Canuck
David Megginson
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 7,077
- Reaction score
- 3,867
Just passed my ninth IFR checkride yesterday. (The first few were called flight tests, then Transport Canada changed the rules, and now they're "Instrument Proficiency Checks;" either way, I have to pass one every two years to be allowed to exercise my instrument rating.)
There were two new things for me to deal with this time. First, Canada has added partial panel upset recovery to the syllabus—zero big deal in a docile, fixed-gear plane, but might get exciting in a retractable (also makes it hard to do the test in actual IMC).
Second, and more important, this is the first time I was tested on RNAV procedures and buttonology, after installed my GTN 650 in September 2017. I thought was was pretty good on it—I can describe almost every mode of the GTN and my A/P from memory—but in the pressure and tight timeframe of a flight test, I was fumbling a bit. I kept accidentally swapping com frequencies (long press) instead of switching from COM to NAV (short press), for example, and almost forgot to switch to STEC-20 A/P from HI (nav) to HDG mode before having GPSS fly the hold.
I realise I need to create and learn flows for the complex avionics, just like I do for controls and gauges. For example, setting Direct-To, my flow every time would be
D
There were two new things for me to deal with this time. First, Canada has added partial panel upset recovery to the syllabus—zero big deal in a docile, fixed-gear plane, but might get exciting in a retractable (also makes it hard to do the test in actual IMC).
Second, and more important, this is the first time I was tested on RNAV procedures and buttonology, after installed my GTN 650 in September 2017. I thought was was pretty good on it—I can describe almost every mode of the GTN and my A/P from memory—but in the pressure and tight timeframe of a flight test, I was fumbling a bit. I kept accidentally swapping com frequencies (long press) instead of switching from COM to NAV (short press), for example, and almost forgot to switch to STEC-20 A/P from HI (nav) to HDG mode before having GPSS fly the hold.
I realise I need to create and learn flows for the complex avionics, just like I do for controls and gauges. For example, setting Direct-To, my flow every time would be
- Start at GTN 650- direct-to activated
- Left to CDI - confirm indicating GPS mode
- Down to GPSS/Heading button - confirm indicating GPSS mode
- Far left to A/P - confirm indicating heading mode (to follow GPSS).
D
