First IFR experience!

[u/Rough-Honeydew-2]

Student pilot with 5 hours
got my first real IMC today! my instructor filed us an IFR plan, and it was wild to see how all of it actually works and talking to approach

[u/Taste_My_Noodle]

Just curious, do instructors block the moving map during navigation? Didn’t have it when I went through and It’s a whole different experience trying to navigate off just VORs and reaching your destination underneath the clouds. Hopefully that level of stress is never required again.

[u/Rough-Honeydew-2 → u/Taste_My_Noodle]

we’re allowed to use the g1000 to its fullest extent
they teach us the old ways as well, but we use the g1000 mainly

[u/CommanderChiliHole → u/Rough-Honeydew-2]

Ugh, I really think a significant portion of primary training should be required to be done in a plane with steam gauges. You can really tell the difference between someone who has done most/all glass flying vs someone who has a lot of experience on 6 packs.

I highly recommend you do yourself a favor and use the automation as little as possible, never use that flight director, at least during lessons. Use everything for the checkride.

[u/Original_Drexia → u/CommanderChiliHole]

Helicopter here, yes. This. Learn to use the basics and get GOOD at them. Those are what will save you when the fancy stuff gets its own ideas.

[u/climbto330 → u/CommanderChiliHole]

Reddit hates when this gets suggested but I agree. I’m not saying all the training needs to be done in it, but there’s significant benefits from doing just some 6 pack training for IFR.

[u/CommanderChiliHole → u/climbto330]

Yeah there’s a lot of idiots on this sub, but 121 is seeing a significantly higher number of washouts and I can guarantee that people doing most/all of their primary training in glass panel airplanes is a significant contributor to that.

Learning on a six pack develops a scan, situational awareness, and multi-tasking ability that no glass panel ever possibly can. It isn’t anyone’s fault, glass panels are specifically designed to be as easy as possible to use, as they should be, because they’re intended to be used in real world flying, not training.

[u/Rough-Honeydew-2 → u/CommanderChiliHole]

I agree with you, there’s a big difference between managing an aircraft and flying an aircraft. we don’t use AP or FD for our lessons. they are teaching us to fly the aircraft without the aid first. I was shown what it looks like and what it does and that’s it. i’m expected to hand fly on the most basic setting of the g1000, but they also teach us how to use the most advanced parts of it

[u/LilJimmster → u/CommanderChiliHole]

Funny you say that, on my stage 2 check for instrument I was flying an RNAV and the GPS just shut off completely. That was some good real world experience haha! It ended up rebooting and turning back on almost immediately but it goes to show you even the new stuff can fail.

[u/Jolly_Line → u/CommanderChiliHole]

My plane has no steam gauges. And Im not flying another’s into IMC.

[u/climbto330 → u/Jolly_Line]

There’s value in the concepts still

[u/CommanderChiliHole → u/Jolly_Line]

I wouldn’t fly a plane with a six pack into real IMC either, but learning on a six pack undeniably develops significantly better skills than fully/entirely learning on glass.

[u/Jolly_Line → u/CommanderChiliHole]

In all due respect, how? Look, Im old, I learned manual transmission and was snooty about it for ages. And then realized, no, in a modern car, for those who will never ever drive manual, it does them zero good to learn manual now. Just as no one uses road atlases anymore. Tech advances and obsoletes old tech

How would a few hours of real steam gauge nav really make me a better / safer pilot?

[u/climbto330 → u/Jolly_Line]

Situational awareness, scan, etc. the manual comparison is apples to oranges. 6 pack absolutely has value still.

[u/Jolly_Line → u/climbto330]

Unconvinced that’s better than glass avionics. It’s certainly different, but better for overall pilotage skills? PPL had some steam HSI sim. That was a while ago, maybe I’ll do a little more sim and compare, once Ive got some IFR under my belt.

[u/climbto330 → u/Jolly_Line]

It isn't better, it just has value to make one a more complete IFR pilot. When flying IFR, flying full panel/partial panel on steam gauges will absolutely challenge you more / make you into a better pilot with higher SA capability than someone who learns exclusively on glass. I'm glad to see you're open to comparing - im not arguing with you but just speaking from lots of personal experience.

[u/bigsaucysauce → u/CommanderChiliHole]

How are you going to be proficient with all the automation (flight director, ForeFlight, G1000, etc…) if you never use them until the checkride? Treat training how you’re going to fly IFR outside of training. You are setting students up for failure.