4.9 hours over two flights today, and I am both enthused and exhausted! It was a pretty amazing day, crammed full of good information and good experiences. If only I could have 100% retention!
This morning we filed KSQL SJC V334 SUNOL V195 ECA to Stockton, planning to do the ILS 29R approach into Stockton. After taxi and run-up and everything, we waited for probably at least 20 minutes for release because KSQL was the alternate for someone who was approaching KPAO (7nm SE) and probably going missed there. Didn't happen, but we sat around burning fuel and had time to talk about things like the option to depart VFR and pick up clearance in the air.
This is a good segway to mention a couple things. First, using a taxi diagram to, um, you know, taxi. Jason says this is a bullet point that examiners are looking for, so get in the habit of doing it all the time, even at the familiar airports. (Pro-tip: ForeFlight makes this easy with aeronautical charts, georef'd diagrams and plates-on-map. Just sayin'.) Second, in addition to the walkaround, preflight, another walkaround (gives a chance to catch any mistakes done during preflighting like missing a tie-down or forgetting to tighten a fuel cap), startup checks, taxi checks, CIGARS and run-up, do a pre-takeoff briefing that includes verifying the runway you're at is the one you're intending to depart, checking the windsock, establishing abort criteria, and reviewing the pre- and post-rotation failure procedures. The pre-takeoff briefing was done during this time.
In our chats on the ground yesterday, we talked about standard operating procedures becoming a ritual. There are so many things that we ritualize and it helps us to do things the same way every time and usually for a good reason. Things like get in the car, fasten seatbelt, crank the engine. Shower routine. Getting ready for school routine. Routines are successful (when followed), and considering it a ritual takes it one step farther. SOPs for commercial operators have been established and revised in response to multitudes of occurrences that identify weaknesses in the process, and they become safety rituals. Do it from memory, back it up with a quick run through the checklist for missed items. And avoid complacency or lack of attention; match up each item on the read-aloud checklist to a specific action you just took.
Ok, back in the run-up area we finally were cleared for takeoff runway 30. And by the way, this is what the clearance looked like and I did it all by myself! :) Basically the clearance was along the lines of "Cleared to Stockton airport, after takeoff maintain runway heading until the diamond-shaped waterway, turn right to heading 120 within 2nm of the airport, radar vectors to sierra juliet charlie, victor 334 to SUNOL, victor 195 to Manteca, direct. Maintain VFR at or below 1100 until the Oakland 165 radial, then climb and maintain 2100, expect 5000 in 5 minutes. Contact NorCal departure on 135.65, squawk 4503." Other than saying "runway vectors" in my readback before correcting to radar vectors (and trying to quell my desire to giggle at my own goofiness for saying that), I was pleased. It's certainly the most complicated thing I've dealt with. But also credit to Steve at FlightChops and Jason for having shown this clearance in videos -- I may have briefed it before coming to CA...
