Baron, because of this guy (Eric) I flew my Cherokee Six down to Saint Aviation from Denver, CO as well and picked one of them up. I thought of you guys while I was down there this past week. I just flew the bird back to Denver yesterday with the Dynon, Trutrak, and Avidyne systems freshly installed. Like my mechanic tells me, "it's only money, don't worry about it!" LOL
@@BaronPilot Yes, the Avidyne is incredible. I also watched your videos since you first got it installed and introduced it to us. Let me know if you are ever in the Denver area so that I can take you to my restaurant (Jabanero's Mexican Grill) in Aurora, CO. Thanks for your videos also. All of you guys are my cable TV LOL.
As an experienced pilot (over 18000 hours) it was interesting to watch your procedures. In IFR. Your autopilot is your friend and gives you the ability to better monitor rather than concentrating on hand flying. Very good job on a NPA also smart to bring along an observer on your first IMC actual flight. Having this video to review after is also very reassuring for you to understand your capabilities. One last thing good job at picking the right weather conditions to get your feet wet. Safe flying.
My very first time in the left seat of a Piper Warrior during a "get hooked on airplanes" flight we departed from KSEE in the early afternoon, around 2pm and headed north to mess around a bit, scattered clouds that day so CFI Brian decided to climb and get high. We then headed NE and worked our way up to 9,000 feet, which in the Piper took a little while as that trusty IO360 labored her way up. We eventually leveled off, pulled back the power in glass-smooth air with sparkly sun and killer blue sky. I realized I had been kind of holding my breath all the way up, so I finally relaxed, settled into the seat, looked around, (basically because I had been flying the plane, for the first time in my life) and felt this euphoric wave of peace settle over me. I looked over at Brian and said something like "Wow...I get it, this is it, this is why..." trailing off in I don't know... first-time pilot/flying bliss. Brian paused for a moment then laconically said "Yup". Basically, because there was nothing more to be said. You don't know until you know. There's only one way to find out and that is to go there. Well, simply put, the hooks were set deeply and permanently. That was five years ago, and in my mind, five minutes ago. So I was high on aviation. Upon reflection, perhaps a bit low on O2 also, I had become very accustomed to breathing chunky SanDiego sea-level air, and popping up to 9,000 feet was a bit of a shock to the system. Maybe that was part of the plan. In any case, we were only going to be up for an hour - it was time to head home so we made a long right turn to the SW to head back to KSEE. Now if you have ever done west coast flying there's this thing called the "Marine Layer". We were looking down at a solid, and I mean solid floor of clouds. It took literally 20 minutes to move in from the coast and totally sock in everything. Of course, I'm still flying the plane. I glance and Brian and say "ummm, ok, clouds,...now what?".. He says "just hold this heading, start descending at 500 fpm, and give me that book in the pouch by your left leg"... He starts flipping pages looking for the KSEE IFR approach plate. Then he says "well, it looks like your first time up will also include an IFR approach and landing at Gillespie". I was like "COOL!, what do I need to do?" "Just fly the plane for now, while I do some radio work". Meanwhile, we're still descending and approaching the muck. I'm a little worried, but confident in Brian's abilities, and I hear over the radio that ATC gave us a new heading. Brian says "OK, time for me to fly, I have the plane". I reply "you have the plane". I sit back and watch him get really busy in a quiet business-like way. Then I look outside and everything goes gray and murky in an instant. At that moment, that very moment, I felt this huge wave of calm and peacefulness wash over me as the universe got small and intimate. The big crazy world and all its randomness went away and in an instant, I was in this little world that made total sense to me. I had all these fascinating steam gauges, (backed up by a byzantine Garmin GS430 full of mysteries) and it all was immensely reassuring. Not a worry or care at all. Honestly, I liked this part more than the VFR, because now I had total control, and could trust the instruments, instead of my eyes. It seems strange but that's how I felt. Instantly comfortable, and at home like this is where I was always supposed to be, and I never knew it, because how could I? You don't know until you know. We worked our way down through the various turns and approach points finally dropping below deck, perfectly lined up with 27R, not far ahead, with a stable rate of descent, flaps set, about 70kts. We landed. Tired, and energized, relieved and happy, as only you can feel after an IFR approach and landing. Five years ago, five minutes ago. I miss it, dearly.
Great writing! I feel like I can relate, especially when I trained on glass avionics. I never had a problem with flying in IMC because I felt more comfortable keeping my attention inside. In fact, it was hard for me to do standard private pilot maneuvers at first because I kept my head in the plane!
I could feel the IMC dread going down my spine just watching your facial expressions! Unfortunately there’s no cure for it, you can only try to manage it. During my instrument training, we lost the vacuum pump as I was setting up an LDA approach in low IFR (My CFII wrote a Kindle ebook about it!). That experience really scarred me but it was my single most valuable flight training lesson to this date. First, Don’t wait until you’re in the soup to transition to instruments. That sudden move from VMC to IMC is always unsettling. Second, focus on your breathing. Explore yoga breathing, it’s really effective (and I don’t even like yoga!) And finally, try to build as much actual IMC hours as you can. Flying under the hood just doesn’t have the same psychological effect of flying in actual IMC. Love the videos! Keep ‘em coming.
Flying at 150+ mph with no forward visibility, is just always going to freak humans out. The learning process is learning to trust all of the abstract (to your autonomous nervous system) devices and procedures that will keep you safe in a situation that every fiber of your body is telling you is extremely dangerous.
Love the videos. I feel the same way when departing on a flight with IMC. Once I am in the soup, It takes me a minute or two (especially climbing into IMC vs. descending) to feel comfortable. Once I am comfortable, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment as a pilot at the end of a successful approach.
Can I just say how amazing it is when you show the tower calls on a map!! Thank you!! I suck at radio communication and seeing what I’m hearing is amazing. Thanks again!
Never had that feeling. I m a PPL SEP VFR only...I ve stopped flying since 3 years now. But when I was still flying, I used to take a friend of mine who was checking for traffic outside while I willingly blocked my view in front of the plane to simulate IMC. I did a lot of approaches back to my home airport on ILS. I m a child of flight simulation so had a bad habits of flying with instruments when I started my PPL training so I struggled initally keeping my eyes outside susprisingly. But when it came to instruments flying, it felt natural to me because I simply trusted my instruments and forgot all my other senses just focusing on the instruments and relying them is the best thing you could do and you did it well. Thanks for this great video....love it!
My first time in IMC turned into an ILS to mins. Foggy, low overcast, a serious day, rainy, no convection. Even experienced "the leans" first-hand, overpowering spatial disorientation, a great lesson in staying on the gauges.
