Hello folks! Happy Easter to you and yours. As we all "unwind" on this beautiful Sunday (at least it's nice in WNY), I am taking the free time to practice some more no-gyro approaches. The Air Centre is closed today (well deserved day off for the RAC crew), so I'm once again using my FSX flight sim.
I have an airplane in my bedroom, do you? #AvGeek
No-gyro approaches are the one thing that I really want to be precise on for my checkride. Oh, by the way, that checkride is now officially set for this coming Thursday (3/31)! Thanks again my friends, for all of your continued support. I could not do any of this without your backing. Until next time, as always, "Keep 'Em Flying," and "Never, Never, Never Give Up!"
Greetings once again, everyone! I wanted to give you all an update on the latest with my Instrument Rating Checkride. As you know from the last couple of my posts, the weather has been delaying the flight portion of my IFR flight test. This is ironic, because to obtain my IFR rating, I must actually fly in VFR (Visual Flight Rule) conditions, under the "foggles."
The reason for this is, since I am not yet an instrument rated pilot, as PIC ("pilot in command") for the checkride, I cannot fly in IFR conditions...yet. But, I digress. While I wait, with bated breath, for next Thursday or Friday (next proposed dates of checkride), the best I can do is to stay sharp!
Tom Petty is right! Waiting is the hardest part.
This past Monday, I flew one more time with our CFI, John. We wanted to do a "no-gyro" approach one more time before my test, as it had been a while since I last executed one. An approach without gyro's means a vacuum system failure, which also means that your heading and attitude indicators are inoperable. With these two instruments out of commission, you are forced to rely upon your magnetic compass, altimeter, VSI, and GPS (if equipped) to fill the voids left behind.
Example of a "non-gyro" approach in FSX.
On the Instrument Rating Checkride, the FAA requires the pilot-applicant to execute a simulated "no-gyro" non-precision instrument approach, often a VOR approach. This is done via the DPE covering the affected instruments with suction cups, so that the pilot cannot see them and must rely on his other "tools." This is a tricky proposition, but with the right training, totally doable!
John and I took off from KROC, after "fighting" mother-natures leftovers (frost on the airplane from being left outside the previous night.) Moving the bird into the hangar for ~15-20 mins makes quick work of any left-over frost from the previous evening. Besides the cold temps, the weather was forecast to be good. However, once John and I climbed out to GEE VOR to initiate the VOR approach into Leroy (5G0), we noticed low clouds coming in from the West. In addition, we overheard radio calls from inbound airliners from the West calling reports of snow. John kept an eye/ear on the situation, but instructed me to proceed to the GEE VOR to execute the procedure turn and initiate the approach into 5G0.
KROC>>>GEE>>>5G0>>>KROC RWY 28 ILS
1.) Depart KROC to the south (Heading 201) for GEE VOR
3.) Complete procedure turn, fly inbound to 5G0 for VOR-A approach
4.) Weather deteriorates @ 5G0, request inbound back to KROC for ILS RWY 28 approach
5.) Initiate ILS RWY 28 approach into KROC
6.) Land @ KROC
Well, as you read in the summary above, those weather reports that we were hearing over the radio were indeed a threat. As soon as I completed the procedure turn for the 5G0 VOR-A approach, we called KROC ATC and requested that we come back inbound. Here, you can see a "whole lotta nope" for VFR flying into Leroy...
Radar-grab from ExpressJet 3843, we were airbourne at the same time, just South.
Regardless of having to scrub the rest of the approach into Leroy, I did at least get to stay sharp on my "no-gyro" procedure turn.
"No-Gyro" Approach Procedure Turn
1.) Arrive @ GEE VOR on 201 degree radial "FROM"
2.) Arrive @ GEE VOR, initiate procedure turn (parallel entry holding pattern.) Fly outbound heading of 143 degrees for 1-minute
3.) Standard-rate turn to the left for until flying a heading of approximately 293 degrees (inbound on final approach course @ VOR)
4.) Fly 293 degree heading until CDI on VOR is centered, and established on final approach course.
The trick with flying a "no-gyro" approach is using the magnetic compass correctly. You see, the mag compass is subject to a lot of different errors, due to the magnetic forces. So, the key is to fly with very gentle, smooth movements and also time your turns appropriately to compensate for lead/lag errors.
