Instrument rated

Will Kumley

Will Kumley

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Aug 6, 2019
Messages
796
Location
Pacific Northwest
Display Name
Will
Finally,

After over a year of instruction and practice, a military move when I thought I was almost ready, and a stupid mistake on my checkride, I have finally reached the goal of earning my instrument rating. I understand why some say this is the most difficult rating to earn and I'm very happy that I stuck to it. The oral went good with one mistake that resulted in a new date. After completing the oral portion, I get ready to fly and made a stupid mistake of descending early. It felt wrong as I was doing it, although I didn't figure out why it felt wrong during my checkride until the DPE informed me that she was taking the controls and I had to come back another day. Today, we went out, completed the entire ride and it went off great. I made mistakes, but none of them were outside of spec for the ACS and I was able to identify my mistakes and make corrections when I noticed them. I definitely learned a lot in this process and look forward to getting out and getting more experience flying in IMC and in the system. The biggest feedback I got today was to fly the plane first. Without an autopilot, it's easy for me to make small adjustments when getting tasked with new instructions from ATC resulting in small deviations I can clean up. I did a good job of controlling heading and altitude while manipulating the radios or GPS today, but I could have done better. Time to go to some fly ins with the wife and let her enjoy some seat time in the right seat as it's been getting used a lot by instructors and friends helping me build experience with a view limiting device.

Here's a photo with my instructor in Washington state who was at the airport when I landed after completing my checkride.
1753917920951.png
 
Great congratulations now go fly and enjoy the new rating.
 
Congrats. Now ease into it with a set of personal minimums that you can gain experience and lower them in a conservative fashion. I have found the go/no-go decision becomes a bit more complex with an IR.
 
eman1200 said:
congrats! next accomplishment.......low wing!*


*holy shnikeys, look at that little spinner hahahah!!
Click to expand...
Haha, the spinner always gets a few comments. I've also got a windshield sun shade from a car with eyeballs on it that I use when parking at airports that tends to get the kids excited.

As far as the low wing, I did all my primary training in a Piper Cherokee so I'm comfortable in low wings. The wife wants to build a plane in the future and I'm thinking it will likely be a low wing if we ever go that route.
 
Congratulations!

I was working on mine when I hung it up (money and scheduling) in 2018. It was challenging and fun in the way seeing improvement while learning something challenging can be fun. I hope I can get back to flying and finish it up one day.
 
Will Kumley said:
Finally,

After over a year of instruction and practice, a military move when I thought I was almost ready, and a stupid mistake on my checkride, I have finally reached the goal of earning my instrument rating. I understand why some say this is the most difficult rating to earn and I'm very happy that I stuck to it. The oral went good with one mistake that resulted in a new date. After completing the oral portion, I get ready to fly and made a stupid mistake of descending early. It felt wrong as I was doing it, although I didn't figure out why it felt wrong during my checkride until the DPE informed me that she was taking the controls and I had to come back another day. Today, we went out, completed the entire ride and it went off great. I made mistakes, but none of them were outside of spec for the ACS and I was able to identify my mistakes and make corrections when I noticed them. I definitely learned a lot in this process and look forward to getting out and getting more experience flying in IMC and in the system. The biggest feedback I got today was to fly the plane first. Without an autopilot, it's easy for me to make small adjustments when getting tasked with new instructions from ATC resulting in small deviations I can clean up. I did a good job of controlling heading and altitude while manipulating the radios or GPS today, but I could have done better. Time to go to some fly ins with the wife and let her enjoy some seat time in the right seat as it's been getting used a lot by instructors and friends helping me build experience with a view limiting device.

Here's a photo with my instructor in Washington state who was at the airport when I landed after completing my checkride.
View attachment 143434
Click to expand...
Way to go. Welcome to the Goo
 
Will Kumley said:
Haha, the spinner always gets a few comments. I've also got a windshield sun shade from a car with eyeballs on it that I use when parking at airports that tends to get the kids excited.

As far as the low wing, I did all my primary training in a Piper Cherokee so I'm comfortable in low wings. The wife wants to build a plane in the future and I'm thinking it will likely be a low wing if we ever go that route.
Click to expand...
What’s special about that spinner? Looks like just a plain ol’ spinner to me
 
Congrats !! Instrument flying just hits different once it all makes sense. Nothing like blasting through an 800' overcast to get out of town while everyone else is stuck at the airport.
 
Congratulations!

I met you yesterday after your ride, as I was going in for my checkride. That is a ton of work and study. Your plane is very cool to be IFR capable too.

As for my ride...Hah. Exactly like your "journey". I made a mistake on the oral previously, so yesterday came back and completed that easily. Then went flying. First a hiccup with the encoder made us start again. Then, as you, descended early after being thrown a curveball by ATC. Still, my fault and I get it now.

So, I'm off to a bit more flying then will be back again to give it another go!

Congrat's and nice to meet you.
 
Flyxaos said:
Congratulations!

I met you yesterday after your ride, as I was going in for my checkride. That is a ton of work and study. Your plane is very cool to be IFR capable too.

As for my ride...Hah. Exactly like your "journey". I made a mistake on the oral previously, so yesterday came back and completed that easily. Then went flying. First a hiccup with the encoder made us start again. Then, as you, descended early after being thrown a curveball by ATC. Still, my fault and I get it now.

So, I'm off to a bit more flying then will be back again to give it another go!

Congrat's and nice to meet you.
Click to expand...
Thanks, it was great to meet you as well. Your plane looks amazing.

It does sound like we have gone through some very similar learning moments. On my first flight when I descended early I was given the option to fly direct to the IAF and ignore the ODP as we were in VMC. I took the option and it resulted in me trying to think too far ahead of where I should have been. In hindsight, if I would've just flown the ODP I would have been at the correct altitude and had more time to calm down, go through the approach, calm down, verify the approach again, and then fly the approach.

I think flying IFR on longer flights is a little easier as I don't feel rushed to get to cruising altitude and read the approach plate before doing things. The checkride was definitely busy but it was well worth it.
 
My mistake was probably the same.

I filed CVV WATTR KCLM.

I had done that a bunch. If ATC had told me to do that. I would have stayed 4000 to WATTR, then down to 3700 on the way to COBUX.

But ATC had other ideas. Direct COBUX, via vectors. He probably said maintain 4000, but even if he didn't, I should have stayed 4000 until established, at COBUX. I mile or so prior I saw the 3700 on the plate and began to descend...

Simple, but good learning I suppose. Even though I was essentially on the segment from WATTR to COBUX I wasn't "on" it because I hadn't been cleared to WATTR initially.

Oh well. I will get it eventually.

Great job on yours though. It is so cool that you can have that plane with the new stuff in it that allows you to file and fly IFR.
 
Well done. And as I am certain, you know, at this point, it is now just a license to learn with careful progression, and conservative baby steps.
 
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