Having everything set up with your fmc and not looking out your side window at cloud's moving will help stop your anxiety getting into the zone on your instrumentation is key also knowing your terrain gives you a sense of confidence
its a big deal! congrats! situational awareness is much better now that we have all those pictures on the instrument panel. I took my instrument in 1995 with JC Brown, the 86 year old CFI who gave Orville Wright his check ride in a DC3. (i kid you not). My oral was invaded by the FAA, AND MY ORAL took four hours. By the time the joker from the FAA had departed, the weather started to deteriorate. So we got half way through it and all of sudden we were solid IFR (which aint supposed to happen) So i flew the ILS down to 100 feet, had controllers screaming at me, did a VOR APPROACH, NBD, and did everything to perfection except a certain procedure turn AT THE END. it was a mess. At the end, JC Brown told me it was a pleasure flying with me, which was a high compliment. The key thing is proper planning. The more you understand before you kick the tires, the more relaxing it will be. So my first actual was my CHECKRIDE. GOOD LUK!
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I don’t know how many IMC hours you already have but your skills are excellent. As far as I am concerned, with my nearly 300 hours in IMC (with more than 1500 total time) I am still always focused on instruments each time that I fly in IMC. In my case it is not stress but a state of maximum concentration to remain very vigilant on the conditions encountered (temperature, icing, engine, ...). It is perfectly normal in the clouds to experience a different sensation. It is this situational awareness that keeps your ability to make relevant decisions and which keeps you alive. Fly safe 🛩😎
Great video and yes on the dreading the thought of entering IMC and especially hand flying the aircraft and on old steam gauges...the worst. Once I punched my IFR ticket, every flight I took for 4 months was solid IFR end to end. However, much the same experience. Once in the IMC and settled down, I'd get in the zone and actually enjoy the flight. I enjoy the coverage of an IFR clearance that I pretty much always file IFR...and they close my flight plan 😋
Heck, I am not a pilot just an aviation enthusiast in my 50's. I have flown with many friends as a passenger in their airplanes and every time we do enter the soup I feel that way. What's amazing is sometimes when we bust out of the clouds and boom there is the runway 1sm out I love it. Great Job sir may you and your family be safe. Getting the plates for the approach was awesome.
I am only 14 hours into getting my Private license up here in NorCal. I don't know from experience but I think I will enjoy flying in the clouds. Your videos always make flying in any situation look fun.
That was SUPER educational and thanks for showing a "real life" flight where your route wasn't perfect and you had to make some compensations. Good pacing in your video too. Well done as always!
Best Channel for GA, love your talk throughout the video,, my vote for best New up and coming TH-camr. really down to earth explanations and experiences.
Yep, right when I transition from VMC to IMC, I’ve started transitioning to gauges well in advance while still in VMC as that seems to make the actual transition less an issue.... Good job!!!
I feel EXACTLY like that when entering imc. I've found staring hard at the instruments as I approach the clouds keeps my seat dry. Wearing a ball cap like a practice hood while in the clouds keeps me more calm too. Haha I thought I was the only one. Thanks for sharing. Cheers
Some of earliest flying experience was as a young guy in the right seat under IMC in various light and medium twins, a sort of almost human auto-pilot! I copped loads of shit from flying instructors later about my use of instruments and not using the visual horizon. I loved IMC and still love it.
It is def fun to have it...there is something I miss about the steam gauges and I think it's having exactly what you need in front of you- no more, no less. This display has A LOT of great info but a lot of it is superfluous for portions of the flight. I really love it but occasionally get nostalgic for the traditional 6 pack.. :)
Great video, Eric! I really like how you visualize your route and reference points on the chart while you are talking to it. Makes it super-easy to follow along. Also, the set of the rainbow captured by the camera on the wing was great - almost makes me forget that I have panel envy after seeing yours! One question: I see you have an iPad with the approach plate; in this video you say you like how you can bring up plates on the Dynon. I always thought the iPad was hard to beat for showing charts - do you see advantages on the Dynon, or is it more of a backup in case you forget the iPad at home? Keep making these videos, you are doing great! - Martin
Thanks for the comments Martin! Yes the iPad is great for displaying the plates and I still do pull up the plate on the iPad. The HDX has a very easy way to pull up the plate for your destination airport or any airport in the flight plan and I can do it with the knob instead of touch screen which I prefer over the iPad. The main advantage for me is that the HDX is not only georeferenced but displays the altitude crossing arc on the approach plate so you can see where on the plate you will arrive at your bugged altitude based on current descent rate and groundspeed. This is super handy on approaches to make sure you are arriving at the bugged altitude before a step down fix or your MDA before the MAP. Finally, I also like the plate to be right there in front of me and it is a closer scan for my eyes instead of looking all the way over at the iPad. It seems minor but makes a big difference. I am starting to keep the HDX plate zoomed in to the top portion and zoom and scroll the iPad plate to the elevation view of the altitudes. But I am still settling in to the workflow and preferences. I guess I will just have to fly more to fine tune it. :)
@@SoCalFlyingMonkey very true , never flown an aircraft with that much kit , most i have flown is the Aspen EFIS unit , they are great , GPS steer is brilliant. I have done 3 flying holidays in the California area, favourite airfields are cottonwood, flagstaff, santa monica , . Visited many airfields, your blessed to fly in such a beautiful part of the states . Stay safe . Rob
I own a steam gauge Cherokee 180, with an old Apollo IFR enroute GPS. I use my iPad with ForeFlight. My few times in actual IMC have been intense and exhausting. I can see that even a simple autopilot can greatly reduce workload. Ya, my hands started sweating a bit when you first went IMC. That Dynon/Avidyne system with the Tru Track looks awesome.
It's a great system. Having flown without an autopilot in hours of continuous IMC I can definitely say that an autopilot is a great asset. The TT does well to reduce workload.
Great video! Refreshing to watch a video which shows your honest reactions and mistakes and not just some edited flight which goes perfectly well. And the new avionics rig just adds another level of situational awareness to the whole flight.. Subscribed
Nice job! Totally normal "errors" on that approach. Didn't hear your landing checklist though... excellent situational awareness and a beautiful plane. Thanks for the video!
Eric, excellent video. Nice editing and love how you talk about your anxiety that we all get when we don't do this as the day job. Thanks for sharing. It is very interesting to see how your setup and workflow is compared to garmin stack.
The IMC dread feeling. I can definitely relate to it... I’ve found however the more you do it it kind of helps it alleviate it but still the feeling is always the same.
@@SoCalFlyingMonkey Same here... It just gets better overtime. At least you have electronic instruments which are more reliable than gyros when it comes to mechanical issues.
I had gone into IMC for about 10 seconds once and totally didn't see it coming. I also went into a bit of a panic mode really quickly (I don't have my instrument). I had autopilot set to heading and altitude mode so, I was about to change the heading to back 180 degrees because it was fine back there where I just was. Before I started to do that, I was out of it and I was relieved. I was in a class C airspace and was using flight following, I am just glad that I was. If you don't like what you see (or don't see) and you are uncomfortable, just turn around.
I get that feeling as well.. it never goes away... but when I am in the soup and I am handling the plane like a boss it reminds me I CAN DO IT!! and it feels awesome... I fly into socal quite a bit with my family... I own a Piper Navajo...before I had a cherokee 6XT and I loved it... take a flight up to Utah or when I come down to socal and let's go up in the Navajo... I'm sure you will love it
I was a student pilot back in 2012 and I was getting that dread feeling you are talking about just about every time I was going up. I was nearing my solo cross country flights and it just scared me too much. I never overcame my uncomfortableness and actually stopped flight training altogether. I miss it and wish I could have gotten over that hurdle.
