DrBenny
New Member
The weather was crappy today. Luckily, CFI and I had a night flight scheduled. We filed IFR for safety. For those of you who have been following my progress, this is my 4th IFR flight (as a cross-country PPL student); but this was the only IFR flight that was NOT in IMC.
Here are my conclusions. Do they seem familiar or odd to you?
1) I could see for miles and miles, but I had trouble finding the airport, even though I was tracking the glideslope (FDK ILS 23 appr).
2) My landings were fine. Eerily fine. As I was driving to the airport, I was truly nervous about whether or not I would be able to hold it together at night. I did four landings, including one on an ILS and one on a circle to land. There was even a crosswind. Only one of those landings wasn't that good, the rest were some of my best.
3) Remember that my last flight was the exact same route: BWI-EMI-FDK, and was in hard IMC both ways. Now get this: I felt it was easier navigating in hard IMC than at night. (If it helps to know, I have 1.8 night--tonight's flight--and over 4 hours in actual.)
4) At cruise altitudes, my perception of my altitude was lower than reality. In other words, I was holding 4,000 but it looked like I was at 3,000.
5) I HAD A BLAST!!!! We were vectored over downtown Baltimore and the inner harbor, and I can safely say that the view is much more beautiful at night.
6) I HAD A BLAST!
DrBenny
Here are my conclusions. Do they seem familiar or odd to you?
1) I could see for miles and miles, but I had trouble finding the airport, even though I was tracking the glideslope (FDK ILS 23 appr).
2) My landings were fine. Eerily fine. As I was driving to the airport, I was truly nervous about whether or not I would be able to hold it together at night. I did four landings, including one on an ILS and one on a circle to land. There was even a crosswind. Only one of those landings wasn't that good, the rest were some of my best.
3) Remember that my last flight was the exact same route: BWI-EMI-FDK, and was in hard IMC both ways. Now get this: I felt it was easier navigating in hard IMC than at night. (If it helps to know, I have 1.8 night--tonight's flight--and over 4 hours in actual.)
4) At cruise altitudes, my perception of my altitude was lower than reality. In other words, I was holding 4,000 but it looked like I was at 3,000.
5) I HAD A BLAST!!!! We were vectored over downtown Baltimore and the inner harbor, and I can safely say that the view is much more beautiful at night.
6) I HAD A BLAST!
DrBenny