1. Timing an ILS is dumb. In ALL respects. It’s not a part of the approach, period. Training to something not required OR USEFUL is negative training.
2. Using extra work like that as a training stressor IS REALLY BAD.
3. Telling you, you gotta be faster IS REALLY BAD. You NEVER have to be faster, you GOTTA be accurate. PERFECTLY accurate. Your life depends on it….
So…..
1. He is right in that these last minute and/or rapid fire stuff thrown at you DOES HAPPEN. It will happen. Very realistic.
2. Learn to make time so that you can deal with it ACCURATELY. iPad then box is probably the right order, it’s where you get your approach plate. Should not be flying approaches without an approach plate.
3. If ATC won’t give you an initial heading, ask for an assigned heading until ya find it. He’s happy, you have time, everyone is safe. This attitude of ya gotta be lightning fast IS UNSAFE.
Single pilot IFR is the hardest flying any aviator will do.
Mostly agree with what has been said in this thread. I strongly urge people - no single pilot IFR without an autopilot or a second set of trained hands.
I would always program the box first. EFB is for plates and SA. unless the EFB is how you program the box. Even single pilot I brief the approach. As I brief it I confirm the box is
properly set up. Can't do that if I set the box up second.
Speaking of SA, if the EFB dies do you know where you are?
Most important, and stated throughout this thread:
DO NOT RUSH! The mission is to arrive alive, not make a controller happy.
ATC provides a service to you. No you cannot disregard what they say, but they cannot force you to do anything you deem unsafe and rushing is unsafe (except during a fire).
Remember the furthest the controller has to fall is 2' out of his chair. He is not flying the plane (this was mentioned earlier) you are.
They know this. ATC always has a plan B. You should too. Requesting delay vectors is an acceptable plan B. So is a missed approach.
"I need delay vectors so I can set up the box." "I need delay vectors to run a checklist." "I need delay vectors because my pax is puking."
or simply "I'm not ready for the approach." is all you need to say. That said, if you are in a non radar environment then your
out is a fix and a hold - and you probably should have thought this through ahead of time.
Timing an ILS not pointless but it is also not necessary and not as helpful as some would like to think. Timing is based on ground speed. Its accuracy is contingent upon many factors.
When was the button pushed? Was it exactly at the FAF? A few seconds before? A few seconds after? Was your ground speed constant? The only way it is constant is if your
airspeed never varies AND the winds aloft and surface winds are identical and never vary. Normally error is expected.
All that said, there are many reasons to abandon an ILS prior to the published MAP (which is DA on the GS). The number one is an un-stabilized approach not GS failure.
I've been flying instruments since 1979 and after about 9000 hours in the system
I've never had a GS fail inside the FAF. This is flying 1000s of ILS approaches as a regional
pilot.
Plus, this issue is not limited to ILS approaches. Do you have a plan B if you loose WAAS inside the FAF while executing an LPV approach? Do you know how to tell the box to change the
approach from an SBAS approach to a BARO approach? From LPV to LNAV/VNAV or LNAV only. To me these, and many other things are much more important than timing inside the FAF
unless . . . a raw data non precision approach without GPS. Ah, the good old days.
What if you are flying the day war is declared and the GPS is no longer available? The FAA back up plan is VOR and ILS.
My last thoughts . . . even if you never plan to fly IFR, if you have the ticket be prepared to use it. Fly a sim (even a modern desktop sim) using a representative aircraft at lest 2 hours per month.
Don't worry about logging it. Just fly it.