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.
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.