February 14, 2004 - Here it is Valentines Day and I am going on a flight. I had been snowed/wx out three times in the last week so I needed to get back in the air. I flew the sim this week and that sucked but oh well. I needed one last flight to get ready for my Stage 3 check. I will be flying with the Chief Pilot at Thunderbird, Ray Lorimor. I have not flown with him before so that alone will make me nervous.

The plan was to stay at Flying Cloud so we could get in 3 approaches. First up was the ILS/DME Arc 10R. We just flew it in the sim on Wednesday, so I was somewhat ready. We departed fropm rw36 today so right away we made a big turn back to intercept the arc. I hit the 12 mile DME and started the ARC to the right. I managed to stay within .2 miles of the arc the entire way around. I started the turn inbound at the lead radial and intercepted the localizer. I started the timer too early, once reaching the FAF. I should have started it when intercepting the GS. Remember to bracket your position to keep the localizer centered as close as possible.

We went missed and got ready for the GPS36 at KFCM. I still need to work with the GPS on the planes. Something like this: hit �proc� and select the approach then activate it. Go to the NAV pg and get to the map. Pull out the inner knob and spin through the waypoints to get desired WPT. Then hit �Direct To�. When using the GPS approaches, remember to turn when it starts to flash. If it does not flash, you need to anticipate it. Again, remember to correct for the wind and try and keep the needle as close as possible to center.

We went missed and got vectors for the VOR 10r into Flying Cloud for a full stop. This was almost like the ILS for 10r but the inbound hdg was 096 vs. 098. Pretty much the same process remember to correct for the wind and bracket yourself when trying to center up the needles. As for the wind, if it is 10 kts XW, try and start with a 10 degree correction and begin your bracketing from there.

As usual there was both good and bad for the flight but I am set for my Stage 3 check next week. Drew is getting very picky about the altitude, but I know it is for my own good. I need to get the plane trimmed out properly and keep it there at the altitude that is assigned. After the flight, Drew mentioned that my procedures are all correct, I just need to tidy up the alt. And hdg�s and there will be no problem. I am nervous to fly with Ray next week, but it is just another step in my goal, the coveted IFR rating.

Check back for further updates next week !!!

THINGS TO REMEMBER:
1. Start turn for DME arc .5 miles from reaching the published DME distance.
2. The first turn should be 90 degrees from the current radial and NOT the current heading.
3. Once established in the arc you can descend down to the Initial Altitude.
4. Don�t forget to correct for the wind.
5. FAF on a precision approach is GS interseption.
6. Don�t forget to set the NAV/GPS switch when setting the deck. (DME button).
7. When shooting a GPS approach try for a 700-800 fpm rate of descent.