Scrubbed IRA checkride

[Dave Jacobowitz]

I have no reason to make this post except that none of my
coworkers understand my disappointment.

I had to scrub my instrument checkride today because the
aircraft I train in went in for a 50-hr inspection (my
club's code-word for "oil change") and ended up with
the door sent out to be welded. (Sounds to me like a
squawk from a recent annual that was deferred until
right before someone really needed the airplane!)

Anyway, I'm totally down in the dumps. I stressed and
studied all last night for the ride, and I can't get
another appt. with the DE for two weeks.

I really love flying, but I can't be the only person
who just sometiems wants to get certain aviation episodes
behind him. For me, right now, the instrument training
and associated financial bleed are one of them. Since
I started on the IRA in November, I have done no flying
at all for pleasure and friends. I think that was my
mistake -- but with the cost of two multi-hour flights
with a CFII a week, those $100 weekend hamburgers kinda
got dropped.

I know I'm being a snot, but I'd love to hear other
people's frustrating flying stories.

-- dave j
-- jacobowitz73 -at- yahoo -dot- com


PS -- anybody in the SF Bay Area want to be a VFR safety
pilot with an instr. student once or twice in the next
couple of weeks? Aircraft is a Warrior.

[Mike Rapoport]

I was prepared and signed off for my private pilot checkride in January and
it wasn't until April(!!!) that the examiner and weather both lined up! Do
I need to mention that this was in SoCal? I know...it seems
impossible...but it happened.

Mike
MU-2


"Dave Jacobowitz" > wrote in message
om...
> I have no reason to make this post except that none of my
> coworkers understand my disappointment.
>
> I had to scrub my instrument checkride today because the
> aircraft I train in went in for a 50-hr inspection (my
> club's code-word for "oil change") and ended up with
> the door sent out to be welded. (Sounds to me like a
> squawk from a recent annual that was deferred until
> right before someone really needed the airplane!)
>
> Anyway, I'm totally down in the dumps. I stressed and
> studied all last night for the ride, and I can't get
> another appt. with the DE for two weeks.
>
> I really love flying, but I can't be the only person
> who just sometiems wants to get certain aviation episodes
> behind him. For me, right now, the instrument training
> and associated financial bleed are one of them. Since
> I started on the IRA in November, I have done no flying
> at all for pleasure and friends. I think that was my
> mistake -- but with the cost of two multi-hour flights
> with a CFII a week, those $100 weekend hamburgers kinda
> got dropped.
>
> I know I'm being a snot, but I'd love to hear other
> people's frustrating flying stories.
>
> -- dave j
> -- jacobowitz73 -at- yahoo -dot- com
>
>
> PS -- anybody in the SF Bay Area want to be a VFR safety
> pilot with an instr. student once or twice in the next
> couple of weeks? Aircraft is a Warrior.

[Peter R.]

Dave Jacobowitz wrote:

> I know I'm being a snot, but I'd love to hear other
> people's frustrating flying stories.

David, I totally understand your frustration. I never lost a checkride
due to unexpected maintenance, but back during my private pilot
training, I arrived at the FBO one extremely beautiful sunny morning for
my first long solo XC.

Unbeknownst to me, both 172SPs on the rental line had gone to
maintenance for their 50-hour late the previous evening and no one had
called to tell me that there would be no aircraft for me to fly on that
no-wind, CAVU day.

Let me tell you that the disappointment level I experienced during the
drive back home was incredibly high. It took me two weeks of
rescheduling to complete that XC.

> For me, right now, the instrument training
> and associated financial bleed are one of them. Since
> I started on the IRA in November, I have done no flying
> at all for pleasure and friends.

I wanted to comment on the above quote. Earning the instrument rating
is quite an achievement, but IMO maintaining proficiency with your
instrument skills as the years go by will become even more of an
achievement.

I may be wrong, but it seems to me based on the above quote that you are
looking to throttle back your flying once you take and pass your
instrument checkride.

I received my instrument rating a year ago and despite the above average
number of hours I have logged in actual conditions this past year, I
still feel I am not as quite as proficient as the day I passed my
checkride.

My goal is to practice some type of instrument work at least once per
week, whether it be from actual IMC or from simulated hood work.
January and February have been tough weather months for those of us in
the Northeast US and I did not meet my goal of practicing once per week.
Upon stepping into the cockpit after that lapse, my instrument flying
skills were noticeably subpar, at least to my standards.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that be sure to continue to
practice after your rating. If you cannot get actual, then grab a
safety pilot and a hood and fly often. Maintaining your high level of
proficiency you have now requires work and staying safe in actual IMC
depends on it.

