IR Diary

So got to do it at rather short notice last Thursday. The forecast put gusting winds beyond the crosswind limit of the aircraft which dually disappeared on the 1019 just after I arrived. Game on then.

Still with a Northerly the hold, approaches and landing would be and were sporting. To cut a long story short, most of the test was satisfactory. I partialled though so will have to retake the procedural NDB/DME part again. Yeovil is evil and the DME hardly works.

I also got castigated slightly for not knowing what the “approach ban” is. Some CAP393/ANO for bedtime reading then. 🙂

I’m hoping the retest is next door at Bristol Filton (test starts at Bristol Lulsgate) so not too far away and a more helpful field. I’m on the standby list for this forthcoming week and iirc have a proper slot the following Tuesday.

By the way the later forecast, published just as we we went flying (bit too late to affect a change of plan), put the gust back in so technically I shouldn’t have been up 🙂

I’ve been hoping to update this after I pass my test. Further to the last entry, two weeks ago I had a week of route practise, followed last week by a 170A then a cancellation of the test.

This week well, I have rebooked for tomorrow (22nd August) but I fear I may be on a run of bad luck like Robbie had. The TAF for Bristol states “BECMG 0608 01018G28KT”. This means the wind will be coming from 010 degrees blowing at 18 knots gusting to 28. Bristol, where the test commences and ends, has an East-West runway.

Our Ops manual also states that i) any crosswind limitation shall include the gust and ii) no company aircraft shall be flown outside of the max demonstrated crosswind as stated in the aircraft manual. At 20 knots for the DA42, this is well below the 28 knot gust. 🙁

I shall go in and assess in the morning, by which time the latest forecast should be online.

Robbie by the way had a string of re-bookings due to weather, a few of which were cancelled due to crosswind limitations. The problem he had is that booking slots are rare and even a week off brings with it rustiness in your ability.

It’s now been two months since I started.

Well what’s happened this last week then? Didn’t fly on Friday 27th July or Monday 30th July. I was starting to worry that too many people were using the aeroplane so putting me back a bit, but I need not have really worried.

After questioning the DA42’s stability I thought I had better the standard 6 gauge instrument scan into terms I could apply for the G1000. Last Saturday was a lovely day so I spent a good few hours reading in the back garden with my feet up and a copy of the FAA Instrument Flying Handbook (a full manual available for free and online). Chapters 4 and 5 are the helpful ones if anyone is interested. I had read parts of this before but now seeking a solution much more sank in.

It was interesting to note two methods for instrument flying, the Performance and Control Method, which is the one my FI seems to prefer, but also the Primary and Supporting Method, which I think you instinctively use anyway to assess.

Two tips mentioned in the Handbook that are handy. First is to make smaller and smaller attitude corrections so as to learn what effect that has, also a small corrections will show up better (less lag) on the VSI. Secondly, part of the Perf and Control method, though this is largely ingrained, remember ETCA – Evaluate, Trim, Cross-check then Adjust. Repeat repeatedly and this works for most flight manoeuvres.

So how to crack the scan and hopefully fix the silly altitude excursions? The G1000 scan itself is simple when you realise the sequence. Up then down via the attitude indicator. Then return the attitude indicator, go left, attitude indicator right, right then return. With the some part so the scan you have to unlike a standard scan evaluate more than one thing. For example for the Up scan you will have to look at the bank attitude pointer and also the slip indicator. Likewise Right, both the altitude and the VSI.

One problem commonly raised about the G1000 is the lack of pointers. With conventional instrumentation, you can assess any deviancy of a pointer in relation to a desired graduation. If that pointer is moving when you don’t want it to, regardless of its value, you need to do something about it. With the G1000 you have to assess if the moving numbers are what you require then think about doing something. Effectively you have to insert imaginary pointers.

Day 21
Tuesday 31st July

A late session and the Gloucester route again threatened. I elected due to time and also wanting to test out the scan technique to do the local dummy route off WBA then toward SWB. It seems to work.

Altitude and heading are better. I mentally set myself the task of maintaining +/- 50 feet where the test tolerances are twice that. If I do go outside 50 feet, I will at least be reacting but not busting the tolerance levels. I am minded that the weather is rather good and not very turbulent. I trim and manage to get the aircraft to fly level for a change!

