justplanecrazy October 21st, 2007
First of all, Let me say I have read a few reports from others who went before me on the IR check-ride, and all I can say is I got lucky! I almost feel like it was given to me, but that doesn’t make since because the DE I used has a reputation for not being easy! Honestly It bothered for a little while, I felt i did not deserve the pass! However the more I think about it, the more I think he did me a favor. Now, I know I will keep studying about Instrument flying, and I will be determined to go and build my experience stronger, so I WILL feel confident in my flying!
SO lets get to that day! Here In South Texas 350 days out of the year the wind are out of the south! The two most common places this particular DPE like to do his test are KSAT and KERV. Ok, Great I have flown the Hold and VOR-AÂ Off center point VOR into ERV many times. I also have flown the ils12R into KSAT many times….well…NOT today!!! The winds…350 and Center Point VOR was out of service! So I find out I will be flying approaches I have never flown! Shouldn’t be a problem, I mean that what we train for, RIGHT?
Well, he shows up (20 min early) and we begin with a little small talk, he checks the IACRA and He briefs me on what we will be doing…OK so far. He ask for the flight plan kinda looks it over ask a couple basic question and puts it aside! Ask for the airplane LOG check all the appropriate entries, and is satisfied with the plane! Then immediately goes into weather. Has me open up duats (which is what I told him I use)Starts asking me questions about how I find out about T-STorms Airmets etc…easy enough, Duats labels each section. went through the weather completely, Doesn’t ask me a single question about notams…Ok who am I to complain. He then had me pull up some charts off of NOAA’s website that I had never seen, ask me questions, I tried to stumble through, but could not answer all of them. He seemed to want to teach me a little bit about weather, which was fine too, I already had a pad out and had been taking notes! Asked me where I would have planned an alternate to, IF i would have needed one. I told him and he seemed pleased with the answer. Believe it or not, that was pretty much it. NO ??? on mea’s mca’s maa’s mra’s, never looked at the enroute chart. Asked me about required equipment for IFR flight!
So then he wanted to take a little lunch break, had me file for a local IFR, 1 Hold and one vor approach into T82 of the stonewall vor. After lunch, we head out to the plane, he watches me preflight ask a couple basic questions tried to act like he was just standing around, but I bet he never missed a single thing! I found a loose bolt hanging out of the cowling. so off to the  MX people I go, NO biggie, pop the cowling he showed the de where he had just put a NEW bolt but never found the one he lost (which I found) again he was happy and ready. We climb in, plane doesn’t start, after about six trys the starter finally engages and we start up, taxi back to the fbo so We can go inside and call for a clearance (no rco on the field). 30 min later of being on hold, he says forget it we will simulate…ok, hope in the plane doesn’t start again!!! 4 times later we get ignition and we are off. Climb out is fine, plane is good its getting to be around 130 so its getting bumpy. I make it to the vor and I lose my stop watch! I’m in a hold trying to use my watch, somehow i manage to pull off a hold we head inbound I descend to mda and he says hood off and make a low circle app. well I’m right on a right base within glide range so I say, I have the field made I’m leaving my mda. I think he wanted to make an actual circle, but hey I was right in front of my rnwy, I was taking it…ok low app then back out of the area for some partial panel. real basic. compass turns and that’s all, but then he did some unusual attitude partial panel. At one point i was nose low airspeed was 140 kts in an archer with 154 VNE. Ok altimeter is spining down as is vsi and airspeed is climbing…Power off gently nose up until the stop he takes It and one more. From there we fly to ksat for an ils12r. was no to bad, but not good either. We had a lot of heavy iron behind us and controllers not happy with us. we were told to land so we stopped he went in an fbo made a call to the tower got permission for another app. the second was the 12r localizer PARTIAL PANEL..still have controllers yelling still have big stuff behind us and one point they fly an erj over out heads. This one was real sloppy, I almost went full scale deflection but pulled it back just in time! we descend to MDA and he has me fly the full length of the rnwy at MDA, man was I glad the controller finally told be to climb and turn out…because that was it he said hood off, and i started breathing again. He never said a word if i passed or not, I could have busted no less then 3 times (I seen it, not sure if he did!) It was a ride from hell to be honest. we started at 910 am and finished at 1600.
I wish I could offer some more solid advice for those who still have to take the ir ride, but I just dont think this was a normal ride…or maybe that is the advice…BE READY FOR ANYTHING!!! Dont just memorize the app’s you think the de uses, be ready to fly any approach in any sitaution, and most importantly, dont give up, even if you think your doing bad….DONT GIVE UP!!!