Proficient, Current, Legal, on a budget

[RV6_flyer]

The question that I have for all the RV IFR pilots, how do you stay proficient, Current, and Legal on a budget or for the lowest possible cost?

I know about using FREE PDF approach plates. Yes I know that the GPS does not need to be the latest but the approach to be flown must match what is current.

I am looking for ideas to keep my IFR Proficient, Current, Legal by not adding a lot of money to my flying budget. (Yes I have a written budget that allocates money for flying.)

 

[scard]

Yikes, sorry, no budget here. Airplane is an "exempt" expense as long as I'm employed in my household . The single biggest gain for us is the built-in safety pilot. Usually the currency just happens on the fly as a course of our normal flying because we can go under the hood at any time.

 

[Ironflight]

Great question Gary - and yes, like the Cards, we have live-in safety pilots here at our house. Since you don't you need to find someone else in a similar situation at Cable who needs to shoot approaches to stay legal, and trade rides - frequently, especially since your ticket is new.

As to staying good with the head work, believe it or not Microsoft Flight Sim is pretty good for going through the mental exercises of following clearances, orienting yourself, and workign your way through approaches. you can't log a second of it, but it is still a great way to keep your head in the instrument game. Fly a jet - things happen faster!

There are lots of folks who say "file IFR on every trip!" to stay current, and I have no objection to this if it works for you. Personally, I did that a lot in the past, I don't do it now - although I filed and flew IFR this morning to Baton Rouge, worried there would be fog, and flew in the clear the whole way. It was early in the morning, no one else on the air, and I had the gulf coast controllers all to myself, so I figure i was keeping them awake as a public service....

Paul

 

[turbo]

i would say, any time you are with a buddy, fly under the 'hood' and log some approaches. fly them vfr if you are alone with flight following. low altitude charts are not too expensive. data updates is another story. team up with another pilot who needs them. put two planes on one account. that will save some $. flying ifr is great to have at times. keep it up. hope that helps.

 

[terrykohler]

It Depends...

Gary:
Don't know what kind of instrument time you have in your book, so I'll be as generic as possible.
1. Every flight is an opportunity to practice. Use standard rate turns and try rolling out on a heading using just a TC and compass while counting off seconds. Remember the bank angle for a standard rate turn? How much lead you need on roll-out? Know your power settings for different descent rates at cruise and Va. Fly with precision - headings and altitude. You can be practicing and your passenger won't even know it.
2. Hand fly as much as possible. If you "need" an everyday friend, get a dog. Use your autopilot to free you up when things get busy.
3. File when traveling cross country. If you're a low instrument time pilot, being "in the system" in nice weather will make you more comfortable when the weather turns. You wouldn't want to learn to sail in a Force 5 gale, right?
4. Practice "under the hood" with a friend/safety pilot should be a regular thing. Keep setting goals for yourself - How much needle deflection will you accept on a precision approach? How much altitude variation on a non-precison?
5. Most important, get and stay comfortable with the gages. Instrument flying, like acro and formation, is a perishable skill. It's not a bad idea to go up with a good instructor every now and then an have him wring you out. That will keep you from developing bad habits and ingraining these thru repetition.

Is this all cost effective? It depends. I've seen more than a few golfers spend thousands on equipment, nothing on lessons (all the pros have swing coaches), no time on the practice range, and then wonder why they can't get their handicap under 15. Remind you of any pilots you know?
Terry, CFI
RV-9A N323TP

 

[vic syracuse]

Great questions.....

Lots of good advice here. The only one I want to "color" on is the use of the autopilot and the associated automation. I am a firm believer that it is the information overload and unfamiliarity with automation that really causes problems for pilots at the most inopportune time. Usually, it is when things get busy that we think the automation will help us. Unless one has become really proficient with it, the exact opposite is true. Punching in wrong numbers, having the heading mode engaged and wondering why it won't capture the approach are just a few examples. My counsel would be to practice ALL of these A LOT early on, and then alternate your trips. Do file IFR even when it is VFR. It will get you used to the extra radio chatter (sometimes), and will not seem to be an extra burden when you are in actual IMC conditions.
Some of us, like Paul and others are very experienced and very capable of quickly jumping into the IFR system if flight conditions change. You asked about staying current on a budget, so it is important that you make the best use of your time when flying that will enable you to be safe and proficient should the need arise. To me, that means doing what you can on every trip to gather knowledge about how YOUR airplane and YOU will best work together when the need arises.
Just my opinion.

 

[pierre smith]

Shoot instrument approaches often

Every trip I make, time permitting, I try and include an instrument approach...it only takes a few minutes longer, in VFR weather.

Just be sure, if it's at an uncontrolled field, to radio your position .. NXXX 5 mile final....NXXX 2 mile final and so on.



Best,