It Was A Long Day

NealRomeoGolf

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NRG
But I ended it with my instrument rating in hand.

There was a cold front coming through that then turned into a stationary front. My test was out of KUIN (Quincy, IL) and I had to get there from Peoria. The TAFs before I went to bed were calling for the storms to end around 5am and then the rest of the day would be higher ceilings. When I woke up, there was a system sitting right north of Quincy and in the way of me getting there. I preflighted the plane and then texted the DPE that I would be waiting for the storm to move. He didn't have anything scheduled for after me so there was no pressure to push the weather.

I waited on the ground for probably an hour and then thought it was starting to dissipate. I let the DPE know I was launching. I need to go further west to get around the back tail of the system and then would go south to Quincy. But as I flew, the storm didn't dissipate. So I chose to land short in Keokuk, Iowa and wait it out. I called the DPE from there and he just said let me know when I launched from KEOK. I sat on the ground at Keokuk for an hour and then it finally looked doable.

I headed for KUIN and the trip there was fine. Landed. Got all my stuff out of the plane and sat with the DPE in the FBO. Went over airplane and pilot logbooks. Did the IACRA stuff. Then got grilled for 2 1/2 hours for the oral. All the usual IFR stuff. Currency. Weather. Qualifications. Charts. Flight plans. Briefings. Ice. Ice. Ice. Instrument failures. I had to look a few things up. He got me on a couple of things but in the end he said: Pass.

Time to fly. Preflighted the plane. It was steamy out. Took off from 22 at KUIN and headed south to do unusual attitudes. Did the descending with turn first. Then a climbing one. He vectored me back to ILS 4 and shot that approach. On climbout I got direct to the IAF for the Loc BC 22. Did the procedure turn, then my AI failed. Ran the Loc BC down to minimums and held over UIN for a few turns. Vectored out of the hold to the IAF for the RNAV 36 (with my WAAS failed) and did that with a circle to runway 22. I put the plane on the ground and he said congratulations.

I've been chomping at the bit to have this rating done and now it is. Just need some non-jarring clouds to fly through now.
 
Congratulations, well done! Now keep that promise and go fly in actual. Single-pilot resource management (SRM) in a piston single is one of the most challenging things a pilot can do, but also the most rewarding.
 
Congrats! Stay current and proficient if you can, that’s the next challenge.
Big delta between those two words, current and proficient. We lucky few who happen to be owners have the opportunity to train often to stay sharp, in both actual and simulated conditions. I’m not sure how guys who rent could possibly stay proficient.
 
I was impressed by how smooth your flight path was, especially that hold; looks like the wind was about 25 mph? ,How much did you use the autopilot?
34FB955D-0503-4143-8442-18F9EA6BBA46.png
 
It’s (1) like photo shop touch-up/smoothening or (2) autopilot or (3) a bad-azz CFI-I and pilot. I pick 1 or 3.
 
I was impressed by how smooth your flight path was, especially that hold; looks like the wind was about 25 mph? ,How much did you use the autopilot?
View attachment 97478
The hold and RNAV to 36 were autopilot. The rest was hand flown. But yes, Flightaware tends to smooth stuff out a bit.
 
I've been chomping at the bit to have this rating done and now it is. Just need some non-jarring clouds to fly through now.

Congrats! It's a very freeing rating. I went out with another club pilot today for a fogglized approach and did that then we decided to head over to another airport for some cheap gas. Marginal VFR getting in and getting worse. Easy-Peasy filed IFR home so some bonus actual time for me in addition the simulated.

Build up a cadre of other pilots who also need safety pilots and vow to at least fly simulated as often as you can.
 
Here you go @Jim K . GP shows the wiggles better.

View attachment 97489
Haha... Still looks better than the path from my instrument ride. Wish I had saved a screenshot of it. In my defense that airplane didn't have an autopilot or an hsi, and the dg precessed badly. Flying ifr in my Lance now feels like cheating.
 
Haha... Still looks better than the path from my instrument ride. Wish I had saved a screenshot of it. In my defense that airplane didn't have an autopilot or an hsi, and the dg precessed badly. Flying ifr in my Lance now feels like cheating.
I do not miss precessing DGs.
 
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