Newest IR

linuxjim

linuxjim

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Jul 8, 2014
Messages
299
Location
Wilmette, IL
Display Name
Display name:
JJ
Took the checkride today and passed! BUT I have to say I kind of feel like the day I was leaving the hospital with the kid? Wait.. What? You want me to do this on my own? Who's going to make sure I don't do something stupid?! So.. Here I go. Tomorrow will be my first solo IFR trip (700nm). Although it seems pretty simple. Pretty much VFR most of the way.

The questions I have are:
1. For you recreational pilots, like me, what strategies do you use to stay proficient (not necessarily current)?
2. What is my next purchase for avionics? I have a garmin 430w coupleed with a 396 (w/weather) built in, autopilot. No ADSB out yet. I have the foreflight/stratus (yoke mounted) with backup ipad. What avionics should I be looking at to back up or replace what I have with a 10 - 20k budget?

I have some ideas but would like to hear what the more experienced folks here think the best bang for my budget would be.
 
Congratulations! Since we have the IR, weather is either really good and we file IFR for training only or it really sucks (icing or thunderstorms) and we wouldn't go anyway.

So you attrackted blue skies for the next few months for all of us... :D
 
Congrats! File as often as you can, even on clear, VMC days to study proficient.
 
Congratulations linuxjim!

I practice a LOT to stay proficient. I also spend time reading IFR magazine, participate in AOPA's quizzes and webinars subscribe to Pilot Workshops e-mail series and have been a member of Pilot Workshop's IFR Mastery series. IFR is mostly a head game, so that is where you need to keep your head :).
 
linuxjim said:
Took the checkride today and passed! BUT I have to say I kind of feel like the day I was leaving the hospital with the kid? Wait.. What? You want me to do this on my own? Who's going to make sure I don't do something stupid?! So.. Here I go. Tomorrow will be my first solo IFR trip (700nm). Although it seems pretty simple. Pretty much VFR most of the way.

The questions I have are:
1. For you recreational pilots, like me, what strategies do you use to stay proficient (not necessarily current)?
2. What is my next purchase for avionics? I have a garmin 430w coupleed with a 396 (w/weather) built in, autopilot. No ADSB out yet. I have the foreflight/stratus (yoke mounted) with backup ipad. What avionics should I be looking at to back up or replace what I have with a 10 - 20k budget?

I have some ideas but would like to hear what the more experienced folks here think the best bang for my budget would be.
Click to expand...
1. Flight simulators.
2. Why waste $10k-$20k? What you have is just fine. It's better than what most airplanes have. Don't fix what isn't broken. Learn to fly what you have.

I mean, go ahead and spend the money. You will still have the same skillset, a shinier panel, and an empty wallet. Better panels don't make you a better pilot. Better yet, get another backup iPad for you backup. Just in case, get a backup for you second backup.
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
1. Flight simulators.
2. Why waste $10k-$20k? What you have is just fine. It's better than what most airplanes have. Don't fix what isn't broken. Learn to fly what you have.

I mean, go ahead and spend the money. You will still have the same skillset, a shinier panel, and an empty wallet. Better panels don't make you a better pilot. Better yet, get another backup iPad for you backup. Just in case, get a backup for you second backup.
Click to expand...

Thanks everyone!


Catn_kirk, what simulator do you recommend? A home version like xplane or renting time in the big guys? Regarding the panel I am happy with the panel and I don't believe that a better panel makes you a better pilot as far as skills go, but can make make you a better pilot in regards to being more prepared. For instance if the AI goes out in IMC, yes I should do partial panel, but is a backup electric AI a good investment? Basically, I'm asking myself what are the most common points of failure? DG? AI? Engine failure? fuel starvation? and can I improve or back up what I have to help with it?

I had the turn coordinator go out in IMC a few days ago and it wasn't too big of a deal, but as a new guy I would have really liked having a backup...

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
 
linuxjim said:
Thanks everyone!


Catn_kirk, what simulator do you recommend? A home version like xplane or renting time in the big guys? Regarding the panel I am happy with the panel and I don't believe that a better panel makes you a better pilot as far as skills go, but can make make you a better pilot in regards to being more prepared. For instance if the AI goes out in IMC, yes I should do partial panel, but is a backup electric AI a good investment? Basically, I'm asking myself what are the most common points of failure? DG? AI? Engine failure? fuel starvation? and can I improve or back up what I have to help with it?

I had the turn coordinator go out in IMC a few days ago and it wasn't too big of a deal, but as a new guy I would have really liked having a backup...