Day 22
Wednesday 1st August

The Gloucester route again. London Info were very busy but I seemed to jump the queue when calling for an airways join clearance. We use a trick with Bristol stating our ETA for Gloucester and requesting a level for a hold. This prompts them to call Gloucester and co-ordinate, unlike last time where we were passed over to Filton before Gloucester.

Not to bad overall, but note that at Glos and back at the Green I was far too high on the descent profile.

Day 23
Thursday 2nd August

First ILS in the DA42. Booked a slot at Filton where we routed direct from the Green. Hold, procedural ILS, go-around from decision, engine-failure which is not restored, radar vectored back onto the ILS, go-around whilst having a quick look at the A380 about to do visual circuits then back home.

I forgot to pre-tune the Tower frequency for the first approach, which while on the glidepath puts the workload up and can ruin your day. Fortunately FI helps out. I think I also need to get a feel for when to deploy gear and flap before hitting the FAP/FAF descent point. 0.5nm seems to work well for single-engine. You do have to be careful with the Diamond’s approach flap ballooning you upward which doesn’t help with your descent because you have to lose it all again!

I apparently have about 9 hours to go and am down on the standby test list in 10 days time, which will be conducted from Bristol. Eeek!

Hello all

There is a reason this diary hasn’t been updated for a while and it’s because I hadn’t flown for two weeks. The exhaust problem was set aside, then the aircraft was being used for a check and test, which then turned into bad weather, followed by a regular maintenance check, exhaust change then an unscheduled double gearbox change. I flew the aircraft back last Wednesday. The school couldn’t have really leased the spare as PETS was at BFC also for maintenance.

So I flew twice on Wednesday and once on Thursday. Friday was better weather so MEP and CPL students should have got their fill whilst I had an appointment to see the AME for a renewal.

Here’s a brief summary

Day 19
Wednesday 25th July

1st flight

Flew down in the back of the DA40 to pick up the DA42. Saw an interesting demonstration of the KAP140 autopilot including the unit negotiating the ILS glideslope. Single-pilot ops is demanding and seeing how the AP can be correctly used in anger is a lesson in itself.

The intention was to fly back dual to Halfpenny Green with a hold/approach at Gloucester. But I think this got scratched eu to some worse weather coming in from the West and possibly for time also. So a few holds back at the Green, an approach to 34 then x-wind join for 16.

2nd flight

Slightly derusted, we repeated the 247 QDM from WBA then 010 to SWB VOR route. Slightly disheartened that we are still as it were in the play pit but good for practise nonetheless. Seem to recall parts of the hold and procedure were very bumpy as we passed though Cu.

Day 20
Thursday 26th July

A proper route. HG-BCN-L9 airway-ALVIN-GST DCT for hold/NDB DME approach then back to HG i.e. WBA DCT

A few firsts today. First time in Class A and IFR. First IFR flight plan. First time speaking the lingo to ATC in the airways.

So we departed the Green and routed direct for the Brecon (BCN) VOR at FL80 (semi-circular rule) The GPS came in handy for avoiding the Credenhill and neighbouring D147 danger area without creating a huge dogleg.

Given we had some extra time with a large wind vector on the nose and largely smoothish VMC, I tried playing about to get the ideal pitch angle for 135 knots and setting the trim. This seemed to take a lot of playing about with. I would be interested to read any flight test reports on the DA42’s longitudinal stability!

London Information were given the full TRPACER call (yes we are india mike charlie another first) and helpfully gave Cardiff a bell so we could join L9 at Brecon. They came back with the frequency to call and a squawk to use. Well done SwanFISes!

Obvious but good little tip given was to recognise how far the airspace is from BCN then give enough distance to give Cardiff a call. No problems with the handover and we climb another 1000ft to FL90 and head East to ALVIN.

At some stages we pass through cloud and also predicted freezing altitude at FL90 was bang on the money. The ice check becomes real and I call it regularly even if it doesn’t warrant a full Ice-FREDA run-through. Still behind screens and a hood, apparently what ever was trying to attach itself wasn’t succeeding.

