RV7Guy

RV7Guy

Well Known Member
Well after a month of intense studying for the written and 3 weeks of flight training I successfully completed the IFR check ride this morning. What a great feeling to complete this very important rating. Those who have urged me to do this are absolutely correct, it does make you a more competent pilot with greater awareness and finer skills.

Now on to Rialto California to the Helicopter IFR add on later this month. I'll do a review of the flight school I attended when my head clears.

Thanks to my great RV friends for the support during this process.
 
Which plane?

Congratulations, Darwin! Did you do the practical exam in the RV? If so, I'd love to hear more about the experience and what your thoughts are on using the RV for an exam.
 
Way to go Darwin! Glad you got that behind you! It's the most valuable rating out there!:cool:
 
RE:Congrats plus

Darwin

congrats on your great accomplishment and continued success at Helicopter IFR......
Did you do your IFR training and test your RV

Frank @ SGU RV7A ...ndy..bgc...
 
gbrasch said:
Hey Jeff, I grew up in that scud you call VFR in the midwest, us guys in AZ get nervous when the viz gets below 50 miles! :D
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Geez Glenn take your 50 miles times .1 and we think 5 miles forward vis is severe clear here in the midwest;)

Darwin, congrats. Your new rating is the best one you can get, IMO. I was of the same opinion, I became a much better/safer pilot as a result of my instrument training/rating. Safe flights.
 
Congrats

Good for you Darwin.

Got mine a little over a year ago. Am almost as proud of that achievement as my doctor of medicine degree!!!!

They say you can't teach old dogs new tricks? Well I guess that doesn't apply to old pilots.

Duane
 
IFR and the RV

Just briefly, the flight school uses very "seasoned" 172's for the IFR course. After flying these for nearly 20 hours, I was happy to get back in my RV with all electric full glass panel where everything works as it should.

The training was out of town so I was doing two or three days at a time and coming home. During a couple of times at home I went out with a fellow RV builder and former Army instructor in my RV to do some training. I shot several approaches including ILS, VOR and DME. Tracked several radials and did many Holds. I actually found the RV much easier than the 172 for this. First of all the Scan is much easier, Dynon Efis and a CDI with glide slope and localizer. Just two things to look at. The Dynon has a timer to make things simple.

For fun we even loaded the GPS approach from the 430 and flew that. Very easy to follow the "pink" line. All of those listed were hand flown. For further fun we let the TruTrak Digiflight II handle an approach. All I had to do is dial in a feet per minute on the auto pilot and adjust power to the MDA or DH.

My plan is to get much more instruction and practice in the RV before doing any real IFR. I will probably "File" on a few trips to get more comfortable with the IFR system but actual IMC will not happen until I'm 110% comfortable in my plane under these conditions. Further, one of the reasons for the IFR is to be able to get out of the frequently present Marine layer in California.
 
Congratulations!!

Darwin, Good Job!! I'm starting my IFR now and you're right about the "pink" on the 430W and coupled to the TruTrak Sorcerer,,, you just sit back and watch it fly!! However, I know the course will be more than what I've done on my own to this point in my 7A. I'm also getting ready to install my new Whirlwind 200RV and now have 95 hours on 294TC.
Congratulations again.
Kenny Gene
7A-95 hours
 
Its a handful!

Louise Hose said:
Congratulations, Darwin! Did you do the practical exam in the RV? If so, I'd love to hear more about the experience and what your thoughts are on using the RV for an exam.
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Darwin first off many congratulations I got mine back at Spring break and can honestly say it was the hardest thing I have ever done...I have 2 degrees and a professional engineering qualification but none of these attributes come close to the intensity of the Instrument ticket.

As to your Question Louise, I did all my training in the RV....For the first 10 hours I didn't think it was possible to fly one of these things IFR...remember of course your instructor won't let you use the autopilot...and nor should he/she as you can't let yourself rely on the A/P.

It definately took longer...I had 55 hours of training before the checkride.

As I said it was the most difficult thing I've ever done but if I were doing it again I would do it the same way...Its painful early on and I almost gave up in despair but little by little the skill does get there.

i am not a natural instrument pilot by any means. I generally do all of my approaches away from home on the autopilot but at my home airport I do them all by hand flying to keep the skills sharp.

Hope that helps

Frank
 
Congrats on the instrument ticket. I'm working on mine and man, does it seem like a lot to be able to do on command (uhh, break out of the ILS at 400ft and then circle to land? No problem!!! :eek: ).

As for instrument being the best ticket .... dunno. Might be the most useful, but SP was the best for me - VFR flying beats no flying!

TODR
 
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