ANOTHER instrument ride

[USMC-SSGT]

Warning: this is a pretty long post

I typed it up in a word document for others so I will just save the typing again and paste what I wrote

1.3 hour flight 2 hour oral and here was the metar for those who care

KCRQ 071553Z 07003KT 10SM CLR 12/M04 A3029 RMK AO2

and the winds aloft...

0327+11 @6000 ft

and the gouge....

Flight portion

• filed ifr on ground to KOKB
• departed KCRQ and executed KOKB VOR-A with the procedure turn (not full hold) did the approach full panel both engines to MDA and went missed
• Published missed out of KOKB and requested ILS and LOC into KCRQ (expect fly 080 3,500’ at VISTA as usual)
• ILS into KCRQ when being vectored to intercept the localizer, lost an engine. Flew the ILS down to minimum and went missed (tower gave fly 180 climb and maintain 4000 for missed)
• After being vectored towards the east went partial panel to fly localizer into KCRQ. (with only 1 VOR, (name left out) said I could leave it on 108.7 and he would identify ESCON for me) Circle to land on the partial panel to a full stop taxi back.
• Takeoff out of KCRQ and went over the coast. Intercepted 150 radial from OCN and was told to turn left for a 12 mile DME arc. After turning left and twisting OBS was told that was fine.
• Given a heading to execute steep turns both directions and then after did one partial panel unusual attitude and then with hood off VFR back into KCRQ.

Oral Portion

• • What is required to stay instrument current (told him everything from 6 months and then after 6 months if not current, IPC, simulator or plane or both) if you tell him everything that is required to remain current there will be no more questions regarding this. *know that you can log all the approaches you want but if you do not annotate “holds, tracking” you are not current.
  • Where do you find the required instruments for IFR. I told him FAR part 91.205 and was not asked anything as to which instruments were required, just where to find it.
  • What are the requirements to takeoff under IFR (minimums) zero, zero
  • Took out an AFD and was asked what weather services were available (look in communications and there was an FSS listed) asked what MIRL stood for, asked what IAP stood for, in the airport diagram what is a figure 8 located over the runway end mean (displaced threshold) *this was all off of the information in the AFD, he will just pick an airport, not specific
  • Where do you find how to do a VOR check. Look in the contents of the AFD, it is located in the back by state.
  • How do you do a VOT check, what are the tolerances. (wants to hear you are testing Ident, Flag, accuracy)
  • On your XC flight do you need one or two VORs (for most flights only one is required)
  • How did you come up with your TAS for the XC flight plan (I showed him out of the POH)
  • Look at departure procedures and told to study for a few minutes and then asked questions. What do you do, what if you lose comm. Etc. Know thoroughly how to do a DP and especially lost comm, brief the lost comm. Procedure just as you would the procedure itself, he is HUGE on this.
  • Given a scenario “filed to KLGB via OCN, V23 etc. it is after hours and you are given your clearance and departing rwy 6 at KCRQ. How do you get to OCN” he mainly wants to hear that you will fly the obstacle departure procedure and then proceed direct OCN in order to maintain a safe altitude and obstacle clearance.
  • Look at a low enroute chart and tell: if you were here (off route) what is a safe altitude, what is the altitude of this J55 route (at least 18,000) if you lost track of a frequency for ARTCC at this point how would you find the correct frequency for ARTCC based on where you are, what does the H stand for in the VOR box (MCA) what does the L stand for in the VOR box. How come this airport info is in green and this one is in blue, what is the maximum altitude you can fly on an airway, what does a T stand for when following an altitude on an airway. That is pretty much it for the enroute but know the whole chart because he will just pick items of interest and question them.

• • Look at the Arvin one arrival for KBFL: when coming from Lake Hughes VOR and you are given “direct LHS maintain 10,000 for Arvin one arrival” do not descend below 10,000 because you were not cleared for the arrival “cross LHS at or above 10,000, cleared for the Arvin one arrival” you can now cross LHS and descend to fly the approach as filed.
  • Look at the ILS 30R into KBLF: Brief the entire chart especially the circle to land information. If you lose comm after Gorman VOR you are cleared for the approach what do you do and why. On a circle to land what is your HAA and when will you start your descent to land..wants to hear that since your HAA is 413’ you would not start your descent until turning final since you are already only 414’ above the airport.
  • (name witheld) will draw your standard instrument pack on paper:

1. if you lose electrical which instrument(s) will you lose
2. which way is the gyro positioned in the AI and the DG (AI horizontal spins left to right as you are looking at it, DG vertical and spins towards you as you look at it)
3. what does a turn coordinator tell you, how does it tell you this (what makes it special compared to turn and slip indicator)
4. where does static port go into on VSI and Altimeter
5. as you enter a cloud your notice your airspeed decreasing slowly at straight and level flight, what should you do (pitot heat)
6. what is primary for pitch and bank in straight and level flight, how about with a vacuum failure.
7. what does it mean when you are in a constant rate climb your airspeed continues to increase and in a descent your airspeed reduces
· What does a radar altimeter tell you
· What is RAIM
· How do you know if a GPS installed in your plane is certified (it needs to be in the logs as well as the weight and balance and have all signatures and certifications and to use it for IFR the database needs to be current
· What happens if you depart KCRQ with an altimeter setting of 29.90 and you climb to 10,000
where the altimeter should be 29.80 and you did not reset it. Will you be above, below, or at
10,000 and how far will you be off
· On the computer, read a METAR and TAF (random, not KCRQ)
· Look at radar chart and be able to understand it and know what the echo tops are and what “NE”
And “NA” means
· Look at low level significant prog chart and know how to decipher it
· Look at a constant pressure analysis chart and know which way the winds will go at altitude and
At the surface
· Know how to identify your fronts, know which way the winds will flow in a high pressure and
Low pressure areas. Know what the winds will do when the isobars are close or separated
· Be able to tell the difference between an airmet, sigmet and convective sigmet.
· Know how to do ADF navigation as well as GPS approaches even if your plane does not have either. (either learn it in the books, have your instructor show you in a plane that is equipped or do it in a sim, even Microsoft flight simulator will work and it is free)
Extra information
· when briefing a circle to land he wants it just like this
1. Restrictions (is it authorized to the north, south etc)
2. Traffic you will fly (left or right)
3. Height above airport at minimums
4. When you will start your descent (abeam, base, final)
5. What will you do in the event of a missed on a circle to land

Just a note: this is written more for a student at my home airport to use and is geared towards that.

Hope this helps someone

 

[USMC-SSGT]

I guess after re-reading this post it may not be very helpful to some since It is worded almost specifically for someone who flies in the SoCal/San Diego County area.

I am sure someone going up for their ride or someone just interested in knowing what the instrument rating is all about can pick some stuff out of it