You keep my flame for aviation alive when I am forced to wait :3 amazing content! I aspire to have the same life style. Thank you for keeping me company and upload the amazing content!
I have similar dread climbing into clouds. I believe my most anxious feelings come at climb while getting turn vectors. I have only flown with other instrument pilots so I really hope this anxiety dissipates as I begin my instrument training.
Eric, I've been watching your videos quite a lot to pre-learn the Dynon and Trutrak system. Happy to say that, thanks to you, I flew my Cherokee Six from Denver, CO down to Jesse and team at Saint Aviation the 1st of June and flew it back to Denver yesterday with the new Dynon, Trutrak, and Avidyne installed. While I was down there in Florida, I flew it down to Miami and picked up the coastal transition at 500 or below. The scenery was spectacular! I recorded the entire event and I'll let you know when I edit and post the new videos. Thanks a lot for helping me choose the best option. You were right, that Dynon HDX is amazing! I almost paid a whole lot more for a Garmin G3X.
Raul, I'm so glad my videos were helpful for you. I hope you enjoy that new panel!!! I have absolutely loved the HDX system. Just flew an IFR flight out of Santa Barbara today and all the awesome features of these systems were so helpful and made the flying so fun. Keep in touch and let me know your thoughts after a few months with it!
Thank you for sharing. This is a great video. Yes entering clouds is always nerve racking but focusing on the instruments and planning ahead helps to over come those feelings. Your videos are very helpful!
Holy cow, I caught me holding my breath as you passed over VNY and made your turn towards KWHP. You probably don't get socked in as much in the valley, but still great you have your IFR license. Great video.
@@SoCalFlyingMonkey YUP! When we had the marine layer out at Camarillo, we would fly out to Fox Field to do training. Fun to go out there on a hot day and catch thermals.
Nice Job! Keep up the good work, and don’t give up. I just got my instrument in sept, and now am trying to stay ahead of the currency game and get some IMC time. Anxiety is normal and expected. Use that AP more too, once you get more proficient hand flying. It is a huge help and even though mine is a single axis, I’m sooo happy I have it for instrument flying. You have the makings of a good instrument pilot, really you do, keep it up!
I usually experience some initial anxiety as I enter the soup, but once there I find it easier to concentrate on the instruments without the visual distraction of an outside view. It actually has a calming effect on me - unless it's turbulent..
Yes thats what I'm talking about! It's nice to know it's not just me. I flew from Seattle to L.A. once and about 3 hours of it was IMC and it was one of the best most relaxing flights ever. That was before I had an autopilot. It was the most stressed out I've been entering the muck but it ended up being great.
Love your content! Funny about your initial anxiety... I have the same feeling scuba diving for the first minute or so. To be honest, I don't use my instrument rating. Still working on my CFI, then I'll delve in to it more, and then work on the double-I. I've never felt I've been proficient enough to go in to actual by myself. I'll be using my sim, and PilotEdge ATC to get more comfortable. It's an amazing tool...
I'm really enjoying your videos. I'm VFR only, and I have been caught in IMC; huge eye opener and glad I was able to survive that error in judgement. (I was shaking at the end of the flight) Unfortunately, some of us have to learn the hard way!
That sounds like a horrible experience and unfortunately one that is too common it seems! Glad you made it out. The instrument rating is well worth it and super rewarding if you have the time and resources to make it happen.
After an inadvertent IMC experience in a comanche when I was much younger, I always have a few moments of distress whenever the windshield goes white. That dance with the devil had a profound impact and I am thankful that I've had a chance to learn from my mistake rather than be a typical statistic.
I'd say both. I reverted immediately to my limited instrument training and was able to climb out on top of the relatively thin layer, but it was very turbulent and my underpants did not survive the ordeal. 30 seconds of terror. When you are young and dumb and nothing can hurt you.. I grew up quite a bit on that trip.
Great video. I also have and had dread going into IMC. I do about the same thing as you. Focus on the instruments and tell myself to relax, everything's good, relax and in a short period of time it goes away.
Just found your site recently, very cool! I’m pretty new by a few months IFR rating. Similar feelings. Your not alone. At least you have support. I couldn’t wait to get IMC for real approaches and after exhausting my buddy list, went solo IMC. It worked out fine but I think my eyes were pretty big 😳
Good on you for getting out there and getting into it. If I haven't been in the clouds for awhile I try to pick days that are more benign weather wise like stable stratus layer.
Just finished my RV7A build, I have Dynon HDX too with AP; getting back into flying after a lengthy time out; mixture of excitement and dare I say it, anxiety? Great video, thanks from Australia :-)
Congrats on finishing your build! One day I would love to build one of those- maybe when the kids have flown the nest... Hope you enjoy that HDX. I think it's pretty sweet.
Every time I plan on flying in IMC I feel some anxiety as well. I have over 100 hrs in actual with a lot of approaches to minimums or near minimums. I fly a Piper Lance. Once I am in IMC a couple minutes I feel better. Your videos are awesome by the way.
Well. I got rusty. Was not that heavily experience even then. Last time in imc had unfamiliar panel that had small number size. Coming toward faf got disoriented within the approach . Thought i was farther along and got below the mda. But was below the cloud layer liked being able to see out. But still to low for approach and had to tell myself to climb which put me back in the clouds. Eeeek. Made it to faf then then able to safely descend back below the cloud layer and safe on the ground. Phew! Take aways: Practice ( like you) with panel in vfr hood to learn the panel. Better brief on approach. Keep the rust off. Take a safety pilot Good topic good video. Love Camarillo All the best neal Punta Gorda Fla.
My IMC brain hack: I put myself on instruments before hitting those clouds, trying to exercise a bit of discipline by not looking for visual cues as safety permits. When the second guessing hits, I pop my head outside of the cockpit to reaffirm I'm not losing my mind. By the time the clouds hit, I've rebuilt confidence in my training. PS: HDX is wow!
hope you like your HDX. I have really been enjoying mine. If you haven't seen my complete review you may find it helpful. th-cam.com/users/socalflyingmonkey just scroll right and its the HDX review.
Nice job. In answer to your question, I am always a bit nervous when entering IMC and flying IFR. I spent some years flying in the Navy as aircrew in P-3 Orions. I always got a tad bit nervous when we flew out of our base with heavy weather enroute. I was based in Northern California back in the late 80's and early 90's, (NAS Moffett), so I know the Bay Area as well as Southern California very well. As a pilot, that has not changed. My son and I fly IFR on occasion, but not often as IFR here in the Rockies is quite different than in Southern California. In winter, we have to worry about icing and in summer, thunderstorms. There's very little middle ground. I find that once my eyes are glued to the instruments and I am focused, the nerves tend to go away. In rough air, that isn't always the case. We don't have an autopilot in our Tiger, so that makes it even more adventurous. I enjoyed your video and am looking forward to watching many more. Fly safe and fly often!
hello there Gordon. I also have a tiger but I've been looking to upgrade the avionics. Have you done any recent research on what is approved for the tiger? Thanks
I look at the approaching IMC conditions and still want to crawl into the back seat but then convince myself I can't. It still scares me a fair amount and I guess it always should.