Once the "no-gyro" experiment was done, John and I once again shot the ILS approach for RWY 28 @ KROC, and landed. Overall, the flight was very successful. However, not satisfied that I could not complete the VOR approach without gyros, I decided to fire-up the old FSX flight-sim to try for myself, at home. This time, I opted for the VOR-A approach into Genesee County (KGVQ), Batavia.
"No-Gyro" KGVQ VOR-A Approach
1.) Fly inbound from GEE VOR, no procedure turn required
2.) Minimums not met, "go-around" and execute missed approach procedure. Right turning climb to 3,000' and GEE VOR radial 311 degrees
3.) Intercept LENER intersection, enter the holding pattern using a parallel entry (outbound 1 minute, standard rate turn back inbound.)
4.) Re-intercept final approach course of 311 degrees after missed approach holding pattern.
5.) Weather/Visibility minimums met = LAND
There! After doing the SIM, I felt 100% satisfied. I love using FSX, because you can set it up in any configuration you like, including vacuum failures. So, for now, I will keep hitting the SIM as I wait for the weather here to lift. Next Thursday or Friday, I feel, will be a very special day. Until next time, "Keep 'Em Flying," and "Never, Never, Never Give Up."
Remainder of FAA Instrument Rating Checkride = 3/31 or 4/1
3/21 Flight Time Logged = 1.0 Hrs
Total Flight Time = 200.6 Hrs
Total Flight Time to Commercial License = 49.4 Hrs
Hello friends, followers, and family! I am dodging some late-winter-like weather currently, as I await a date for the flight portion of my Instrument Checkride. As recommended by the DPE (Pilot Examiner) Ken, I flew with one of my instructors, John D., today. This is to ensure that my Instrument Flying Skills are still up to par for the test-standards. I had not flown with a CFI since January, so this was a safe-measure to take. Today, John and I began by going over a couple of "ground" topics, which I felt i could have done better on explaining during the oral portion of my checkride. I was surprised to find that my studying since last Friday's "errs" has already produced results! The topics John and I covered were met by confidence on my end. Vacuum systems, RCO/FSS comms, and VDPs (Visual Descent Points) were all topics of our conversation. Once we hammered out the ground-schooling, John and I saddled up in N904RA for a few instrument procedures. Initially, we had planned to go out to the Geneseo VOR (GEE) @ 4,000'. However, the weather was updated while we were in ground school, and clouds had lowered. So, we altered the plan to include an RNAV Approach @ KROC RWY 28, beginning @ 3,500'. We were to follow this by the ILS for RWY 28, full-stop. So, away we went...
8.) Landing minimums met = FULL STOP LANDING @ KROC
First up was the RNAV (GPS Based) approach for Runway 28. The approach starts at the "FAULT" intersection, as seen on the approach chart below and #2 on the plan above. As JD and I climbed, we noted that the clouds were even lower than recently stated, and continuing to diminish in altitude. We stayed at ~3,200' as we flew between points #1 and #2 above.
3.) Arrive @ BILAW intersection at-or-above 2,400', turn inbound on final approach course of 280 degrees.
4.) Intercept glideslope @ SUUSA (2,100') and maintain final approach course
5.) Initiate missed-approach procedure and "go-around."
After going "missed" on the RNAV, we requested vectors from ATC for the ILS RWY 28. They agreed, and we began receiving heading ("directions") to intercept the localizer/final approach course for the ILS RWY 28.
