IFR rating is valid 24 months when you first get your rating, then a flight test is required every 12 months to to keep it valid for the commercial rating (or 24 months for the private rating) keep it current. You need six hours IFR time and six approaches in the last six months to keep your rating current (If you don't have the six hours / six approaches, you can go up with a safety pilot and log hood time when flying or practicing approaches in VFR weather)
My flight renewal got postponed due to to weather, examiner availability or my availability for the past four months and I finally got my renewal test scheduled (hint: ask around your airport for names of examiners who can do your renewal - I didn't know that there was an examiner, let's call her J, close by with better schedule flexibility than B who I originally did my IFR rating with)
J asked to prepare for the ride with the following...
1, Complete IFR flight plan to Ottawa with cold weather correction and alternate
2. Do a Weight and Balance (she weighs 125 lbs)
3. She said prepare for
a. Outbound on the flight plan (with her giving the ATC clearance)
b. Come back to do a hold at the beacon
c. Do an ILS and go missed
d. Return to the beacon do a NDB approach (circling for the final)
4. She said she'll go over three emergencies on the ground
Cost is $250 for the renewal (with $30 for the trip up to my home airport) and $30 to Receiver General Canada.
For preparation, I decided to review everything IFR related in my blog. I went about it using my NATSE way...
1. NOTAM / ATIS / WEATHER / Weight and Balance / Flight Plan / Flight Plan Reporting Sheet Completed
- remembering to print NOTAM, GFA (both maps), Metars and TAF, Upper Level Winds for the flight test
- recalling the issue numbers on the NOTAM, how many times GFAs are published
- preparing the flight plan to Ottawa, with missed to Smith Falls
- looking up criteria for alternate selection
- looking up cold weather correction
- knowing the required fuel (to destn, missed, alternate + 45 min.)
2. cAp: Chart date, briefing point by point, frequencies (tower, departure)
- looking up cold weather correction
- knowing the required fuel (to destn, missed, alternate + 45 min.)
2. cAp: Chart date, briefing point by point, frequencies (tower, departure)
3. Terrain: MSA
4. Special Notes: departure, taxiing
5. Emergencies
Now for the exam!
I went an hour early to do a walk around of the plane and got the preparation and aircraft documents laid out - she appreciated the efficiency and preparation when she came.
J was particular about the aircraft documents (ARROW JILI) and then came time to review the flight plan, where I was asked for...
1. The high level picture of weather for the flight
- encounter any weather?
- encounter any icing?
- wind directions?
2. Flight Plan and W&B
- W&B (and check on flight envelope)
- did I use the preferred route in the CFS? (I told her I used the route in fltplan.com - I check it to see what the previous routes given were)
- time on route? fuel required? (know your flight planning calculations)
- time / fuel required for climb? (use POH)
- power setting going to use for cruise (and to show her on the POH)
- alternate? fuel / time required for alternate? (know your flight planning well)
- alternate selection criteria, and why Smith Falls is acceptable for alternate? (kow to use the CAP)
- anticipated runway in Ottawa? (base it on wind direction at ETA)
- anticipated arrival / and explain the STAR arrival in Ottawa I anticipate (base it on arrival direction - which is very important to know)
- cold weather correction? (know how to do calculations in the CAP)
- take off distance (and to show her in the POH)?
3. Emergencies
- what if I had a COM failure at Lanark (go by the last cleared route by ATC)
- what if I had a COM failure on hold (leave hold at when the expected time to leave hold was)
- what if I had a in flight electrical fire (inform ATC before you turn off master as otherwise you'll disappear from the radar)
- what if the red light came on (same as above)
- what if the ILS glidescope failed (let ATC know that you need to use another instrument)
- what if there was an actual emergency (I'll fly the plane, and she'll work the radios)
4. Know your plane
- is it fuel or carb injected?
- how many gallons of fuel, how much usable?
- what's the equipment on-board
- show how we are airworthy by showing me on the journey log (look at equipment need to be checked over for IFR flying)
- what air speed and power setting was I going to use for the hold?
- what air speed and power setting was I going to use for the approach?
It was finally time to go flying!
I had already done the walk around,
1. I got in and gave her a passenger briefing.
2. Started up the plane, did the brake and instrument checks before run up
3. Did the run up, and as part of it tested...
a. Instruments (ADF, ILS) - I only tuned and identified, I should have done the tests!
4. Made the MF call, telling them what I'm up to
5. Got the clearance from her (cleared to Ottawa as filed, 3000 feet, tune 122.5 and squak 1200) and read back
6. Taxied out (she asked when I'll use the autopilot, I said when I'm at 1400 ft.)
7. Did the PTILT check (she wanted to know the time up) 9:15 am
- PTILT stands for Pitot, Transponder, Instruments, Lights, Time Up
8. Taxied out and took off after giving the required clearances
Great climb out due to cold weather. I checked in that she was warm and comfortable.
1. We proceeded outbound to LANRK (first way point) making the required radio calls
2. She wanted to know ETA to first waypoint
- I gave her the flight planned time, but could have given her the GPS time
- Looking back, I should have updated the DI with compass heading, checked time and proactively given her the ETA when I got setup on route like a good cross country airmanship! (but she didn't seem to look or be bothered that I hadn't)
3. She told me to head back and gave me a hold clearance which I copied and read out.
- "Hold as published at the YGK beacon at 3000 feet squak 1200 and expect to leave hold in 10 min."
4. This was the easy part
- I put the auto pilot on the heading bug 180 degrees back and switched to heading for the autopilot (I made a radio call saying that we are headed back to the beacon for a hold)
- I selected direct CYGK on the GPS
- I selected the NDB approach
- I activated the YGK component by highlighting it, clicking on menu and activating that YGK leg (before the hold)
- Switched the autopilot to follow GPS
- The GPS did the rest... took me to beacon and went around the hold (I called radio when we were entering hold)
When we went to YGK and turned around for the hold...
1. J had me leave the hold to do an ILS outbound
2. I made the radio call and manually tracked the procedure turn outbound
3. I selected the CDI on the GPS and intercepted the ILS
4. I made the radio call and the speeds were right on track for a good approach with amazing tracking
5. We left the ILS (due to conflict with another plane that was departing on our landing path) and went back to the beacon for....
NDB approach
1. I did the procedure turn outbound
2. Tracked the procedure turn inbound
3. Set my timer at the FAF
4. Looked up at DH and circled for a landing
We landed at 10:44 (only 0.6 air time!)
She said that the flying was great, and I passed, and gave me a post flight briefing. Lessons learned were...
1. When doing flight plan for the flight test, know what approach to expect (in other words, do the flight plan as if you are going to fly there)
2. Setup the approach on the autopilot after you are stabilised (eg. on the procedure turn outbound leg)
3. The circling was a little tight, but I didn't exceed the 30 degree bank limit
Other than that, I passed with flying colours!
What I learned fromt the renewal was...
1. The importance of NOT underestimating the flight renewal: Even though it was supposed to be a routine, I was well prepared. There was a lot more ground work than I anticipated eg. take off distance, power setting for speeds, etc., but I was prepared for.
2. Good airmanship (checking instruments and giving ETA when established on-route for x-country), and doing TTT everytime.
3. Ensuring passenger comfort and being very professional
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