New IR student, first flight today!

woodchucker

woodchucker

Pattern Altitude
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woodchucker
About me: 47 years old. Started my PPL Sept, 2012. Got my ticket August, 2014. Currently have 180-ish hours. Today's flight was mostly hood work. Man, I felt like a drunken sailor. My CFII assured me I was within constraints, +-100 feet altitude and 10*. But I felt like I was corkscrewing through the sky chasing heading and altitude. Just felt like sharing. I will check in from time to time with questions! I have found this forum to be rather valuable regarding receiving advice from fellow pilots. Thanks all of you!
 
It gets easier. Also, get a home simulator if you have a PC. XPlane or Prepar3d or whatever.
 
I'm starting my IR training imminently! I feel like I've focused on accurate flying while VFR as far as altitudes and headings are concerned, especially on climbs and descents, but I'm certain I'll have a rude awakening when living under the hood!
 
The attitiude indicator is now your new "look outside," "get the sight picture" point we were constantly admonished to look at more when we started our PPL, instead of staring at our instruments. In instrument flight, the attitude indicator serves that purpose, and it should take up about 2/3 of your scan time... not 1/6. Set your attitude, WAIT, then check heading and altitude. Return to attitude indicator, make a small appropriate correction, WAIT, then check for desired performance again. You were exactly right in you OP... you ARE chasing the altitude and heading indicators, and why flying partial panel is so much more difficult..at least for me. I'm replying not because I'm some ace, experienced pro pilot...we have about the same number of hours, and I am DEFINITELY not, but rather because I experienced (and still do if I don't remind myself) exactly what you described and thought this might be belpful.

I've started working towards my IR twice over the years, but never finished for all kinds of annoying reasons; about four years ago I got far enough the we were about to do the cross-country flight. Most of those reasons are gone now, thankfully, and this third time will be the charm. Of course, with that much time now having gone by, it's pretty much back to square one.
 
I hope that your instructor holds off on navigation and approaches until you are competent and confident on basic attitude instrument flying. It should take a few boring hours of doing nothing but speed changes, climbs, descents, level-offs, etc, but you need that muscle memory when you begin to assault your brain with the minutiae of navigation, communication, and approaches.

Bob Gardner
 
Wait until your instructor starts giving you things to do in addition to flying the plane.
 
I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be able to do it. The first few lessons were enjoyable but then thing started piling up; radio work; weather; GPS programming, indents, approach procedures and briefing the approach and I felt like I had never flown before! Then BAM it all came together and then I found myself thinking “what am I forgetting to do?l Hopefully you can get some “actual” in because that changes everything.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Great job starting. Now stick to it. It’s important to keep getting up, try to keep the lessons closer together. Find as much actual as your can!! The distraction of not wearing the hood in IMC Is far more distracting and disorienting.
The hard part is sticking to it and finishing. It took me two cracks. Back in the early 2000’s. And last year. Finished in March! Many ppl here can attest to starting and stopping over and over. Have fun!!
 
Enjoy the ride, its more fun than I expected. Waiting for my IR check ride to be scheduled, just hit the minimum simulated hrs.
 
George Mohr said:
It gets easier. Also, get a home simulator if you have a PC. XPlane or Prepar3d or whatever.
Click to expand...

I do have XP, so I anticipate using that for extra practice.

AU_James said:
I'm starting my IR training imminently! I feel like I've focused on accurate flying while VFR as far as altitudes and headings are concerned, especially on climbs and descents, but I'm certain I'll have a rude awakening when living under the hood!
Click to expand...

My instructor and I were talking about that. The outside view provides an immense amount of feedback that your brain can process quickly. Without that it's wildly different. During my ppl I used foggles which are nowhere near as effective as having the hood completely take away any exterior clues. With practice it should get better.

MuseChaser said:
The attitiude indicator is now your new "look outside," "get the sight picture" point we were constantly admonished to look at more when we started our PPL, instead of staring at our instruments. In instrument flight, the attitude indicator serves that purpose, and it should take up about 2/3 of your scan time... not 1/6. Set your attitude, WAIT, then check heading and altitude. Return to attitude indicator, make a small appropriate correction, WAIT, then check for desired performance again. You were exactly right in you OP... you ARE chasing the altitude and heading indicators, and why flying partial panel is so much more difficult..at least for me.

I've started working towards my IR twice over the years, but never finished for all kinds of annoying reasons; about four years ago I got far enough the we were about to do the cross-country flight. Most of those reasons are gone now, thankfully, and this third time will be the charm. Of course, with that much time now having gone by, it's pretty much back to square one.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what my CFI said regarding the scan. She pointed to the AI and the DG and said to split time between them primarily, then get the others. I think part of my problem was keeping a closer eye on the VSI than maybe I should have. I'm sure it will get better. Good luck on your pursuit as well!

bobmrg said:
I hope that your instructor holds off on navigation and approaches until you are competent and confident on basic attitude instrument flying. It should take a few boring hours of doing nothing but speed changes, climbs, descents, level-offs, etc, but you need that muscle memory when you begin to assault your brain with the minutiae of navigation, communication, and approaches.

Bob Gardner
Click to expand...

In our initial conversation it sounds like the approaches and other things are further down the horizon. Saturday we are going up and it will be more of a repeat of the first flight, with some VOR work. But yeah, the first flight was exactly what you said: turns to heading and a few climbs and descents to altitude. She was very upfront in telling me to let her know if she was overloading my brain at any time.

----------------

I've been wanting to get my IR for a while now, but I wanted to wait until it was financially feasible, as well as knowing that I will be flying enough to be able to stay current. Finally finding an affordable flying solution in a club is making this possible.
 
benyflyguy said:
Great job starting. Now stick to it. It’s important to keep getting up, try to keep the lessons closer together. Find as much actual as your can!! The distraction of not wearing the hood in IMC Is far more distracting and disorienting.
The hard part is sticking to it and finishing. It took me two cracks. Back in the early 2000’s. And last year. Finished in March! Many ppl here can attest to starting and stopping over and over. Have fun!!
Click to expand...

Congrats! Hopefully this winter can get some actual. Where I live we don't really get much actual that is conducive to flying small singles though. But that is the goal for sure.
 
dreyna14 said:
Wait until your instructor starts giving you things to do in addition to flying the plane.
Click to expand...
When you think you're doing well, your CFII will tell you to dial in approaches, review the IAP plate... :)

I had a true AI failure in my first xcountry IFR... much harder to fly without it. I was cross-eyed for an hour after landing... :p
 
MacFlier said:
When you think you're doing well, your CFII will tell you to dial in approaches, review the IAP plate... :)

I had a true AI failure in my first xcountry IFR... much harder to fly without it. I was cross-eyed for an hour after landing... :p
Click to expand...

I had an AI fail during a cross country with a safety pilot. Just ignored it and continued on. Thing came back to life on decent back home with my partner flying.
 
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