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:
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| 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!
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!
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