Who is that masked man?

[Bill]

My safety pilot Brent took this shot of me under the hood last week on a practice simulated flight.

 

[SCCutler]

I remember when I was doing the mandatory hood work for the PPL, I was often sneaking peeks for clues; now, when I do hood work, I work very hard to ignore any outside cues.

Priorities!

 

[silver-eagle]

During my private training, all of my "hoodtime" was with the duck hood. It was quite impractical and difficult to use. When I started IFR, I used the glasses which were both comfortable and easy to use. It got so I rather enjoyed flying with them on.
Now, if they came in a smokey grey, looked like sunglasses, they'd be downright KEWL to wear!

 

[kellyo]

Ahh the lone ranger and tanto! Hiyooo!

 

[jesse]

My safety pilot Brent took this shot of me under the hood last week on a practice simulated flight.

Looks like you have no problem seeing over the panel.


When I got my 172SP checkout I felt like I was a midget. The view was like I was in a taildragger.

Then I figured out you could raise the seat.

 

[Bill]

Looks like you have no problem seeing over the panel.

You could if you tilted your head back, but I don't cheat. My life depends on doing this correctly. The old saw "cheaters never win" definately works here...

 

[Bill]

I remember when I was doing the mandatory hood work for the PPL, I was often sneaking peeks for clues; now, when I do hood work, I work very hard to ignore any outside cues.

I don't sneak peeks, I want to be able to do this for real.

 

[Bill]

During my private training, all of my "hoodtime" was with the duck hood. It was quite impractical and difficult to use. When I started IFR, I used the glasses which were both comfortable and easy to use. It got so I rather enjoyed flying with them on.
Now, if they came in a smokey grey, looked like sunglasses, they'd be downright KEWL to wear!

These are Jeppshades. Two big plusses for these:

1. The band holding them on is neoprene material, no hard frames, so they're quite comfortable, and they ride quite nicely under your headset ear cups. NO PAIN!!!
2. The white blocking portion flips up, like flip up sunglasses. Thus, you put these on before your flight, and keep them flipped up for taxi and takeoff. Once off, flip them down for instant IMC. Likewise, when you hit the MAP, you can flip them up and do your landing.

The only thing funky about them is flying with them flipped up, the side shields hang down, so it reminds me of "The Flying Nun" in a way.

Also, shooting apps after dark, the interior red dome light was on, and I had to kill that, as the red light *brightly* shone inside the shade. THAT was quite annoying.

 

[gismo]

You could if you tilted your head back, but I don't cheat. My life depends on doing this correctly. The old saw "cheaters never win" definately works here...

I don't think Jesse was talking about sneaking peeks, just commenting on the fact that it looks like your head is touching the headliner in that photo.

 

[gismo]

These are Jeppshades. Two big plusses for these:

1. The band holding them on is neoprene material, no hard frames, so they're quite comfortable, and they ride quite nicely under your headset ear cups. NO PAIN!!!
2. The white blocking portion flips up, like flip up sunglasses. Thus, you put these on before your flight, and keep them flipped up for taxi and takeoff. Once off, flip them down for instant IMC. Likewise, when you hit the MAP, you can flip them up and do your landing.

The only thing funky about them is flying with them flipped up, the side shields hang down, so it reminds me of "The Flying Nun" in a way.

Also, shooting apps after dark, the interior red dome light was on, and I had to kill that, as the red light *brightly* shone inside the shade. THAT was quite annoying.

Can you wear them over reading glasses or sunglasses?

 

[Bill]

Can you wear them over reading glasses or sunglasses?

Haven't tried, but I have reading glasses (only seem to need them in the plane in dim light, bright light stops down my pupils enough to see) and can try, same with sunglasses.

I normally don't wear sunglasses with foggles, as you're not supposed to be looking outside

 

[Bill]

I don't think Jesse was talking about sneaking peeks, just commenting on the fact that it looks like your head is touching the headliner in that photo.

Haha, yes, close. 6'2", with 32" inseam, so I guess a lot of torso. I also like adjusting the seat as high as comfortably possible. Always done that in cars, and it transfered over to planes. Higher=better vantage point.

 

[gismo]

Haven't tried, but I have reading glasses (only seem to need them in the plane in dim light, bright light stops down my pupils enough to see) and can try, same with sunglasses.

