Shooting ILS approaches in actual

[JDean3204]

IIRC the OP is a former COD aircrewman so my only point was that maybe he had seem what the guys up front do on occasion. Since you mention it, CODs don't do nights anymore.....I think Bunk got to do some night ops in it though before the policy shift. Day case II/III is fair game for them AFAIK however

I did sit up front in the COD a few times as an enlisted guy, only during transit flights when we were at altitude though. ACLS was the system they used for the boat, which gave the same guidance in theory. No night flights from the boat anymore, it was that way before I even joined I believe.

 

[///AMG]

I did sit up front in the COD a few times as an enlisted guy, only during transit flights when we were at altitude though. ACLS was the system they used for the boat, which gave the same guidance in theory. No night flights from the boat anymore, it was that way before I even joined I believe.

Yeah ACLS is our primary as well (as long as we don't have to degrade to ICLS)......the guidance theory is sort of different from ICLS or civilian ILS, but the corrections you need to make and the method of making them are similar between the two systems.

 

[A-300F4-622R]

IIRC the OP is a former COD aircrewman so my only point was that maybe he had seem what the guys up front do on occasion. Since you mention it, CODs don't do nights anymore.....I think Bunk got to do some night ops in it though before the policy shift. Day case II/III is fair game for them AFAIK however

Yeah, no night for the CODs. Just like the last cruise of the F-8s on the O-boat. They were restricted to daytime ops that would ensure a daytime trap after putting a couple in the ramp at night early on in the cruise. IIRC

 

[Muff3n]

Remember the old saying "fast eyes and slow hands" . Keep your instrument scan going good, and make slow corrections in order to correct what you see. Don't be a guerrilla on the controls and overfly the airplane all over the Loc/GS. I hope you realize that getting all of this actual IMC approach time in is going to be priceless for you. There are a lot of Instrument students out there that get their ticket with practically no actual IMC time. The fact that you are actually getting to shoot some approaches in real weather will put your instrument skills light years ahead of theirs. You are in a very good situation. Also, don't beat yourself up too much about the standards. Pilots are almost always type A personalities, and we try to be perfectionist. It is very easy to get into a habit of beating yourself up so much your performance in the approach will start to slide because of it. I would trust your instructor's judgement, if he says he thinks you are doing good, you more than likely are. If you just can't make yourself believe you are doing well, then perhaps talk with your instructor about doing a flight with a different instructor for 1 flight just to get a second opinion to boost your confidence. It is always good to fly with a different instructor every now and then, they all have different perspectives on things.

 

[flyinguitar]

At that time I seemed to lose my SA, and shot through the loc, then over corrected, then again. All this while solid IMC as my CFI was giving me much needed advice. I was having a difficult time during the whole approach and even though I was within PTS, I felt like it was horrible.

We all know that overcorrecting is a huge problem for most students on an ILS approach. What's always worked for me is to imagine a box 10 deg wide (5 deg to either side of my target heading) and one bar's width of the AI up and down. All corrections must be done within that box. (A heading bug helps as it's conveniently 10 deg wide). You only ever stray outside that box if you have been stable at the edge and you are still not recapturing the needles.

Also, a good pilot knows the difference between self-criticism and self-abuse. It's not always easy because we all want to fly perfectly but none of us ever does. I wish you success in finding that balance.

 

[CaptBill]

JDean3204, you are likely doing better than you think you are. At first, the purely mechanical aspects of flying a precision approach in actual IMC is pretty daunting. What you will discover is that as you work your way through all the techniques and advice of others, you will begin to develop more of a "sense or feel" of what is needed and simply use your instruments to back up your instinctual inputs. I would focus on trying to relax more which will facilitate a better learning environment for you. Don't be overly hard on yourself to the point your self criticism sets you back; however, never stop striving to improve your performance, precision and decision-making skills on any flight you pilot. I can assure you that before long all of this actual IMC flying stuff will come together and be pretty routine for you. I can tell you're already a good pilot because you have the wherewithal to recognize where you're at and the motivation to get better.

 

[drunkenbeagle]

My only piece of advice- being stabilized is the most important thing. If you are a half dot off the glideslope and it isn't moving? Who cares. No one will notice if you are correcting it or not, it should be that subtle.

In actual, bumpy air, I don't think it can really be explained in a way that will make sense until you do it for a while.

I wouldn't worry, I'm sure you are doing fine.