From: skip@mitre.org (Skip Guild)
Subject: FAA PULLS PERMANENT FLYING PRIVILEGES (Part 2/2)
Organization: The MITRE Corp
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 13:55:27 GMT

[This is Part 2 of 2-part report]          
	  

	Charlie didn't object to my using the VFR-only Loran for 
distance cueing ("situation awareness") as I let him know up 
front I couldn't use it for primary IFR navigation.  For example, 
had we done the Concord approaches as I had expected, I could 
have used the Loran for setting the initial OBS radial for the 
climbout to the CON VOR on the miss from the CON ILS and then 
fine tune the OBS directly from the NAV reading when I was 
established on the VOR transition leg of the approach.  For the 
approaches actually flown, the best use of the Loran was cueing 
when to start slowing for transition to the final approach from 
base leg.  (Charlie likes to see best cruise speed until fairly 
close to the IAF since this makes the ATC job easier).

	I caught the only ATC-induced gotchas which could have 
ruined my day.  While still at the assigned 2000 foot altitude, 
the ATC vector to final on the MHT ILS 35 consisted of, "turn 
right to 330, intercept the localizer and track it inbound."  The 
published ILS procedure has a letdown from 2000 to 1800 after 
intercepting the localizer but I knew not to descend without the 
approach clearance.  The controller was in motor-mouth mode at 
this point and obviously forgot about me.  I intercepted the 
localizer and waited for GS interception.  When the glide slope 
came alive, I requested an approach clearance from the controller 
who responded immediately with the clearance and handoff to 
Tower.

	Tower cleared us for the low approach and requested, "on 
your miss proceed eastbound."  Around here VFR practice 
approaches are rather casual so I verbally advised Charlie that I 
will interpret this one to be a clearance to 2000 feet on a 
heading of 090 and on an actual IFR clearance I would clarify the 
clearance before accepting one like this.  He concurred.

	The only other potential gotcha was the final NDB letdown 
where Tower cleared us for a low approach and we intended to land 
(as she should have known).  I simply requested landing clearance 
and, when granted, transitioned from the MDA to landing normally.  
Would have hated to bust an instrument check ride for violating a 
non-instrument related FAR by not following the ATC clearance as 
given.  (Listen to what ATC says, not just what you think they're 
going to say).

	After landing and shutting down, Charlie had me start 
planning for my make-believe cross-country.  He asked me where 
I'd like to go!  I wanted to say MHT-direct-ASH (home, 10 miles 
away) but I suggested Portland, Maine, instead.  He actually 
thought about it but said, no, that's too easy.  (I knew from 
Kurt that occasionally he does use Portland so it wasn't 
completely unreasonable).

	Today he assigned Manchester northeast to Bar Harbor, Maine 
(actually Baw Hawbeur but I knew what he meant).  He gave me a 
verbal weather briefing which included a low fog bank extending 
inland a couple of miles from the coast and enroute winds of 240 
degrees at 40 kts.  I initially tried a direct route up the coast 
but the transition to Bar Harbor would have involved flying past 
Bar Harbor and doubling back from the north via an NDB-NDB 
transition.  Instead, I chose the "inland route" MHT-CON-AUG 
which has an eastbound VOR-NDB transition from AUG to the SURRY 
NDB which is the IAF for the Bar Harbor ILS 22 approach.  I then 
chose Bangor, Maine, as my alternate as it had standard alternate 
minimum, and was ten miles inland (thus away from the "fog").  

	In my planning, I took into consideration the possible no-
radio transition from the Bar Harbor SURRY NDB holding pattern to 
Bangor airport.  I indicated in this situation I would initially 
backtrack via the published transition from the BAHAR 
intersection (which is on V471) and SURRY NDB (IAF and holding 
point), where V471 provided an easy route to an IAF for Bangor.  
We went over my planning (including the obvious mag variation 
correction for the supplied wind direction provided in the 
"briefing").  He especially liked my choice of 4000 feet for my 
initial altitude due to the first leg from MHT to CON being 
westbound.  I didn't tell him this was pure luck on my part.  I 
had forgotten that while cardinal altitudes only apply in 
practice to uncontrolled airspace, they should still be used for 
flight planning.  Actually 4000 feet was the first available 
instrument altitude above the MEA for this route!

	As he found no fault with either my flying or flight 
planning (or the 93 score I got several months ago on the 
written), the subsequent oral exam seemed almost pro forma to me.  
He quizzed me on various FAR and AIM requirements including:  
when is alternate required (1-2-3 rule); requirement for legal 
alternate (published alternates, 800-2, 600-2, or N/A); what 
minimums to actually use for alternate (published); IFR currency 
requirements (6-6-6); regaining currency (6-6 within 6 months 
with safety pilot, then FAA Inspector, D.E., or CFII); IFR 
equipment checks (static, altimeter, transponder, VOR); 
tolerances for VOR checks (+/- 4 and 6 degrees); no-radio 
procedures (route, altitude, approach); IFR fuel requirements; 
affect on selected gauges on loss of static system, frozen pitot, 
and vacuum; first thoughts on encountering freezing rain (climb); 
and a couple of questions specific to the plane I choose for the 
check ride (which had alternate static source and standby vacuum 
which modifies the "book" response to loss of static or vacuum).  

	After the oral exam, he asked me for my license which he 
took away for return to FAA.  In its place, he presented me with 
a freshly typed and signed 180-day temporary private pilot 
license with the magic words:

       AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND
       INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE

under Ratings and Limitations!  That was what he was typing while 
I was planning the cross-country.  I think he really would have 
been upset to have to tear it up during the oral.  Not that he 
wouldn't have had it been necessary.  I peeked at the piles of 
paperwork stacked around the briefing room and noticed a 
significant number of pink slips with busts on both the oral and 
flight portions of instrument check rides.  He's very fair and 
has a causal, easy-going personality, but he does bust applicants 
when required (but with a smile, so Kurt says).

	It was close to sundown when I left the office.  (Total time 
for exam was about 2.3 hours oral+flight).  After letting out a 
war-yell to the sea gulls in the area, I reboarded Old Faithful 
and filed my first tower enroute instrument clearance with 
Manchester for the ten minute flight back to Nashua.  (They 
understood).  I think I was at 2000 feet AGL before bothering to 
start engines.  The flight home included a beautiful early 
evening view of Manchester Airport all lit up, and gorgeous 
sunset beyond the mountains.  Someone must have programmed this 
flight just for me...



	For the statistically minded:

Total flight time              230.0 hours (min 125)
Total cross country            103.2 hours (min  50) 
Total Instrument time           41.5 hours (min  40)  
 including simulator             5.6 hours (max  20) 
Instrument Dual time            15.9 hours (min  15) 
 including air instrument dual  10.3 hours (min   5)

Cost related to obtaining rating approximately:

35.9 air hours @ 55.00/hour (PA28-180 Archer)   $1,974.50
 5.6 simulator hours @ 29.00/hour                  162.40
15.9 hours instruction @ 25.00/hour                397.50
     Written exam                                   35.00
     Instrument check ride                         150.00

     Total                                      $2,719.40

plus miscellaneous costs for foggles, Jepp subscription, 
exam guides, study guides, magazine subscriptions, ICOM A20 
handheld transceiver, and hours spent at the airport 
listening to ATC communications and hanger flying.

George "Skip" Guild 
(skip@mitre.org)
PPSEL-IA
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.ifr