Getting Overloaded

[spiderweb]

I'm probably not letting on that I feel overloaded, because I want to remain calm, but I really did see the effects today. First we were off to EMI (a VOR) to perform an area departure (in this case, a made up SID). I was fighting thermals in the Zlin. It was strange, I couldn't feel them all that much because they weren't bumpy, but I'd stop the scan for a second to look at a chart or something and I'd be 150 FEET ABOVE ALT for crying out loud!

Anyway, I got that under control, to an extent. I flew outbound on the 330 Radial, and at 9 DME initiated the turn 90 degrees to 060 to fly a 10 DME arc. Twisted the OBS to 060, too, though, and sat there dumb as dirt wondering why I was in the cone of confusion (both the VOR and my brain)! Funny thing was I was still adjusting my heading to maintain 10 DME. My CFII just sat there quietly while I told him, "Something's not right. I'm holding the arc OK, but the VOR is wrong." Finally I saw it, and adjusted accordingly. Nice bad-ass bust there. Sheesh!

After I straightened that out, I finished the Arc, flying outbound on the airway on a heading of 003. I was given a hold, and flew that fine. Next I was cleared direct to the NDB at York airport (can't remember the name). I was "cleared" for the NDB approach there, using the NDB as the IAF (it isn't). Surprisingly, I flew this NDB approach about as well as anyone could fly it.

We landed at York. I've never been there. The Zlin is easy to land, but it was a bit firm at the end. I liked it but I got a complaint from the bloke in the right seat.

Back to BWI we did the VOR DME Rwy 15L approach. I did it just fine, but the approach is really easy. The landing there was very soft, but my nose was too high at touchdown. The attitude is probably the same as for Cessnas, but you can't flare the nose that high in the Zlin, because you get too wobbly.

Anyway, for the most part, I did OK. We didn't do any PP today, though, so maybe my CFII realized that I was near the edge. I have got to be all PP next time, though.

Sometimes I wonder if I can really do this!

 

[wsuffa]

Ben, you can.

Stick with one plane, get the IR out of the way, and then go on to other planes. Changing planes makes it take longer.

 

[bbchien]

Ben, you can.

Stick with one plane, get the IR out of the way, and then go on to other planes. Changing planes makes it take longer.

Agree. Stick to one bird. What you are trying to do is like learning PVT ASEL in 3 different Complex /hi-perf aircraft. Keep it simple. Pass the checkride.

 

[jdwatson]

Ben, Ben, Ben...

One step at a time... get the IR and then master a new plane.

 

[Jeff Oslick]

Yup, one bird at a time. For scheduling/maintenance reasons I had to bounce back and forth between Archers and Warriors for my IFR training, and that was about all the extra challenge I was willing to deal with. Fortunately, except for RPM settings being a bit different, they were otherwise equipped and flew pretty much the same.

Welcome to IFR-brain. Just like the old TV commercial - "this is your brain" (photo of egg), "this is your brain on IFR training" (photo of frying egg).

Just keep plugging away, it'll come to you.

Jeff

 

[grattonja]

IR brain is not a fried egg, it is a burnt egg. It's a lot at the end of the training, and some days you fly better than others. I remember a week before my checkride, pinning the needle on a GPS approach. I was not centered when the needle went to double sensitivity, and that was it. I looked at the CFI and asked if he wanted me to continue (as we were VFR). He did, but I got my a-- chewed for not declaring an immediate missed. Needless to say, I did not make that mistake on the check ride.

You are flying a way faster and more complex plane than I did, and doing everything at once. Don't sweat the "not so good" days. You will have them. And, I am told, DEs will take days with lots of thermals into consideration if you take your ride on one of those days. Some days, mother nature really doesn't want you at the altitude you want to be at.

You have worked really hard to get this far, and you will kick butt and take names on the checkride. No doubt.

Jim G

 

[jdwatson]

Amen to that...

I was already to take my checkride and went out with my CFII "one more time" just to be sure. I couldn't do anything right. Nothing. I cancelled my checkride upon reaching home after that flight. It took me almost a month to be convinced that I wouldn't do that again. The thing, is that day was the fluke, but I had convinced myself that all the other days were odd.

 

[spiderweb]

Thanks for the support, guys. I really appreciate it!