As a private pilot training for his instrument rating, I feel obligated to mention that IFR training is completely different from that of the initial private pilot ticket. I may have said this before, and if so, let me just reinforce that idea again. In my previous posts, I've mentioned staring at lines on charts in hopes that I can establish a connection with what to do, or how to fly them. Things often take a turn for the abstract when looking at approach plates and en route charts, and the phrase "always be ahead of your airplane" has never been more true when trying to fly those lines in an actual airplane.
Since I received a passing score on my instrument knowledge test, I have taken the next step and started the flight portion of the training process. During this time, I've finally managed to build 100 hours of total flight time as PIC (Pilot in Command). This doesn't mean much in terms of aviation. There's no celebration and no shirt tails are cut. It's just an entry in a log book. However, we in the aviation community always mention that your first 100 hours is your "license to learn". Finally having surpassed the 100 hour mark, I don't exactly feel seasoned. Experienced, yes. I feel safe saying I know enough to be dangerous. (Using the word dangerous very loosely here).
However, during my flight training process, it seemed to me that I had difficulty figuring out just HOW to fly an instrument approach. Sure, there are dots and lines leading you right up to the runway and step down altitudes that tell you how to get there safely. In all honesty, I know how to
read an approach plate, but developing the kinesthetic sense of
flying the approach did not make any sense.
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| Where to? |
Until now. One morning I woke up, and the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. It all just "clicked" together and I think what made it happen was finally flying it in the left seat; developing those thought processes and actual feel of preparing the aircraft to fly the approach. A few summers back, I actually taught a ground school for private pilots, and I had a couple of students who wanted to get some airtime while they learned the ground work. I suggested that they complete their ground work first in order to maximize their experiences in the air and as such, I decided to do the same while preparing for this instrument ticket. However, I now can understand their frustration and confusion with what they were studying. Sometimes what you're learning just doesn't make sense until the prop is turning and you're 3,500 feet in the air.
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| ACTUAL hand flown procedure turn and ILS approach. Like a boss. |
Now that it's "clicked" I hope it sticks. I am to a point where my confidence is rising and I'm feeling more proficient in my abilities to fly IFR. In fact, while my training syllabus has quite a bit of stuff to do before I start flying places, I am eager to work through them (and even jumping ahead in some cases) to begin planning and flying trips.