So, this gets a lot of folks - but cloud heights ceilings (OVC is a ceiling) on ATIS are in AGL. So, the ATIS was only off by about 200 ft. Ref the AIM 7-1-16: Reporting of Cloud Heights Ceiling, by definition in the CFRs and as used in aviation weather reports and forecasts, is the height above ground (or water) level of the lowest layer of clouds or obscuring phenomenon that is reported as “broken,” “overcast,” or “obscuration,” e.g., an aerodrome forecast (TAF) which reads “BKN030” refers to height above ground level. An area forecast which reads “BKN030” indicates that the height is above mean sea level. REFERENCE- AIM, Paragraph 7-1-30 , Key to Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) and Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR), defines “broken,” “overcast,” and “obscuration.”
You are correct that the cloud heights for ATIS are in AGL. The ATIS in this case was to be overcast 2500 which means cloud bases should be at 3500 feet MSL because the field elevation is 1000' MSL. The cloud bases in reality were at 2300' MSL. You are not the first person to make this comment so I think something in the way I present the information in the video is confusing. I need to go back and look to see where I can improve on that communication. Thank you for the comment!
A good way to avoid overshooting a given radial while crossing a VOR is to calculate an "Early-turn" (Given that you are not required to "Fly-over"). As a rule of thumb, turn at a distance of 0.5% of your TAS before the VOR. For example, the VNY VOR elevation is 810ft, you're crossing at 3200ft. That means the DME indication while crossing would be 0.4NM ((3200-810)/6000). Say you were approaching at 120kts your TAS at 3200ft would approximately be 130kts give or take (You can round the numbers, after all, this is a tool that you should use in the cockpit without the need of a calculator on the quick). Now, 0.5% of 130Kts is aproximately 0.6NM. ADD that to the DME indication at crossing (0.4NM+0.6NM) and you get 1.0NM. This is the distance at which you should start your turn! Been using it for years, of course it needs fine adjustments based on your judgement as PIC (wind correction/How big the turn is etc), but it gives you an excellent ballpark to make a good call! (This rule of thumb is applicable to standard coordinated turns) Happy Flying!
You guys and your glass and autopilot. Wait til it all goes South and you are stuck in the 🗑🌪. I'm glad I did my serious IFR in the late 1970s. Flying new Cessna aircraft from the factory to Troutdale Oregon in the winter. Glad you are afraid. Fear is good. Deal with it the best way training. Lots of partial panel work and learn how to survive. Good luck!🤔😒😁😷💖 ERAU 1980 CFIA&I.
I think that the main cause for such dread is how much we are scared during private by cfis either on ground or in flight or sim on how they portray it as being a certain death.
The low actual IMC trick is to throw the foggles back on and you'll go right back to training mode. Most of us fly the majority of our IFR training with foggles and that conditioning creates the habit, no foggles I'm visual.
I get the exact same feeling as I climb into cloud. I hate it....... especially when the windshield goes white with ice. I begin to feel better after a while and once in control airspace I’m fine...
Nice job. I really like that HDX!!
Thanks! Me too- it’s awesome.
Baron, because of this guy (Eric) I flew my Cherokee Six down to Saint Aviation from Denver, CO as well and picked one of them up. I thought of you guys while I was down there this past week. I just flew the bird back to Denver yesterday with the Dynon, Trutrak, and Avidyne systems freshly installed. Like my mechanic tells me, "it's only money, don't worry about it!" LOL
Raul Cartagena awesome!! I know you will love it! I’m sure you know how I feel about my Avidyne IFDs! 🍻
@@BaronPilot Yes, the Avidyne is incredible. I also watched your videos since you first got it installed and introduced it to us. Let me know if you are ever in the Denver area so that I can take you to my restaurant (Jabanero's Mexican Grill) in Aurora, CO. Thanks for your videos also. All of you guys are my cable TV LOL.
Raul Cartagena not sure when I will be in the area but I look forward to when I am 👍🏼
As an experienced pilot (over 18000 hours) it was interesting to watch your procedures. In IFR. Your autopilot is your friend and gives you the ability to better monitor rather than concentrating on hand flying. Very good job on a NPA also smart to bring along an observer on your first IMC actual flight. Having this video to review after is also very reassuring for you to understand your capabilities.
One last thing good job at picking the right weather conditions to get your feet wet.
Safe flying.
18K hours?! Holy F**K!
@@sandsrealestatewest663 Pretty normal for a career pilot.
My very first time in the left seat of a Piper Warrior during a "get hooked on airplanes" flight we departed from KSEE in the early afternoon, around 2pm and headed north to mess around a bit, scattered clouds that day so CFI Brian decided to climb and get high. We then headed NE and worked our way up to 9,000 feet, which in the Piper took a little while as that trusty IO360 labored her way up. We eventually leveled off, pulled back the power in glass-smooth air with sparkly sun and killer blue sky.
I realized I had been kind of holding my breath all the way up, so I finally relaxed, settled into the seat, looked around, (basically because I had been flying the plane, for the first time in my life) and felt this euphoric wave of peace settle over me. I looked over at Brian and said something like "Wow...I get it, this is it, this is why..." trailing off in I don't know... first-time pilot/flying bliss. Brian paused for a moment then laconically said "Yup". Basically, because there was nothing more to be said.
You don't know until you know.
There's only one way to find out and that is to go there.
Well, simply put, the hooks were set deeply and permanently. That was five years ago, and in my mind, five minutes ago.
So I was high on aviation. Upon reflection, perhaps a bit low on O2 also, I had become very accustomed to breathing chunky SanDiego sea-level air, and popping up to 9,000 feet was a bit of a shock to the system. Maybe that was part of the plan. In any case, we were only going to be up for an hour - it was time to head home so we made a long right turn to the SW to head back to KSEE. Now if you have ever done west coast flying there's this thing called the "Marine Layer". We were looking down at a solid, and I mean solid floor of clouds. It took literally 20 minutes to move in from the coast and totally sock in everything. Of course, I'm still flying the plane. I glance and Brian and say "ummm, ok, clouds,...now what?".. He says "just hold this heading, start descending at 500 fpm, and give me that book in the pouch by your left leg"...
He starts flipping pages looking for the KSEE IFR approach plate.
Then he says "well, it looks like your first time up will also include an IFR approach and landing at Gillespie".
I was like "COOL!, what do I need to do?"
"Just fly the plane for now, while I do some radio work".
Meanwhile, we're still descending and approaching the muck. I'm a little worried, but confident in Brian's abilities, and I hear over the radio that ATC gave us a new heading. Brian says "OK, time for me to fly, I have the plane".
I reply "you have the plane". I sit back and watch him get really busy in a quiet business-like way. Then I look outside and everything goes gray and murky in an instant.
