IMC Rating Skills Test

After a second mock test on Monday, in very bumpy conditions, I was feeling fairly confident about my skills test on Tuesday. The thing with instrument flying though is that you have to be constantly wary of all aspects of what the aircraft is doing, and can't focus on any one thing for too long. You receive a squawk code from ATC and in the time it takes you to set it on the transponder, you've spent 10 seconds looking away from the attitude indicator and have climbed/descended 100 feet, or turned 10 degrees off course. To try and prevent this you have to try and do everything in the aircraft without looking at what you are doing, just glancing occasionally to check your accuracy. This can get pretty tiring after a while.

To reduce workload you need to try and set up as much as possible before your wheels leave the ground. This is good airmanship anyway even if a VFR flight, but with instruments the need is even more pressing, so before take off, checking/setting nav aids (and secondary aids) and setting the likely next frequency into the standby channel, ready to switch when required.

The day of my test arrived and thankfully it was a beautiful sunny morning, as I drove out for my 10am briefing with the examiner. The briefing took about an hour involving a lot of paperwork (no surprises there) and a talk through of what the plan for the flight would be, what the assessed procedure would be and what else he was looking for. I then had a few hours to prepare as our slot for the ILS at Southend was booked for 1500.

At 14:30 we met at the aircraft which I'd refuelled and checked out already and prepared for flight. As soon as the wheels left the ground, he put the screens up so I couldn't see out of the aircraft, and I made a turn onto our heading towards Southend. We switched to Southend Radar and advised them that we were inbound for a vectored ILS approach. This is probably the easiest approach type as the controller gives you headings to follow and altitude to keep, already wind corrected, which reduces your workload. As he advised us that we were on our base leg, I remembered to do all the pre-landing checks (even though I knew we would not be landing), and re-identify the ILS.

Every other time we've done these approaches, the airport has been quiet and we've received a full early clearance from the radar controller. Of course this being the test, things didn't go so smoothly and we were asked to change to the tower as we were on our final approach. Luckily I'd remembered to set this in the standby frequency so the switch was quick and easy. I was then advised to "continue approach"which is not a clearance to do anything else. I heard him line up an Airbus on the runway we were heading for, and he advised me to "expect late clearance to go around". This threw me a bit as I knew we were going to go around (as opposed to land) but my decision height was supposed to be 550 ft. When we got to 550ft I still had not received my go-around clearance from the controller and for a couple of seconds I was unsure what to do. In the time I took to remind myself that the priority in aviation is always, "aviate, navigate, communicate" and initiate my go-around, we had descended to 500ft. I went around, informed the tower I was doing so, and was asked to make an early turn out to avoid the aircraft that was just taking off!

The rest of the test went as expected, timed turns and unusual attitudes with full and limited panels all went well, and half an hour later the screens were down and I was doing the bad weather circuit to land back at Stapleford on 22L. I was fairly sure that I had failed for busting my decision altitude, so when we pulled up to the parking stand I was expecting bad news. Fortunately, I got the chance to explain my (incorrect) rationale with the examiner, and as I had only marginally busted the DA, and had had a sign off on all of the instrument approaches with my instructor, he passed me! Phew!

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.

More Landaways

I also got the chance to visit Earls Colne a small airfield just outside the Stansted CTA and home to the Hertfordshire Air Ambulance, both dual and solo, and went to Lydd (south coast just East of Hastings), now renamed London Ashford International, which is a much bigger airport, handling business jets, and like Southend is controlled. Lydd is tricky as there is an active military firing zone about 5km SW of the airfield and the Dungeness nuclear power plant about 10km S of the airfield, so accurate flying is needed to avoid infringing on the associated Danger/Restricted zones.

After my trip to Lydd, I sat another couple of ground exams, getting 100% in Human Performance and Limitations and 92% in Aircraft General and Principles of Flight.

