New ticket

Nathan Miller

Nathan Miller

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Oct 5, 2019
Messages
380
Location
Washington, D.C.
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Display name:
Nathan
Fish out of water - haven’t posted in a while. Not much of a talker. But I wanted to share the news that I passed my IRA checkride yesterday :eek:

It still hasn’t exactly sunk in. Oral went well. There were a few questions that got me; nothing show-stopping. “Which is worse - clear or rime ice?” “Ummm… I don’t plan to mess with either in my 172, sir, but I can take a stab and say clear is likely denser and gives you more of a weight penalty. Rime is rougher and dirties up your aerodynamics… but they probably both accumulate at the same rate, so who cares about density… I’ll say… rime?”

Boy was I wrong :p Oh well. You can’t win em all. I’m happy I at least I won enough of them…

Flight lasted an hour and a half. Although typing that out seems misleading. Honestly, “it all happened so fast” haha. We started off with unusual attitudes, followed by 2 turns in a hold, RNAV to LPV minimums with a touch and go. Followed by a localizer and circle to land and a neighboring field. Boom. Done.
Mind blown. I still feel like I have so much to learn!! My personal mins are 1k cog and 3 sm vis until I get more experience in actual. Meanwhile I look forward to being able to look outside the plane again…

cheers
 
Congrats, where'd you do your ride?
 
Thanks :)

Met the examiner at EZF - Shannon airport (Fredericksburg, Va) and we shot two approaches at Stafford before shooting the last one back at Shannon.
 
Congrats. It's a big one, and now an even bigger challenge, keeping your skills and learning. File everywhere you go. Get comfortable using the ATC system. Get a friend that you can trade off safety pilot duties and have some fun with that. Expect the first time alone in IMC will be very different than under the hood.
 
Congrats! It’s a great feeling to have it done, isn’t it?
 
jsstevens said:
Congrats! It’s a great feeling to have it done, isn’t it?
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Yes and no. Super glad to have this under my belt. Intimidated by what I might not know or have yet to encounter, which I'm sure is a lot :eek:

I'll take it as they come. I expect many unforecasted challenges ahead. I just hope my training has prepared me for them. This feels even more of a license to learn than the PPL.
 
Nathan Miller said:
Fish out of water - haven’t posted in a while. Not much of a talker. But I wanted to share the news that I passed my IRA checkride yesterday :eek:

It still hasn’t exactly sunk in. Oral went well. There were a few questions that got me; nothing show-stopping. “Which is worse - clear or rime ice?” “Ummm… I don’t plan to mess with either in my 172, sir, but I can take a stab and say clear is likely denser and gives you more of a weight penalty. Rime is rougher and dirties up your aerodynamics… but they probably both accumulate at the same rate, so who cares about density… I’ll say… rime?”

Boy was I wrong :p Oh well. You can’t win em all. I’m happy I at least I won enough of them…

Flight lasted an hour and a half. Although typing that out seems misleading. Honestly, “it all happened so fast” haha. We started off with unusual attitudes, followed by 2 turns in a hold, RNAV to LPV minimums with a touch and go. Followed by a localizer and circle to land and a neighboring field. Boom. Done.
Mind blown. I still feel like I have so much to learn!! My personal mins are 1k cog and 3 sm vis until I get more experience in actual. Meanwhile I look forward to being able to look outside the plane again…

cheers
Click to expand...
Cool. Welcome to the goo
 
Congrats!!!! Haven't heard from you in a while.. glad to hear you got the IR!
 
Nathan Miller said:
Yes and no. Super glad to have this under my belt. Intimidated by what I might not know or have yet to encounter, which I'm sure is a lot :eek:

I'll take it as they come. I expect many unforecasted challenges ahead. I just hope my training has prepared me for them. This feels even more of a license to learn than the PPL.
Click to expand...
When I got mine, I remember thinking, "Now I'm licensed to get into all kinds of trouble!"
 
Congrats! Did he fail any of your instruments during the check ride?
 