At that moment, that very moment, I felt this huge wave of calm and peacefulness wash over me as the universe got small and intimate. The big crazy world and all its randomness went away and in an instant, I was in this little world that made total sense to me. I had all these fascinating steam gauges, (backed up by a byzantine Garmin GS430 full of mysteries) and it all was immensely reassuring. Not a worry or care at all.
Honestly, I liked this part more than the VFR, because now I had total control, and could trust the instruments, instead of my eyes. It seems strange but that's how I felt. Instantly comfortable, and at home like this is where I was always supposed to be, and I never knew it, because how could I?
You don't know until you know.
We worked our way down through the various turns and approach points finally dropping below deck, perfectly lined up with 27R, not far ahead, with a stable rate of descent, flaps set, about 70kts.
We landed.
Tired, and energized, relieved and happy, as only you can feel after an IFR approach and landing.
Five years ago, five minutes ago.
I miss it, dearly.
I love this story. It is so well written. Thank you for sharing it. I hope one day soon you can get back in a plane and enjoy the sky again.
Great writing
Extremely well written! Loved it!
Great writing! I feel like I can relate, especially when I trained on glass avionics. I never had a problem with flying in IMC because I felt more comfortable keeping my attention inside. In fact, it was hard for me to do standard private pilot maneuvers at first because I kept my head in the plane!
I could feel the IMC dread going down my spine just watching your facial expressions! Unfortunately there’s no cure for it, you can only try to manage it. During my instrument training, we lost the vacuum pump as I was setting up an LDA approach in low IFR (My CFII wrote a Kindle ebook about it!). That experience really scarred me but it was my single most valuable flight training lesson to this date.
First, Don’t wait until you’re in the soup to transition to instruments. That sudden move from VMC to IMC is always unsettling. Second, focus on your breathing. Explore yoga breathing, it’s really effective (and I don’t even like yoga!) And finally, try to build as much actual IMC hours as you can. Flying under the hood just doesn’t have the same psychological effect of flying in actual IMC.
Love the videos! Keep ‘em coming.
SO many great tips in this comment Thank you!
Not enough pilots talk about overcoming that overwhelming anxiety as you’re learning, and how to work through that. Thanks for sharing!
Flying at 150+ mph with no forward visibility, is just always going to freak humans out. The learning process is learning to trust all of the abstract (to your autonomous nervous system) devices and procedures that will keep you safe in a situation that every fiber of your body is telling you is extremely dangerous.
That is a busy and intellectual flight. It is amazing how much more we learn by reviewing the flight video we made. Enjoy the skies!
Love the videos. I feel the same way when departing on a flight with IMC. Once I am in the soup, It takes me a minute or two (especially climbing into IMC vs. descending) to feel comfortable. Once I am comfortable, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment as a pilot at the end of a successful approach.
I'm right there with you. I guess that is one of the reasons I really love flying IFR/IMC. It is extremely rewarding.
Agreed! I feel the same way flying into IMC. After a few minutes, it's like I'm not even moving. All my focus is in the airplane.
I love how you overlay your clearance on the map for us. No one else does it and it’s such a great visual for student pilots. 👍
Thanks for that specific feedback. It's great to know!
Can I just say how amazing it is when you show the tower calls on a map!! Thank you!! I suck at radio communication and seeing what I’m hearing is amazing. Thanks again!
Thank you for commenting on that. It is so great to know that this is useful and I should continue in the future. Thanks for watching!
@@SoCalFlyingMonkey Very useful!! Hardest part for me for some reason.
Outstanding video showing so much of what a pilot faces when in IMC.
Instant subscribe!
Thank you for the sub!!
Yes! I felt this anxiety for the first time in an accidental VFR into IMC situation. The feeling of dread and panic at first is overwhelming.
Never had that feeling. I m a PPL SEP VFR only...I ve stopped flying since 3 years now. But when I was still flying, I used to take a friend of mine who was checking for traffic outside while I willingly blocked my view in front of the plane to simulate IMC. I did a lot of approaches back to my home airport on ILS. I m a child of flight simulation so had a bad habits of flying with instruments when I started my PPL training so I struggled initally keeping my eyes outside susprisingly. But when it came to instruments flying, it felt natural to me because I simply trusted my instruments and forgot all my other senses just focusing on the instruments and relying them is the best thing you could do and you did it well. Thanks for this great video....love it!
My first time in IMC turned into an ILS to mins. Foggy, low overcast, a serious day, rainy, no convection. Even experienced "the leans" first-hand, overpowering spatial disorientation, a great lesson in staying on the gauges.
Good video. Your honesty on your initial feelings upon entering IMC are appreciated. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it!
Having everything set up with your fmc and not looking out your side window at cloud's moving will help stop your anxiety getting into the zone on your instrumentation is key also knowing your terrain gives you a sense of confidence
I owned a racehorse named Suana. She was named after that waypoint and was bred by famous aviator Allen Paulson. Great video and nice panel!
I'm going to think of that every time I cross that waypoint! LOL
its a big deal! congrats! situational awareness is much better now that we have all those pictures on the instrument panel. I took my instrument in 1995 with JC Brown, the 86 year old CFI who gave Orville Wright his check ride in a DC3. (i kid you not). My oral was invaded by the FAA, AND MY ORAL took four hours. By the time the joker from the FAA had departed, the weather started to deteriorate. So we got half way through it and all of sudden we were solid IFR (which aint supposed to happen) So i flew the ILS down to 100 feet, had controllers screaming at me, did a VOR APPROACH, NBD, and did everything to perfection except a certain procedure turn AT THE END. it was a mess. At the end, JC Brown told me it was a pleasure flying with me, which was a high compliment. The key thing is proper planning. The more you understand before you kick the tires, the more relaxing it will be. So my first actual was my CHECKRIDE. GOOD LUK!
I don’t know how many IMC hours you already have but your skills are excellent.
As far as I am concerned, with my nearly 300 hours in IMC (with more than 1500 total time) I am still always focused on instruments each time that I fly in IMC.
In my case it is not stress but a state of maximum concentration to remain very vigilant on the conditions encountered (temperature, icing, engine, ...).
It is perfectly normal in the clouds to experience a different sensation. It is this situational awareness that keeps your ability to make relevant decisions and which keeps you alive.
Fly safe 🛩😎
Thanks for the compliment and the comment. I do love the concentration that is required for this type of flying. Its really fun!
Great video and yes on the dreading the thought of entering IMC and especially hand flying the aircraft and on old steam gauges...the worst. Once I punched my IFR ticket, every flight I took for 4 months was solid IFR end to end. However, much the same experience. Once in the IMC and settled down, I'd get in the zone and actually enjoy the flight. I enjoy the coverage of an IFR clearance that I pretty much always file IFR...and they close my flight plan 😋
Heck, I am not a pilot just an aviation enthusiast in my 50's. I have flown with many friends as a passenger in their airplanes and every time we do enter the soup I feel that way. What's amazing is sometimes when we bust out of the clouds and boom there is the runway 1sm out I love it. Great Job sir may you and your family be safe. Getting the plates for the approach was awesome.
