Run-in with Chicago Center

Jay Honeck wrote:


I get 40 hours a week of all that at work in the tower.


Maybe that's it, Newps.

We both spend our time in high stress (though for totally different
reasons!) environments,

Gotta stop you there. The last thing I have is stress. I can't believe
I get paid so much for such an easy job. Want stress? Go be a fourth
grade teacher.

"Philip Sondericker" wrote in message
news:BD4CA6B0.E9920%
I find it very difficult to be under
the hood for an hour or more, then be told to "look up" just short of the
threshhold, and execute a decent landing. The sudden transition from IFR
to
VFR is jarring to me, though I've been slowly improving.

As an examiner once said to me on an IMC rating renewal test:
"You know that in order to pass, you've got to get both of us
back on the ground alive..."

:-)

Paul

"Philip Sondericker" wrote in message


If you're being told to look up "just short" of the threshold,
something's
not right.

Please elaborate.


If your instructor is having you go visual at or near minimums, that would
place you about a half mile from touchdown, more or less. At typical SE
approach speeds, this should give you about 15-20 seconds or so to
transition to visual flight, which ought to be enough.

If you find the transition visually jarring, you're probably unconsciously
applying some control input as an instinctive reaction. Remember, when you
break out your craft should be in a relatively stable condition, continuing
down the approach. The craft is where it is supposed to be. Let it ride
for a couple of seconds while your brain transitions. Make a conscious
effort to *not* apply any input for those few seconds, until your brain is
in gear. It'll work out. Good luck.

John Gaquin wrote:

Remember, when
you break out your craft should be in a relatively stable condition,
continuing
down the approach. The craft is where it is supposed to be. Let it ride
for a couple of seconds while your brain transitions. Make a conscious
effort to *not* apply any input for those few seconds, until your brain is
in gear. It'll work out. Good luck.

This doesn't necessarily work for nonprecision approaches using a "dive and
drive" model. However, the input(s) necessary for to transition from the
level "drive" to a visual descent should be well known. That's just a
matter of practice.

- Andrew