KROC RWY 28 ILS Approach Procedure
1.) Receive ATC vectors for ILS RWY 28 approach
2.) Turn inbound to intercept localizer and final approach course (280 degrees) for RWY 28 ILS @ BILAW intersect
4.) Landing minimums met = FULL STOP LANDING @ KROC
Upon landing and securing the plane, JD was confident in my abilities once again. We plan to fly once again to the Geneseo VOR (GEE) to do a partial-panel approach into Leroy (5G0) this Monday. After that, I will be cleared to finish my IFR Checkride! Stay tuned, and as always "Keep 'Em Flying," and "Never, Never, Never Give Up." Remainder of FAA Instrument Rating Checkride = TBA, Likely This Week! 3/18 Flight Time Logged = 1.0 Hrs Total Flight Time = 199.6 Hrs Total Flight Time to Commercial License = 50.4 Hrs
Hello friends! As promised, today was yet another day filled with committing aviation. I had the privilege of flying not once, but twice today. The weather was simply beautiful, and we couldn't have asked for a better day to get up "there." By "we," I refer to myself and my very special passenger, my father! My dad has been an integral part of promoting aviation and WWII history, specifically warbirds, in my life. He was a volunteer at the National Warplane Museum even before my birth. I had my 1st visit to the museum at only 1 week old. From that point on, I was hooked. My dad would continue to volunteer at the museum as I grew up, taking me with him and using a baby-back carrier to give tours whilst I tagged along. The least I can do to thank him for all of this is to take him flying with me.
Me @ 1 week old, 1st NWM visit!
Our flight went very smooth. I elected to do a holding pattern, followed by the VOR-A approach into Canandaigua (D38.) Once there, we landed to check out all of the nifty planes in the hangar.
Our flight path to D38
Geneseo VOR Holding Pattern & D38 VOR-A Approach Procedures
1.) Overfly Geneseo VOR (GEE) @ 3,500, turn to 180 Degrees, fly that heading for 1 minute.
2.) Parallel entry, turn to left @ standard rate, track 330 degree heading to GEE VOR 360 degree radial.
3.) Overfly GEE, begin standard rate turn to the right.
4.) Fly outbound holding pattern heading of 180 degrees, time 1 minute from abeam GEE VOR (to/from indication switch.)
5.) Standard rate turn to the right for 360 radial TO, from GEE VOR.
6.) Track 360 degree radial TO, from GEE VOR
7.) Overfly GEE VOR, turn to 085 degree radial for D38 VOR-A approach course
8.) Follow 085 radial until D38 in sight = LAND
Quality father-son bonding.
After dad and I made the stop in Canandaigua, we "saddled up" once again, and returned to KROC. I did a little scenic tour before landing, so my father could see downtown from up-above.
Dad really enjoyed the flight(s), and I really got a kick out of bringing him along. It really means a lot to me to be able to "thank" him for getting me into aviation and warbirds. :-)
My aviation-filled weekend was not yet complete, however. I planned to fly twice on Sunday, and I did just that. For my 2nd journey, I flew once again with my good buddy Robert Nessel. This time, I wanted to go "under the hood" to hone-up my DME-Arc skills, before the flight portion of my IFR Checkride. So, with Robert as my "safety pilot," we flew to the GEE VOR to practice my Arcs. I decided to pick a random distance to maintain for the Arc, whatever appeared on my DME once I was abeam the Geneseo VOR. In this case, the distance was 7.5 Nautical Miles.
GEE VOR DME Arc Procedure
1.) Fly to GEE VOR
2.) Fly abeam GEE VOR @ 3,500', 7.5 NM shows on DME
3.) "Twist Ten Degree, Turn Ten Degrees (to the right.)"
4.) Maintain "Turn Ten-Twist Ten
5.) ...And maintain still (with slight wind corrections)...
6.) Complete DME Arc and return inbound to KROC = LAND
Now, I did not plan what is pictured above on the IFR Low-Altitude chart, but apparently I was precise! I am very pleased with the results. :-) I now feel more confident as I head towards to rest of my impending IFR Checkride. Until next time, "Keep 'Em Flying," and "Never, Never, Never Give Up."