Love your channel....love your honesty!
Thanks so much!
I am only 14 hours into getting my Private license up here in NorCal. I don't know from experience but I think I will enjoy flying in the clouds. Your videos always make flying in any situation look fun.
I salute your RT discipline. Its the best I've yet to hear on TH-cam!
Thanks!
It was great to see an IFR approach to my home airport for the first time. Awesome!
That was SUPER educational and thanks for showing a "real life" flight where your route wasn't perfect and you had to make some compensations. Good pacing in your video too. Well done as always!
Best Channel for GA, love your talk throughout the video,, my vote for best New up and coming TH-camr. really down to earth explanations and experiences.
Wow, thank you! I truly appreciate the positive feedback.
Yep, right when I transition from VMC to IMC, I’ve started transitioning to gauges well in advance while still in VMC as that seems to make the actual transition less an issue....
Good job!!!
Thanks!
@@SoCalFlyingMonkey
Been catching up on your videos and just subbed this morning!!
I feel EXACTLY like that when entering imc. I've found staring hard at the instruments as I approach the clouds keeps my seat dry. Wearing a ball cap like a practice hood while in the clouds keeps me more calm too. Haha I thought I was the only one. Thanks for sharing. Cheers
yeah wearing a hat and using the brim to block out the changing light/picture out the window can be helpful!
GREAT video, important to face the anxiety of IMC with total clarity
Thanks!
I am really enjoying your channel found it last week keep up the great videos stay safe out there
I always get excited goin into IMC and when breaking out!
It's just about my favorite kind of flying.
Some of earliest flying experience was as a young guy in the right seat under IMC in various light and medium twins, a sort of almost human auto-pilot! I copped loads of shit from flying instructors later about my use of instruments and not using the visual horizon. I loved IMC and still love it.
Thanks for the videos, it was a pleasure and is making up my mind to purchase the Skyview
Thank you for being frank about being in clouds.
Thanks for watching!
That was cool, thanks for taking us along on that trip. Your honesty really helps the shared experience, cheers!
I wish I had this type of panel when I started flying in 1986. LOVE IT.
It is def fun to have it...there is something I miss about the steam gauges and I think it's having exactly what you need in front of you- no more, no less. This display has A LOT of great info but a lot of it is superfluous for portions of the flight. I really love it but occasionally get nostalgic for the traditional 6 pack.. :)
Great video, Eric!
I really like how you visualize your route and reference points on the chart while you are talking to it. Makes it super-easy to follow along. Also, the set of the rainbow captured by the camera on the wing was great - almost makes me forget that I have panel envy after seeing yours!
One question: I see you have an iPad with the approach plate; in this video you say you like how you can bring up plates on the Dynon. I always thought the iPad was hard to beat for showing charts - do you see advantages on the Dynon, or is it more of a backup in case you forget the iPad at home?
Keep making these videos, you are doing great!
- Martin
Thanks for the comments Martin! Yes the iPad is great for displaying the plates and I still do pull up the plate on the iPad. The HDX has a very easy way to pull up the plate for your destination airport or any airport in the flight plan and I can do it with the knob instead of touch screen which I prefer over the iPad. The main advantage for me is that the HDX is not only georeferenced but displays the altitude crossing arc on the approach plate so you can see where on the plate you will arrive at your bugged altitude based on current descent rate and groundspeed. This is super handy on approaches to make sure you are arriving at the bugged altitude before a step down fix or your MDA before the MAP. Finally, I also like the plate to be right there in front of me and it is a closer scan for my eyes instead of looking all the way over at the iPad. It seems minor but makes a big difference. I am starting to keep the HDX plate zoomed in to the top portion and zoom and scroll the iPad plate to the elevation view of the altitudes. But I am still settling in to the workflow and preferences. I guess I will just have to fly more to fine tune it. :)
@@SoCalFlyingMonkey That makes sense - thank you for the detailed answer, and for the nice video!
Great job , single pilot IMC is hard work, the autopilot is your friend and takes away 95% of the stress
I'm still getting used to using it after only hand flying for a few years...its a great tool!
@@SoCalFlyingMonkey very true , never flown an aircraft with that much kit , most i have flown is the Aspen EFIS unit , they are great , GPS steer is brilliant. I have done 3 flying holidays in the California area, favourite airfields are cottonwood, flagstaff, santa monica , . Visited many airfields, your blessed to fly in such a beautiful part of the states . Stay safe . Rob
I own a steam gauge Cherokee 180, with an old Apollo IFR enroute GPS. I use my iPad with ForeFlight. My few times in actual IMC have been intense and exhausting. I can see that even a simple autopilot can greatly reduce workload. Ya, my hands started sweating a bit when you first went IMC. That Dynon/Avidyne system with the Tru Track looks awesome.
It's a great system. Having flown without an autopilot in hours of continuous IMC I can definitely say that an autopilot is a great asset. The TT does well to reduce workload.
Great video! Refreshing to watch a video which shows your honest reactions and mistakes and not just some edited flight which goes perfectly well. And the new avionics rig just adds another level of situational awareness to the whole flight.. Subscribed
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
Your friend is a great addition to the cockpit. I need a duplicate friend for my IFR flights! haha Loved the video.
Thanks for watching! It's fun flying with friends especially if they love it as much as you do. :)
Nice job! Totally normal "errors" on that approach. Didn't hear your landing checklist though... excellent situational awareness and a beautiful plane. Thanks for the video!
Eric, excellent video. Nice editing and love how you talk about your anxiety that we all get when we don't do this as the day job. Thanks for sharing. It is very interesting to see how your setup and workflow is compared to garmin stack.
Thank you! I would be curious to fly with a Garmin system and understand the finer points of each system
SoCal Flying Monkey I don’t have the Garmin AP yet but I have a student who does. I’ll see if I can get it setup for a video
Great video work! Very engaging on the comments and so true! Flew Socal for many years, nice to see the familiar places are still popular!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you
It takes a lot of courage to make and post a video like this. Thank you!
Greetings from Phoenix, AZ.
Thank you. :)
The IMC dread feeling. I can definitely relate to it... I’ve found however the more you do it it kind of helps it alleviate it but still the feeling is always the same.
Yes it is getting easier each time but I can't shake that initial feeling! :)
@@SoCalFlyingMonkey Same here... It just gets better overtime. At least you have electronic instruments which are more reliable than gyros when it comes to mechanical issues.
I had gone into IMC for about 10 seconds once and totally didn't see it coming. I also went into a bit of a panic mode really quickly (I don't have my instrument). I had autopilot set to heading and altitude mode so, I was about to change the heading to back 180 degrees because it was fine back there where I just was. Before I started to do that, I was out of it and I was relieved. I was in a class C airspace and was using flight following, I am just glad that I was. If you don't like what you see (or don't see) and you are uncomfortable, just turn around.