Good luck and enjoy your checkride experience. It will be here before
you know it!


--
Peter







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[Dave Jacobowitz]

I think you're totally right. My plans is not to get my
ticket and stop training. Quite the opposite. But there
is still a difference between IR training (4-5 instructor
hours a week) and maintaining proficiency.

I also noticed something during my private training. I
learned a lot at the beginning, and then less as time
wore on with the instructor. Then, when I got my ticket,
there was another new burst of learning as I ventured
further and also as I made plenty of mistakes. Then
the learning tapered off again, and I knew it was time
to start the next thing.

Life is always going to be a series of intense periods
followed by fallow periods -- the fallow periods an
important part of the equation for avoiding burnout
and avoiding negative checking account balances. (And
by fallow, I don't mean no learning, no flying. I just
mean a bit less, and a bit less focused.)

Bottom line: I'm addicted to learning about aviation,
and plan to pursue commercial, multi-engine, CFI, etc.

-- Dave J


Peter R. > wrote in message
> David, I totally understand your frustration. I never lost a checkride
> due to unexpected maintenance, but back during my private pilot
> training, I arrived at the FBO one extremely beautiful sunny morning for
> my first long solo XC.
>
> Unbeknownst to me, both 172SPs on the rental line had gone to
> maintenance for their 50-hour late the previous evening and no one had
> called to tell me that there would be no aircraft for me to fly on that
> no-wind, CAVU day.
>
> Let me tell you that the disappointment level I experienced during the
> drive back home was incredibly high. It took me two weeks of
> rescheduling to complete that XC.
>
> > For me, right now, the instrument training
> > and associated financial bleed are one of them. Since
> > I started on the IRA in November, I have done no flying
> > at all for pleasure and friends.
>
> I wanted to comment on the above quote. Earning the instrument rating
> is quite an achievement, but IMO maintaining proficiency with your
> instrument skills as the years go by will become even more of an
> achievement.
>
> I may be wrong, but it seems to me based on the above quote that you are
> looking to throttle back your flying once you take and pass your
> instrument checkride.
>
> I received my instrument rating a year ago and despite the above average
> number of hours I have logged in actual conditions this past year, I
> still feel I am not as quite as proficient as the day I passed my
> checkride.
>
> My goal is to practice some type of instrument work at least once per
> week, whether it be from actual IMC or from simulated hood work.
> January and February have been tough weather months for those of us in
> the Northeast US and I did not meet my goal of practicing once per week.
> Upon stepping into the cockpit after that lapse, my instrument flying
> skills were noticeably subpar, at least to my standards.
>
> I guess the point I am trying to make is that be sure to continue to
> practice after your rating. If you cannot get actual, then grab a
> safety pilot and a hood and fly often. Maintaining your high level of
> proficiency you have now requires work and staying safe in actual IMC
> depends on it.
>
> Good luck and enjoy your checkride experience. It will be here before
> you know it!
>
>
> --
> Peter
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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[Mike Rapoport]

"Dave Jacobowitz" > wrote in message
om...
> I think you're totally right. My plans is not to get my
> ticket and stop training. Quite the opposite. But there
> is still a difference between IR training (4-5 instructor
> hours a week) and maintaining proficiency.
>

I don't see the difference. If you are ready for the checkride today then
you only need to fly enough to maintain that proficiency. It is the same
whether you have the rating or not.

Mike
MU-2

[Dave Jacobowitz]

I see your point.

Perhaps, and this might be sacrilege on r.a.i, and
I really should think about this more, but I may not intend
to maintain full instrument proficiency, or may not maintain
it all the time -- meaning that I will take lessons and
up my proficiency before flying IMC. Of course, I'll
avoid IMC if I'm not proficient. I already know how
to keep myself alive as a VFR PP.

I started my IRA training knowing that it will make me
a better pilot, all around, which it has. I also honestly
was never thrilled about flying hard IFR in the kind
of beater rentals that I can afford anyway, though I did
and do fancy the idea of being able to climb through a
thin layer.

In any case, I'm afraid it's not always onward and
upward for everyone's aviation capabilities, as things
like financial, career, and family changes take their toll.

I guess an argument can be made that if I'm not going
to maintain 100% proficiency all the time, then I shouldn't
even bother to finish the IRA. I see it differently. It'll
be a lot easier and cheaper to fnish my IRA now, and then
get IPCs (even ones I don't legally "need") later than it
will be to just bail on the rating, and wait to finish it
to when I can "properly" afford it.

In any case, you have a good point, and I do need to
give thought.

