Longest IFR flight I have ever done

durind

durind

Well-Known Member
Might not be much to some of you guys, but I forgot how tough these long flights were. S43-KHIO-KOLM-S43, 5 hours of flight, 2.5 hours at night, 3 hours actual, was a lot of fun but a ton of work in a C-172. Best part was doing approaches to almost minimums at all the airports, especially Hillsboro!
 
I always love days like that. It makes you work for everything, and your pay check always enjoys it too. I think the longest one I did was SAC-MRY-STS-CEC-CIC. It was 7.9 hours, 1.5 night, and 2.4 actual. I wish I had more students doing the long IFR flights. It's always a blast. Sounds like your student got some awesome experience!
 
p1l07m4n said:
I always love days like that. It makes you work for everything, and your pay check always enjoys it too. I think the longest one I did was SAC-MRY-STS-CEC-CIC. It was 7.9 hours, 1.5 night, and 2.4 actual. I wish I had more students doing the long IFR flights. It's always a blast. Sounds like your student got some awesome experience!
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Heh, barely legal huh? :) I ended up with 7.2 flight hours this past day, yeah my paycheck and experience will definitely feel it. IFR 135 mins here I come!
 
durind said:
Heh, barely legal huh? :) I ended up with 7.2 flight hours this past day, yeah my paycheck and experience will definitely feel it. IFR 135 mins here I come!
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Yeah, just barely. We were taxiing in, and I was eyeballing the hobbs like it was going out of style. It got to the point where I told my student, "Screw it, just park it somewhere, and shut down. If we need to move it, we will do it by hand." Found a place just in time! How long have you been instructing? What's your time at?
 
p1l07m4n said:
Yeah, just barely. We were taxiing in, and I was eyeballing the hobbs like it was going out of style. It got to the point where I told my student, "Screw it, just park it somewhere, and shut down. If we need to move it, we will do it by hand." Found a place just in time! How long have you been instructing? What's your time at?
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I have been instructing for about 8 months and have about 750 hours. Just short on the night time, but that should come easily and I've decided I am going to do the Ameriflight route, that single pilot IFR 135 sounds like a challenge to me.
 
I did almost a 5 hour block from BED - SUS in a 1900. That was a long flight. I could barely peel my butt off the seat after I landed I was so stiff.
 
We did YIP-TYS and TYS-VNC... both nearly 4 hours in a Skyhawk for a total of 7.9 that day. Did VNC-PBI-FLL-EYW on that trip as well, near 5 hours non-stop. Got to know that 172 pretty well on that trip.
 
Did GFK-SDY-ISN-MOT-GFK for a total of 6.9hrs in a 172. I slept for probably 15hrs after that trip. There is only so much of the great north to see.....ha.
 
Psssh, whatever, I've done 6+ hour *legs* in piston singles when the need arises! 4-5 hour legs is just another day. Usually it's in cushy airplanes with glass cockpits, autopilots, datalink weather, and satellite radio though...

To the OP: Very cool experience. I used to work out of ALW and know how satisfying it is to fly approaches to mins around there. Keep up the good work.
 
jrh said:
Usually it's in cushy airplanes with glass cockpits, autopilots, datalink weather, and satellite radio though...
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Unfortunately, you're 100% right... :( ...and I was teaching, so even less work, right?!
 
My longest day teaching was 7.0 of IFR cross country but did 12.7 hours in a Glastar from Chicago to Idaho one day. The weird thing is that I was way more tired and fatigued after the 7 hour trip just because of the extra work/stress involved in teaching and monitoring.
 
Longest flight I've ever been a part of was OSU - 5M9 - SRC - GGG in a 172R with an 80 knot ground speed. Took about 10.5 I logged 5.9 on that trip, but I was up front for all 10.5 hours with a friend. (Prior to my CFI). I slept a LOT after that flight. It's a great exhausting feeling. :biggrin:
 
rd757 said:
Unfortunately, you're 100% right... :( ...and I was teaching, so even less work, right?!
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I was referring to the planes I usually fly nowadays. Most of my flying comes from ferrying relatively new airplanes (2000 model year and newer) around the country. I might do 4-5 hour legs as part of a ferry flight, but they really aren't much harder than 2-3 hour legs because of all the automation. Click on the autopilot, click on the satellite radio, and watch the scenery roll by...

Back in the day I did numerous 8.0 hour days teaching from sunrise to sunset in old, bare bones 152s and 172s. Had lots of fun, but it was exhausting work I never wish to go back to--at least not at such a pace.
 
Try following terrain with a Leica LiDAR system for 6-8 hours a day... It's like the last 1/8 mile of the localizer while climbing hard and descending, no AP, ALL DAY LOONNGGG.

If it wasn't for my portable XM radio I think I'd go :bang::fury::cry:

Granted, we don't have to worry about WX we can't see. I'd still take a solid IFR XC with a student any day. There's just something about completing an IFR flight in a small airplane that feels rewarding. Probably because I spend most of my time going "Well, it's too crappy to go IFR again, looks like I'll try VFR and see how that works..."
 
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