pretty hideous, lashing with rain and a whole bunch of chop to suit.

Add to that the fact that every one and their dog was practicing approaches (not often you hear our local controllers getting flustered) and I began to get anxious before I even took off.

I must say this was not the best flying I had ever done, I purosely made it harder by hand flying everything but it felt like I lost a whole bunch of skill in just two months.

We had one helicopter declare minimum fuel and the controller asking me to get a move on as I was holding up 4 other aircraft...Good job there we no spam cans flying is all I can say!

Bottom line, real IMC is just not the same as under the hood and I can easily see how pilots let their currency lapse, I mean its just NOT FUN!

But I will keep working at it...

Frank 7a

[David-aviator]

Originally Posted by frankh

AKA...I need a nap!

......Bottom line, real IMC is just not the same as under the hood and I can easily see how pilots let their currency lapse, I mean its just NOT FUN!

But I will keep working at it...

Frank 7a

And that's exactly why I hung up the IFR goggles when I retired...it's much more fun reading some of the posts on this forum about terrorists than going out getting the all tensed up trying to stay alive in rough weather to be current so you can go out and get all tensed up some more trying to stay alive doing the same thing already again once in a blue moon when the weather goes down.

Frank, if you want to get comfortable with IFR, file a flight plan for every flight for a while, don't wait for bad weather. You don't need a safety pilot to fly IFR in or out of weather, just don't put a hood on. Pretend you're an airline pilot, they never go anywhere but on an IFR clearance. It will loosen up your gab confidence with the ATC guys and go a long way to making the real thing a little less tense. Or it may convince you it just isn't woth it.

[aparchment]

I think IFR training can be a lot of fun. I much prefer to train in real conditions than under the hood. When we have nice stable IFR with a hard ceiling, I do my best to get to the airport. Some of my favorite flights have been in IFR conditions. I have had beautiful flights in snow and some really neat views transitioning between broken layers.

You chose to fly when it was turbulent and there was driving rain. Those two factors can make your practice flight significantly less enjoyable. Even the pre flight is no fun on a day like that.

Perhaps you should mix some "nice" IFR weather into your training.

[dan]

Originally Posted by frankh

We had one helicopter declare minimum fuel and the controller asking me to get a move on as I was holding up 4 other aircraft...

Out of curiosity, what approach speed(s) do you fly?

[frankh]

Well my thinking speed is deliberatly slowed to about the 100kt range on the slope. I tend to set it up LOP cruise at about 20" at 2400RPM (about 120kts or so)for all my missed approach and holding stuff, just going full rich at the FAF.

I remember my CFII telling me this was OK for practice but don't be be surprised when you get asked for more speed. Seems ATC is well aware the RV is faster than the average skydog...

Frank

[David-aviator]

Originally Posted by dan

re Sharpie....

Dan, do you know the story of a previous aviator also known as "Sharpie"?

A few years ago we had a lady speaker at our local Chapter Christmas party. The subject was Evelyn Sharp, WWII WAF.

Go to Go to http://www.ninety-nines.org/sharpie.html for more info on this remarkable, very beautiful young woman in her time.

dd

[mark manda]

fog ticket helped a couple of us get into the Chino RV Rendevous this week-end.

Kept others away or orbiting looking for holes.

I saw one guy fly in SVFR with 1100 agl ovc.

2 mile visibility, 1100agl ovc tops at 2800 msl. IIRC.

[frankh]

Smooth stable air with a high overcast...Now thats more like fun..

Frank 7a

[Bob Axsom]

Fly crosscountry using IFR flight plans is the best way to go to maintain a sense of purpose and get away from the training mentatity (Oh someone may think I don't measure up and I don't want to look bad even if it kills me). In an RV, autopilot with altitude hold are almost essential. I flew my RV-6A IFR for a year without it and the difference since I installed Tru Trak Pictorial Pilot and Altrak is a wonderful thing.

Bob Axsom
Instrument Rated since 1984