IMC (continued)

Another IMC lesson today - hopefully my last now as the next one is due to be a mock test. We planned a short route, using the DME and a VOR radial to get to our first point and then a timed turn on limited panel to turn onto our second heading. This all went very well.

Next up were a couple more timed turns, resisting the urge to watch the compass, I kept my scan going but it was quite blustery so I'm sure we were doing a bit of a rollercoaster for a while - my stomach certainly thought we were - but my instructor seemed happy. Following this we did some limited panel unusual attitude recoveries, before tracking back to Stapleford using the Lambourne VOR. It was probably my best approach using the non-precision procedure here, and we ended up nicely lined up, if maybe a bit off to the right of the centre line for 22L. Unfortunately another aircraft was ahead of us on final, and whilst we hoped they may be doing a touch and go, they landed and started to back track the runway, meaning we had to go around. Still this was good as it meant we could practice a bad weather circuit (at 800 ft) with a descending turn from downwind straight onto final, and a nice touch down with the stall warner just burbling, in blustery conditions.

Next up is my mock test, as well as my theory paper, so I'd better get on with my reading of Trevor Thom 5! Next week I hope to take the skills test as I'm off to the States for my hour building next Friday, and whilst I won't have the rating before I leave (and it's not valid overseas anyway) I'd like to have it all done so I can apply as soon as I return.

Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) Rating and hour building

Having received my licence in July 2013, just before quitting my job and heading off travelling for 6 months, I had only done one post-PPL flight down to Lee and back. As I intend to progress towards my commercial rating, I need to build up my hours to 200 before I can get that rating. The commercial course itself is 25 hours so that leaves me with 125 hours or so to build before starting the training.

I want the hour building to be really worthwhile, as it's probably the only time in my life (assuming no imminent lottery win) that I will get to spend this amount of time flying anywhere I want, and it all be working towards my end goal. I have decided to spend a month in California, to try and make the most of their better weather and significantly cheaper rental prices (£55/hour as opposed to £110/hour). Before going though I want to get the IMC rating. This is a basic instrument rating, which gives the holder experience of flying with sole reference to the instruments, which may become necessary during inadvertent (or planned) entry into cloud. It also gives experience of tracking with other navigational aids: VORs, NDBs and ILS. This allows for let-down procedures when landing at airports underneath the cloudbase. Whilst the rating cannot be used outside the UK, it is a good "get out of jail" card, should inadvertent entry to cloud occur, and is also good practice and experience for my eventual Instrument Rating - in fact the current idea is that the instruction I've received may even count partially towards my IR as my instructors have all been full IR Instructors....we'll see what EASA decide next as to whether this sticks.

Time flew, the blog didn't.....but flight test time!

I got lazy, I must confess and I stopped updating the blog, as must be apparent, but I didn't give up on the flying and on 1st June 2013, after 45 hours and 15 minutes of flight time, 7 passed ground school exams and an FTROL (Flight Radio Telephony Operator's License), I was ready to jump into G-CHIK with the examiner for my two hour flight test.

The weather was not great but as I had left my job and was preparing to leave the country for 6 months in July, I was keen to push ahead and get the test done. We had a cloud base of just under 2000 ft, which was fine for the navigation part of the exercise, but made the stalling section (normally done at 3000ft+) more interesting to say the least. Still all went well and as we made our way back to the airfield tracking the Lambourne VOR, I was feeling confident that I would pass. All that was left to do were my circuits which I felt I was more than competent at. The only niggling fear was that with a northerly wind, we were landing on the downhill grass runway 04 as opposed to the tarmac, uphill (shorter float and landing run) runway 22. The first two touch and go's (normal and flapless) went well, but on my third (glide) approach, I added flap too early and felt I was a little low on the final approach. I decided to initiate a go-around and try again and the examiner was happy with this proactivity although I was petrified he'd fail me for it. On my last approach he asked me to do a short-field landing and stop in the shortest distance possible. Happily, with some strong progressive breaking and a 55kt slow approach, I stopped just a few dozen metres after the numbers and after a careful taxi back to the apron received the good news that I had passed.