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Steven8385

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Steven8385
When flying instruments we all know what the FAA requires for currency. But how often does everyone go out and practice, whether by hood, simulator, or flying actual?
 
I get to do Part 91 charters in a Cirrus at my flight school so I regularly get to shoot approaches and get actual single pilot IFR experience. I don't really need to practice holds, procedures, or approaches because I regularly get to do them.
 
Living in the southwest, flying in actual is a rare opportunity, unfortunately.

BTW, what is a "Part 91 charter"? Flying the owner in his/her own aircraft?


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It's kind of tough for me these days but when I regularly commuted between the North Bay and the Valley, I would normally get an approach in actual at one end or the other, depending on the time of year so currency was never a problem.
 
dans2992 said:
Living in the southwest, flying in actual is a rare opportunity, unfortunately.

BTW, what is a "Part 91 charter"? Flying the owner in his/her own aircraft?


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Click to expand...
Yep. We fly the owners in their own planes.
 
jordane93 said:
Yep. We fly the owners in their own planes.
Click to expand...


You may not want to associate 91 & charter the same sentence. Illegal charters are a serious problem in the industry and you don't want to be caught up in that. Just call it 91 flying, it'll save you some heat later.
 
Steven8385 said:
When flying instruments we all know what the FAA requires for currency. But how often does everyone go out and practice, whether by hood, simulator, or flying actual?
Click to expand...
When I lived in Michigan I was able to stay current and proficient by shooting approaches, flying holds, etc. in actual, that's how common conditions like that are around the Lakes. Here in VT, I've only been able to do it 3 times in the past year: twice a couple of days apart last October, and once last month - just barely since conditions were rapidly "deteriorating" to VFR.

People based along the New England coast might find IFR conditions easier to come by.
 
My flying club requires a full check flight flight every year which includes enough tasks to cover both a FR and an IPC.

When I was living in Colorado, a friend and I would go up almost every month. Pick a day after work, go fly a few approaches each, and go out for dinner afterwards. I wouldn't mind doing that now but it was easier when I was 5 minutes from the airplane.

I have friends who do an IPC every 6 months, needed or not. They feel flying with a CFI is best. One of them rotates among CFIs and, since I'm one of them, who am I to complain? :)
 
I'm all over the place; last time I needed an IPC, I did it on a sim. Otherwise, I get an approach in somewhere along the way on most flights.

Sometimes I get ambitious and take a friend along as safety pilot, and do four or five. I like to include at least one approach I've done multiple times in the past, and I have a couple of favorite locations. I like to be proficient on my home-base approaches, and I use the repetitive ones to compare my baseline - like "geez, that effort sucked - I was nailing it earlier this year when I was flying a lot. I need more work..."
 
I do an IPC with an instructor every 6 months if I haven't accomplished the requirements in the course of my normal flying (which hasn't happened yet... I live in Denver).
 
I schedule my instructor every 3 months and we shoot 3-4 approaches and do a hold or two.

I do it every 3 months, because getting 6 approaches I at one shot is hard.
 
jordane93 said:
I get to do Part 91 charters in a Cirrus at my flight school so I regularly get to shoot approaches and get actual single pilot IFR experience. I don't really need to practice holds, procedures, or approaches because I regularly get to do them.
Click to expand...

Be careful. Someone may accuse you of turning this into a Cirrus post. :D
 
It's my post so post as much about the cirrus as you would like as long as I get a ride.
 
If I have a passenger to look for traffic, I will go heads down on a practice approach every single landing I do. I won't log it unless they're a pilot, but the practice is still good. If there is no one else in the plane, I will still load and practice the approach, albeit with a heads-up attitude. Every. Single. Landing.

That's what makes it a piece of cake once I actually have to shoot a real approach.

Now that my wife has her PPL, we just purchased a hood. I'll be shooting and logging nearly every approach. That is, unless, she ever gets checked out in our plane......... ;)
 
I liked to go out every couple of weeks to do some actual.have to cut back,as my MT composite prop,does not like the rain. Have a full IFR capable airplane with a prop that doesn't handle the rain.
 
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