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I just use a basic X-Plane 10 simulator for IMC approaches to mins. I don't use GPS. So, back to round dials with missed approaches to intersecting radials for holding. I make it hard on the PC so, my thought process is more efficient in the air. It's a positive transfer of skills.

Don't know how much they cost, but I flew a V35 and an A36 that had standby vacuum pumps for the potential main system failure. Never had to use it.

I have had entire screens fail on me in an Avidyne system. I've had a number of glitches and outages with other electrical components. Do you have any Stratus unit that can provide AHRS information to your iPad?
 
linuxjim said:
Took the checkride today and passed! BUT I have to say I kind of feel like the day I was leaving the hospital with the kid? Wait.. What? You want me to do this on my own? Who's going to make sure I don't do something stupid?! So.. Here I go. Tomorrow will be my first solo IFR trip (700nm). Although it seems pretty simple. Pretty much VFR most of the way.

The questions I have are:
1. For you recreational pilots, like me, what strategies do you use to stay proficient (not necessarily current)?
2. What is my next purchase for avionics? I have a garmin 430w coupleed with a 396 (w/weather) built in, autopilot. No ADSB out yet. I have the foreflight/stratus (yoke mounted) with backup ipad. What avionics should I be looking at to back up or replace what I have with a 10 - 20k budget?

I have some ideas but would like to hear what the more experienced folks here think the best bang for my budget would be.
Click to expand...

1st, congratulations. My checkride is still a few hours away...

2nd, the only useful answer to your question has to start from "What kind of flying do you intend to do?" Based on what I'm flying now, you're very well equipped.

John
 
jsstevens said:
1st, congratulations. My checkride is still a few hours away...

2nd, the only useful answer to your question has to start from "What kind of flying do you intend to do?" Based on what I'm flying now, you're very well equipped.

John
Click to expand...
Good luck on the test! Good question. Most will be XC. 200 of my 300 hrs at the Checkride are XC. My first official IFR flight today will be 700nm, followed by a 400 NM trip this weekend. I do believe I'm pretty well equipped and I don't want to spend money for the sake of spending money but I'm just trying to think in terms of what are the most common incidents from? (non proficiency? Loss of control at low altitude? AI , DG, vaccuum failure in IMC? And then what could help mitigate that. E.g. backup vacuum, backup ai? Back up DG? All electric? AoA indicator? You see?

@Cpt_Kirk I do have the stratus with foreflight/SV. I need to try a new location for the stratus because it seems to think I'm always turning.

In the last week, 1 week before my check ride; My battery died (concorde). My TC died entering IMC. The battery on my stratus died. All three of these were easily dealt with but it is really this series of events that has me thinking about redundancy.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
 
Congratulations! :cheers:

As others have said, what you have sounds fine. Given that we're only about 3 years out from the deadline, ADS-B out might be a good thing to start thinking seriously about.
 
linuxjim said:
Thanks everyone!

Catn_kirk, what simulator do you recommend? A home version like xplane or renting time in the big guys?
Click to expand...

FSX is dying but still viable, Lockheed bought the code and has built Prepar3d which is still FSX but with better support for newer computers. And then there's X-Plane.

All three are great for IFR proficiency IMO. You can spend a little for just a joystick and a computer or you can build a nice rig if you're looking to go that route. Saitek products are inexpensive and effective (radios, APs, throttle, yoke, pedals). Once you have what you want, subscribe to PilotEdge.net to work with real-world controllers. This will keep you sharp. For an up-front $1,500 investment you can have a really nice in-home flight sim that you can use for currency and fun and a LOT less expensive than drilling holes in the sky.
 
Got my ticket a month ago, and had the opposite feeling. I was relieved to stop practicing instrument flying to pass a checkride, and start figuring out how to do it for real. My plan has been as follows;

1. Made a list of everything I want to become more proficient at, but could not while I was training to pass the checkride. (Most of this deals with using the autopilot and GPS to shoot approaches down to an altitude where I feel the need to take manual control.)
2. Take advantage of every foggy morning I can to go out and shoot DPs and approaches in IMC. (I've racked up almost 2 hrs of IMC time already.)
3. Make every flight an IFR flight, regardless of weather, and they should all end in actual instrument approaches. (Except for those little 15 min hops to get cheaper gas.)
4. Maintain a list of questions and/or discussion topics based on experiences to review with instructor. Within the first week I had about 20 items to discuss with him. I met with my instructor on a Sunday morning before his first flight and bought him breakfast. I plan to meet with him about once per month for a while.
5. Find a pilot buddy to trade safety pilot time with. I'm putting my nephew thru his PPL for just this reason. I plan to meet the minimum currency requirements every month!
6. Don't even think about upgrading anything in your plane until you know how to squeeze every bit of functionality out of what you've already got. You may find that you truly don't need to upgrade anything.
 
labbadabba said:
FSX is dying but still viable, Lockheed bought the code and has built Prepar3d which is still FSX but with better support for newer computers. And then there's X-Plane.

