Rust Remover IFR Flight

An engine overhaul put the plane out of commission for a couple of months, so those two months went by without me getting into the pilot's seat.

Instrument rated pilots are required to be current (six hours of instrument flying and six instrument approaches in the last six months) because rust builds quickly (way before those six months are up!).
Even though flying is much like riding a bike, lots of procedures slip from being on top of mind - there is just so much to keep at your fingertips.

It's key for any rust remover flight is to be uber-focused on flight duties - so, the first tip is to not have any passengers with you.  It's easier to focus without having to worry about passenger needs, or them distracting you.  Also, with the plane just back from an engine overhaul with new avionics, wanted to make sure there weren't any issues to deal with.

This rust remover flight went well.  There was a low level jet stream (50 knots at 6000 feet).  There were just a couple of learnings to re-iterate in this flight...

Rust Remover Lesson One: Need to check that the heading indicator is set to runway heading before take-off, as it's a good place to double check that the compass is correct (and to also make sure you are on the correct runway - not that I was on the wrong runway, but it's a good procedure to follow!)

I usually do the PTILT check (Pitot, Transponder, Instruments, Lights and Time) - but I missed the heading/runway alignment check - wich is part of the I, the instruments check.  Had this been an unfamiliar airport, it's a good system to have to double check - both to make sure you are on the right runway and to make sure your heading, which you would rely on a lot for departure procedures and air traffic control instructions at busy airport, is set correctly.

Rust Remover Lesson Two: Upon switching frequency closer to the arrival airport - be prepared for controller asking preferred approach right away.

Luckly I had tuned into the weather and knew runway I was going to use, but I hadn't decided on the approach.  With the plates in front of me, I was able to pick RNAV 27 without hesitating too much.  With heavy workload, and busy airspace, it could have been difficult.  Also, be prepared for the controller asking from which waypoint you'd like to start the approach from.

I hand flew the plane all the way there and most of the way back - just to get those flying muscles firing again!