-- Dave J
-- jacobowitz73 -at- yahoo -dot- com



"Mike Rapoport" > wrote in message et>...
> "Dave Jacobowitz" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I think you're totally right. My plans is not to get my
> > ticket and stop training. Quite the opposite. But there
> > is still a difference between IR training (4-5 instructor
> > hours a week) and maintaining proficiency.
> >
>
> I don't see the difference. If you are ready for the checkride today then
> you only need to fly enough to maintain that proficiency. It is the same
> whether you have the rating or not.
>
> Mike
> MU-2

[Brad Z]

Its OK, they're also mad at the people with seaplane ratings that haven't
flown one since they passed the checkride :)

"Dave Jacobowitz" > wrote in message
> Perhaps, and this might be sacrilege on r.a.i, and
> I really should think about this more, but I may not intend
> to maintain full instrument proficiency, or may not maintain
> it all the time -- meaning that I will take lessons and
> up my proficiency before flying IMC. Of course, I'll
> avoid IMC if I'm not proficient. I already know how
> to keep myself alive as a VFR PP.

[S. Ramirez]

"Dave Jacobowitz" > wrote in message
om...
> I had to scrub my instrument checkride today because the
> aircraft I train in went in for a 50-hr inspection (my
> club's code-word for "oil change") and ended up with
> the door sent out to be welded. (Sounds to me like a
> squawk from a recent annual that was deferred until
> right before someone really needed the airplane!)

Dave,

I believe the reason for your frustration is more related to the state of
the flying fleet out there. We are literally flying around in POSs, because
they are so old, and airplane providers provide the minimum maintenance to
squeeze as much cost out of the equation.

Tuesday a week ago I flew a 1972 C-172 POS and had a few squawks after the
flight. I've been disappointed by this airplane before. On my instrument
check ride, the DE's door wouldn't latch shut, so he canceled the ride until
it was fixed. It's one dam thing after another with these old airplanes.

Thursday a week ago, I went for a demo flight in a 2003 Symphony 160. The
engine sounded great, the avionics are dynamite, everything worked great,
and it was cheaper! Of course I'm comparing a four seater to a two seater,
but most of the time I fly with one other passenger. I know which one I'm
flying from now on.

Simon

[Dave Jacobowitz]

Okay, I just wanted to announce that I rescheduled
my checkride and took it.

And I passed!

Yippee! Whooo-hooo!!

Ahem. So, it was not my best day of flying ever,
but apparently good enough for the federal
government. :)

Now, about proficiency and currency.... I've got
a plan for that, too. I've located some friendly
IR pilots who I can trade safety-pilot time with,
and I'll fly with my instructor about quarterly.

And I'm going to dip my toes into IMC a little
at a time, rather than jumping into the deep end.

Oh, and by the way, thanks Bob Gardner. I used
your book.

-- dave j

[Teacherjh]

>> Re: Scrubbed IRA checkride

So you're now a pilot for the Irish Republican Army?

Jose

--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

[Dave Jacobowitz]

Hey, it's not my fault there's no obvious official
abbreviation for the instrument rating! Here's
what it says on my temporary cert (I think. going
from memory):

Ratings:
Private Pilot
Airplane Single Engine Land
Instrument Airplane

We all know PP-ASEL, but when I say "IA" someone
else wonders if I've just gotten my inspection
authorization -- which would seem odd considering
that I don't even have an A&P.

Anyway, with a name like mine, I'm probably
not what the IRA is looking for.

-- Dave Jacobowitz
-- jacobowitz73 -at- yahoo -dot- com



(Teacherjh) wrote in message >...
> >> Re: Scrubbed IRA checkride
>
> So you're now a pilot for the Irish Republican Army?
>
> Jose

[Brad Z]

Then just call it an instrument rating! Must we abbreviate everything?
I've never heard of an ISP that charges by the letter :)

"Dave Jacobowitz" > wrote in message
om...
> Hey, it's not my fault there's no obvious official
> abbreviation for the instrument rating! Here's
> what it says on my temporary cert (I think. going
> from memory):
>
> Ratings:
> Private Pilot
> Airplane Single Engine Land
> Instrument Airplane
>
> We all know PP-ASEL, but when I say "IA" someone
> else wonders if I've just gotten my inspection
> authorization -- which would seem odd considering
> that I don't even have an A&P.
>
> Anyway, with a name like mine, I'm probably
> not what the IRA is looking for.
>
> -- Dave Jacobowitz
> -- jacobowitz73 -at- yahoo -dot- com
>
>
>
> (Teacherjh) wrote in message
>...
> > >> Re: Scrubbed IRA checkride
> >
> > So you're now a pilot for the Irish Republican Army?
> >
> > Jose