Copilot

Today I got to be copilot for the guy I went through the contact stage with. We came up with a plan to fly to Houston, stop for some food, and come back. We didn't even need gas. We had a couple issues with the pilot-side CDI in the runup while we were running through the checklists, but it ended up passing all the checks, so we took off without much trouble. The CDI is the course deviation indicator, which allows you to follow a course from a NAVAID. The enroute portion of the flight was uneventful except for the several times ATC cleared us to an intersection, and we had to fly fix-to-fix due to the lack of GPS in our aircraft. Fix-to-fix is not a big deal, it's just a little more work than plugging a point in the GPS. As we approached the airport of intended landing, I switched from the Center frequency to the approach frequency and checked in. Normal stuff. The first thing I heard back was a traffic advisory, "...traffic, 12 o'clock, Northeast-bound, you're overtaking them, altitude indicates 2,700." We were at 3,000. So we both immediately start looking for this traffic. I finally spot him, so we continue. I soon realized, however, that he wasn't really moving in the windscreen, so I just told the pilot to turn left immediately. As we made the turn, we rolled out and passed the Cessna well within a comfortable distance. A little bit of a scare, but a timely traffic call and spotting the traffic early prevented any sort of dangerous situation. It was pretty busy, but we landed safely, ate a late lunch, and took off again without issue. The flight back was uneventful, but our TACAN needles went haywire right at the beginning of the flight, and we realized our only options for straight-in instrument approaches were radar approaches. All this was fine, because the weather was clear and a million, but it may have been a little uncomfortable in the weather. We landed back at the homefield without further issue, and I had a few more good flying stories.

Check and Solo

I had my final instrument checkride on Monday. It was fairly straightforward and everything went well. We flew down to the Valley for some McAlister's. I flew a circling approach, vectors to an ILS, and a VOR procedure turn. We finished up with vectors to an ILS back at the homefield. That's a weight off the shoulders!

Yesterday's airnav solo went alright as well. I didn't get to go out and back, because my CP wasn't flying the same sortie. He was already syllabus complete, so I just flew a big circle up to San Antonio, over to Houston and back down the coast for vectors to an ILS final for a full stop. Still, it was a solo with 2.2 hours of PIC (Pilot-in-command) time!

I'm flying an airnav solo today as CP. Should be fun.

End of Block

Happy Easter everyone! I flew my last review stage sortie on Friday. It wasn't really as bad as I thought it would be. My first and third rides were more difficult. It was on par with my second review stage flight. I flew a PAR to start things off. Everything went fine, but I got an engine malfunction at the end. I decided I was about to land, so I wasn't going to shut it down, but it turned into a fire, so I had to shut it down anyway. I misjudged the time I had on final. I should have just shut it down when I got the first indications, but I learned something there. I flew down to the valley and did a fix-to-fix to an arcing circling approach. That went single engine, but it was fine. I landed it. My ILS went to a localizer and I had to wave it off because of simulated weather. Then my IP played "bad copilot" and tried to have me land on the wrong runway during a visual approach. I caught it all and ended up with a solid end of block ride. Checkride tomorrow after a restful weekend.

Canceled for Maintenance

Didn't get to fly today. I was sitting observer waiting to fly when we got a call from another plane telling us base wanted us back immediately. I tried to go again later that day, but the IP said he wouldn't do it, since it wouldn't be fair to me. He said for this ride, the toughest of all of pilot training in his opinion, I should be at the top of my game, and waking up early and then waiting to fly all day wasn't exactly the best recipe for success. I respect that, and thank him for it. Early brief tomorrow.

Boom!

I had a great flight today. Yes, I said it. It was great. We flew down to the valley. I got in the seat at Port Isabel and flew a GPS approach with a turn in holding followed by a circling approach. Both approaches were single engine. All went well and my IP even said I flew one of the best point-to-points he's ever seen. The winds were only about 25 knots at altitude, but it was still pretty good. I had to put on the mask on the way back for simulated smoke and fumes in the cockpit, but I got to take it off after the fumes "dissipated." We went through that checklist and then shot another approach - this time a needle-only TACAN. The catch was he failed my attitude indicator, so I did a partial panel, needle-only TACAN. I'd never even heard of that until today. On the climbout we couldn't get the visual recovery, so we shot the ILS. He failed my glideslope, so we had to transition to the localizer. Then, he gave me a fire, so we went single engine. I got halfway through the checklist and decided to just land and deal with it on the ground. No major fumbles with a pretty tough profile, so I was really happy with my flying this morning. One more, then check Friday.

San Antonio

Today I had my second review stage ride. It wasn't too bad, but I kept shooting myself in the foot. I haven't flown since last Thursday. I sat SDO on Friday, answering the phone and talking on the radio tracking the flights in the morning. We got canceled yesterday, so today was the first flight of the week for me. I flew a partial-panel (no heading or attitude indicator) ASR approach to start things off, then flew over to Beeville for a GPS approach and circling maneuver to the opposite runway. Those both had two bad moments in them, but were otherwise ok. On the ASR I got really slow at one point, and on the GPS I started descending at an intermediate fix I confused for the final approach fix. I'll have to fly another GPS approach to make up for that, but the SSE circling and missed approach went well. I flew the ILS up at Lackland AFB in San Antonio following that approach.

