Today, I became an Instrument Rated pilot after a 6 hr session with Mary Crittendon, the same Examiner I had for my Private Certification. I have to say, before I get into details, that the overall experience was great, and I learned a lot from Mary.
The days before the test, especially Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were agonizing. I felt extremely insecure of my ability to pass the oral portion. I seriously thought I had the flight portion down, but the oral was another story. First, I did not have an opportunity to take the Instrument Ground PCC class, which would have been so helpful. Second, my instructor wanted to get the training done before he left the school, which meant we only had about two months to get it done. We had to fly everyday, sometimes twice a day to accomplish this, and even though we got it done, that meant that I didn’t have much to study as I spent most of my time flying!
I received a call from Mary, around 6:00PM on Friday night, to give me a “fictitious” weather briefing for the IFR Cross-Country I was supposed to plan. The flight was a one way trip from Hillsboro Airport (KHIO) to Pasco Airport (KPSC) in Washington. She gave me the “weather observations” at KPSC and 3 other neighboring Airports and a freezing level of 8000 ft. I immediately caught the fact that she was giving me those weather observations to see if I knew the regulations regarding the required alternate and my judgment to determine which one of the three options would be the safer one. I pulled my L1-L2 Enroute Chart and took a good look at available airways that would take me to Pasco. To anybody who’s learned to fly in the Northwest it is common sense that some routes are better than others due to the mountainous terrain. As I am evaluating the different options, problem number two became apparent. Out of the many many routes available, there is only one that would allow you to stay below the 8000 ft freezing level, without colliding with a cumulous-granite cloud. I picked that airway, and proceeded to do a thorough flight plan, fuel calculations and weight and balance, even though she had said it was not necessary. When I was satisfied with my planning, and after reviewing every element many times over, to make sure I hadn’t missed anything, I was able to relax and go to bed early, after getting all my things ready for the next day.
I woke up at 6:00 AM the next day, for a 9:00 AM meeting time, took a long shower and headed to the airport to meet my fate, for good or bad. I met Mary at dispatch right at 9:00 AM and proceeded to the familiar office, where my Private Certification test had taken place almost exactly 5 months ago. We started talking about random things, and not before long we had engaged in a lively conversation about London’s 1960’s smog problems. She seemed surprised that I was aware of that disaster, and she then told me how she remembered riding her bike in smog so thick that she could barely see ahead of her. And, just like last time, we spent the first two hours talking like good ol’ friends. Nice!
We got started with paper-work, as usual. We had a 2 hour ground session in which I was very strong, answering all questions without problem. After that she said lets go flying. Mary has a great system going on for selecting approaches; she will let you know what type are required (1 Precision down to minimums, and 2 non precision – one has to be partial panel, one has to be full procedure, and one has to be GPS), then you select the approaches you wanna fly. I chose the following sequence: HIO -Farmington 3 departure – Aurora LOC RWY 17 full procedure UBG transition to a missed approach (We did this one partial panel!) – Hillsboro GPS-A to a missed approach – Hillsboro ILS RWY 12 vectors to final/down to minimums to a missed approach.
I performed the departure procedure without trouble, but I noticed we were getting quite the updrafts! Once we were over the Newberg hills it became obscene! I swear I was flying with the Carb-Heat on, at 1800 RPM on a 3 degrees nose down attitude just to maintain altitude! The first approach was kinda hectic. You don’t have much time in between take off from Hillsboro and the end of the departure procedure (UBG) which is also where the approach starts! Anyways, I was feeling lucky that day. I had never flown this approach with the procedure turn before, but I managed to fly it flawlessly. After established on the missed approach I call Portland approach, reporting back on the frequency, and I got a radar vector. Then Mary asks me to ask the controller to give me a random hold at Newberg, and to identify myself as a pilot conducting an Instrument Practical Test. We were on a heading of 270 and the controller, probably on purpose, gave an easy hold: “SkyHawkN54477: Hold NW of UBG, on the 310 radial. Expect further clearance at 2200 or when you advise” 
After one turn, in which the needle centered DEAD ON Mary told me to advise the controller that I was ready for the next Approach. I requested to be taken away from UGB to descend from 5 to 3 and then off we were to HIO GPS-A approach. We did that uneventfully and proceeded on the missed approach. While on the climb Direct UBG, we got our Radar Vector, and were told to expect ILS RWY 12 Approach. Since we were right over the airport and they had to take us all the way out beyond the FAF I had a lot of time to set the approach up and even relax for a little bit, as my beautiful bird flew itself with ease under the proper trim settings. I proceeded to brief and fly a good ILS, with needles centered, never coming out any further than 1 ½ dot deflection. We advised the Tower controller that for Practical Test purposes we needed to descend to minimums, even though the local traffic at Hillsboro was landing in the same RWY but in the opposite direction. He didn’t like our request much but he agreed to it. We went to minimums and I executed the missed approach. Upon checking in with Approach I cancelled IFR and preceded VRF to the West Practice Area, for a couple of unusual attitude recoveries and then Mary told me to take her back to Hillsboro VFR. I flew a standard traffic pattern, Left downwind for RWY 30 and floated a bit to a soft landing.
We taxied back to the ramp, and after I shut down the engine she said: Diego, you’ve certainly earned your certificate” and proceeded to give me a couple of tips. She told me to use a piece of cardboard under my approach plates on the yoke clip so they don’t hang, preventing you from seeing the lower area of the chart. Also, she said, that even though it was good practice to tune radios and navigation equipment while executing a missed approach she said to ALWAYS fly the airplane first. Good advice. She went back to the office to complete the paper work and I finished post flight, feeling like I was in a dream; maybe not really sure that this had actually taken place…I stayed at the airport for the next 5-6 hrs, until sunset, watching the endless touch and goes on runway 30...
5 comments:
Hey, good blog and good job on your IFR ride. They're always a tough one. Just wondering, why did you do your IFR in a single? Won;t you have to do another IFR ride in a multi when you decide to get that? Usually if you do the multi-IFR you kill two bird with one expensive stone. Anyways, I just am the wondering kind. Good luck with your career, it's the best job in the world!
Hi Jade, thanks for your kind comments and for reading the blog. I am going through a 2 year college degree, and unfortunately, that is the way they have their program setup. I am just about done with my commercial single engine, and then I go into multi, meaning I'll have to shoot some approaches in the twin during the multi practical test. I hear that flight safety academy does what you suggest (doing your IFR rating in a twin). I can also see how that would help you build the valuable multi hours you'll need to be competitive when looking for a job.
Where is Mary Crittendon now? She gave me my first flight instruction - way back in the mid 70's.
Hi Jim, after this instrument check ride, I also took my commercial single engine a couple of years later and that was the last I heard of her. I understand she is no longer doing check rides or instruction.
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