Remainder of FAA Instrument Rating Checkride = TBA
3/12 Flight Time Logged = 2.4 Hrs
Total Flight Time = 198.6 Hrs
Total Flight Time to Commercial License = 51.4 Hrs
G'Day, friends and followers! Hope you are all finding success in your individual dreams. As I posted earlier (and often!), my Instrument Rating Checkride was scheduled for yesterday, March 11th. Leading up to yesterday, the weather looked promising. The forecast called for sun, and calm skies. However, in the 24 hrs leading up to my impending test, things turned south. Each hour passed, and I checked the TAFs (Terminal Area Forecasts) for KROC only to find foretellings of low-clouds and rain. Furthermore, icing became a possible issue. Regardless of the forecast, I kept in touch with the DPE (Designated Pilot Examiner) Ken Lindsay. We both noted that the forecast estimated clearing conditions by the afternoon, so we pushed the time of the oral test back an hour in hopes to emerge from the testing room to clear skies. I arrived at the airport a couple hours early, to do my flight planning. The skies looked awful, and not much improved by the time Ken arrived. We headed in to do the oral portion of the exam, agreeing to discontinue the checkride if conditions did not improve by afternoon. Well, conditions did not improve! That is, until 1-2 hours before dark. The oral exam went well, overall, with a few trips ups on my end. I aim to improve on these for the next time Ken and I meet (soon!) I will be ready for the flight portion, and prove my worth on the few oral topics I flubbed as well. :-) The whole situation brings me back to a quote that I live by, courtesy of my friend Doug Rozendaal. "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!" Soon enough, I'll get this thing done. In the meantime, this weekend has been, and will continue to be, filled with flying and aviation. For starters, today I "flew" in my flight sim (FSX.) I wanted to brush-up on my DME-arc procedure. So, I flew the VOR/DME instrument approach for RWY 4, @ KROC.
Until I get my Piper L-4, Yak-3UA, and P-51B, THIS is my airplane!
Looking at the VOR/DME RWY 4 approach, you can see the "Arc" I was talking about. Basically, here, we have to fly at a distance of 10.8 miles from the KROC VOR, all along the arc. This will, in turn, put us on course for the final approach to RWY 4. For a more detailed explanation of DME Arcs, check out this nifty YouTube vid...
KROC VOR/DME RWY 4 Approach Procedure
1.) Took-off RWY 10, intercepted and track ROC VOR Radial-096 to 10.8 DME
2.) ~1 NM before 10.8 DME, began turn to 90 Degrees right to intercept DME Arc
3.) "Twist Ten, Turn Ten" - As VOR needle deflects, I turn 10 degrees to right and re-center CDI on VOR. As you can see, my Arc was more of a "Squiggle." I had to adjust a few times to maintain a distance of 10.8 NM from the DME
4.) Turn inbound once GEE VOR Radial-343 starts to "swing in" to center of CDI on VOR
5.) Minimums of 1,200' MSL and 4,000' Visibility are met = Full-Stop Landing @ KROC RWY 4.
So, once again, there you have it! I was a little off on the Arc, but managed to make the corrections necessary to get back on track, and maintain the 10.8 DME.
My Saturday was not done, in terms of aviation, after this. I met my good friend Bobby at our museum (National Warplane Museum) in the afternoon. Bobby and I met in college, at St. John Fisher. We took a few museum studies/history courses together. He is a great, cool dude. Turns out, his Uncle (Frank Giardino) was a belly-turret gunner on B-17s during WWII. Once he heard about our museum acquiring a B-17, he wanted to come and check it out. I am glad that we were able to make it happen!
Until next time, "Keep 'Em Flying," and "Never, Never, Never Give Up."
Hello friends! The day is nearly here, that is, my IFR Checkride. I am trying not to make a big deal out of it, I will just treat it like another flight. :-) This past week, I did some final prep-work for the test by flying not once, but twice! My 1st flight of this past weekend was a tad, well, "different" (at least for a young pilot like myself.) As you know, I live in Western New York. Commonly known for having winter 11 months of the year, WNY always hosts a unique month of March. Sometimes it snows, or rains, or is 80 degrees! Every day is different. On this past Saturday, Mother Nature decided that the best dish to serve us would be that of cold air and moisture. Well, 2+2=4, so it only makes sense that when I went out to pre-flight the airplane, N904RA was sheeted in a thin coat of frost. She looked elegant, but was un-flyable in that condition. As a "newer" pilot (despite having 190 flight hours), frost is something that I have never really encountered and/or tried to remove before flying. Using my intuition, I headed back inside to figure out a course of action. I wanted to fly, and the weather "up there" was good. The only obstacle I had was the frost. I was offered a cloth and brush by our air centre staff, and attempted to remove said frost. Yet, I was unsuccessful. Enter one Mr. Lincoln Wainright. A long-time pilot, Mr. Wainright has been a loyal flier our of RAC for quite some time. He is a friendly, kind, and caring aviator who is always willing to help a fellow avgeek out. On this particular day, I was the subject of his assistance. Lincoln offered to help me de-ice the plane, by pushing it inside the hangar (temporarily) to warm her up/melt the frost off. Sure enough, we pushed her to shelter, and 1/2 hour later, she was freed of the clutches of frost! While we were moving the plane, I asked Lincoln if he would like to fly with me, and he of course said "yes!" He even offered to be my safety pilot, so I could "shoot" a couple of approaches from "under the hood." As if this wasn't enough, he offered to share-cost as well, a perk of Private Pilots. What a class act. So, with all that "excitement" of out the way, we ventured out to N904RA to "tear up the skies." Initially, I had planned to do a VOR approach into Leroy (5G0), followed by an ILS into KROC. However, shortly after takeoff, a sudden line of low-clouds swung in just south of the thruway, over the Geneseo VOR (GEE.) I took some evasive action, and radioed back to Rochester. I requested a return to the airport for an RNAV approach (to go missed), followed by an ILS to full-stop. They said yes!
