On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:01:48 -0400, "Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea
Hawk At Wow Way D0t C0m wrote:

"Eamon McKinley" wrote in message
.. .
Hello everyone,

I'm about a week away from taking my instrument checkride, but I'm
lacking in one area I thought would be a breeze. After spending months
practicing holds, approaches & arcs I was double-checking the PTS and
realised that we had not practised unusual attitudes. My CFII told me
they would be no problem and we would cover them before the checkride.
Well, a few days ago we attempted a couple and I totally blew it.
Basically I became so disoriented and uncomfortable during the setup,
I was unable to cope. In each case it was a negatives that got me.
...


What kind of problems do you have in turbulance?


Never had a problem.

Getting bounced around in the soup is not like in VMC - your eyes and inner
ear are just not going to agree.

How much time in actual IMC do you have? I would give some thought to riding
along with another pilot to see if you can hang in there when the going gets
rough - one wouldn't want to find out that a senstitivy to negitive G causes
you to "blow up" in hard, single pilot, IFR.


I have about 5 hours actual.

Other than that - practice and build tolerance - it can really make a
difference. Bob Hoover taught himself to fly acro as a way to get over
air-sickness.


During my primary training I never had a problem with unusual
attitudes. So either I've changed or the CFI is the difference. As I
mentioned in the OP, I think it's a stylistic difference between
CFI's; my current CFI is excellent but for some reason he thinks it's
important to make me uncomfortable during the setup for an unusual
attitude. I want to get good at this stuff but he's freaked me out
twice and now it feels like I've hit a psychological stumbling block.

Note: I am not recommending "learn yourself acrobatics" - yes Bob Hoover was
able to do it, but Bob Hoover is Bob Hoover - you and I ain't.

I was going to do that anyway before this happened.