The RT comes fast, I’m passed from Cardiff to Bristol, then Filton before – finally – going over to Gloucester. Just as well as I hadn’t planned for all these frequencies but can now just about quote them from memory.

Three in the hold at Gloucester meant we went around about three times, tracking was roughly okay but given the joining angle to the hold axis when coming in from the SW, I probably should have anticipated for it a bit better. Tracks were okay, especially on final track which I was happy with, but the G1000 was at times showing a 40 knot wind so the 1 minute legs have to e adjusted. I have since been reminded that it is a 1 second adjustment for every knot on the nose or tail.

Back at the Green for a vectored NDB/DME approach the final approach track was a bit off largely because we were (simulated) right-hand engine only and I wasn’t put the boot in enough to correct.

Overall I was reasonably happy with the RT at this stage, holds need some work, the descent profiles worked better Thursday versus Wednesday, but still need to get the altitude sorted. Suggested scan maybe Alt>DI>pitch>speed? To assist in ergonomics, I have also purchased a bendy plastic A5 ring binder to stick all the plates in – the plan is to balance the binder on my left leg and A5 kneeboard on my right. Sadly the stick interferes with lap space.

Apparently we may do the Gloucester route again on Monday.

Hi Swift, to be honest it has been a lot easier than I expected, but ask me again in 20 hours time when I have got more time on the actual aircraft. A lot of the concepts are not so difficult – I thought you may have had to be masterly to get through the IR! However there are tolerances within the test which demand you full attention, e.g. level busts and so forth. It was interesting in the back seat on Monday to see some issues coming out that I do, is it human nature or the DA42 causing it?

Blue Robin,
How has it been so far in relation to how you thought it would be? Any parts that are worth reading up on more before embarking on the IR?
Cheers
SWIFT

Monday 16th July

No actual flying but I did back-seat on the Yeovil route, saw Bush’s new Marine One VH-71 helicopter on the ground too. A goods portion was in real IMC. Also saw lightning, some is closish proximity. Eeek! Good to see to commonly made mistakes, it’s nice to know I’m not totally unique in my ****-ups.

P.S. The YVL DME is serviceable.

Day 18
Thursday 12th July

Still waiting on that exhaust. Today was a repeat of two days ago (Tuesday). Some quite trying conditions, half in cloud, half out with gusty turbulent conditions as a front has just gone through. Attaining the perfect, trimmed pitch attitude still seems an elusive task for the -42. Good engine shutdown drill though did drift off heading too much. The direct controls of the aeroplane don’t always warrant ham-fisted piloting. But I wonder if I am being a bit too deliberately gentle and slow with the aeroplane?

Friday 13th – no flying today.

Day 16
Tuesday 10th July

The transponder is still u/s after being started on ground power last Friday. Going to Bristol therefore might be a bit tricky. We detail to do another local from the Green in the DA42, tracking out 247 then 010 toward SWB. This mimmicks a EXMOR departure from Bristol then heading north on the airway. Then return back to the Green for a hold, low approach, go-around, engine failure and asymmetric circuit to land (as we did the day before) All goes well enough, still need more time to get power, attitude and trim sorted, but the descent profile on the procedure shows an improvement.

Day 17
Wednesday 10th July

The nice man at Bristol finally delivers the goods to get the transponder fixed. Following the email instructions, ee reload the config into the G1000 and the transponder magically comes out of fail mode. Seems though we may not have Mode S working, but better than nowt. The plan is to go to Bristol, I can practise some approaches and the wobbly exhaust can be tightened whilst we are on the ground. However we remove the cowling and discover the short exhaust pipe is cracked along a weld line. Why do they use skinny mild steel and weld it for a part that undergoes massive thermal stress?

So with that paid, we try the Exeter route again from last Friday. I make a better stab of it, but again still foul up the hold entry coming in from the south. With some sim time still to play with, the aircraft being used for test and the exhaust on order, I will probably do Exeter again in the sim tomorrow/Friday.

Ah so you were our crash alarm arrival 😀 What were you in?

Off to Bristol tomorrow, subject to transponder being fixed. Or failing that for another local.