All three are great for IFR proficiency IMO. You can spend a little for just a joystick and a computer or you can build a nice rig if you're looking to go that route. Saitek products are inexpensive and effective (radios, APs, throttle, yoke, pedals). Once you have what you want, subscribe to PilotEdge.net to work with real-world controllers. This will keep you sharp. For an up-front $1,500 investment you can have a really nice in-home flight sim that you can use for currency and fun and a LOT less expensive than drilling holes in the sky.
Click to expand...
FSX is 10 years old! It's dead. And, this is coming from someone who used to be a big FSX fan.

I'm not so sure I would recommend a complete setup like that. It requires a lot of time and frustration to put together for someone who isn't tech savvy. A simple $35 yoke will suit him just fine. I mostly use the autopilot for all of my approaches. Hand flying it on the sim doesn't do me any good and takes away from the energy I could be using to further understand and fly the approach.
 
Congrats,now it's time to fly IMC ,a little at a time,set your own personal minimums. Lower the minimums as you get more comfortable. I would look at the Garmin 345 for ADSB in and out.
 
Congrats!

I got mine a year ago on Dec 5th and felt the same way as you.

The 430W (IFD440 in my case) works fine but I would consider a backup AI. I have 100 hours less than you and have lost 2 already. The Garmin unit is nice. Naturally ADS-B would be needed too and since your Garmin is WAAS you're already set.

As far as proficiency I have been filling as much IFR in VMC as possible. In training most of us do a lot of approaches so we are usually ok with that but I don't feel the IR training fully prepares us for fitting into the system. Like someone else said, it's a mental game so if you wade in slowly the enroute part flows without thought and will make the approach much easier. BTW, I'd like to hear how you're filing IFR. Maybe that should be another thread.

Also once a year do an instrument proficiency check preferably with someone other than who you trained with. We don't do this for a living and in single pilot operations I think it's easy to feel we know more and are comfortable with more than we actually are.

Tim
 
I know how you feel. My IR ticket is only a month old. I launched in 300 ft ceilings through a layer that broke at about 2000, and was thinking "what the hell am I doing?" The following is what I've been doing;

1. Realize that how you fly IFR for real is likely different than how you learned to fly it to pass the checkride. The most notable difference for me is the use of the autopilot. For the checkride, I only used it to hold straight and level while I briefed myself for the approach, and even then only to demonstrate that I knew how to use it. Now, that sucker is on from 500 ft on the way up, to 500 ft on the way down, unless I'm in moderate turbulence.
2. Go up and fly in as much actual IMC as you can. I'm lucky that my home drome has low ceilings in the mornings 50% of the time this time of year. (And with calm winds!) So if the forecast says 200 ft and half mile, I'm out there until it lifts high enough to no longer be worth the gas!
3. If you can, record your flights and critique them later. I do this religiously, then take notes when I watch it later. The next flight, I review the notes from the previous flight before going up.
4. Collect a list of questions or discussion topics to take up with someone more experienced than yourself. (Preferably your CFII) I meet with mine every other Sunday morning, and buy him breakfast in exchange for reviewing things.
5. At the 1 month mark, I went up with my CFII (in actual) and conducted a short flight and back, shooting approaches in actual IMC at each end. (Yeah, I paid him for that.) I plan on repeating this practice until I feel it is becoming overkill. I'll likely dial it back from once per month to once per quarter, then once every six months, etc...
6. Find a flying friend with whom you can exchange safety pilot time. I paid my nephew's way thru PPL specifically for this reason!
7. FILE IFR for EVERY FLIGHT! These days, the only time I don't file IFR is if I'm just hoping 15 minutes to my training field to get their cheaper gas! (Assuming its VMC.) A lot of getting good is about getting VERY comfortable in the IFR system. The more time you spend in it, the more curve balls you get thrown. (Reroutes, holds, etc...) I've gotten put into holds 3 times in the first month, two of which were in actual IMC.
8. CHECKLISTS! I'm awful when it comes to checklists. And the more I fly, the more awful I get. I have to mentally MAKE myself use my checklists. But the distractions involved in single-pilot IFR are real, and they are a *****.
9. Read and reread everything you can about flying both VFR and IFR as you go. You'll be amazed at how many things you'll understand better now than you did before.
10. Plan the **** out of every flight. When I started flying IFR on my own, I quickly realized that I was still planning my flights like I was planning a VFR flight. There really is a difference. It's scary as **** trying to come up with a different plan while you're in the soup, burning precious fuel.

