How To Prepare For Your Instruments Pilot Test part 3
Whew!! That was quite an oral exam. Looks like you have learned a lot since your private check ride. Before you head out to the airplane, don’t forget to get a weather update and confirm there are no new TFR’s.
Naturally you will perform a thorough preflight inspection as you do on every flight. Don’t be surprised if the examiner asks you about a few of those antennas that are attached to your airplane.
As you settle into the cockpit, you need to learn how to “make your nest”. That is, figure out how to get all those charts and maps organized so you can find them when you need them. Unless you took accordion lessons when you were young, it is best to get your charts folded properly before take off.
The instrument pilot PTS has an item called “Instrument Cockpit check”. In my view this check should start before you turn on the master switch. It is at this point that we should locate and confirm that all the expected fail flags are in view. Now as we power up the airplane we again check to ensure that they all go away. Doing this confirms that these important warning indicators will work for you when needed.
By now you are a speed writing expert and able to copy your clearance with ease, but some of the speed talkers on clearance delivery may still get ahead of you. Be sure you understand your entire clearance and get it clarified if there are any questions. It is always better if you go where ATC thinks you are going. Besides, this is the sort of thing the examiner may notice.
Before moving the airplane, set something on each communication and navigation radio. Don’t forget the transponder. Confirm with your chart that you have set the proper frequencies and courses. If you are at your home airport, you may know these by heart, but a cross check of the chart will pay dividends if you make a mistake. If you do not yet know the exact course to set, for example you are cleared direct but can not yet receive the station, set in the approximate course. If you intend to put a flight plan in your GPS, do it before moving the airplane. The departure and climb out are busy times, by setting things now you are less likely to make an error latter.
As we taxi we will continue with our instrument cockpit check by confirming all the instruments are behaving properly as we move the airplane. Often when we are taxiing, we discover something we failed to set properly or we may get a revised clearance. Do not reprogram radios or GPS equipment while moving. This is a perfect set up to have a taxi way excursion or runway incursion. Run up complete, then double check initial course, heading and altitude before calling for take off clearance.
Finally we are airborne. What is the most important thing to do at this moment? It is to climb, we can hit a lot of stuff when low so let’s get some altitude as soon as possible. Concentrate only on flying the airplane and necessary communication duties until you have a safe altitude. Naturally, you will follow the obstacle departure procedure (ODP) if one is published for your departure. Failing to do that could result in a very short flight for this day.
Plan on utilizing all the equipment in your airplane as you will when flying IFR after the check ride. Part of the evaluation is to see you operate all those gadgets and gizmos you have in the plane, so feel free to use them. The examiner knows how to disable equipment if they wish to see you get along without it.
During climb out do not allow yourself to get distracted while turning. Turn the airplane to the heading you want then do your other chores. Looking away from your primary instruments during turns can easily result in over banking, overshooting headings and in some cases, loss of control. The same goes for approaching an assigned altitude, put off distracting chores until you are level.
Utilize the stable times to identify navigation radios (yes, that is still required), fold your map or look over approach plates. Keep busy during these stable times by double checking courses and frequencies with the chart. Also be alert for any navigation failure indications and take the appropriate action. Remember the examiner has not yet asked you about communication failure but you know it’s coming sometime.
Now that you have departed smoothly and are enroute, the examiner will likely stop the flight and do the unusual attitude recoveries and partial panel tasks. Unusual attitude recoveries must be done on instruments, so no peeking. The examiner will be watching how far that head comes up when they say “your controls”. Just get the wings rolling toward level and adjust the pitch as required. Don’t forget to reduce power if that airspeed is increasing fast.
No matter how many back up systems we have, we still need to know how to survive when all that stuff goes south. So be prepared to show your examiner how well you can fly using only partial panel/stand by instruments and the magnetic compass. This task includes timed turns and basic aircraft control.
Having fun so far? Next month we will head back to the airport for some approaches.
Keep it safe till then!
By Wally Moran