I get that feeling as well.. it never goes away... but when I am in the soup and I am handling the plane like a boss it reminds me I CAN DO IT!! and it feels awesome... I fly into socal quite a bit with my family... I own a Piper Navajo...before I had a cherokee 6XT and I loved it... take a flight up to Utah or when I come down to socal and let's go up in the Navajo... I'm sure you will love it
I'd love to check out the Navajo. I hear they are great planes!
SoCal Flying Monkey lest go flying let me know
email me pilotdavid42@gmail.com
I was a student pilot back in 2012 and I was getting that dread feeling you are talking about just about every time I was going up. I was nearing my solo cross country flights and it just scared me too much. I never overcame my uncomfortableness and actually stopped flight training altogether. I miss it and wish I could have gotten over that hurdle.
You keep my flame for aviation alive when I am forced to wait :3 amazing content! I aspire to have the same life style. Thank you for keeping me company and upload the amazing content!
Thank you for watching. :)
Dude, highlighting the route was awesome.
Thank you- I'm glad you enjoyed that detail!
I have similar dread climbing into clouds. I believe my most anxious feelings come at climb while getting turn vectors. I have only flown with other instrument pilots so I really hope this anxiety dissipates as I begin my instrument training.
Your videos are Rad! Thank You! See you up in MMH.
Love the editing and quality of the video! Keep it up, these videos deserve more attention
Thanks so much for the supportive comment. I really appreciate it!
Another great video sir, I’m happy to see you using the hdx in instrument conditions and seeing what this puppy is capable of
Thank you! Yeah the system is amazing and I am really enjoying all the features especially in IMC now!
Eric, I've been watching your videos quite a lot to pre-learn the Dynon and Trutrak system. Happy to say that, thanks to you, I flew my Cherokee Six from Denver, CO down to Jesse and team at Saint Aviation the 1st of June and flew it back to Denver yesterday with the new Dynon, Trutrak, and Avidyne installed. While I was down there in Florida, I flew it down to Miami and picked up the coastal transition at 500 or below. The scenery was spectacular! I recorded the entire event and I'll let you know when I edit and post the new videos. Thanks a lot for helping me choose the best option. You were right, that Dynon HDX is amazing! I almost paid a whole lot more for a Garmin G3X.
Eric, BTW, do you have a video on the Avidyne gps? If not, please make one. I find it so easy to learn from your videos brother!
Raul, I'm so glad my videos were helpful for you. I hope you enjoy that new panel!!! I have absolutely loved the HDX system. Just flew an IFR flight out of Santa Barbara today and all the awesome features of these systems were so helpful and made the flying so fun. Keep in touch and let me know your thoughts after a few months with it!
I do no have a video on the Avidyne GPS. I may try to make one after I get a few of these other fun concepts out of my head and into reality. :)
And awesome videos and awesome commentary and airplane looks great...
Thanks a ton!
Thank you for sharing. This is a great video. Yes entering clouds is always nerve racking but focusing on the instruments and planning ahead helps to over come those feelings. Your videos are very helpful!
Glad you enjoyed this one too!
Holy cow, I caught me holding my breath as you passed over VNY and made your turn towards KWHP. You probably don't get socked in as much in the valley, but still great you have your IFR license. Great video.
Actual IMC days are not too common but we get a really nice marine layer in June for good practice.
@@SoCalFlyingMonkey YUP! When we had the marine layer out at Camarillo, we would fly out to Fox Field to do training. Fun to go out there on a hot day and catch thermals.
Nice Job! Keep up the good work, and don’t give up. I just got my instrument in sept, and now am trying to stay ahead of the currency game and get some IMC time. Anxiety is normal and expected. Use that AP more too, once you get more proficient hand flying. It is a huge help and even though mine is a single axis, I’m sooo happy I have it for instrument flying. You have the makings of a good instrument pilot, really you do, keep it up!
I usually experience some initial anxiety as I enter the soup, but once there I find it easier to concentrate on the instruments without the visual distraction of an outside view. It actually has a calming effect on me - unless it's turbulent..
Yes thats what I'm talking about! It's nice to know it's not just me. I flew from Seattle to L.A. once and about 3 hours of it was IMC and it was one of the best most relaxing flights ever. That was before I had an autopilot. It was the most stressed out I've been entering the muck but it ended up being great.
enjoyed the video! thanks for ATC in the background
A great video, thank you for making and posting. That was really good of your friend to come along as a safety pilot.
I'm a pilot studying from Mexico! I like your channel! Greetings! Nice job!
Awesome! Thank you! Best of luck in your aviation training and studying.
@@SoCalFlyingMonkey Thank you! Safe and fun flyings!
Love your content! Funny about your initial anxiety... I have the same feeling scuba diving for the first minute or so. To be honest, I don't use my instrument rating. Still working on my CFI, then I'll delve in to it more, and then work on the double-I. I've never felt I've been proficient enough to go in to actual by myself. I'll be using my sim, and PilotEdge ATC to get more comfortable. It's an amazing tool...
I'm really enjoying your videos. I'm VFR only, and I have been caught in IMC; huge eye opener and glad I was able to survive that error in judgement. (I was shaking at the end of the flight) Unfortunately, some of us have to learn the hard way!
That sounds like a horrible experience and unfortunately one that is too common it seems! Glad you made it out. The instrument rating is well worth it and super rewarding if you have the time and resources to make it happen.
What a sweet sky sled you have there, Air Monkey... . : +)
Air Monkey - I like that!
Nice video! I like the way you show the clearance on the paper map, really helps to see how that translates.
Glad you like it! Thanks for the feedback!
After an inadvertent IMC experience in a comanche when I was much younger, I always have a few moments of distress whenever the windshield goes white. That dance with the devil had a profound impact and I am thankful that I've had a chance to learn from my mistake rather than be a typical statistic.
Sounds like you got lucky or got yourself out of that situation! I love the Comanche- great plane!
I'd say both. I reverted immediately to my limited instrument training and was able to climb out on top of the relatively thin layer, but it was very turbulent and my underpants did not survive the ordeal. 30 seconds of terror. When you are young and dumb and nothing can hurt you.. I grew up quite a bit on that trip.
well you learned your lesson at least. :)
Great video. I also have and had dread going into IMC. I do about the same thing as you. Focus on the instruments and tell myself to relax, everything's good, relax and in a short period of time it goes away.
Nice video, and nice setup!!
Thanks!
Just found your site recently, very cool! I’m pretty new by a few months IFR rating. Similar feelings. Your not alone. At least you have support. I couldn’t wait to get IMC for real approaches and after exhausting my buddy list, went solo IMC. It worked out fine but I think my eyes were pretty big 😳
Good on you for getting out there and getting into it. If I haven't been in the clouds for awhile I try to pick days that are more benign weather wise like stable stratus layer.
SoCal Flying Monkey 🐒 Exactly, and thanks for sharing 😉very cool , we fly the coast too SF Bay Area
Just finished my RV7A build, I have Dynon HDX too with AP; getting back into flying after a lengthy time out; mixture of excitement and dare I say it, anxiety? Great video, thanks from Australia :-)
Congrats on finishing your build! One day I would love to build one of those- maybe when the kids have flown the nest... Hope you enjoy that HDX. I think it's pretty sweet.
