Ted
The pilot formerly known as Twin Engine Ted
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2007
- Messages
- 29,892
- Display Name
Display name:
iFlyNothing
The past week has been big for flying. Since Friday, I've logged about 14 hours. Friday after work, a friend and I flew down to KLOM to see the guys there (had a great time) and he safety piloted for me. He did a great job of it, failing my vacuum system and GPS on me right after takeoff from KLOM (vacuum system on the way down, starting with attitude indicator and then a full vacuum failure).
Saturday, the same friend and I flew with my instructor to drop him off at KGRR and fly back. 8.6 logged that day, including 0.1 actual (making a total of 3.9 actual). That more than covered my IFR XC. That day I learned a lot about weather, as there was a line of thunderstorms that we avoided. What a great flight.
Yesterday, we had a 3.5 hour lesson in which I was beaten over the head with a Jeppesen book of approach plates, practicing back to back ILSs at Northeast Philly and Trenton. By the end I was worn out, doing 7 approaches in one lesson. It paid off, though. By the time I got back and did the ILS into Williamsport, it was much improved. Before I was still getting the needles centered by the time I got to DH, but it was just sloppy. Now the needles are closer to centered the whole time. That's how it should be.
The bigger milestone, though, was the written. I took it yesterday. I think they'll still pass you if you score a 90, so I suppose I did an acceptable job.
The part that amazes me is how much I've learned. I treat my flying in the same way I would treat college or graduate school. To me, getting my ratings is like getting a degree. It's been close to four months since I passed my private checkride. Shortly after I passed that, I safety piloted for my friend who's now since safety piloted for me, and when I looked at the approach plates and the en route low altitude charts, it made no sense to me at all. Now I look at them and know what they mean and how to interpret them. The instrument rating has been, at least so far, intense but very rewarding. I definitely have learned to control the plane better, and learned more about flying in general.
What's next? Review, and then my oral and checkride.
Saturday, the same friend and I flew with my instructor to drop him off at KGRR and fly back. 8.6 logged that day, including 0.1 actual (making a total of 3.9 actual). That more than covered my IFR XC. That day I learned a lot about weather, as there was a line of thunderstorms that we avoided. What a great flight.
Yesterday, we had a 3.5 hour lesson in which I was beaten over the head with a Jeppesen book of approach plates, practicing back to back ILSs at Northeast Philly and Trenton. By the end I was worn out, doing 7 approaches in one lesson. It paid off, though. By the time I got back and did the ILS into Williamsport, it was much improved. Before I was still getting the needles centered by the time I got to DH, but it was just sloppy. Now the needles are closer to centered the whole time. That's how it should be.
The bigger milestone, though, was the written. I took it yesterday. I think they'll still pass you if you score a 90, so I suppose I did an acceptable job.
The part that amazes me is how much I've learned. I treat my flying in the same way I would treat college or graduate school. To me, getting my ratings is like getting a degree. It's been close to four months since I passed my private checkride. Shortly after I passed that, I safety piloted for my friend who's now since safety piloted for me, and when I looked at the approach plates and the en route low altitude charts, it made no sense to me at all. Now I look at them and know what they mean and how to interpret them. The instrument rating has been, at least so far, intense but very rewarding. I definitely have learned to control the plane better, and learned more about flying in general.
What's next? Review, and then my oral and checkride.
