Thanks PoA. Passed my IR

labbadabba

labbadabba

Pattern Altitude
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labbadabba
The ride was originally scheduled for Saturday, I went in the FBO at KMKC and knocked out the oral portion. The discussion was very cordial and maybe 90 minutes discussing PTS-style questions with some ACS scenarios towards the end. Ended up getting on the topic of weather and which forecasting tools we each preferred.

That dovetailed nicely into a discussion for the flight that day. Good vis/cigs but surface winds were 200 18/G25 and winds at 3000 ft were 260 46kts. Surface winds would have been okay landing on wind-facing runways but the winds aloft were a little too sporty. Chose to get a letter and we picked up again yesterday.

And yesterday was a unicorn weather day for February. 55 degrees, unlimited cigs, Winds calm at the surface and very light all the way up to 6,000. Had a little mixing layer at 2,700 with some bumps below but otherwise it was like flying on glass. Aced the ride with no issues. The only hiccup came when after we completed the requirements, the examiner turned to me in the plane to shake my hand and have me take it back in VFR to KMKC. At that moment I caught a glimpse of shining metal at 12 o'clock, same altitude, closing. A quick climb and a hard bank right and we were okay. It's amazing how much traffic there can be on a perfect 55 degree Sunday in February, lol.

Thanks PoA'ers who have put up with my many student IR questions and thanks in the future for putting up with my certificated IR questions. I think I'm more excited about my IR than I was about my PPL as this was a bigger challenge.
 
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Congrats. Welcome to the club! My recommendation for the next two things you should do:

#1 Go out and do a nice VFR burger flight. You've earned it.
#2 Go out and fly IFR. Even if it's. It in the clouds. While you're at it, Do yourself a favor and mark your calendar at least every three months to go out and do some instrument proficiency flying, alternating between a safety pilot and an instructor. It's a perishable skill, and it's easy for time to pass by without having flown under the hood in a while. Even if you can maintain currency by recent aeronautical experience, take an IPC every six months. That's what the pros do and it makes a difference.
 
Congrats!
 
Congrats. One of the most useful tools in aviation that you will ever earn. Enjoy flying in the soup!!
 
Yeah baby, welcome to the soup club! Well done.
 
Congratulations! Now how comfortable are you to go into solid IMC by yourself? With this weather we've been having, you can get great exposure to IMC (just watch out for icing).

Who will you take up first into the clouds?
 
labbadabba said:
At that moment I caught a glimpse of shining metal at 12 o'clock, same altitude, closing. A quick climb and a hard bank right and we were okay. It's amazing how much traffic there can be on a perfect 55 degree Sunday in February, lol.
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I can't think of a distraction better (worse?) than a DPE offering his hand in congratulations. So congratulations to you for your attention to traffic! A mid-air while shaking the DPE's hand would really suck! Congrats on passing the ride!

-Skip
 
Brad Z said:
Congrats. Welcome to the club! My recommendation for the next two things you should do:

#1 Go out and do a nice VFR burger flight. You've earned it.
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Honestly, it's been so long since I've flown just a nice VFR flight that flying in the pattern on the way back to KMKC was a little un-nerving, esp with the DPE in the right seat. Just felt weird to do an entry and maneuver in the pattern without being on a nice long ILS. Doing our circling approach at mins was the same way.
 
BigBadLou said:
Congratulations! Now how comfortable are you to go into solid IMC by yourself? With this weather we've been having, you can get great exposure to IMC (just watch out for icing).

Who will you take up first into the clouds?
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I got my first solid IFR day a couple weeks ago, had my older brother in the back seat. So I guess he counts as my first IMC pax.
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/first-real-imc-holy-smokes.100736/

When I started flying, my wife said she would only fly with me once I got my IR. So, I took that as a challenge if not a tacit approval to spend thousands of extra dollars on flying. Now that I have my IR, we'll have to see if she sticks to her guns, lol.
 
labbadabba said:
When I started flying, my wife said she would only fly with me once I got my IR. So, I took that as a challenge if not a tacit approval to spend thousands of extra dollars on flying. Now that I have my IR, we'll have to see if she sticks to her guns, lol.
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I may have said that before, but that's a definite (smart) keeper!
And congrats!
 
In the short term, you need some solo IFR. Both in VMC and IMC.

In the longer term, it's important to practice both VFR and IFR. Sometimes those VFR skills (like planning your own descent and pattern entry) need work, too. Find yourself a good safety pilot you trust. And remember that approaches only count in actual if it's still cloudy below the FAF. You'll need a safety pilot if it's higher than that, even IFR, and you'll have to fly to minimums under the hood.

Now you'll find yourself looking out the window at crappy weather, saying "I think I'll go flying." People will think you're nuts.
 
labbadabba said:
When I started flying, my wife said she would only fly with me once I got my IR. So, I took that as a challenge if not a tacit approval to spend thousands of extra dollars on flying. Now that I have my IR, we'll have to see if she sticks to her guns, lol.
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Tell her that twins are really safer, get your ME rating! Or tell her about the Cirrus w/ the shoot shoot chute! Maybe she'll let ya buy one! I think that's how Mully did with his wife. :D
 
mscard88 said:
Tell her that twins are really safer, get your ME rating! Or tell her about the Cirrus w/ the shoot shoot chute! Maybe she'll let ya buy one! I think that's how Mully did with his wife. :D
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Think I'll shoot for my CPL next. I mean, then she can say she's married to a professional pilot right? I'll sink my cash into ratings right now and save up for airplanes later on. After all, the taxman can take away my Cirrus but not my ratings....
 
Welcome to the Goo. Damn if there ain't sumpin to learn from every flight. Keep your hands to yourself is now on the list, LOL.
 
Congratulations!!! Welcome to the cloud flyer's club... As others have said, go take nice VFR flight somewhere. You earned it!!! Then go get those wings wet.:happydance::happydance::happydance:
 
Congrats!
As the others said, go take a flight around the area and look out the window!
Go get some imc too! It's a creepy/weird feeling busting through a cloud solo the first time. I got mine in September last year, I got some imc on the way home and the following day. Definitely try to learn something each flight.
 
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