September 18th, 2003 - Today's flight was to be my Stage 2 check. Basically a cross-check to see that I am learning what Drew says I am learning. I was set up to fly with Rich at 3pm. When I checked the wx in the morning I did not know if the flight would even take place. There was bad wx forecasted with some T-storms as well. I talked with Rich and we decided to start with the ground session and if the wx worked out, then we would fly as well. After the ground session I checked the wx again and gave Flight Services a call and they confirmed that the T-storms had moved out. Great, I was about to earn the coveted actual IMC flight time.
Our plan was to fly over to Airlake and do some holds over the Farmington VOR and then head back to Flying Cloud for some practice approaches. We had planned on the ILS 10R (with Radar Vectors as well as flying the 12 DME arc) and the VOR 10R approach. I completed the preflight and we were ready to go. The weather really stunk; it was cold, wet, and rainy. Perfect weather for IFR training. We taxied out and I got my first "real" IFR clearance from ATC. In the past Drew has playing ATC and giving me the clearances as if we were actually flying IFR. I believe the clearance went something like:
Cessna 5096C, Cleared as requested, Expect Radar Vectors to Farmington VOR, Climb/maintain 3000, Hdg 180, Contact Mpls Approach 125.0, Squawk 0105.
I was somewhat scared and excited at the same time. I was actually going to fly in actual IMC conditions. The wx at departure was:
KFCM 182053Z 30009G16KT 9SM OVC016 12/11 A2997 RMK AO2 RAB05E53 SLP148 P0000 60015 T01220111 51017
KFCM 182014Z 32010KT 10SM -RA BKN015 BKN022 OVC032 13/11 A2994 RMK AO2 RAB05 P0000
I taxied out to 28R to do the runup and bust the clouds. I finished the major portion of the runup and went to reset my DG. The dial would not spin. I pushed a little harder and still could not get the thing to twist. I actually twisted the knob right off. Rich gave the dial a try and it was still hit and miss. Rich had me call up ground and request taxi back to T-bird. We needed to get a new plane because the DG was not working at that would not be too good in the clouds. We got back and picked up a new plane, 5342Y. It is actually a 2003 model and man is it nice. I went through my preflight again and we taxied back out to the runup area. This time everything worked as it should. We were running short on time but I was going to bust the clouds afterall.
We departed as usual and I flipped down the foggles. Before I knew it though, Rich said to flip them back up. Shortly after departure I was in the clouds and the goggles were flipped off. I contacted departure and requested but was denied the Farmington VOR hold. There was another aircraft holding at 3000 ft so we were unable to do it at that time. Instead we opted for the ILS 10R approach at KFCM. We flew out for a few minutes and then were given radar vectors to intercept the 12 DME arc for the ILS approach. I flipped the foggles back down because the clouds were becoming scattered at the moment. The DME arc went o.k. but there were a couple of times that I got slightly outside or inside the arc. It was not bad, but could definetely use some improvement. I got everything setup and we intercepted the inbound course of 098. ATC called us back and said that they could get us into Farmington if we wanted, but the time was too short and we instead asked for a hold at STUBR, denied again. There was a King Air inbound on the ILS as well right behind us. Oh well, the time was getting really short and we had to make this a full stop landing. We intercepted the glideslope and contacted the tower. We were cleared to land on 28L and began our descent. Crap...28L meant a circling approach, yet another thing that I have yet to do. Oh well, learn as much as possible in real IMC. Just as we were cleared to land, I hear the two say, "King Air XYZ, please slow to ..."Great I thought, my first approach in IMC and there is someone in a much bigger plane screaming in behind me." We popped out of the clouds at 2000 ft, well above the mins, but it was quite an experience. I did the circling approach adn got setup to land on 28L. I was slightly low on approach, but it seemed doable for the landing. As I am approaching the threshold, Rich suggests a little more power but I was missing something. After landing it made sense. I had my landing spot as the arrows on 28L. Duh....That is the misplaced threshold: Taxi/Takeoff...Ok. Landing...Not Ok. Lesson Learned.
All things considered it was a good flight: 7 out of 10 and .4 of Actual IMC. With this first flight in IMC I think it was almost easier with the goggles flipped down. When I did nto have them on, I had a tendency to look outside too much eventhough there was nothing to see but nice white rainclouds. It really distracted me from my instrument scan. I need to schedule another flight with Rich to complete the other portions of the Stage 2 check and then it is on to more and more approaches and the cross country flights.
Things To Remember:
1. Trim the plane out
2. Watch the Altitude (see #4)
3. Be sure to completely setup for the approach
4. Make slight corrections
5. Watch heading then (see #4)
6. Scan, Scan, Scan !!!
7. CONSTANTLY THINK AHEAD !!!