Pop by, follow the blue line from the tower, the Flight Centre (commercial side) is behind Hangar 3. Wednesday is also a good day for the cafe 😉

Keep at it mate.

I was at Wolverhampton today Neil, I took a student in on a duel landaway.

Fastrack 34 was the callsign. I may be there again on Wednesday weather dependant

Day 14
Friday 6th July

Last sim session!

Route from Bristol to Exeter via EXMOR and the N864 airway. Rather a late afternoon session having been in all day so was half-asleep and therefore got caught out with the timings. No sooner are you on the airway, then you have to come off it. Didn’t the Exeter DME tuned in time, so situational awareness was non-existent and first indication I had of the airfield was when the ADF needle swung! Doh!

Pretty sloppy flying overall, I can do better.

Total logged time in the sim 27 hours 35 minutes, taking 3 weeks. The HGFC course structures 30 hours of sim time. You can log up to 35 hours maximum in a FNPT2 sim, but the idea is to get as much real flying in as possible.

Day 15
Monday 9th July

Back in the DA42… I have dreaded this moment slightly as I have (not sure if anyone else does?) a habit of blinking and changing the pitch attitude. I can be a bit up and down. It’d be interesting to compare a DA42 with conventional instruments 🙂

But checks seems to come more easily off the tongue even if I do forget where a few levers are located. I feel more professional in the aeroplane than I did for the CPL, including the flight test. Taxying is even a bit more expeditious.

Detail is to go to the west for a local, do some turns, climbs, descents, then up-down with turns, then that again changing speeds. Familiarisation made all the more sporting by flying under cumulus. The aircraft is now to be flown in the en-route cruise at 135 knots, about 75% power so the cockpit is now a lot more noisier office compared to the CPL tootling about at 120 knots/55%.

I note that it is now more difficult to focus on and read plates given engine vibration and turbulence. Back inbound we do a hold in the WBA hold at Halfpenny Green then shoot a faux NDB approach to 34. Unapproved maybe but instructor is keeping a good lookout and we go-around quite high. Here an engine failure is performance, despite the procedure being simpler than the 6-lever/4-mag Seneca sim, I still forget to touch drill the engine master to fail the engine/feather the prop.

Better luck next time, heh?

Cheers Dean,

I’ll give Westland ATC a bell in the morning for an update. Funnily enough when I mentioned this, it transpires that the YVL DME is not in the sim! The regular Jeppesen data update Alsim sends seems to delete the DME and they have to re-install it manually.

I do recall Graham saying “never, never again” about Cardiff when he came up to visit some nervous CPL students recently 😉

I know! I’ll never discount any potential route until I am given one by the examiner. I’ll also probably be doing a lot of practise wherever we can get a slot e.g. Hawarden, E Mids, Shawbury.

Two of our guys did their IRT today with him, both Glos routes. Graham partialled the first (alt bust and misread the hold QDM by 10 degs) so thankfully just a hold and NDB retest. Second I dunno, but some really bad weather (real IMC!) came in this afternoon so I hope he got through.

Now back to the diary

Day 13
Thursday 5th July

I hope you are still all reading this?

More of the same today. Bristol-Yeovil via EXMOR N864 airway toward TINAN breaking off at about 35d from Berry Head VOR. This is another favourite test route, with the NDB/DME again done away and ILS back at Bristol.

This is quite a fraught little route coming off the airway. You’re passed from Cardiff to Yeovilton LARS, then far too soon onto Westland (Yeovil) Approach. In that time, you have to co-ordinate the request for a hold and approach, the active runway and also the weather. Then likely continue the descent in the hold. Which until you do it, you realise that RT from ground (usually) and checks (sometimes) get in the way.

As for handling, a few eyes-off-the-road excursions doing paperwork. Time to explore the legalities of that autopilot. I did a rather good engine failure drill this time 🙂 ILS was less left-right on the localiser and within half-sclae deflection on the glideslope. NDB descent was more or less on the money (I thought people hated them?) NDB tracking however inbound to YVL was too wayward, especially when you are flying more or less on the axis between an offset and a parallel join 😳

Bristol-Exeter tomorrow!

