Saturday's Experience (kinda long)

[Coney]

Here's a quick story about how being an instructor is expanding my personal comfort zone and confidence in the airplane. I wasn't really aware of it, but my confidence in my own IFR flying wasn't very high until recently. Sure, I have instrument rating and I'm even current, since I just had a instrument proficiency check with my new boss last month. But I just don't get to fly IFR very much -- especially not in instrument meteorological conditions. As a result, my confidence in my IFR procedures is pretty low... until Saturday. Here's what happened.

One of my students lives in Temple (about 50 NM north of AUS) and has me flying to her on Saturdays. An expensive convenience for her, and a nice hour builder for me. Although the conditions at Austin were okay Saturday morning, the sky conditions at Temple were few at 1,000; scattered at 1,600; and broken at 3,000. I gingerly expressed my apprehension about the clouds to Virgil (owner of the school) who calmly listened to my plea. Then over his reading glasses, he looked at me and told me exactly what I should do. "Uh, Jerome, you're going to leave here under VFR. If you see that you're going to encounter some clouds on the way to Temple, you will ask ATC for a local IFR clearance for vectors for the ILS into Temple." I began to convince myself that I could handle that. I eventually climbed into the airplane and about fifteen minutes later, I was climbing to 3,000 on the way to Temple. At that altitude, I was able to stay below the clouds by the legal 500 feet. But about 25 miles from Temple, I could see the white billowy towers of moisture a few miles ahead. I followed Virgil's advice by requesting a local IFR clearance. The controller smoothly complied. Throughout several vectors, circumnavigating me around the Temple airport for the approach, I had flown through several clouds, which I admit I had to psychologically brace myself for. I finally heard him say, "Cessna four victor kilo, turn to heading one-five zero, maintain 4,000 until established, remain this frequency, cleared for ILS runway one five." I was way ahead of the plane. All of my frequencies were ready before leaving Austin, and my approach plate was clipped to the yoke, which I briefed myself on throughout the flight. My instrument training came back instantly. I instinctively transitioned my attention to the panel and saw the localizer needle begin creeping toward the center of the instrument. It wasn't long before the glide slope needle came alive and began its travel to the center of the instrument, too. When the needles were at right angle to each other, making crosshairs in my instrument, I reduced my power slightly and started down, piercing the canyon of white between me and the airport. Visibility outside the airplane went to zero, and much of the sunlight in the cockpit vanished. The twinge of fear that had plagued me immediately dissolved when I forced myself to focus on the panel. I soon had the needles lined up nicely and rode them all the way down. The airplane broke out of the cloud deck at about 1,600 MSL, allowing for a visual on runway 15. The needles hadn't lied; runway 15 was perfectly lined up with my plane.

The landing was decent, too. In accordance with ATC's instructions, I switched over to the clearance frequency and advised them when I was on the ground. They thanked me for the call, and I reciprocated for all their help. A short taxi to the ramp, and I got out of the airplane feeling like a complete pilot. It was so rewarding to shed that element of doubt that developed from infrequent IFR flying.

I'm ready to shoot another approach!! WooHoo!

[Flysher]

congrats! I remember my first approach as well and its a great feeling.

Now wait until you do one down to minimums for the first time in pouring rain and turbulence, thats a rush!!

[bradj2000]

but if it was ifr at Temple, how did you fly with your student?

[flyguy]

Originally Posted by bradj2000

but if it was ifr at Temple, how did you fly with your student?

Well if I understand the first post correctly the ceiling was 3000, that's not IFR, and could easily accomidate a lesson of ground reference maneuvers and/or touch and gos. Actually, few at 1000 and scattered at 1600 is good enough to find a clear patch of air and do other maneuvers. Or, they could have gone VFR on top. Or maybe the forcast called for the weather to clear up at about lesson time. Or, maybe she is an instrument student.

[GSMPilot]

Hey Coney, what time did you leave on Sat.? We we're doing jumps out at Crosswinds probably around that time. Actually had a little blue sky before that one line moved through around 1 or 2. Good job on the ILS; I had the not so wonderful opportunity of doing the NDB approach at GTU one night down to mins back from shreveport, it's sweet how it all comes together and that runway pops out in front of you.