Normal takeoff. Airspeed was alive and over the 70% rotation speed (38kts) well before halfway, and we were up and off. We had barely crossed the OAK R-165 (which marks the threshold of 30) when they vectored us to the east. We got to pass through just a bit of wispy clouds before being VFR-on-top crossing the bay. ATC wanted to vector us straight to KSCK, but since this was a training flight, Jason pushed back and asked if we could go to SJC and fly the airways as filed. The somewhat grumpy controller gave us a big fat negative and set us toward Stockton. Soon we changed frequencies and asked the new controller for the airways, and he vectored us toward V334 short of SUNOL. We got there and turned onto the airway and got our wrists slapped by the controller who deliberately was sending us PAST it and had not cleared us ONTO the airway. Ok, fine, that was a learning experience, too. But given the hassle and the lack of IMC in the area, we just canceled IFR and went about our business on the airways as we wanted. :)
About that time, we were at the SUNOL intersection so we dialed the 229 radial of the ECA VOR/DME into NAV1 (after identifying) and the OBS and started flying V195. Well, trying to, anyway. It was pretty bad. At the beginning, I thought it was just wind and started bracketing to find the right amount of wind correction. But it just wasn't working. The CDI needle would be centered, then would suddenly swing way to one side (usually left) and fluctuate. We tried all the way to ECA, while also trying to utilize the cruise flow (mag to DG sync, flight instruments, engine instruments, breakers and switches, throttle and mixture, fuel flow controls; back up with checklist readout) periodically, plan for the next action point (5Ts and 5As), and brief the ILS 29R approach. We had largely given up on the approach briefing as we got to ECA and were still working just on tracking and being suspicious of the CDI, so rather than turn northwest toward the airport (ILS was tuned and waiting), we continued on to work ahead to have time to brief and compare the NAV2 behavior against NAV1; while the NAV2 CDI did have little fluctuations, it was way more stable than the primary so Jason just turned off the primary radio. It got way better after that. The proof is in the track:
Starting from the lower left at San Carlos (just below the big label for San Mateo), we flew east, did a little circle when picking up V334 and then getting off of it and then canceling IFR, then did all the wavy tracking to the northeast, first on the lower leg and then on the upper leg to the right. Coming back from east to west was nav by GPS and NAV2. The lesson there is that if you're in actual IMC and it's that hard to stay on track, simplify what's going on to give as much attention as possible to get quickly to a reliable state of equipment.
Another lesson: We had a goal of finishing the approach briefing before ECA, which would have been great since at ECA we should have been turning to start the approach. Bottom-line items like DA/MDA at what point and the first few steps of the missed approach procedure, but big-picture items like the plan and profile, and detail items like frequencies and published restrictions or adjustments to the standard procedure. Full briefing didn't happen, and we talked again about creating time to accomplish things and get/stay ahead: slow down. Seriously, slow the plane down. Create time before the next action point. Groundspeed deviations on an IFR flight plan require reporting when the change is 10 kts or 5%, whichever comes first.
On the way back to ECA, we did a few hold and hold entry visualizations using the heading indicator. Then at ECA I did my first hold! Entry has lots of room for improvement, but once established in the hold it was good. So as long as all of my holds are in no-wind conditions, I'm good to go. There was even time on the 1-minute legs to do the cruise flow/checklist and plan the 5Ts for the next action point.
On the way back, I had some foggle time to do constant airspeed AND vertical speed climbs and descents, which were ok and with practice I'll be able to nail the power/pitch balance more quickly. Once established, VSI is the primary instrument for pitch and the airspeed indicator is the primary instrument for power. I think we may have briefly done a DME arc somewhere in there, but I totally remember my brain slowing down and not feeling on top of things, so we stopped that exercise and ate some snacks (slow brain is a sign of low blood sugar for me for sure).
At various times during the flight, too, Jason covered some instruments for partial-panel work. One illustrative exercise was to establish straight and level flight, then cover the altimeter and VSI and try to hold altitude. This was to bring awareness to how very very small the changes in the attitude indicator's sight picture are. It took less than two seconds to become hypersensitive to that.
I took a minute to snap a few pictures of the beautiful area, too. The hilly bits would be a nightmare for a forced landing, but pretty to look at. :)
And here we are, ready for lunch but feeling like it was a productive flight.
Somewhere in there we failed the DG and flew by the mag compass, which is super screwy but with diligent study and experience would be fine. There's ANDS (accelerate north, decelerate south) that explains what the compass does on east-west heading when ac/decelerating. And there's COSUN (compass overshoots south, undershoots north) that explains that on a turn to the south the compass will lead your actual heading by up to 30 degrees and on a turn to the north it will lag by up to 30 degrees. Oh, and the numbers turn the opposite way from the DG, so there's that complication. (Increasing or decreasing is what matters...)
Back to KSQL for right base to 30. Final was so very much like final for 31 at KJGG -- over some swamp-like water with its own monster. But landing was fine, taxi was fine, and then it was lunchtime!
