One with the Clouds

April 22, 2012

After a nice drive in the rain, I arrive at the airport eager to fly. I could see that the cloud layer was low, which meant I was about to get some actual instrument flying. I do the preflight inspection on the Cessna 172 that is new to our school. The plane is in tip top condition and just waiting to be flown. Mark meets me at the plane and we get our stuff organized. I call the local weather recording to find that the clouds are hanging out around 1500ft above the surface. I look at Mark with a smile and say, "well, it looks like we're going to have to file an IFR flight plan today!" After getting his nod of approval, I call Flight Service Station and give our information. We're ready to go.

The rain has tapered off and a small peek of the sun shined through the clouds. Mark and I looked at each other, then I made the comment, "no, no, sun go away... we want the clouds today!" Mark taxiis the plane to the runway while I set up the radios and GPS. After doing the run-up, I radio Clearance Delivery to get permission to take off and open our flight plan that was on file. After waiting for a few minutes, we got the approval from ATC. The plane lifts off the runway and we head north. The sky is full of fluffy gray clouds, and we're headed straight for them. I'm getting excited. No foggles needed today! I smile big as we enter the first round of clouds. It's just a broken layer of clouds, meaning that they only cover 5/8 to 7/8 of the sky. Complete overcast would be 8/8 coverage.

We pop out and see clouds all around, we some peeks of the ground. The sight was absolutely stunning. This is what instrument flying is all about. We continue to go in and out of the clouds while flying far enough north that we could turn around and follow the approach back home.

Video can be seen larger Here

ATC vectors us around to line us up for the VOR approach. I set up my instruments and wait to hear the magic words, "cleared for the approach." Not long after, the controller clears us. I start the descent and follow the needle on my instrument. We continue going in and out of the clouds and can't help but take pictures. We reach the next point on the approach and I am able to descend further. As we near the river, we exit the clouds. Mark makes me put on the foggles for the rest of the approach. Once we hit the missed approach point, I look up and see that I easily could make a safe landing.

We go around and fly back out north. This time we were going to do the GPS approach. The clouds are beginning to rise, so it took a little longer before we re-entered them. Eventually, we were flying near the tops of the clouds, which was a sight to behold.

The GPS approach went pretty well. I was a little off-course initially, but corrected quickly. Once down to the runway, I took my foggles off and Mark asked me if I'd be able to safely land. I was too high and too fast. My gut told me I would not be able to make it. Mark thought we could, so he took the controls and did a slip. This basically forces the plane to fly sideways to increase the descent rate without increasing speed. 

Image courtesy of airbum.com

However, the wind was behind us which gave us a strong tailwind. We got down to the runway nicely, but we were still much too fast. The wind was pushing us and if we had tried to land, we may have run off the runway. Mark calls a go-around, starts a climb, and then turns the controls over to me.

I flew us around to enter the traffic pattern for the correct runway. I was determined to have a beautiful landing. I slow us down, start descending and make my turns. Lower some flaps, add just a touch of power so we don't land short, then cut the power out to idle once at the runway. I gently bring it down, wait it out, and then let the wheels touch the paved runway beneath us. Success!

Multiple Approaches

April 7, 2012

Instead of writing a big story about how today's lesson went, I will keep it short and sweet.

Mark and I combined lessons 20 and 21 by doing a Localizer back-course approach into Alton, followed by an ILS approach at Alton. I managed all the radio calls and performed the approaches completely on my own. They turned out beautifully. Afterward, we did a partial panel VOR approach into St. Charles. Partial panel meaning that Mark covered up two of my gyro instruments to simulate them as failed. I was forced to interpret other instruments to get the same information. This was a first to me. I've done partial panel work before, and have obviously done approaches, but I haven't put the two together. Surprisingly it didn't affect my performance. With a little extra attention to the other instruments, the VOR approach was perfect... and so was the landing.