All I am saying is be prepared for anything, Graham will “most likely” get you to go to Exeter, Cardiff was a favourite but after my experience he said he won’t choose this again.
I know there’s a DME at Yeovil but again, when we flew there it wasn’t NOTAMed as being u/s, but it was, we found out whilst inbound so had to be pretty swift on brushing up on the procedure. They said it would be u/s “for the foreseable future”, give them a call and ask them if it is servicable to be sure.

Hi. I said Filton was uncommonly used but not now omitted. The plates show a DME at Yeovil and it isn’t NOTAMed as being u/s. Radar vectors for Bristol, have never done a hold yet. I did have RANT but I never got round to porting it before my flash drive packed up. Thanks for the tips on NDB bending, something you can’t simulate too well.

Keep working Neil

I found the IR to be enjoyable, but not difficult, some say it is the hardest thing you will ever do, but I found this not to be the case, the hardest thing is the intensity.

I’m not sure what your instructor is doing Neil, because you are not allowed to do holds at Bristol, so I don’t really see the point in practicing it, you are better off doing them at Filton, Gloucester, Yeovilton or Exeter. They are all left hand holds apart from the 09 hold at Filton, this can catch you out if you are not careful.

That route yo specified earlier : BRI – EXMOR – N864 – BCN – OF, you say it isn’t used any more? be very careful, that was my test route in March, so Graham does use it, his favourite is BRI – EXMOR – N864 – EX, my sim partner got Yeovilton as well, this is a nice one except there is no DME, so it is a timed procedure.

I know what you mean when you say things can get away from you very quickly, just remember if you are sat in the airway twiddling your thumbs it is highly likely you have missed something.

When doing the NDB/DME procedure at Gloucester, be careful when on 27 because the NDB has a tendancy to bend around GCHQ, normally it will take you south of track (your track will show correct if you keep nailing it) but all of a sudden it will flip 5° off or more, then flip back a bit later, a GPS trace will show this nicely.
Overall there is nothing tricky about the NDB at Glouc, it’s quite good, just beware of the alternate procedure on 09 as well.
At Bristol you will also get a slight bend in the NDB signal when on 27 due to Dundry Hill, just stay on top of it. When you get to Glouc & Bristol for real you’ll see what I mean.

Neil have you got a copy of RANT XL ? worth every penny for Hold/NDB procedures and especially NDB tracking.

Day 12
Wednesday 4th July

One session today, another test route i.e. Bristol-Gloucester via BCN, L9 airway to ALVIN, depart airway direct Gloucester. NDB/DME approach, go-around, engine fail drill then off to the SW for some general handling. Then route back to Bristol for an ILS, go-around, circle-to-land (visual circuit).

Went in better prepared today. I placed all the relevant plates into the clear inserts within the kneeboard (A5). But having this open turns it into an A4 kneeboard – any point in that? 😕

Session seemed to go better and is less stressful that yesterday. I have an idea of who manages which bit of airspace and what frequencies they use. Also Gloucester is further displaced from the CTAs of Cardiff/Bristol than Filton, which seems to help.

Departure and airway section goes okay. I do forget to flip from BCN to the GOL (DME) so get a bit closer to Glos than I anticipated.

Managed to nicely hit MDA for the NDB approach at Glos about 1.5d, maintained level then went around at the MAPt 1d (now highlighted!)

Must remember to ident the ILS turning inbound to verify. Also commence the timer at the FAF/FAT should the DME fail. Which he did back at Bristol… no problem radar ranges can be given every 2nm. Bizarrely I thought the glideslope was also out and starting shooting the altitudes based on distance . The glideslope was quite visible but my brain choose not to see it! ILS was a bit up, down, left and right. Because of this I got transfixed and misread the DA as 710′. Nope 810′ and plus 50′ for luck so instant fail time for busting the DA.

Still need to work on NDB tracking.

Someone asked if I was enjoying it. Well it certainly is taxing and sort of satisfying in a way keeping the grey cells in work, but it’s not fun in the sort of way of being down the pub having had a few and then some 🙂

There is a level of difficulty to it but taken in parts there is nothing too complex that an average committed pilot (I guess) would not be able to cope with. However – but – although – mind you – the IR test is a short sector, some of which occurs outside of controlled airspace, so the Nav/RT massively ramps up the workload and does affect your ability to fly, maintain levels, headings etc. The same is true for the CPL.

