First IFR flight after checkride

August 22, 2004 12:30 2.2 hrs. (.4 actual)
First flight after my IFR checkride, with actual!
For one of the few times in my brief aviation journey, I had a plane
reserved and hoped for cloudy skies. Not the towering,
throw-down-fire-from-the-heavens kind of clouds, but a benign overcast that
I could sail through while forced to keep my eyes on the gauges. And for
once the gods of Wilbur and Orville smiled upon me.
All week long I have been practicing the ILS 31 approach into La Grange, GA
(KLGC) on the simulator. I had planned on LGC for a few reasons: one, at 85
miles it qualified for a cross country flight, two, it had an ILS, and
three, the direct track would take me close to Atlanta Hartsfield and I
hoped it would really give me a workout with ATC. I had a little bit of
nervousness not only because this was to be my first IFR flight filed under
my name, it was also to be solo.

I arrived at the airport about a half hour before I was scheduled with the
plane, only because the AWOS was reporting 100' ceilings at 47A, so there
was no way I would be leaving until they lifted enough to permit a possible
emergency return. While I waited, Karen suggested that Tom, another
instrument pilot that I flew with just before my checkride, was wanting to
fly this afternoon after me. So I dialed him up on his cell phone and
invited him along. He was busy but said sure, he could be at 47A in an hour
and a half. So I headed off airport for lunch and got back to the airport in
time to preflight before he arrived.
Then with a weather brief in hand showing scattered and broken clouds all
over the place from 2500 up to 6000+ with lots of haze, I filed an IFR
flight plan in MY name.
We climbed in and figured our best plan of action was to pick up our
clearance in flight since communicating with ATC on the ground at 47A can
pretty difficult at times. Just a few feet in one direction or the other on
the ramp can make a lot of difference in the quality of reception. So we
took off from runway 4 and left the pattern from downwind. We leveled off at
3000' and called for our clearance. ATC came back with instructions to climb
to 4000' and vectored us a bit west to keep us clear of ATL.
Then came the clouds. A little puffy one at first and then much bigger ones
that were darker inside. Bigger meant bumpier too, with some kicks sideways
thrown in for good measure, and I could see Tom was keeping a good eye on my
attitude indicator.
Then a hand off and instructions to climb to 6000 where we were in and out
of the white stuff constantly. I trimmed it for level and sat back to enjoy
the view as we "joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds".
Then a hand off once again, but this time the reception was bad and the
controller sounded a bit short when I asked "Say again" at his first
transmission. Shortly after that, we passed ATL and were cleared direct to
LGC.

As a rule of thumb, I use 4 miles flown for every thousand feet to be lost,
thus 4 miles x 4000' = 16 miles. But at 18 miles out we were still at 6000'
and with an approach altitude of 2200', we would need to start descending
soon if we were to have any chance of making an elegant transition into the
LGC airspace.
So at 17 miles I called up the controller and asked for a lower altitude and
he immediately cleared us to 3000'. A few minutes later we were fat, dumb
and happy at 3000', in VFR but hazy conditions, with the field in sight and
a mile from the FAF. So we cancelled IFR. "Squawk VFR, frequency change
approved, good day".

Over the FAF at DONAH, I felt we'd come all this way and I'd practiced it so
many times, I thought I might as well do the whole ILS procedure, so I did.
After we landed, I taxied to the FBO for a coke, a quick rest and filed for
the flight back home.

Going home, it was pretty much the same song, played backwards. But instead
of picking up our clearance in the air, we made the small mistake of waiting
for it on the ground. We waited almost 10 minutes at the hold line with the
Hobbs turning like a dervish, and were just about to call and say we'd be
departing VFR and pick up the clearance later, when they called us. Lesson
learned. But all in all, one of the most fun flights I've had in a long time
and a big confidence builder.
Next flight: September 5, and I'm hoping for clouds again. But where to go?
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino
Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
www.wizardofdraws.com
www.cartoonclipart.com

But instead
of picking up our clearance in the air, we made the small mistake of waiting
for it on the ground. We waited almost 10 minutes at the hold line with the
Hobbs turning like a dervish, and were just about to call and say we'd be
departing VFR and pick up the clearance later, when they called us. Lesson
learned.


My first flight (I think it was my first) after getting my rating was a CAVU
day out of TEB, but I filed IFR for practice in the system(which my instructor
encouraged me to do). We waited ONE HOUR at the hold line in an Arrow.

Lesson learned.

Jose

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

Wiz et al,
Tried to post to the ifr group but it won't take my post because it's new.
What to do?

Gene.

In article ,
Teacherjh wrote:

My first flight (I think it was my first) after getting my rating was a CAVU
day out of TEB, but I filed IFR for practice in the system(which my instructor
encouraged me to do). We waited ONE HOUR at the hold line in an Arrow.

One of my first IFR flights after I got my rating had me holding short of
27R at OAK for about 25 minutes. I was sure glad I was only paying for
enough gas to idle the engine instead of $100+/hr.

Of course at my present rate it will be many years before the cost of
the instrument rating, amortized over all the subsequent hours of actual
and number of approaches, falls below $absurd/hr. Today I racked up all
of .1 flying over a bunch of layers in western Washington -- and if I'd
been VFR I could have just descended about 15 miles sooner through a
giant hole in the clouds. On the other hand, without the rating I
probably would have stayed another night or tried to go underneath the
whole way.

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/

Teacherjh wrote:

My first flight (I think it was my first) after getting my rating was a
CAVU day out of TEB, but I filed IFR for practice in the system(which my
instructor
encouraged me to do). We waited ONE HOUR at the hold line in an Arrow.