Several. Vacuum driven AI, G5 HSI (electric, of course... perhaps he failed them together to see how I would do if a vacuum pump failed while flying someone else's plane :shrug:

I was doing just fine until he failed my *shudder* iPad Resized_20200416_175905.jpeg
 
Did you pull out your I phone as an I pad back up? :)
 
Should have, would have, could have. I even have a yoke mount for my iPhone. And a Samsung Galaxy in the map pocket at a backup. I didn't even think of running my iPhone. All 3 have Garmin Pilot installed.

Fortunately my GNX 375 gave me enough situational awareness where I didn't need it. Maybe if that wasn't in place, it would have dawned on me to go to my iPhone. Nerves also hunkered down my tunnel vision...
 
At least he didn’t fail the GNX 375! Did he do a lost coms on you?
 
Nathan Miller said:
Should have, would have, could have. I even have a yoke mount for my iPhone. And a Samsung Galaxy in the map pocket at a backup. I didn't even think of running my iPhone. All 3 have Garmin Pilot installed.

Fortunately my GNX 375 gave me enough situational awareness where I didn't need it. Maybe if that wasn't in place, it would have dawned on me to go to my iPhone. Nerves also hunkered down my tunnel vision...
Click to expand...

Congratulations - it's a real accomplishment!

My DPE failed both G5's as well as the GTN650. I was okay using timed turns & the turn coordinator, but then I realized that the approach required DME for identifying fixes. When I explained that to the DPE, he said "yeah, I know". So I ended up using the iPad and to identify the step downs.

Got my instrument ticket last August and it's been a challenge to maintain currency, let alone proficiency. November thru April there's too much risk of icing for IMC. June-August is thunderstorm season and VFR is actually better. While I'm pleased with having gone through the effort to get the IR, it's actually been pretty limited in utility so far in the Northeast. But then again this weekend I was able to make a trip back from PVD that would have been impossible (or at least very unwise) VFR, so there's that.
 
I actually used my ticket today - totally unexpected. I filed IFR on what I thought was a VFR day, just to stay in practice. I'm glad I did. The smoke from the wildfires out west has created a rather thick haze on the east coast and was likely below VFR minimums for visibility. But you wouldn't know if from looking at a map of the area airports. They're all showing VFR because the haze kicks in around 2,000'
 
Yeah, odd weather and what not going on in the south this summer as well.
upload_2021-7-22_13-47-51.png
 
AlleyCat67 said:
So I ended up using the iPad and to identify the step downs
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Wait - using an I Pad for IFR navigation is against the rules. (OK for pulling up charts, loading flight plans, etc.) What am I missing?
 
WDD said:
Wait - using an I Pad for IFR navigation is against the rules. (OK for pulling up charts, loading flight plans, etc.) What am I missing?
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Since the DPE failed the GPS, it was a simulated emergency. In a real emergency, 91.3 entitles the pilot to deviate from the rules to the extent necessary to meet the emergency. As for whether any rules were violated on this flight, I think that would depend on whether they were flying the approach on an IFR clearance or not. If it was being flown under visual flight rules in VFR conditions, then I don't think the IFR equipment requirements in 91.205(d) would be in effect.
 
Congrats! But now you have me thinking...there is a "worse" type of icing? Why? I'm gonna guess that clear is harder to see the danger...??? IDK.
 
tawood said:
Congrats! But now you have me thinking...there is a "worse" type of icing? Why? I'm gonna guess that clear is harder to see the danger...??? IDK.
Click to expand...
Clear icing runs back and accumulates quickly. According to the dpe. My icing experience is nil and hope to keep it that way.
 
WDD said:
Wait - using an I Pad for IFR navigation is against the rules. (OK for pulling up charts, loading flight plans, etc.) What am I missing?
Click to expand...

Aren't step downs on a chart/plate?

(On second thought - I assume the post was referencing step-down altitudes rather than way points. ) maybe a clarification is in order?
 
Nathan Miller said:
Aren't step downs on a chart/plate?

(On second thought - I assume the post was referencing step-down altitudes rather than way points. ) maybe a clarification is in order?
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Unless he had a separate DME (or a separate VOR receiver if the chart also had VOR radials for identifying the fixes), then failing the GPS would have removed his ability to determine when he was crossing the fixes.
 
