Got my IR. Now what?

Rykymus

Rykymus

Line Up and Wait
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Dec 24, 2014
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Allen, TX
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Rykymus
Let me be more specific. I got my IR a couple days ago. The next morning, I filed and flew, departing in IMC. (Low fog, broke out about 800 ft, so about a minute total IMC.) Easy enough.

Here's the thing. The last four months, I've been practicing flying the way I needed to fly to pass my checkride. Everything by hand, no electronic gizmos for better SA. Paper charts, etc... Same was true earning my PPL. Once on my own, I found a lot of things that I needed to learn and work out on my own that was not really covered under the PPL curriculum, and I suspect that the same will be true for IR.

So the question is, what to do next? Does anyone have any suggestions on things I should do to better prepare myself for single-pilot IFR? I don't plan on flying hard IMC...basically just popping through layers on the way up or down, and getting in and out of airports that are not VFR.

My current plan is to immediately do some additional flights with my instructor, preferably in IMC. (Which we usually have nearby on the coast.) I also feel like, because I've been concentrating on hand-flying IFR, I need to spend some time developing good habits and techniques utilizing my auto-pilot. (STEC 30 w/Alt hold and GPSS w/Garmin 430)

While I feel confident that I can safely handle IFR flights, departures, and approaches, I know that I still have a long way to go. Especially before I start taking my wife along with me.

Any and all suggestions are welcome.
 
Practice, talk with ATC every time you go, and practice without your instructor as you'll gain more confidence. You'll probably scare yourself a time or three but that's part of it. Use higher personal minimums if you feel the need for them, and gradually work down until your comfortable. Work in the AP, how to program the 430 on the fly, MA especially. Just get up and practice. It will all come together.
 
Fly out of non controlled fields, get your IFR via phone, fly into big bravo fields, transition VFR to IFR, that type of thing.
 
Use it. Travel. File IFR every time you fly, other than local hops. That helps with working with ATC.

Definitely work on getting used to your autopilot. It's a huge help in busy airspace and busy times; seems like ATC always has something to say to me as it's time to level off or turn. :rolleyes: An autopilot significantly reduces fatigue in a long flight, even in VMC.

Stay current. Better yet, stay more than current. I like to shoot approaches in IMC for practice as it is different, and in IMC is when I really need to be able to shoot an approach.
 
Keep up your good attitude that your rating is a license to learn....
 
I'm pretty comfortable with ATC. My previous profession required a lot of radio work. And I've always asked for flight following during VFR flights. I've put my nephew through PPL (his checkride is next month) specifically so I'll have a safety pilot at my disposal. I plan to fulfill the 6-month currency requirements every month.

I definitely need more time with my GPS. I'm pretty good with setting up flight plans, but I need more practice editing them on the fly. And I just found out that my autopilot can track VORs and localizers, so I need to play with that.

I do plan to file IFR for every flight for awhile, regardless of the weather. First goal is getting comfortable shooting minimums at my home drone, then the three places I fly to most often. Monterey, Half Moon Bay, and McClellan. Those are half of my regular flights right there.

I really feel like now is the best time to get in the practice on my own, while my training is still fresh in my mind. I'm planning on flying 3 times a week for a few more months, one of those days being with my instructor to make sure I don't pick up any bad habits.

Thanks.
 
Learn how to do coupled RNAV approaches. Any GPS; all the Garmins are similar (but not identical -- e.g., airway support varies). Use the autopilot. Polish your partial panel skills so they are second nature. You will need them eventually, and it may be sooner than you think. I only went a few months before an HSI failed on me in turbulent, showery IMC.

If you have access to multiple aircraft, start transitioning. For each new configuration, first VFR, then IFR in VMC, then IMC. Whether you do this with foggles and a safety pilot is up to you, but VFR practice approaches solo can be more work than real approaches, for instance, due to Class B.

What I did was prep for a CAP check right away, which put me in a very different airplane, and really polished the procedures. Unlike a checkride, CAP tries to put you in the heaviest workload environment. Kinda like an IPC. They made me fly the VOR approach at KCCR with the procedure turn and a "failed" AHRS. I'll be practicing that tomorrow....

Find a reliable safety pilot population. You're gonna need it. You can trade with other instrument pilots often.

You'll quickly find that your hand flying expires. You'll need to practice it regularly.

Where are you based?
 
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Practice, practice, practice....
 
KSCK

Safety pilot isn't an issue, as I'm paying for my nephew to get his training all the way through to CFI. I plan to practice once per month, all hand flying, under the hood, with a safety pilot. Actual flying in IMC will be done with the autopilot as much as possible. It seems less risky to save the hand-flying practice for under the hood in VMC with a safety pilot.
 
Hand flying in actual is different, especially if it's more that the simple radiation fog you've been having over there. You should never be dependent on the autopilot, as they do glitch or behave oddly sometimes, and can do a real bad job in turbulence,

Get comfy hand flying in actual. If you blow a TC circuit breaker, that STEC will be gone, though all your other instruments may be fine. And automation surprises happen with coupled GNSS. The best way to deal with that is to turn off the autopilot. Fewer variables.