Good Luck!
 
linuxjim said:
1. For you recreational pilots, like me, what strategies do you use to stay proficient (not necessarily current)?
2. What is my next purchase for avionics? I have a garmin 430w coupleed with a 396 (w/weather) built in, autopilot. No ADSB out yet. I have the foreflight/stratus (yoke mounted) with backup ipad. What avionics should I be looking at to back up or replace what I have with a 10 - 20k budget?
Click to expand...

1. Fly often. On an IFR flight plan as much as possible. Don't accept visual approaches till you have lots of experience. Always request an approach and try to do a different type as often as possible (i.e. ILS, RNAV, VOR, PT, IAF, Vectors to final, etc.). Put your request out there to ATC and traffic permitting they will be happy to oblige.

2. Without seeing your panel, my vote is EFD1000 or of course you can start working on ADSB (I'm a procrastinator so I suggest the first) or save up for a G500.
 
CONGRATS!!

As others have stated, fly and file often. It's always good practice to be in the system. Do you have WAAS for the 430?

I had ADS-B installed, GDL88 and a Flight Stream 210. The connectivity of the FS210 with the Garmin 530W is fantastic! No more chug and plug on the 530, instead, a simple click to "send to panel" and my flight plans transfer from my iPad. Another nice feature of foreflight, the FS210 and iPad is AHRS, really nice to have on board when crap hits the fan.
 
Rykymus said:
I know how you feel. My IR ticket is only a month old. I launched in 300 ft ceilings through a layer that broke at about 2000, and was thinking "what the hell am I doing?" The following is what I've been doing;

1. Realize that how you fly IFR for real is likely different than how you learned to fly it to pass the checkride. The most notable difference for me is the use of the autopilot. For the checkride, I only used it to hold straight and level while I briefed myself for the approach, and even then only to demonstrate that I knew how to use it. Now, that sucker is on from 500 ft on the way up, to 500 ft on the way down, unless I'm in moderate turbulence.
2. Go up and fly in as much actual IMC as you can. I'm lucky that my home drome has low ceilings in the mornings 50% of the time this time of year. (And with calm winds!) So if the forecast says 200 ft and half mile, I'm out there until it lifts high enough to no longer be worth the gas!
3. If you can, record your flights and critique them later. I do this religiously, then take notes when I watch it later. The next flight, I review the notes from the previous flight before going up.
4. Collect a list of questions or discussion topics to take up with someone more experienced than yourself. (Preferably your CFII) I meet with mine every other Sunday morning, and buy him breakfast in exchange for reviewing things.
5. At the 1 month mark, I went up with my CFII (in actual) and conducted a short flight and back, shooting approaches in actual IMC at each end. (Yeah, I paid him for that.) I plan on repeating this practice until I feel it is becoming overkill. I'll likely dial it back from once per month to once per quarter, then once every six months, etc...
6. Find a flying friend with whom you can exchange safety pilot time. I paid my nephew's way thru PPL specifically for this reason!
7. FILE IFR for EVERY FLIGHT! These days, the only time I don't file IFR is if I'm just hoping 15 minutes to my training field to get their cheaper gas! (Assuming its VMC.) A lot of getting good is about getting VERY comfortable in the IFR system. The more time you spend in it, the more curve balls you get thrown. (Reroutes, holds, etc...) I've gotten put into holds 3 times in the first month, two of which were in actual IMC.
8. CHECKLISTS! I'm awful when it comes to checklists. And the more I fly, the more awful I get. I have to mentally MAKE myself use my checklists. But the distractions involved in single-pilot IFR are real, and they are a *****.
9. Read and reread everything you can about flying both VFR and IFR as you go. You'll be amazed at how many things you'll understand better now than you did before.
10. Plan the **** out of every flight. When I started flying IFR on my own, I quickly realized that I was still planning my flights like I was planning a VFR flight. There really is a difference. It's scary as **** trying to come up with a different plan while you're in the soup, burning precious fuel.

Good Luck!
Click to expand...

Make sure you practice hand flying once in a while, too. Autopilots have a way of crapping out just when you need them. And sometimes they don't handle things well. Try a coupled ILS GS interception at Livermore for a disturbing example. Have your thumb on the AP disconnect, and do it in VMC under the hood.

The FIRST reaction to an "automation surprise" should be to disconnect the autopilot. This happens more than one might expect, especially with more complex setups.

Your AP may or may not work partial panel. That's something else you need to practice once in a while, too. In one year, I've had to fly real partial panel twice already.
 
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