If there’s one thing that the DA42 falls down on, its the inability (for a trainer) to have a nice A4 kneeboard placed on your lap without interfering with the stick. Your old A5 board is therefore used. Shame then you can’t go paperless and use the G1000.

You’ll see the above remarks borne out in session two from today. Incidentally a rough estimate to-date (inc today) for the IR has been about 14 sim sessions totalling around 24 hours. The course is structured for around 30 sim hours. So scarily I may be but a week away from the DA42 for the remaining 20 hours.

Tuesday 3rd July
Day 11

IR buddy is still away so two sessions for me today. The course is going faster than I expected.

Session 1

A little progress test. More of the same as the past few days. Depart Bristol for a Brecon 1Z SID, vectors back for hold, ILS approach for a go-around, engine failure, vectors back for a NDB DME approach still single-engine.

Of any points to make, again for the first approach I forgot to descend on the procedure passing the initial approach fix. Must have faith in making small changes when close to the ILS localiser or NDB; offset and wait for it to come back. Not doing so led to half scale deflections both right, left then right again. The finals check also includes a clearance Clarence, he tried to catch me out! We’ll also note that the ACA is above the DA, so theoretically you decide about single-engine committal to landing before cloud-break. In reality the examiner will have you flying down to DA.

Session 2

This is where it gets tough! Planned route is Bristol, SID to EXMOR, join the N864 airway, fly north to BCN, then break off the airway routing direct to OF at Filton. There do a hold, an ILS, go-around, engine failure, route West for general handling (two engines) i.e. base-turn/final stall. Then back to Bristol for an NDB DME (single-engine), missed approach and visual circle-to-land.

Apparently this was a test route at Bristol but is at present uncommonly used. I can see why 🙂

So this is simulating really a full test and cobbling the whole routine together. Had to do a full plog, create a CA48 Flight Plan vlaidating it on the CFMU website, research the airway levels using the AIP, print out all the possible terminal plates and this time include the aerodrome plate (having been starting from the hold before now). Headsets must be worn for the first time, to which I discover my DC squashing my swelled head and displacing my specs so affecting focus.

The start is made at Bristol Flight Centre (south side). Monitor ATIS, call Tower for start, shutdown avionics, start, request taxi, move northside crossing the active so it goes on as we are playing on a big boys’ field.

I could labour on about every point that went wrong, but I won’t. A cut to the chase therefore and notes I made from the debrief.

1. The active runway had a tailwind, the ILS if correctly identified would have shown this (not a deliberate challenge but a good lesson learnt).
2. Large altitude excursions, largely resulting I feel from doing other things other than flying e.g. paperwork and radio.
3. RT could be better, will have to delve into CAP413 when I have time and listen to e.g. liveatc.net.
4. Plan for the approach aids on the airway (I secretly dream about using the now-allowed autopilot on this sector)
5. Do pre-descent checks before descending, though I do remember do to them just after!
6. Filton ILS was messy and massively lost the glideslope about 1nm out. I explain that I didn’t know quite where the MAPt was on the plate (Aerad), so all went pear-shaped at a time when I should be devoting max concentration. Turns out the MAPt is inconspicuous so in the future I will highlight it in advance.
7. Planning ahead with the RT should be better. Busy busy aviating and navigating, but also having to sort the boys on the ground with Class G/D/airways trying to get details passed and airspace clearances. That mid-point sector over the Bristol Channel is just too busy with three airfields, two of them having own airspace and each with (at least) their own Approach and Tower frequency. Eeek.

Enjoying it? Well it certainly is taxing and sort of satisfying in a way keeping the grey cells in work, but it’s not fun in the sort of way of being down the pub having had a few and then some 🙂

There is a level of difficulty to it but taken in parts there is nothing too complex that an average committed pilot (I guess) would not be able to cope with. However – but – although – mind you – the IR test is a short sector, some of which occurs outside of controlled airspace, so the Nav/RT massively ramps up the workload and does affect your ability to fly, maintain levels, headings etc. The same is true for the CPL.

