I agree with you whole heartedly that legal doesn't mean proficient. This is why I don't believe in numerical personal minimums. I like, when you are ready for take off, asking yourself am I ready to do everything required to make this a safe flight. If it's IFR then, am I ready to do everything necessary to do this flight solely on instruments to minimums and a missed approach. For me I hate using the hood so I try to keep my training up in other ways. One way it to use a simulator even just Microsoft flight simulator. This is good for procedures or to preplan a actual flight you might take. Another way is to fly at night in areas with no lights or moon. I wouldn't use this to log approaches but we are talking about proficiency. Not the minimum to be legal. This is really good for approaches to minimums because you are very likely not to have any conflicts with traffic. Just make sure that there aren't a lot of houses around the airports that you use. No reason to upset the neighbors. But my favorite training is flying over a mountain or ridge that is close to the ocean. This is great because you can take off VFR then go over the ridge when they have a marine layer. Many times it will be 0/0 at the airport. Usually what I will do is keep an eye on the forecast looking for a deep marine layer. I will then do the procedures over and over on the flight simulator the night before. This preps me for what will come the next day. If the forecast is correct you can take off and land VFR but do the approaches all the way down to minimums including the missed approaches all while IMC! Another benefit is that the Commercials can't evet attempt the approaches so you pretty much have the airports to yourself! We know that missed approaches are high risk so being able to do them in actual IMC can give you the confidence to do them for real. Another way that it increases safety is that if you are confident in you skill to transition from the approach to the missed, you are more likely not to hesitate when at minimums.
You are the second viewer that has told me about going to airport that is 0/0 and shooting approaches. I love this idea but do not get too many opportunities here in LA but will keep an eye out for one. Thanks for watching!
Hello. New subscriber here. Finalizing instrument training and boy are you right. So easy to fall behind the airplane. My biggest challenge is not getting distracted by the environment, slow down, and work issues one at a time. I'll add my two cents. As a visual learning, aside from chair flying I'd also recommend a flight sim. Helps develop that muscle memory while you actually see the visual picture.
Matt, I have a challenge for you. I know you don’t live in the area but maybe you can explain it or do it in simulator. Go to Kirkswood, MO, KIRK add look at the approach plate for VOR-A approach. This is a circling approach. If you notice in the plan view, there is a notification that no PT is required if arriving at IRK via airway radials 259 CW 007. The IAF and FAF is the IRK Vortac. It is only 2.9 miles from the FAF to the MAP. So if you are arriving to IRK on V50, you obviously would have to be configured prior to reaching the Vortac, and at 2500 feet. The conundrum is that you are supposed to descend to 2500 feet once established inbound normally on the inbound course. Here you would be making almost a 60° turn and descending beyond IRK with only 2.9 miles to the FAF. Not only that, establishing on the inbound course radial is going to be challenging since you are right over the Vortac and being able to center the needle in such a short duration would really be difficult. See what you could make of this other than saying I would rather just fly the DME arc or do an RNAV approach.
Matt, Planning is vitally important when you are headed out into IMC, but your video shows that even in VMC conditions it is good to get out and pre-plan what you are going to do. One thing I noticed off the top is you are showing the plate for ILS14 at SHV, zoomed in on the airport and discussed your departure on RWY5 and flying to the NE. However, you were departing DTN and EIC is actually to the NW. I know it is small, but if you are expecting a NE course but are flying NW, it can cause you to question what is going on.
ILS approaches are fun, but they have limitations. If you have a vehicle driving around the perimeter of the airport and it interrupts your glide slope signal or you get the false glide slope because you’re too high, it could really bite you if you’re not careful. GPS approaches, although they are still classified as non-precision will always give you more accurate approaches to the airport. One of the things I like to do to keep up on my approaches is to actually shoot VOR, localizer back course and NDB if available. I know these are becoming obsolete, but the skill level required to remember how to fly, what some like to call reverse sensing will keep you sharp. One more thing to remember is that everything you do looks good on paper. When you deal with air traffic control in the real world all those plans to fly to certain fixes and do certain holds almost always, don’t exist. You get vectored, sometimes they get you straight in without a course reversal and everything that you planned for becomes nostalgic. Keep safe have a great flight.
As someone currently going through instrument training, this really helps to watch others do it.
Matt, very informative video, got to stay sharp and ahead of the plane, thanks for sharing.
@@billgalante1181 thank you sir!
This is awesome!
@@liquidintegrity thanks!
