You need an instrument proficiency check every two years to
be able to fly IFR. I usually get mine
done on the simulator as it’s hard to line up an instructor to do the “check
ride” in the plane I fly (as the examiner comes in from out of town and it's a bit of a hassle to line them up)
I get the instrument checkride done in Cornwall, as they have a couple of “RedBird
Simulators” – not as amazing as flight simulators you see airline pilots do
theirs in, but it’s still impressive with motion and all.
The test starts with a ground briefing (typically half an
hour) and a full briefing on the sim (typically one hour). Once the instructor is confident that you are
able to handle it, you get recommended to do the flight test on the sim with
another instructor (typically one hour)
I forgot there were two parts to it – the ground/sim
brief component and the actual test component – so had to come back the second
day to do the actual test.
The ground/sim brief takes you though a full IFR
scenario:
- Depart CYOW - Ottawa 4 Departure (SID) RWY 14
- Climb to 3000
- Go to YOW VOR
- Hold 265 radial standard right turns
- Approach into CYND (Gatineau) on VOR/DME 09
- Follow missed approach (at 1200 MDA climb to 3000 then turn left to the YOW VOR)
- Do an RNAV Z 14 in Ottawa
Easy! What’s tricky
is using the avionics on the SIM:
- Set barometric pressure and push Baro
- Push AP
- Push HDG (making sure runway heading is set before departure)
- Push ARM
- Use UP (to set climb rate to +1000 FPM)
- Set the VOR to intercept YOW VOR
- urn to the heading using the heading bug
- Use the primary and secondary VORs to enter the hold (Parallel entry) and to maintain the hold
- Use the VOR/DME for the approach into CYOW
- Descend to 1200 using autopilot 500 ft/m (step down using the DME read out and charts)
- Use the auto pilot to climb out to 3000 on missed (500 FT / min, then 1000 FT / Min)
- Load the RNAV Z 14 into the GPS, couple it to the auto pilot to do your approach into Ottawa
Easy right? Except
the old school VOR and Holds using that equipment.
Briefing went well – I learned a few
professional pilot tips (which is why I love flying with new instructors)
Learnings on Auto Pilot
- Set your HDG button on the autopilot so that it’s not in GPSS
- Set Heading Bug to Runway Heading on your departure brief
- Confirm heading bug matches runway heading when on runway (this is also a nice way to align your gyro /confirm you are on the right runway)
- Set your desired altitude on the autopilot
- Now ALL you need to do on take off is rotate and arm the autopilot – it will do it’s job in maintaining heading and climbing out – don’t push a button, look outside, push another button and look outside and push another button and look outside while holding onto the controls – autopilot arm and hands off
Learnings on Briefings
· Always brief for all phases of the flight
(departure, approach, holds) - even if you are the only one on the plane and have to talk to yourself.
·
Departure Brief:
o
Initial Altitude
o
Initial Heading
o
Turns / Altitude to expect
o
Departure Frequency
o
Lost Communication Process
o
Emergency Process
·
Approach Brief:
o
Approach Frequency
o
Minimum on Altitudes
o
Overshoot Process
o
Radios Set
o
Timing
o
Safety
·
Holds Brief
o
Type of Entry and first three turns
o
Speed
o
Altitude
o
Fuel
o
Expect Further Time
While doing all this I realized it’s nice to have a quick
checklist / cheat sheet for departures
1. Space for your clearance - CRAFT - as you would
2. Space for Taxi instructions (useful to write out or draw where you are // what to expect)
3. Write out the key departure numbers
·
Ground elevation
·
Atis / Clearance / Ground / Twr / Departure Freq
4. Write out checks to do
·
Rolling Checks
·
PTILT check
·
Time Up ____
·
ETA _____
Also useful to have checklist / cheat sheet for arrivals
1. Write out the key arrival numbers
·
Ground elevation
Ground elevation
·
Atis / Clearance / Ground / Twr / Departure Freq
2. Space for your arrival instructions
3. Space for Taxi instructions (useful to write out or draw where you will be // what to expect)
Also useful to have a cheat sheet on holds
Teardrop Hold
·
Pass Holding Fix
·
Turn 30 degrees less than the Outbound leg
·
Fly for 1 min.
·
Turn inbound
Parallel Hold
·
Pass Holding fix
·
Turn outbound heading (non holding side)
·
Fly for 1 min.
·
Left turn all the way back
After the first day with all the briefings I was glad I didn’t schedule the test back to back as it gave me time to get my head into IFR flying the old fashioned way and practice things that you don’t really do much in real life (never done an actual hold in 10 years of instrument flying, or have had to do a VOR/DME approach)
While studying holds, I came across some really useful devices to get into holds
- · I found out there is an app for that... YOU DON’T NEED AN APP FOR THAT – JUST YOUR HAND WILL DO! (can't find the link to the video, will post when I find it)
- · Radials are ALWAYS AWAY from the fix
- · Inbound leg is always going INTO that fix (180 degree of radial)
- · Outbound leg is always AWAY from the fix (the radial)
- · I discovered a trick as I hate picturing Left / Right from the opposite side; using this trick it’s easy to figure it out if Left / Right isn’t on the Left / Right from your perspective
o
Standard Right Turns – draw a capital R – the
way the curve on the R starts is your outbound leg
o
Standard Left Turns – draw a capital R mirrored
- the way the curve on the R starts is your outbound leg
o
Take a IFR map and it will take you fractions of
seconds to figure out if holds are left turns or right turns with no need to
mentally picture)
Now the actual flight test for the instrument proficiency
check (IPC)
- · I had to do a flight plan – Smith Falls to YOW to CYND
- · Alternate Ottawa
- · Had to demonstrate estimated time / fuel etc. is all there
- · They might drill you on the weather charts, selection of alternates and cold weather correction (but I didn’t get asked those things)
- · We jumped in the sim and the rest went as well as it could – I wasn’t a star with the auto pilot and avionics – but all they cared about if I knew the procedures and don’t screw things up too badly – and can maintain my cool when things don’t go as expected
Tips for the check ride!
- · Follow the process just like on a real airplane
- · i.e. Don’t let the sim fool you – you will need to pickup ATIS, get taxi instructions, do rolling checks, get your clearance, contact tower, do your PTILT, record your time up, contact departure)
- · Be a pro tell them what you are doing by giving a departure briefing, hold briefing, arrival briefing
- · Use the equipment – Garmin GPS, Autopilot, other avionics (I could have done better knowing how the simulator autopilot couples with the avionics – like I know on the plane I fly like the back of my hand) – this frees you up to stay well ahead of the airplane
- · The last point was a BIG lesson learned for me – know the avionics on the aircraft you fly!
Now with that IFR proficiency check behind me – I headed to
Richmond, VA. This flight was
interesting as I had to do the shortest international crossing ever from
Cornwall to KMSS Massena, New York (6 min.) to clear customs, and to Hanover
County (KOFP), Virginia (19 min from my meeting in Richmond, Virginia)