It was a magnificent lesson. For the first time in my instrument training, I really feel like an IFR rated pilot. I keep smiling :)


Flight Log to Date:

Hours flown: 111.5

Instrument Lesson 19

April 1, 2012

Today was a fun lesson, we moved on to new things. Mark had requested that we fly in our 180hp Cessna 172 that has the fancy Garmin GNS430 GPS. In addition to a lot of other neat features, it has a color moving map that shows your airplanes current location, it shows approach information and has a DME (distance measuring equipment). After taxiing to the runway, Mark gives me a briefing on how to use the GPS. Looks like I need to spend a couple hours doing homework on how to operate it. It's a very sophisticated device that will make the job of a pilot just a little easier.

After climbout, I fly us northbound. I tune in to the Alton ATIS frequency to get weather and runway information. Although today is going to be a lot of new stuff, I really feel prepared. Mark asks me what I plan to say to St. Louis Approach when I call them initially. My response was exactly what he wanted to hear, so I push the button and say the same thing to Approach. Mark gives me a thumbs up... I always like that small gesture.

Now en route for the Localizer Back-course for Runway 11 at Alton, Mark shows me some more of the ins-and-outs of the GPS. I should fly this plane all the time, it's pretty sweet! I try to remain focused because we are after-all on the course for the approach. If we were coming in for the Localizer on 29, it would be considered the Front-course. This picture should help explain:

Photo from Answers.com

We are inbound for the back-course for runway 11, which means the needle on my instrument is also backwards. For a normal (front-course) Localizer approach, you would turn in the direction of the needle. If it is to the right, you turn to the right. However, with the back-course, if the needle is to the right you will turn left. I kept the needle centered and used the GPS to tell me how close I was. Once at the final approach fix, I descended to 2,300ft. Unfortunately, I misread my chart which told me to descend to 1,060ft. When I reached the runway and looked up, I realized that I was much too high. I would've never been able to land. It was a good lesson learned.

After telling St. Louis Approach that we went missed (going-around) he vectored us around to do the ILS for runway 29. It's the same runway as 11 but the opposite direction. The ILS will give me vertical guidance in addition to the horizontal guidance that the Localizer provided. I have done ILS approaches numerous times now and feeling confident. We're in contact with Alton's tower once on the approach. I arrive at OSERE intersection which is the final approach fix. I start my timer, drop my speed, start my descent and lower a notch of flaps. "I'm going to get this one," I think to myself. My instrument is telling me that I'm doing great and right on course. I hear the beeping sound of the Inner Marker through my headset. I'm at the missed approach point. My instructor tells me to look up and I'm just a little off to the left. At the last minute I had let the plane drift slightly putting me slightly off course. However, I would've been able to land safely if I needed to.

We go missed again and depart the area back west towards home. I'm finished working with ATC so we switch back over to our home airport radio frequency. Mark tells me that we have one more approach to do with today's lesson. But this time it's not one that I have done before; a GPS approach. My instructor, Mark gives me a set of directions to get me on to the approach course. My inbound course is 180 degrees, which lines me up perfectly for runway 18. At the LEHMAN intersection, I start my descent and set up to land. Initially I thought I could go down to 840ft, then I quickly realized that was wrong. Mark didn't tell me I was wrong, I had to figure it out on my own. I used to have an instructor, Matt, who did this all the time. He'd keep quite and let me learn from my mistakes. It's one thing I miss. Anyways, I realized I was only supposed to descend to 1,260ft and flew down to it accordingly. This approach was easy. The GPS told me what to do and all I had to do was follow it. Now at the missed approach point, I can drop to 840ft. The moving map on the GPS shows me right on course, and my other instrument agrees. I accidently drop a little lower, and Mark speaks up. "What altitude are you supposed to be at?" "Ooops, sorry," I say. I climb a little and keep flying straight. He never says that I can take my foggles off, so I had to land with them on. I look up and see out the front of the airplane. The runway is right in front of us. "Are we landing?" I ask. He says yes and asks which runway I want to use. The wind is from the west, but I'm set up for the south runway. We were so close to it that I decided to just do the crosswind landing on runway 18 (south runway). He helps me out a little and we gently touch down.

That was a fantastic lesson! Next time, we are moving on to combine lessons 20 and 21. Lesson 23 will be my Stage 2 check, so I'm getting very close. Time to hit the books so that I can get the written knowledge exam over with. It needs to be done prior to my checkride at the end of all my training. The excitement is beginning to strike!