Long cross country - IFR training prep

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UngaWunga

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UngaWunga
I have a few long cross countries planned coming up soon. I'm considering getting my IFR ticket, and would like to do some prep for it. Are there things I should try during my long legs that will help with my IFR training? And things that will make me a better pilot in general? Trips will be up and down the east coast, so plenty of nav aids to navigate by.

Plane is a 172 /G.
430W, 2 nav/comm radios, 330es, 2 VORs with glideslope

Suggestions on things to read up on? I do need to dig deeper into the functionality of the 430.

Thanks
 
I would suggest to focus on learning to use the avionics in the panel. Get to know the 430W very well. Practice using it until you know how to at least do all the basics without even looking at it. Also get to know the radios and the VOR heads. Your IFR training will be much easier/quicker/cheaper, if you already know how to use the complex avionics.
 
I know the basics on the 430, and the radio and VORs are no problem for me. My CFI made me use them a lot. Finding your location by crossing radials, navigating to a specific point on a radial, etc.

Are there any good simulators for the 430 out there? Something I can use while not buring fuel?
 
Plan on a VFR chart, but look at the IFR one as well, maybe even overlay it on your planned route. If there's an airway, try flying it using the VOR. Practice ID'ing the VOR, switching the OBS. See what happens when you pass one or are coming up on the next one, get that flow going to tune, ID, set your obs and, if you're using the GPS to navigate when you switch to the VOR get in the habit of checking the CDI to verify you're on VLOC instead of GPS.

It's good to establish that flow if you're going IFR eventually. I do it every flight I go up in nowaways for IFR practice. Really hits home when you're planning on doing an RNAV approach but are currently navigating by VOR, or when you switch up approaches, RNAV/VOC/LOC/RNAV, etc..CDI is super important.
 
Learn the route function on the 430 and how to make quick changes when atc changes the route. The 430 has so many useful functions,most people just keep pushing the Go To button. Fly the coast at least twice a year,New York can be a great learning experience. Also savannah can be a real pain if you file.
 
1. Practice precision flying in all regimes: if you can hold altitude withiin +-100 feet, practice doing it within +-50 feet or better. Hold course to within a half dot. Practice constant fpm and constant speed climbs and descents. Learn the power and trim settings that give you cruise power, cruise climbs, 500 fpm climbs and descents, and descent at, say 90 kts (you might want to check with a CFII as to what would be the most appropriate approach speed for your plane - often depends on whether you'll be using a notch of flaps).

2. Use VFR flight following whenever practical. Fly in the system as much as possible.

3. Learn the ins and outs of using your GPS as well as you can. Study TFM, learn all of the 430W's capabilities and quirks. I'm not too familiar with the 430, I have a 480, but I can tell you that the steepest part of the IR learning curve for me was ferreting out all of the subtle gotchas and interactions between the 480 and everything else connected to it. Might be easier in your case if you don't have anything like an HSI or autopilot driven by the GPS.
 
UngaWunga said:
I know the basics on the 430, and the radio and VORs are no problem for me. My CFI made me use them a lot. Finding your location by crossing radials, navigating to a specific point on a radial, etc.

Are there any good simulators for the 430 out there? Something I can use while not buring fuel?
Click to expand...

Yes, you can download a free 430/530 simulator from Garmin, just google it. It only runs on Windows, but works well.
 
Get flight following and make sure you are comfortable with the radios.
 
Yup, I get FF when I leave my local area all the time. I like the extra coverage. Thanks.
 
I am neither IFR certified nor am I training to become IFR certified nor am I studying prior to training to becoming IFR certified nor am I qualified to offer any IFR advice....basically, I can spell 'IFR', however I did pick up a good bit of advice on using the 430/530 online somewhere......normally I'd just enter my direct to, but now I try to use the flight plan function and enter multiple waypoints, even if they are just points in the direct line I'm flying. I believe that will be more typical of IFR flying and has some benefits to doing it that way as opposed to just direct to.
 
Fly with precision. Pick a heading, altitude, and airspeed, and NAIL all three.

If you are going to use any navigation system, center the CDI, precisely.
 
Gsxrpilot said:
Yes, you can download a free 430/530 simulator from Garmin, just google it. It only runs on Windows, but works well.
Click to expand...

Download the Garmin G500/600 simulator from the link below. It's better than the 430/530 simulator because it includes the 430W/530W and it has a more up-to-date database than the older sim. You can disregard the MFD and the PFD and just utilize the 430W if you like.

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=4867
 
eman1200 said:
I am neither IFR certified nor am I training to become IFR certified nor am I studying prior to training to becoming IFR certified nor am I qualified to offer any IFR advice....basically, I can spell 'IFR', however I did pick up a good bit of advice on using the 430/530 online somewhere......normally I'd just enter my direct to, but now I try to use the flight plan function and enter multiple waypoints, even if they are just points in the direct line I'm flying. I believe that will be more typical of IFR flying and has some benefits to doing it that way as opposed to just direct to.
Click to expand...
It depends where are you. I know in NY I'll never get direct. However in other parts of the country, you can get cleared direct to your destination without a problem.
 
I AM in IFR training right now, and I can tell you one thing that tripped me up initially... I have an Aspen and a Garmin 650 and while I always used multiple way points on my x-c, I used the GPS magenta line for flying them.

The first thing my instructor had me do was switch the Garmin to default navigation so everything was shown on my Aspen in an HSI format and I had to center the needle. Constantly.

Took me a while to get used to, but requires much more accuracy.
 
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