I normally don't wear sunglasses with foggles, as you're not supposed to be looking outside

The reading glasses are a dim light issue for me as well, but my hoodwork tends to be at night so reading glasses are a factor. The sunglasses are for when flying approaches in the daylight and you want to land out of an approach rather than miss. Also I find that on bright days, stray light leaks into my eyes when wearing a VLD even if I'm not peeking and sunglasses help.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I don't sneak peeks, I want to be able to do this for real.

Bill,

Do you have any time in actual? I have yet to meet a VLD that compares. Even when you don't try to sneak peeks, if there's a chunk of ground in your peripheral vision anywhere, your brain will use it regardless of whether you try.

Right now I'm using a Viban with a post-it note attached to the left side. I bought a Francis Hood, and it's the only VLD that I've ever found that does totally eliminate the outside world. However, it's TOO good - You can't glance over at the radios or down at the engine instruments, you have to move your head. Slows down the scan. I'm going to take a Dremel tool to mine at some point to fix that problem... Anyone else done this?

 

[EdFred]

One peek is worth a thousand scans.

 

[Bill]

Do you have any time in actual? I have yet to meet a VLD that compares.

Sadly, not yet, but I want to, badly.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Sadly, not yet, but I want to, badly.

Do it! Do it now! (isn't that from some movie?)

I have about 9 hours of actual IMC, still no instrument rating yet. Once you go into actual IMC, you'll wonder why on earth it isn't REQUIRED for the instrument rating. (Yeah, 'cuz the AZ folks would never get the rating. I know. Like you need it anyway, right?)

Until you've had the hood off and not seen anything but the wild gray yonder outside and gotten yourself a good case of the leans, it's hard to respect how serious this rating is. It also helps to experience what's really inside the clouds. Bumps, ice, etc. You also need to get in the habit of doing things like turning pitot heat on and strobes off when you get in the clouds as well.

Any reason you don't have any yet? CFII won't do it, or just haven't had the opportunity present itself? Next time you see a dreary gray day, make sure there's no ice in the clouds and head to the airport. The CFI's will be so bored they'll probably be glad to go up with you.

Do it, do it, do it. In case I haven't said that yet. Do it!

And if you need any more incentive, you'll see some beautiful sights sometimes. If you get on top for a bit you may see a glory; at the very least you'll get to soak up a few minutes of sun while the mere mortals on the ground are having a dreary gray day. I've also had a couple of flights where there were some cool sights mostly within the clouds - One where I was just darting through the tops, seeing a beautiful valley where the mountains were made of clouds, then flying right through the mountains. Another time there was a clear pocket in the middle of a layer, a spot where the one layer became two, and it was like being in a cave made of clouds. Beautiful.

Man, this post makes me look like I need to lay off the drugs.

 

[SCCutler]

Sadly, not yet, but I want to, badly.

I agree that the real deal is very different, but I do not believe it is because you are getting all that much useful scoop from the "leaks" and "peeks," but rather, it is simply a head game. For me (anyway) after I chill myself out and stop trying to grip the controls, it all just smooths right out.

Hard, however, not to become dependent upon an autopilot, if so equipped, and that frightens me a bit, because if I allow the A/P to take me from VMC into the IMC, I find I am more of a passenger than a pilot, and I suspect transitioning back to affirmatively controlling the plane might be problematic.

 

[EdFred]

Do it! Do it now! (isn't that from some movie?)

Kill me, I'm hee-ah!
Gov Arnold at the end of Predator.

 

[gismo]

I agree that the real deal is very different, but I do not believe it is because you are getting all that much useful scoop from the "leaks" and "peeks," but rather, it is simply a head game. For me (anyway) after I chill myself out and stop trying to grip the controls, it all just smooths right out.

I think the real difference is the distraction of the view outside the window. A long time ago I particpated in an experiment to test this theory. Another IR pilot and I tried "flying under the hood" in IMC and we both concluded that it was easier to fly with the hood on in the soup than without. So rather than eliminating the peeks a realistic VLD would include a simulation of wispy clouds, snow, and or rain above your view of the instruments.

 

[Bill]

just haven't had the opportunity present itself?

Basically. Trust me, I'm not going to launch off into the gray until I've been there with a CFII riding shotgun.

BTW, pass the drugs, please