Humbling IFR Training day!!!

mulligan

mulligan

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Mulligan
Weather was horrible this am so went to the flight school to do what I thought was a few hours of ground work to prepare for mock oral exam. Nope, got greeted with a this is a perfect day to go up and train!!

Took off around 10:00 and went strait into the soup at 4,000. My instructor was feeling it today so he basically said its all on you, handle it. What a challenge handling EVERYTHING in actual. I would point the planes nose down and trim down and the plane would just keep climbing. There was a few times I had about 10 degrees left aileron in and the plan was still indicating a 10 degree right turn. Instructor just kept looking at me and smiled.

Finally after fighting the elements I decided I needed a minute to prepare the approach at our destination and went to engage autopilot. Instructor said well that sucks, and pulled the breaker to my autopilot. So now I am going to an unfamiliar place, doing unfamiliar things, have ATC wanting info in one ear and instructor not talking me through any of it.

I was EXTREMELY stressed and frustrated and flew like crap. After an hour and a half we headed back and landed and debriefed. I couldn't be more thankful of today's lesson as it was a HUGE training experience. I have flown in actual a few hours and never had any issues because it was simple and straight forward. Today I got the fire hose and had it all come in on me at once. While I didn't perform anywhere close to where I was hoping I would, I also got us to the ground and actually pulled off an impressive high-cross wind landing in the rain which a a month ago would have scared me but today it was just a normal landing.

Anyway, thanks to the instructors who take opportunities like today to work with their students and make them better pilots. I got humbled quickly but I also got one heck of a training experience.
 
Sounds like a good training experience. Including the autopilot fail. Some of them SUCK in turbulence (KAP140).

Not all IMC is the same. Sounds like you had some unstable air to deal with. That definitely happens. But sometimes it doesn't (marine layer). And sometimes you get smooth stable air where you still can't hold altitude (mountain wave). And you notice it all more.

Make sure you cross check your scan. If you have 10 deg left roll on the AI and the TC shows a right turn, look at the DG and mag compass, 'cause one of them could be failing.
 
Good flight,it's always an experience getting some actual.
 
MAKG1 said:
Sounds like a good training experience. Including the autopilot fail. Some of them SUCK in turbulence (KAP140).

Not all IMC is the same. Sounds like you had some unstable air to deal with. That definitely happens. But sometimes it doesn't (marine layer). And sometimes you get smooth stable air where you still can't hold altitude (mountain wave). And you notice it all more.

Make sure you cross check your scan. If you have 10 deg left roll on the AI and the TC shows a right turn, look at the DG and mag compass, 'cause one of them could be failing.
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Thanks for the tips. This was not the marine layer day. Instructor explained it was the cooling and even pointed out the rolling in the clouds and said we should expect a string storm front moving in based on what he was seeing. It was not a turbulent experience so to say but steady lifting, like a lot of it. Regarding the cross check, great point and I cross checked the crap out of it. Thats when I looked at my instructor and said check this out, I have this much left aileron in and the plane is still turning right. He just smiled at that point and later on the ground said I was doing the right thing. We were just getting very strong steady wind pushes and that "it was a great day to train"
 
sounds like fun, kinda. rewarding in the end, anyways.
 
MAKG1 said:
Sounds like a good training experience. Including the autopilot fail. Some of them SUCK in turbulence (KAP140).

Not all IMC is the same. Sounds like you had some unstable air to deal with. That definitely happens. But sometimes it doesn't (marine layer). And sometimes you get smooth stable air where you still can't hold altitude (mountain wave). And you notice it all more.

Make sure you cross check your scan. If you have 10 deg left roll on the AI and the TC shows a right turn, look at the DG and mag compass, 'cause one of them could be failing.
Click to expand...

Good point. The speculations about the recent midair break up over Long Island got me to thinking about that. I'm going to be getting some sim time with a CFI in a couple weeks working on recognizing impending instrument failures
 
Good for you Mulligan to get some actual. I always felt more comfortable in actual when I didn't have to wear that damn hood or foggles. Get ya some more. That's why you're getting this rating for, days like this. Always respect mother nature though.
 
luvflyin said:
Good point. The speculations about the recent midair break up over Long Island got me to thinking about that. I'm going to be getting some sim time with a CFI in a couple weeks working on recognizing impending instrument failures
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I had the exact same thought, and did that last week. It was a great experience. Instructor also popped the pitot heat breaker on me. I heard it go, but didn't realize it until my airspeed indicator stopped working. Stupid me forgot to try resetting the breaker, and also forgot that I could use an alternate static source to get things moving again. To add insult to injury my mind completely blanked that I would loose my altimeter too. Didn't realize till the sim put the 'game over' screen up. I just sat there and said 'well $#!+'. Defiantly a wake up call. Instructor said, and that's why you do things in a sim.
 
Sounds like you had a good workout! Instrument flying is intense and you'll always have to be on your A game especially single pilot IFR
 
Better to get that experience now than 3 months after getting your ticket having just trained only in foggles! While not that intense, I remember my first training in actual with my CFII and sayin...holy crap...this is nothing like just doing hood work!
 
Actual is often fun, if it's behaving. My wife's first trip the clouds were dark, the winds were strong, and she was very quiet. ATC held me at 7000 until I hit an updraft; reduced power, pushed for 10° nose down and still showed 1500 fpm climb. Got a block 7000-9000, leveled off at 8600 with scattered glimpses of blue.

So I asked for my filed 10,000 msl. ATC was unwilling because they would have to vector me around Charlotte. I requested the climb and vector, was soon in smooth air and bright sunshine, with easily visible build ups to avoid. My vector? "Turn 10° right." For that, I fought for almost a half hour.

Remember: your clearances are always negotiable.

Good flight, hope things continue to go well for you.
 
Well done, good training day!

Good to train for days like that because they happen in the wild at the most inopportune times
 
Nice. At end the end of the day, at least you got something out of it.
Keep flying in the air. All the best.
 
I agree, sounds like you got a great workout and even in IMC (it is psychologically a little different).
Remember this feeling of being overworked, as long as you don't get overwhelmed. And learn to control the situation by prioritizing. Of course FTDA first.
Glad you had "fun" and once you recover, you will be ready for more "fun".
And also remember that is it mostly psychological. If you let yourself panic, it's on you. Keeping a cool head (like you did) is the way to go.
Now go fly again. :)
 
Fly in as much actual IFR as you can. It will build confidence under realistic conditions, plus it's less annoying that flying with a view limiting device. A very large fraction of my training was in actual, and included an actual missed approach. Your day was a good one and will pay back later when you want to use your rating.
 
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