On the way back I wasn't flying, but the IP thought he had unsafe gear up indications, so we went through the checklist and did a low approach for the tower to check the gear and everything. Everything was fine, but when we got on the ground, we asked why he had called for the gear EP checklist and he couldn't really say. It was a lesson in CRM. He'd had a few gear issues in the past and thought he heard a weird noise, but when he called the gear on the climb checklist he thought he might have actually been looking for gear lights when they were actually supposed to be out. We thought he'd seen something we hadn't but never called him on it. Just a good lesson in assertiveness and speaking up when something doesn't look right. We did the safe thing though.

Not the best day for me, but not the worst either. Early flight tomorrow.

Intro to Review Stage

We canceled for lack of aircraft yesterday, but I finally got my first taste of review stage today. We flew down to the Valley and shot an ILS, a LOC Backcourse to an opposite circle, and a VOR approach with a point-to-point. I was single engine on the back course as well as the VOR, but I landed them all ok. On the return I flew a PAR while simulating smoke in the cabin, and I had to wear the oxygen mask. Terrible! Can't see anything when it fogs up. I had to take the comms at the end, because we simulated a copilot radio transmit problem. On top of that, I was single engine. Thankfully, that was a full stop. Welcome to review stage.

The View from the Right Seat

Yesterday I flew my right seat rides. All the Air Force students get two extra right seat rides in preparation for years of flying copilot in the C-130. The rides are low threat, but it really felt weird sitting on the opposite side of the cockpit. I flew two of the cross country flights from the right seat, but yesterday still felt weird. It may take more time for me to really get used to it. I've become much more comfortable in the left seat. My landings were a little rusty, but other than that both events went ok. I couldn't wait to get back though, because my wonderful fiancee had made dinner for me - lemon pepper chicken with potatoes and squash.

No flight today, but I start review stage tomorrow. Review stage is pretty much what it sounds like - a comprehensive review of instrument flying complete with multiple malfunctions and ambiguous scenarios. So close!

My final instrument checkride should be next week.

Fuel Logs and CRM

Monday was a great experience. My IP and I were in sort of a mini-airshow to commemorate the anniversary of naval aviation. The irony of my Air Force-ness was subtle but present. We just took off and flew over to one of the civilian fields in the area and waited to be called back for a low-approach followed by a landing. We were fifth, following a Stearman, a T-34, T-6, and a TC-12. The P-3's followed us and the Navy's newest aircraft, the P-8, followed them. I flew the initial break entry and the low-approach, and the IP took the landing. Fun time flying without the evaluation.

Our trip back was hampered and slightly delayed by a massive squall line stretching from the Gulf all the way to Canada. We had to wait for it to pass Jacksonville before we left. I had planned for 60 kt headwinds at altitude and a fairly lengthy leg, but actual 80 kt headwinds forced us to land early in Gulfport, MS. We got some food and gas and made the final leg past Houston and over the Gulf with no issues. I flew the visual back into Corpus and was glad to be finished with a long trip.

Today I had my final sim in the T-44 simulator building. We had multiple emergencies and several ambiguous situations were introduced. For example, I had a wavering propeller RPM, which is not in the book, followed by a flameout on the right engine, and a fuel crossfeed light. The final approach was done without radio comms, because both radio circuit breakers were popped. The point of all this is we're getting into the phase of training where big picture analysis and decision-making comes into play. It's no longer, "My right engine has failed, and this is the procedure." It's more along the lines of, "I'm getting some bad indications from one of my engines, but the weather is terrible and the winds are gusting into the 30's, I'll keep it running for now, because I need the power." Less cut and dry, more ambiguous.

It's good to be done with instrument sims for now.

The airfield is closed this weekend for the Blue Angels airshow on Saturday, so I won't be flying.

Checkride and XC

Thursday I had my mid-stage checkride. The brief went ok but my ground ops, of all things, were less than stellar. The flying part went fine with a couple hiccups here and there but pretty decent considering my checkride history. It was a checkride I feel like I can say went well. I flew a VOR approach at International, a TACAN circling approach at Rockport, and a no-heading PAR back at NGP. It was a typical checkride day in that the winds were such that we were on a runway from which I'd actually never taken off, the VOR was completely turned off in the aircraft, which I've never seen before, and my IP made me hold over a VOR, my least favorite type of holding. Despite these annoyances, I passed, and the IP even complemented my flying. I can live with that.

I spent a few hours Friday night planning my last-minute cross-country to Jacksonville FL. My IP and I are flying in a sort of mini airshow event on Monday, and I'll get some extra flying time.

We ended up flying up to Tuscaloosa for some Dreamland BBQ (highly recommended). You know you're at a quiet airfield when tower asks you about the paint scheme on your plane while your on the roll out. I shot the visual followed by the ILS. At NAS Jacksonville I shot the HI-TACAN from FL200, which was fun for a change and moves much quicker than low altitude approaches. I had a bit of a hiccup on that one. Fly and learn.

On base in the Navy Lodge for the next couple days. I'm exploring Jacksonville today.