Lesson learned.

Well, that's TEB. I did the same thing out of CDW when I first got my
rating, and was out in not completely unreasonable time.

I've had no luck IFRing out of Linden, though. The one time I tried, I was
calling and calling and calling for Newark from the ramp. When they'd
finally answered, we'd passed the time by which we'd have had to depart to
make our schedule. So we simply took off and picked up a new clearance in
the air to a closer destination.

My friend ended up late to work anyway, but I only feel 50% guilty because
he wasn't exactly rushing to depart for our return to Linden grin.

- Andrew

A word of warning about picking up clearances in the air. There have
been some accidents where a plane was circling low while waiting for
his clearance. There have also been some violations for penetrating
the clouds before the clearance is received. You need to have an "out"
in case you cannot pick up your clearance quickly. Like the ability to
fly under the ceiling safely, or return to the airport. ATC is under
no obligation to clear you immediately upon request. I myself have
gotten into some funky situations trying to pick up an IFR clearance,
under a low cloud deck. ATC doesn't always do it "right" or convenient
to you. If it is working for you, fine, but you need to think about
these things. Most scheduled service have op specs against picking up
IFR cleanance in the air for the above reasons (and probably others I
haven't thought of). Don't get casual about it. I for one won't do it
unless I can proceed VFR to the next airport on my route. I choose to
get void time. I"ll admit, sometimes I have had to wait, but it is
rare and at least I am waiting on the ground, not in the air.

Andrew Gideon wrote in message gonline.com...
Teacherjh wrote:

My first flight (I think it was my first) after getting my rating was a
CAVU day out of TEB, but I filed IFR for practice in the system(which my
instructor
encouraged me to do). We waited ONE HOUR at the hold line in an Arrow.

Lesson learned.

Well, that's TEB. I did the same thing out of CDW when I first got my
rating, and was out in not completely unreasonable time.

I've had no luck IFRing out of Linden, though. The one time I tried, I was
calling and calling and calling for Newark from the ramp. When they'd
finally answered, we'd passed the time by which we'd have had to depart to
make our schedule. So we simply took off and picked up a new clearance in
the air to a closer destination.

My friend ended up late to work anyway, but I only feel 50% guilty because
he wasn't exactly rushing to depart for our return to Linden grin.

- Andrew

On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 06:55:01 GMT, "Gene Whitt"
wrote:

Wiz et al,
Tried to post to the ifr group but it won't take my post because it's new.
What to do?

???

It don't care if your new or as old as I am.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Gene.

Wizard of Draws wrote:
Going home, it was pretty much the same song, played backwards. But instead
of picking up our clearance in the air, we made the small mistake of waiting
for it on the ground. We waited almost 10 minutes at the hold line with the
Hobbs turning like a dervish, and were just about to call and say we'd be
departing VFR and pick up the clearance later, when they called us. Lesson
learned. But all in all, one of the most fun flights I've had in a long time
and a big confidence builder.

Why not just accept the clearance and request a VFR departure?
You are on an IFR flight plan, you are just accepting responsibility for
separation on the takeoff and departure. After the conflicting traffic
is clear, the flight becomes normal IFR.

On 8/23/04 4:54 PM, in article
, "Doug"
wrote:

A word of warning about picking up clearances in the air. There have
been some accidents where a plane was circling low while waiting for
his clearance. There have also been some violations for penetrating
the clouds before the clearance is received. You need to have an "out"
in case you cannot pick up your clearance quickly. Like the ability to
fly under the ceiling safely, or return to the airport. ATC is under
no obligation to clear you immediately upon request. I myself have
gotten into some funky situations trying to pick up an IFR clearance,
under a low cloud deck. ATC doesn't always do it "right" or convenient
to you. If it is working for you, fine, but you need to think about
these things. Most scheduled service have op specs against picking up
IFR cleanance in the air for the above reasons (and probably others I
haven't thought of). Don't get casual about it. I for one won't do it
unless I can proceed VFR to the next airport on my route. I choose to
get void time. I"ll admit, sometimes I have had to wait, but it is
rare and at least I am waiting on the ground, not in the air.


Noted.
We could have gotten home VFR with little problem although it was pretty
hazy. But I'm going to make a habit of filing for almost every flight,
especially since I have a new ticket, and flying out of an uncontrolled
field, I need as much practice talking to ATC as possible.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino
Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
www.wizardofdraws.com
www.cartoonclipart.com

On 8/23/04 8:31 PM, in article ,
"john smith" wrote:

Wizard of Draws wrote:
Going home, it was pretty much the same song, played backwards. But instead
of picking up our clearance in the air, we made the small mistake of waiting
for it on the ground. We waited almost 10 minutes at the hold line with the
Hobbs turning like a dervish, and were just about to call and say we'd be
departing VFR and pick up the clearance later, when they called us. Lesson
learned. But all in all, one of the most fun flights I've had in a long time
and a big confidence builder.

Why not just accept the clearance and request a VFR departure?
You are on an IFR flight plan, you are just accepting responsibility for
separation on the takeoff and departure. After the conflicting traffic
is clear, the flight becomes normal IFR.


I was under the impression that our plan had not reached the controller yet
and that he had no clearance to give, not that the issue was conflicting
traffic. We hopped in the plane fairly soon after I filed, so I may have
pushed the envelope a bit in that respect.

If I can learn as much on every flight as I did on this one, I'll be a happy
man.
--
Jeff 'The Wizard of Draws' Bucchino
Cartoons with a Touch of Magic�
www.wizardofdraws.com
www.cartoonclipart.com