9/1/2012
2012 Annual maintenance complete and no problems found. I have new back windows that are slightly tinted and keep the noise level down. I also now have a vernier mixture control that is in a logical place near the throttle. So much better. I ordered a heated pitot mast but I have yet to install that. I am waiting for the mechanic to have time to install that with me.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Instrument Check Ride
8/27/2012
Well I have been putting a lot of time and effort into the Instrument Rating and I have finally finished up. On August 27th 2012 I earned my instrument rating!! I was very nervous and made a lot of little mistakes. It is a nerve racking event but I made it through.
The night before I received a call from Mary Crinendon at 7:30pm to give me the fictitious weather (the real weather was too good). She tole me to plan an IFR flight to Pasco, WA. The weather was pretty bad. 800' ceiling over the entire area. I got to work on the flight plan and picked my alternate, double checked everything and went to bed.
On the day of the exam I got up early, did my pre-flight and awaited the arrival of the examiner. The oral part of the exam went very well. Mostly weather questions and chart symbol identification. After several hours of questions, she said that she was satisfied and that we should go fly. I was given a route of BTG to SPB VOR to a missed, SPB GPS to a missed and HIO ILS to a missed. I called flight service and put the plan on file.
In all of this I failed to plan on getting any food. That was a mistake. I was starving by the time we were out to the airplane. We took off and flew the planned route. The last part of the exam was unusual attitude recovery. That went very well and I flew back to Pearson Field. I got out and we went upstairs to complete paperwork. She congratulated me and I was on my way. I am really looking forward to being able to fly more in the winter here in the Pacific Northwest!!
Well I have been putting a lot of time and effort into the Instrument Rating and I have finally finished up. On August 27th 2012 I earned my instrument rating!! I was very nervous and made a lot of little mistakes. It is a nerve racking event but I made it through.
The night before I received a call from Mary Crinendon at 7:30pm to give me the fictitious weather (the real weather was too good). She tole me to plan an IFR flight to Pasco, WA. The weather was pretty bad. 800' ceiling over the entire area. I got to work on the flight plan and picked my alternate, double checked everything and went to bed.
On the day of the exam I got up early, did my pre-flight and awaited the arrival of the examiner. The oral part of the exam went very well. Mostly weather questions and chart symbol identification. After several hours of questions, she said that she was satisfied and that we should go fly. I was given a route of BTG to SPB VOR to a missed, SPB GPS to a missed and HIO ILS to a missed. I called flight service and put the plan on file.
In all of this I failed to plan on getting any food. That was a mistake. I was starving by the time we were out to the airplane. We took off and flew the planned route. The last part of the exam was unusual attitude recovery. That went very well and I flew back to Pearson Field. I got out and we went upstairs to complete paperwork. She congratulated me and I was on my way. I am really looking forward to being able to fly more in the winter here in the Pacific Northwest!!
Final stage check and extreme weather
8/18/2012
I did my final stage check for my Instrument Rating with Adam Moore to make sure I felt ready. We departed VUO on an IFR flight plan and flew direct BTG. I climbed up to 4000' and went into the published hold climbing to 5600' for the procedure turn for the VOR approach to SPB. All was going well. The approach to SPB went well and then I executed a missed approach. I contacted the tower and let them know that I was on the missed and they assigned me 3000'. Upon reaching that altitude, I was then assigned 4000'. I went to full power and pitched up and had a 700' per minute climb.
About 4 miles from BTG the VSI dropped to -500 ft per minute. I checked my pitch and I was still up 7 degrees, Power was still full at 2700 RPM, and my airspeed was 90kts. This configuration should give a nice steady climb. Were my altimeter and VSI failing? I pulled the alternate static source and noted a very slight change then back to the indications I had before. No carburetor ice as I was still making full power. While I was checking and double checking everything, I recieved a radio call from ATC. "Confirm you are climbing to 4000'?" I responded that I was unable to comply and that I needed an immediate diversion to VUO. ATC cleared the airspace for me and I returned to Pearson Field (VUO) for landing. a few miles away from BTG I noticed that I could climb easily. What ever was going on was very localized. Upon landing, I called ATC on the radio and told them I was safely on the ground and thanked them for their help. They then asked for a description of what happened. I explained it to them and they thanked me for the information. Less than a minute later I hear a 737 radio the tower that they are in the vicinity of BTG and are experiencing a 2000' per minute down draft.
I can now say I have experienced a micro burst. A rare weather phenomenon associated with thunderstorms.
I did my final stage check for my Instrument Rating with Adam Moore to make sure I felt ready. We departed VUO on an IFR flight plan and flew direct BTG. I climbed up to 4000' and went into the published hold climbing to 5600' for the procedure turn for the VOR approach to SPB. All was going well. The approach to SPB went well and then I executed a missed approach. I contacted the tower and let them know that I was on the missed and they assigned me 3000'. Upon reaching that altitude, I was then assigned 4000'. I went to full power and pitched up and had a 700' per minute climb.
About 4 miles from BTG the VSI dropped to -500 ft per minute. I checked my pitch and I was still up 7 degrees, Power was still full at 2700 RPM, and my airspeed was 90kts. This configuration should give a nice steady climb. Were my altimeter and VSI failing? I pulled the alternate static source and noted a very slight change then back to the indications I had before. No carburetor ice as I was still making full power. While I was checking and double checking everything, I recieved a radio call from ATC. "Confirm you are climbing to 4000'?" I responded that I was unable to comply and that I needed an immediate diversion to VUO. ATC cleared the airspace for me and I returned to Pearson Field (VUO) for landing. a few miles away from BTG I noticed that I could climb easily. What ever was going on was very localized. Upon landing, I called ATC on the radio and told them I was safely on the ground and thanked them for their help. They then asked for a description of what happened. I explained it to them and they thanked me for the information. Less than a minute later I hear a 737 radio the tower that they are in the vicinity of BTG and are experiencing a 2000' per minute down draft.
I can now say I have experienced a micro burst. A rare weather phenomenon associated with thunderstorms.
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