Every time I plan on flying in IMC I feel some anxiety as well. I have over 100 hrs in actual with a lot of approaches to minimums or near minimums. I fly a Piper Lance. Once I am in IMC a couple minutes I feel better. Your videos are awesome by the way.
Good to know its not just me! Thank you for the compliment.
Spot on with the feeling of emotion in IMC!
glad you can relate!
Well. I got rusty. Was not that heavily experience even then. Last time in imc had unfamiliar panel that had small number size. Coming toward faf got disoriented within the approach . Thought i was farther along and got below the mda. But was below the cloud layer liked being able to see out. But still to low for approach and had to tell myself to climb which put me back in the clouds. Eeeek. Made it to faf then then able to safely descend back below the cloud layer and safe on the ground. Phew!
Take aways: Practice ( like you) with panel in vfr hood to learn the panel.
Better brief on approach. Keep the rust off. Take a safety pilot
Good topic good video. Love Camarillo
All the best neal Punta Gorda Fla.
Good advice here. Practice is essential. You can be current but not proficient.
My IMC brain hack: I put myself on instruments before hitting those clouds, trying to exercise a bit of discipline by not looking for visual cues as safety permits. When the second guessing hits, I pop my head outside of the cockpit to reaffirm I'm not losing my mind. By the time the clouds hit, I've rebuilt confidence in my training. PS: HDX is wow!
good tip. Thanks!
LOL...At 8:34 you stated 30,500 ft. instead of 3.500 ft....LOL. We too are putting in the HDX. Just about done with the install. Great video.
hope you like your HDX. I have really been enjoying mine. If you haven't seen my complete review you may find it helpful. th-cam.com/users/socalflyingmonkey just scroll right and its the HDX review.
Very nice. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
Fantastic video.. glad to be a subscriber👍👍
Awesome, thank you!
I like it man!! First time visiting your channel. Good stuff!!
Thanks for watching!
Beautiful Cherokee 6 man.
Thanks!
Nice job. In answer to your question, I am always a bit nervous when entering IMC and flying IFR. I spent some years flying in the Navy as aircrew in P-3 Orions. I always got a tad bit nervous when we flew out of our base with heavy weather enroute. I was based in Northern California back in the late 80's and early 90's, (NAS Moffett), so I know the Bay Area as well as Southern California very well. As a pilot, that has not changed. My son and I fly IFR on occasion, but not often as IFR here in the Rockies is quite different than in Southern California. In winter, we have to worry about icing and in summer, thunderstorms. There's very little middle ground. I find that once my eyes are glued to the instruments and I am focused, the nerves tend to go away. In rough air, that isn't always the case. We don't have an autopilot in our Tiger, so that makes it even more adventurous. I enjoyed your video and am looking forward to watching many more.
Fly safe and fly often!
hello there Gordon. I also have a tiger but I've been looking to upgrade the avionics. Have you done any recent research on what is approved for the tiger? Thanks
Not a dig in any way, but I am happy to know the little things I am messing up are also done by others. Great video.
for sure- no one is perfect!
I look at the approaching IMC conditions and still want to crawl into the back seat but then convince myself I can't. It still scares me a fair amount and I guess it always should.
So, this gets a lot of folks - but cloud heights ceilings (OVC is a ceiling) on ATIS are in AGL.
So, the ATIS was only off by about 200 ft.
Ref the AIM 7-1-16: Reporting of Cloud Heights
Ceiling, by definition in the CFRs and as used in aviation weather reports and forecasts, is the height above ground (or water) level of the lowest layer of clouds or obscuring phenomenon that is reported as “broken,” “overcast,” or “obscuration,” e.g., an aerodrome forecast (TAF) which reads “BKN030” refers to height above ground level. An area forecast which reads “BKN030” indicates that the height is above mean sea level.
REFERENCE- AIM, Paragraph 7-1-30 , Key to Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) and Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR), defines “broken,” “overcast,” and “obscuration.”
You are correct that the cloud heights for ATIS are in AGL. The ATIS in this case was to be overcast 2500 which means cloud bases should be at 3500 feet MSL because the field elevation is 1000' MSL. The cloud bases in reality were at 2300' MSL. You are not the first person to make this comment so I think something in the way I present the information in the video is confusing. I need to go back and look to see where I can improve on that communication. Thank you for the comment!
A good way to avoid overshooting a given radial while crossing a VOR is to calculate an "Early-turn" (Given that you are not required to "Fly-over"). As a rule of thumb, turn at a distance of 0.5% of your TAS before the VOR. For example, the VNY VOR elevation is 810ft, you're crossing at 3200ft. That means the DME indication while crossing would be 0.4NM ((3200-810)/6000). Say you were approaching at 120kts your TAS at 3200ft would approximately be 130kts give or take (You can round the numbers, after all, this is a tool that you should use in the cockpit without the need of a calculator on the quick). Now, 0.5% of 130Kts is aproximately 0.6NM. ADD that to the DME indication at crossing (0.4NM+0.6NM) and you get 1.0NM. This is the distance at which you should start your turn! Been using it for years, of course it needs fine adjustments based on your judgement as PIC (wind correction/How big the turn is etc), but it gives you an excellent ballpark to make a good call! (This rule of thumb is applicable to standard coordinated turns) Happy Flying!
Great tip! Never heard that one before. Can I adjust that for GPS indication and not DME? It would remove one calculation.
@@SoCalFlyingMonkey Sure! That would make things even simpler!
Awesome video, man! Loved it!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great Video
Thanks!
Another great video! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
You guys and your glass and autopilot. Wait til it all goes South and you are stuck in the 🗑🌪. I'm glad I did my serious IFR in the late 1970s. Flying new Cessna aircraft from the factory to Troutdale Oregon in the winter. Glad you are afraid. Fear is good. Deal with it the best way training. Lots of partial panel work and learn how to survive. Good luck!🤔😒😁😷💖 ERAU 1980 CFIA&I.
Very Nice love it 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
IMC dread means you are a safe pilot.......dont like getin uaself into trouble ....Good man!!!!.....i have 5k hours ATPL...
I hope the feeling never goes away because it keeps me on my toes!
Very cool!
Thanks!
I think that the main cause for such dread is how much we are scared during private by cfis either on ground or in flight or sim on how they portray it as being a certain death.
I think that does contribute.
SoCal Flying Monkey oh wow you actually replied. Im impressed. Love your channel and the content. !!
That plane has better avionics than a lot of jets
True!
The low actual IMC trick is to throw the foggles back on and you'll go right back to training mode. Most of us fly the majority of our IFR training with foggles and that conditioning creates the habit, no foggles I'm visual.
Interesting- I never thought of that!
I get the exact same feeling as I climb into cloud. I hate it....... especially when the windshield goes white with ice. I begin to feel better after a while and once in control airspace I’m fine...
stay away from that ice!
I feel like I’m in the plane 👍quality video
that's awesome and great to hear. come along for the ride with us!