If there’s one thing that the DA42 falls down on, its the inability (for a trainer) to have a nice A4 kneeboard placed on your lap without interfering with the stick. Your old A5 board is therefore used. Shame then you can’t go paperless and use the G1000.

You’ll see the above remarks borne out in session two from today. Incidentally a rough estimate to-date (inc today) for the IR has been about 14 sim sessions totalling around 24 hours. The course is structured for around 30 sim hours. So scarily I may be but a week away from the DA42 for the remaining 20 hours.

Tuesday 3rd July
Day 11

IR buddy is still away so two sessions for me today. The course is going faster than I expected.

Session 1

A little progress test. More of the same as the past few days. Depart Bristol for a Brecon 1Z SID, vectors back for hold, ILS approach for a go-around, engine failure, vectors back for a NDB DME approach still single-engine.

Of any points to make, again for the first approach I forgot to descend on the procedure passing the initial approach fix. Must have faith in making small changes when close to the ILS localiser or NDB; offset and wait for it to come back. Not doing so led to half scale deflections both right, left then right again. The finals check also includes a clearance Clarence, he tried to catch me out! We’ll also note that the ACA is above the DA, so theoretically you decide about single-engine committal to landing before cloud-break. In reality the examiner will have you flying down to DA.

Session 2

This is where it gets tough! Planned route is Bristol, SID to EXMOR, join the N864 airway, fly north to BCN, then break off the airway routing direct to OF at Filton. There do a hold, an ILS, go-around, engine failure, route West for general handling (two engines) i.e. base-turn/final stall. Then back to Bristol for an NDB DME (single-engine), missed approach and visual circle-to-land.

Apparently this was a test route at Bristol but is at present uncommonly used. I can see why 🙂

So this is simulating really a full test and cobbling the whole routine together. Had to do a full plog, create a CA48 Flight Plan vlaidating it on the CFMU website, research the airway levels using the AIP, print out all the possible terminal plates and this time include the aerodrome plate (having been starting from the hold before now). Headsets must be worn for the first time, to which I discover my DC squashing my swelled head and displacing my specs so affecting focus.

The start is made at Bristol Flight Centre (south side). Monitor ATIS, call Tower for start, shutdown avionics, start, request taxi, move northside crossing the active so it goes on as we are playing on a big boys’ field.

I could labour on about every point that went wrong, but I won’t. A cut to the chase therefore and notes I made from the debrief.

1. The active runway had a tailwind, the ILS if correctly identified would have shown this (not a deliberate challenge but a good lesson learnt).
2. Large altitude excursions, largely resulting I feel from doing other things other than flying e.g. paperwork and radio.
3. RT could be better, will have to delve into CAP413 when I have time and listen to e.g. liveatc.net.
4. Plan for the approach aids on the airway (I secretly dream about using the now-allowed autopilot on this sector)
5. Do pre-descent checks before descending, though I do remember do to them just after!
6. Filton ILS was messy and massively lost the glideslope about 1nm out. I explain that I didn’t know quite where the MAPt was on the plate (Aerad), so all went pear-shaped at a time when I should be devoting max concentration. Turns out the MAPt is inconspicuous so in the future I will highlight it in advance.
7. Planning ahead with the RT should be better. Busy busy aviating and navigating, but also having to sort the boys on the ground with Class G/D/airways trying to get details passed and airspace clearances. That mid-point sector over the Bristol Channel is just too busy with three airfields, two of them having own airspace and each with (at least) their own Approach and Tower frequency. Eeek.

I can’t stress how behind the aircraft I felt, especially in relation to actual position so as to gauge proximity to CTAs. A tough exercise on the whole!

A good point made afterwards by the MCC instructor and former VC10 FO/RAF sim instructor. When you can, always think “WHAT NEXT?” repeatedly. Pays to stay ahead of the game.

Apparently it was a border-line IRT pass…

Day 9
Friday 29th June

More of the same with a SID, inbound terminal hold, LLZ/DME, go-around, engine failure and vectors back for an ILS.

Procedure was runway 09 at Scouseport, followed by the POL 5V SID then vectors in bound for the 09 ILS.