It's a little on the far side for practice, but if you can get over to Palo Alto or Reid, I'll be happy to help out. Most of the time, when I'm out your way, I have a CAP plane, though I did train on that incredibly dense VOR approach you have.
 
Funny you should bring up that VOR approach. I trained for that as it was to be part of my checkride. Then, on the day of my checkride, the new TERPS came out, and that VOR was gone! Rumor has it that the ECA VOR is going bye-bye as well, but that much is unconfirmed. I ended up shooting the VOR-A into Oakdale instead, which is a hell of a lot easier, in with partial panel.
 
Offer to be the safety pilot and work on mastering the avionics while someone else is under the hood.

Then switch seats.
 
rolivi said:
Offer to be the safety pilot and work on mastering the avionics while someone else is under the hood.

Then switch seats.
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If he can find someone willing to do that, it will work great. However, when I'm doing proficiency flights under the hood, I usually need to do that myself.
 
Rykymus said:
Funny you should bring up that VOR approach. I trained for that as it was to be part of my checkride. Then, on the day of my checkride, the new TERPS came out, and that VOR was gone! Rumor has it that the ECA VOR is going bye-bye as well, but that much is unconfirmed. I ended up shooting the VOR-A into Oakdale instead, which is a hell of a lot easier, in with partial panel.
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ECA VOR is on the termination list, but MOD isn't. Makes no sense to me; ECA is used for everything, including a well worn STAR for SFO.

FYI, I had a hand flown departure out of PAO this morning, in actual. ATIS said SCT006, but it was much lower, perhaps 200 or 300, and the entire western half was obscured. It happens. Curiously, the GPS approach was clear. And apparently, SFO was a mess until after noon. But it was clear and a million at LVK and CCR.
 
Scotty said:
First thing I would recommend is don't takeoff in FOG. what if you have to return....set yourself a personal minimum for approaches my instructor years ago recommended VFR min. 1000 and 3 for start I would say these days maybe 500 and 2 for your start..If you have to get out at least try to have landing min. for that airport and like they said practice...practice.
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My personal minimums are the ones on the approach plate. If I'm not comfortable shooting an approach down to minimums then I need more training IMO
 
jordane93 said:
My personal minimums are the ones on the approach plate. If I'm not comfortable shooting an approach down to minimums then I need more training IMO
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All I was saying jordane93 was if I was a new instrument pilot I would leave myself a little leeway for a safety margin. Sorry you disagree.
 
Scotty said:
All I was saying jordane93 was if I was a new instrument pilot I would leave myself a little leeway for a safety margin. Sorry you disagree.
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No need to apologize. I wasn't attacking you. Just stating my opinion.
 
The minimums I'll use are not just based on the minimums on the plate, but also on the weather conditions. Specifically the wind. As I have only shot an approach in actual two times (and both had ceilings well above minimums), I'd like to get a bit more experience in actual before I start shooting approaches in IMC down to the minimums on the plate. It is about training, not just qualification. For now, if the winds are relatively calm, I'll shoot to the minimums on the plate. If they are not, I'll likely want a few hundred feet higher ceilings...for now.
 
Rykymus said:
My current plan is to immediately do some additional flights with my instructor, preferably in IMC. (Which we usually have nearby on the coast.) I also feel like, because I've been concentrating on hand-flying IFR, I need to spend some time developing good habits and techniques utilizing my auto-pilot. (STEC 30 w/Alt hold and GPSS w/Garmin 430).
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Right after getting my IR ticket, I found another similar pilot, and we spent a lot of time flying together and learning more advanced systems. Both being engineers, got up to speed quickly, and the pilot not flying would assist in training the pilot flying in autopilot, GPS, etc. It would out very well. We would just alternate on each flight.
 
Scotty said:
Your OK , glad to meet you on my first day.. I just posted what I was flying in 1982 when I had hair , teeth , etc..enjoy your flying....Scotty PS I'm the one on left next to plane.
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Welcome man! I'm just the kid on the left (regional scum for now). Dad's on the right at DL.
 
jordane93 said:
My personal minimums are the ones on the approach plate. If I'm not comfortable shooting an approach down to minimums then I need more training IMO
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Under all conditions?

I damn well wouldn't want to shoot an ILS to minimums with LLWS warnings, moderate turbulence, and thunderstorms in the area.

On the other hand, an ILS to minimums through marine layer is not a problem.
 
MAKG1 said:
Under all conditions?

I damn well wouldn't want to shoot an ILS to minimums with LLWS warnings, moderate turbulence, and thunderstorms in the area.

On the other hand, an ILS to minimums through marine layer is not a problem.
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Not under all conditions.
 
+1 on flying as a Safety pilot, ask your instructor if he has any students that could use a Safety pilot. You will learn a lot and get a lot more comfortable watching some else learn the stuff you are supposed to already know. And maybe help them learn it better to.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
 
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