To start we have to learn how to plan for going IFR (instrument flight rules). IFR flight plans are what your standard commercial airline uses, the only difference for us is we won't be going as high. With the new IFR flight plans comes a whole new set of charts, pubs, and lingo. We had to learn how to read the charts, understand the pubs, because there is a ton of info in those things and you need to know how to interpret them, and the new calls and info that new info that needs to be passed along which also includes whom you tell what. Then after we have learned all this we learn the procedures for IFR flight. How to position ourselves using our radios and now outside ground references. Along with this is the new approach procedures for coming into land at an airport.
So, after teaching all of this to us, we have to go practice these in the simulators. The sims actually can give us a very realistic simulation of what instrument flight can be like because all we have to look at in the sims is our gauges and that is all we use in IFR flight. The sim instructors can set up pretty much any scenario they want for us to maximum use out of the sims. So after doing 9 sim flights, I get to go back to the plane for a few flights, execute what I've just learned and then go back into the sim for 10 more.
Well, I just finished the first 9 sims and tomorrow I am getting ready to do my first 2 RI flights in the aircraft. They should be relatively similar flights to the sims. But we will see how it goes.
In other news, I have been surfing a lot lately, and this has definitely helped my moral. It used to be that when I was learning a lot of new material, I would kind of become a hermit. Well, not anymore, I think I am flying better now because I am getting my mind off of flying. I love what I am doing but you definitely need a release and thankfully there has been surf relatively consistently.
Also, I should be done here soon. Look for the middle of March for my track selection.
Chris
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