I agree with you whole heartedly that legal doesn't mean proficient. This is why I don't believe in numerical personal minimums. I like, when you are ready for take off, asking yourself am I ready to do everything required to make this a safe flight. If it's IFR then, am I ready to do everything necessary to do this flight solely on instruments to minimums and a missed approach.
For me I hate using the hood so I try to keep my training up in other ways. One way it to use a simulator even just Microsoft flight simulator. This is good for procedures or to preplan a actual flight you might take. Another way is to fly at night in areas with no lights or moon. I wouldn't use this to log approaches but we are talking about proficiency. Not the minimum to be legal. This is really good for approaches to minimums because you are very likely not to have any conflicts with traffic. Just make sure that there aren't a lot of houses around the airports that you use. No reason to upset the neighbors.
But my favorite training is flying over a mountain or ridge that is close to the ocean. This is great because you can take off VFR then go over the ridge when they have a marine layer. Many times it will be 0/0 at the airport. Usually what I will do is keep an eye on the forecast looking for a deep marine layer. I will then do the procedures over and over on the flight simulator the night before. This preps me for what will come the next day.
If the forecast is correct you can take off and land VFR but do the approaches all the way down to minimums including the missed approaches all while IMC! Another benefit is that the Commercials can't evet attempt the approaches so you pretty much have the airports to yourself! We know that missed approaches are high risk so being able to do them in actual IMC can give you the confidence to do them for real. Another way that it increases safety is that if you are confident in you skill to transition from the approach to the missed, you are more likely not to hesitate when at minimums.
You are the second viewer that has told me about going to airport that is 0/0 and shooting approaches. I love this idea but do not get too many opportunities here in LA but will keep an eye out for one. Thanks for watching!
Hello. New subscriber here. Finalizing instrument training and boy are you right. So easy to fall behind the airplane. My biggest challenge is not getting distracted by the environment, slow down, and work issues one at a time. I'll add my two cents. As a visual learning, aside from chair flying I'd also recommend a flight sim. Helps develop that muscle memory while you actually see the visual picture.
That is valuable advice, thanks! I hope you have great weather for your checkride and keep us updated.
Matt, I have a challenge for you. I know you don’t live in the area but maybe you can explain it or do it in simulator. Go to Kirkswood, MO, KIRK add look at the approach plate for VOR-A approach. This is a circling approach. If you notice in the plan view, there is a notification that no PT is required if arriving at IRK via airway radials 259 CW 007. The IAF and FAF is the IRK Vortac. It is only 2.9 miles from the FAF to the MAP. So if you are arriving to IRK on V50, you obviously would have to be configured prior to reaching the Vortac, and at 2500 feet. The conundrum is that you are supposed to descend to 2500 feet once established inbound normally on the inbound course. Here you would be making almost a 60° turn and descending beyond IRK with only 2.9 miles to the FAF. Not only that, establishing on the inbound course radial is going to be challenging since you are right over the Vortac and being able to center the needle in such a short duration would really be difficult. See what you could make of this other than saying I would rather just fly the DME arc or do an RNAV approach.
Let me take a look and I will get back to you...
Matt, Planning is vitally important when you are headed out into IMC, but your video shows that even in VMC conditions it is good to get out and pre-plan what you are going to do. One thing I noticed off the top is you are showing the plate for ILS14 at SHV, zoomed in on the airport and discussed your departure on RWY5 and flying to the NE. However, you were departing DTN and EIC is actually to the NW. I know it is small, but if you are expecting a NE course but are flying NW, it can cause you to question what is going on.
@@GAMR_Aviation great point. I should have also briefed that hdg from KDTN to EIC.
ILS approaches are fun, but they have limitations. If you have a vehicle driving around the perimeter of the airport and it interrupts your glide slope signal or you get the false glide slope because you’re too high, it could really bite you if you’re not careful. GPS approaches, although they are still classified as non-precision will always give you more accurate approaches to the airport. One of the things I like to do to keep up on my approaches is to actually shoot VOR, localizer back course and NDB if available. I know these are becoming obsolete, but the skill level required to remember how to fly, what some like to call reverse sensing will keep you sharp. One more thing to remember is that everything you do looks good on paper. When you deal with air traffic control in the real world all those plans to fly to certain fixes and do certain holds almost always, don’t exist. You get vectored, sometimes they get you straight in without a course reversal and everything that you planned for becomes nostalgic. Keep safe have a great flight.
All great points, thank you for watching.
You always need to be ahead of the airplane, it takes practice as you know.
@@747FoSophie welcome back!