Points again were drift correction, configuration stabilised before the FAF/FAP the descent and doing a nice engine failure/shutdown routine. I did a PAN call of my own fruition this time though…

Day 10
Monday 2nd July

The weekend pre-brief was to prepare for a EXMOR 1Z departure from Bristol, followed by running down the airway toward Exeter and then being vectored off for the hold/08 NDB/DME approach again at Exeter.
This again with all the usual no viz on 1st approach, go-around, engine failure etc etc

The intention was to backseat first thing but sadly IR buddy had to be elsewhere so I get two sessions today and am threatened with three! Still, I’m not going to complain about a 2hr lunch break.

The session all goes pretty much to plan, some points made were thus. On the airway, have both NAVs tuned into the in-use VOR, one being the primary, the other a backup. The terminal procedure at Exeter nabbed me, the descent point passing EX is not at EX< rather 2d. Make sure the altimeter alerters are set for the missed approach altitude after going-around. Also pre-plan and check the asymmetric committal altitude, the final point where you decide to commit to landing single-engine, in advance for the field. Ops manual say 300ft agl so that needs adding to the field elevation.

Session 2

A BCN SID departure form Bristol runway 09, followed by a “simulated” i.e. no actual engine failure but as you would do for real in the aircraft without shutting the engine down. Then because the RVR at Bristol is set below the minimum for landing (800m min single-pilot ops) a diversion to a departure alternate, in this case Filton. Single-engine hold, then a NDB/DME to land on 09.

Extended too far on the outbound of the procedure and didn’t descend at the correct point. The reduced thrust on the “failed” engine is confusing when you have the good engine throttled back. It’s a job to remember which one you should use! Also whilst querying if to bring both throttles back whilst on final (if intending a go-around the dead engine cannot be advanced again) I go horrendously off-track and displaced north of the threshold. I could have made a landing in an emergency but decided to stay safe pushing the power forward.

Apart from that the session all goes pretty much to plan, some points made were to bug an anticipated heading before departure so as to maintain runway track. The wind was set strong and crossy. When levelling off on single-engine, get the power in sooner because of the inertia. I bust through the platform height pre-FAF because of this.

Anyone else find landing with a cross-wind in a simulator a bit weird? I had to resort back to basic PPL say out loud, “into wind elevator”, “opposite rudder”.

The CAA checked it yesterday and have issued a new certificate, do you think they might have missed something? 🙂

Day 8
Thursday 28th June

Another SID from Gatwick, a DME arc at Birmingham followed by a LLZ/DME approach to 05, go-around, engine failure and radar vectors for an ILS to land. All this with turbulence and a 25 knot wind for good measure.

Easy huh? 🙂

The SFD 8W SID was fairly straight-forward, there is only an ILS DME, a VOR and an ADF to tune. Unfortunately the Nav box on the sim cycles through the frequencies at .025khz at a time, so if you need a COM frequency in a hurry, forget it!

05 ILS/DME for Birmingham runway 05
DME arc at Birmingham first, not done one since first time practised them so initially I aimed the aircraft AT the beacon not 90degrees perpendicular to it. A few gentle turns keeps you roughly on the 10nm radius from Honiley VOR, nothing too taxing. The procedure though is fiddly, getting the ILS pre-tuned, identified and set on Nav 1 (which you are using for the arc) means you have to be quick in flipping over, checking and flipping back.

Glideslope fails so just a localiser LLZ/DME approach setting a rate of descent, cross-referencing the distances on the plate against altitudes. On the approach I try to get the gear and flap in earlier, seems a bit better but the power setting is elusive (modelling a PA34-220T). Will try even earlier say 1-1.5DME and holding level until 100knot is seen. A good approach leads to a good landing, but a good configuration leads to a good approach!

Engine failure after the go-around was a bit uggh. Spent too much time being quiet, getting the trim set properly before systems shutdown and thinking, rather than just doing blip-blip-blip methodically.

Single-engine ILS seemed a bit better and I pulled a greaser of a landing.

Approaches though still not within half-scale deflection all the way, as per test requires.

More of the same tomorrow, should also start using faux ATIS and entering onto a plog.