1.) Recognition of low-clouds & request for RNAV & ILS Approach into KROC
2.) Diversion into KROC for RNAV RWY 25 Approach
3.) Turn base for RWY 25 RNAV Approach
4.) Final & Missed Approach for RWY 25 RNAV
5/6.) Received Vectors for ILS RWY 28 Approach
7.) Turn inbound for ILS RWY 28 Approach
8.) Approach to Minimums for ILS RWY 28, Full-Stop Landing Completed
Phew, we made it! This was a great training flight for me, both with the frost and diversion from clouds. I'd call it a successful flight. Thanks again for the help, Lincoln!
The day after this little "adventure," I flew with my buddy Robert Nessel, once again. We flew on down to Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport (KITH), a personal favorite of mine. We split the time flying, and I handled the 1st "leg" down to KITH (under the hood, of course.) I shot an ILS approach for Runway 32, once we arrived. The skies were rather bumpy on the way down, plus the hilly-terrain added in for some fun while maintaining altitude. This proved difficult once on the approach, yet I managed to do it successfully. I was very pleased!
1.) Received Vectors from ATC for ILS RWY 32 Approach
2.) Intercepted final approach course of 325 Degrees @ 3,400'
3.) Descend to 3,000' and intercept the glideslope/LOM @ VRNAH
4.) Maintain glideslope/localizer and land @ minimums on RWY 32 = DONE!
After we had a good chat over the free FBO coffee, Robert and I saddled up once again to fly back to KROC. This time, with Robert in the left seat, I got to really enjoy the ride and sight-see. Once we arrived back into Rochester, we requested from ATC to circle the city before landing. They accepted, and it was neat! I got some good pics of our fair city. Nice flying, Robert!
Robert's Flight Path from KITH to KROC
Circling the City
So, there you have it! Until next time, "Keep 'Em Flying," and "Never, Never, Never Give Up."
FAA Instrument Rating Checkride = 2 Days Away
3/5-3/6 Flight Time Logged = 3.2 Hrs
Total Flight Time = 196.2 Hrs
Total Flight Time to Commercial License = 53.8 Hrs
For those who have a passion in life, it all starts with one "thing." That "thing" could be a book, card, letter, collectible, or in my case, a toy. Perhaps it was fate or destiny, but whatever the case, the very 1st toy that I ever received was an airplane. When I was still in the warm, welcoming halls of Highland Hospital, my parent's friends came to visit bearing a gift. Ken & Holly Olsen, good friends to my parents, brought me a "Playskool Airplane Ball Popper Baby Toddler Busy Poppin' Plane Toy." And, to this day, I still cherish it!
It's the "little things" in life that really have a big impact on us, down the road. As I mentioned above, this airplane set in motion more than perhaps the gift-givers could have imagined. Add to this airplane toy gift the passion for WWII and aviation of my father, and the kindness and generosity of my fellow Warplane Museum volunteers (and countless others in the aviation/warbird community), and you have, well, me! Until next time, "Keep 'Em Flying," and "Never, Never, Never Give Up."