I also carried out a solo triangular navigation, all part of the 10 hours minimum solo required for licence issue, via Maldon and Laddingford. Whilst in contact with Southend Radar, and having given my height and been told to report turning at Maldon, I was somewhat surprised to turn and see an Easyjet plane about 1000ft above me at 11 o'clock, about 5 miles away on a constant bearing. Fortunately the ATC, gave them a clear "Easy X-X-X, climb now to 5000 ft, traffic 2 o'clock crossing left to right, showing 2500ft". About 20 minutes later as I passed abeam Southend's ATZ, the controller asked me to turn towards the QE2 bridge, to avoid departing traffic on the 24 runway. This gave me a good chance to practice my diversions training as he didn't allow me to turn back for 10 miles by which time I was well off of my pre-planned route.

After landing safely, I felt ready for my cross country qualifier and just had to hope that the weather would hold for the next day......

Landaways and holding up Easyjet!

One of the things I was most looking forward to when I started flying was getting to fly into other airfields/airports. Before heading off on my cross-country qualifier, I need to land dual at the aerodromes I'll be visiting.

First up was Southend (now London Southend International!). Although not on my cross country qualifier, we do most of our handling in and around the area, and any problems in flight would likely necessitate a diversion here, so it's well worth getting the practice in. It's also a controlled airport, so unlike my airfield ATSU which just give information, Southend ATC give instructions which you are required to comply with.

We radioed Southend from about 15 miles away and stated our intentions; then called as requested over the reporting point, whereby we were directed to join right base for 2-4. As we announced ourselves on final approach we received our landing clearance, as follows: "Golf-Charlie Tango cleared to land runway 2-4, surface wind 2-5-0, 10 kts. break break, easy X-X-X, after the landing cessna, you are cleared to line up and wait runway 2-4" Once down we were asked to expedite our vacation of the runway so the A319 behind us burning through 2 gallons fuel a minute could get on his way to Malaga!

After parking up on our stand, I paid the landing fee, had a quick look around the airport, then booked out and headed back to Stapleford. Again with it being a controlled airfield I had to receive a taxy and a take-off clearance.

Once back at Stapleford I had enough time to do an hour's worth of solo circuits - 5 take off and landings.

Navigation

Following my successful first solo back in August, I've spent the last month practicing navigation both dual and solo, interspersed with a few more solo flights around the local circuit, building towards my cross country qualifier.

At the end of last month, we started the navigation exercises - not much point being able to fly a plane if you don't know where you're going or how to get there!! This part of flying brings in to question your organisational and planning skills. Comprehensive planning of the route before departure, gives you more time in the air to concentrate on both the actual flying and the view. The first two nav sessions were simple triangular routes to visual points overhead other airfields or major conurbations within 30 or so miles of Stapleford. First we went via Tiptree (nr Colchester) and Gravesend (South bank of the Thames), and the second was via Laddingford (a small airfield east of Tonbridge) and Eastchurch (on the Isle of Sheppy). The main skills involved (assuming accurate planning) are flying the heading you have planned, correcting for any errors at the half way point, eg. if winds are lighter/stronger than forecast, and spotting your destination.

Some destinations are easy to see - large towns with distinctive railway lines/motorway junctions etc., some are much harder - microlight airfields, with perhaps just a couple of small aircraft on a grass strip. Using the elapsed time and looking out for a couple of nearby landmarks helps!

Sometimes of course you can't get to where you are going. Bad weather, closed airfields, or aircraft/passenger problems, can all require a diversion to a nearby airfield for a precautionary landing. This navigation on the fly (pun intended) is a bit trickier, with more mental arithmetic and double checking required to ensure you end up in the right place.

If a problem develops that is more serious (i.e. engine failure), sometimes you just need to put it down where you can. Practice forced landings join the list of things you hope you never need to call upon for real. First step, adopt best glide speed; it's no good looking out of the window for the "perfect" forced landing spot if while looking for it, you lose a thousand feet of altitude and then can't make it.

Once you have best glide speed, ascertain the wind direction relative to your aircraft and find a nice large wide field within gliding distance; we want to land approximately into wind with no obstructions around. Fly a circuit of the site, and use flap as necessary to get you comfortably into the field. There are several ways of losing height without power but no ways of gaining it!