Friday's...

in

For some reason, Friday has always been a day where people can look forward too because it gives the feeling of relaxation. It is suppose to be the day where people feel "free." In Palm Coast, we're glad that we can relax a little bit, but there is nothing to help alleviate the stress besides hanging at home. It is so damn boring. I guess I should be reading and practicing some approaches or something. Maybe even reading up on weather. Umm...

So today was the 15th Instrument Lesson. It was fun filled with a GPS hold over BARBS Waypoint, followed by the GPS 8 approach into KOMN, then followed by the GPS 11 in X47 full stop. We took off immediately right before a huge towering cumulonimbus headed towards the airport. By the time I was rotating, I could barely see the runway. The rain was hitting at full downdraft force. We side skirted to the right to avoid the cloud and stay VFR until we got a local IFR clearance from Daytona Approach. Finally at 2000 feet, there were multiple planes just panicking waiting for their clearances. We had to callback in 6 minutes then wait for a controller changeover, then finally we got our procedures. I logged 1.2 on the Hobbs, but this flight felt like an eternity. While I was actually in IMC, I could barely hold on to my alt. because of the updrafts and downdrafts. It was just nutty. I was constantly varying the manifold pressure from 16 in to 24 in. I was all over the place. The winds were blowing strong from the West, so I was putting in some crazy correction while on the hold.

Overall, it was a nice flight. Went by and I have to admit that I felt my pulse about to explode from out of my neck. I had to take a drink of water and was wore out by the time we landed. I didn't even want to taxi anymore. There were so many people in the air, I was constantly being super super attentive just listening for those key words, "Diamond Star 808ER, clear to Flagler County Airport Full Stop via RNAV 11 Approach."

I love Instrument!

Only in Florida / Good Ins. Approaches

in

So I'm about to head off to bed when I hear Matt come into the house. I open the door, still brushing my teeth and he says, "Come take a ride with me!" I'm like, alright...something is up. Knowing me, I'm always down for anything. It's 2:17AM EDT! I hop into the truck, we drive north on Belle Terre and low and behold, there is an alligator in the middle of the road. Check it! Yeah it looks like I'm FOB in slippers and all. Hey, it even actaully looks like I'm in the Philippines! =) But no, I'm just in Florida! Believe it!

And my instrument approaches are looking pretty good. I did two GPS approaches and a VOR-A into x47. Good stuff. Tomorrow, we start partial panel as well as Precision Approaches. Should be fun.

Passing

in

I passed and so did Manoj. There were some maneuvers that were combined during the test that kind of caught me off guard, but I was still able to fly just as well. It was a nice checkride in that I got some night time in and a night landing. The best thing about the flight was that I flew with a damn great pilot. I mean, the confidence level and the way that he handled the plane, it was almost as if the plane was just another part of his body. Amazing aviator!

1st Instrument Checkride

in

Tonight at 1830EDT, I will be in the Diamond Star DA-40 with Manoj (my flight partner) and a Mr. Mike Schrier showing him that I can fly under the hood safely. I think I also have to demonstrate a DME Arc or some sorts. That should be fun. I'll post later on tonight on how it went. But tomorrow, if everything goes well, Manoj and I will be flying some instrument approaches all around Florida. Who knows, maybe this time we'll hit up the Keys!

FRASCA Time!

in

So, Manoj and I opted to fly two lessons each in the FRASCA simulator. It was long and arduous, but damn worth it just to stay with the schedule. The very first 20 minutes of my first flight went smooth with almost perfect (98%) 45 degree steep turns to the right and then to the left. After that, Partial Panel work came alive (I love two instruments, specifically, the heading indicator and the attitude indicator) and my sim session just went to...umm...hell? I don't know what else to call it really. I had to take a step back and breathe, then correlate the interpret the instruments that were left working. I was heading westbound but then when the instruments failed, I turned around for some reason instead of maintaining my heading with the compass.

Finally, I got squared away and the instruments came back online, and I shot the VOR approach alpha into Gainesville (KGNV). I also did a 12 DME Arc which I have to say I was rather impressed with. Things went well. Got the simulator to work for me and trimmed that bad boy out. Of course, on the second lesson, which was just a continuation from the first, I saw the two instruments fail on me again. This time though, I was invincible! Bring it on!!! I wanted to keep going, it was sad.

Tonight, I'm just sitting here bored to death in Palm Coast, wanting to go out with some of my friends from back home. I miss everyone. Come visit guys!

FTD

in

So, doing a DME arc with an HSI is a little different than using an OBS. Being that it may, we have an HSI in the FRASCA simulator (and I'm familiar with one from the other DA-40 in San Diego) I thought that I could have it pegged down. I ended up turning 90 degrees the opposite direction and just messing up entirely. It has to be jotted down as one of my worse flights at CAPT. Then Jenn (my instructor) failed the HSI and the Attitude Indicator, and I was just all over the place for a bit.

Finally, I squared things up and got the aircraft simulator into straight and level flight. I did another DME arc and got it down, and just flew the plane with correct timing and compass turns pretty close enough. Tonight is going to be a fun night on MS Flight Simulator.

3rd Ins.

in

Today was another (FTD - Flight Training Device) in the Frasca B 142. It sucks doing some stalls and unusual attitude flight recovery w/o feeling the plane but you have to get use to it. Didn't have to wear the stupid instrument goggles though. Got to do a DME 16 Arc into Daytona Beach along with an ILS approach to 7L. We did another approach into Flagler County Airport using the VOR-A and then just going missed. Instrument flying is where its at I tell you.

2nd I-Flight

in

In the rain and greased the landing. I mean my instructor looked at me, and quietly said, "Like butter!" I have to admit, I was so happy of my landing that I almost forgot to do the after landing checklist. It was just jaw droppingly sweet! I also got to fly underneath some crazy clouds with some turbulence and rain. The rain was cool. You could actually see just spoltches around the Palm Coast Area where it was raining and where it wasn't. It was definitely a great day.

Now I have to finish my report on Airbus and their A380.