Palmpilot said:
failing the GPS removed his ability to determine when he was crossing the fixes.
Click to expand...

Exactly why I asked the question. I see the answer is “at that point it was an emergency” and I’ll use the I Pad.
 
Nathan Miller said:
Clear icing runs back and accumulates quickly. According to the dpe. My icing experience is nil and hope to keep it that way.
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Thanks. I had heard that clear icing was worse, but I never got around to finding out the reason.
 
AlleyCat67 said:
Congratulations - it's a real accomplishment!

My DPE failed both G5's as well as the GTN650. I was okay using timed turns & the turn coordinator, but then I realized that the approach required DME for identifying fixes. When I explained that to the DPE, he said "yeah, I know". So I ended up using the iPad and to identify the step downs.

Got my instrument ticket last August and it's been a challenge to maintain currency, let alone proficiency. November thru April there's too much risk of icing for IMC. June-August is thunderstorm season and VFR is actually better. While I'm pleased with having gone through the effort to get the IR, it's actually been pretty limited in utility so far in the Northeast. But then again this weekend I was able to make a trip back from PVD that would have been impossible (or at least very unwise) VFR, so there's that.
Click to expand...
That's always been one of my "excuses", how will I ever maintain proficiency. Its a lot of work to get the ticket and keep current. I don't want to give myself a false sense of security with a piece of paper.
 
Joe Pilot said:
That's always been one of my "excuses", how will I ever maintain proficiency. Its a lot of work to get the ticket and keep current. I don't want to give myself a false sense of security with a piece of paper.
Click to expand...

It's a good excuse to grab a fellow pilot and go flying when the weather is good and do some hood work. I try and do it at least once a month and I often fly instrument approaches alone VFR even when I can't log them. Then you take advantage of those "soft" IFR days, especially as a new IFR guy (which I consider myself with a whopping 13 hours of actual time in the year and half I've had the rating). If you do that you can front load your way through the ugly icing season here on the east coast and avoid falling out of currency and it keeps you as proficient as any of us recreational SEL guys are likely to be.
 
Nathan Miller said:
Fish out of water - haven’t posted in a while. Not much of a talker. But I wanted to share the news that I passed my IRA checkride yesterday :eek:

***DELETIA***

cheers
Click to expand...

Got your ticket wet yet? Belated congratulations!

(there should be a ceremony for that like when they snipped the tail of your shirt on your first solo).
 
Nathan Miller said:
Yes and no. Super glad to have this under my belt. Intimidated by what I might not know or have yet to encounter, which I'm sure is a lot :eek:

I'll take it as they come. I expect many unforecasted challenges ahead. I just hope my training has prepared me for them. This feels even more of a license to learn than the PPL.
Click to expand...

After this, if you decide to do so, Commercial is a piece of cake. Maneuvers, intense flight planning, xc work. But, it's fun. You got the hardest part (because you have to learn to not pay attention to the kinesthetic senses you've depended on for your entire life) behind you.
 
BryanAV8R said:
Got your ticket wet yet? Belated congratulations!
Click to expand...

Yes and thank you. Day after my check ride! And ain't had a cloud in the sky since :eek:

Hopefully we can get some IMC days in the next little bit. Meanwhile, I'm filing/flying IFR in VMC to maintain proficiency. Hopefully I'll find some actual so I can maintain currency as well without pulling out that danged hood and enlisting an SP :rolleyes:

BryanAV8R said:
(there should be a ceremony for that like when they snipped the tail of your shirt on your first solo).
Click to expand...

Right? I wouldn't mind defacing the foggles as part of that ceremony
 
BryanAV8R said:
After this, if you decide to do so, Commercial is a piece of cake.
Click to expand...

Hope so. Need to let the bank account recover. Plus I'm buying a house next summer, so Commercial will take a back seat since I have no commercial aspirations, but I would enjoy continuing my training.
 
Nathan Miller said:
I'd rather throw them to the ground and stomp the you-know-what out of em :p
Click to expand...
I can see that, but there is sort of a poetic finish to being able to see through the goggles after passing the checkride.
 
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