On Friday I wrapped up the instrument phase of primary training. This phase of training was flown from the back seat (with the exception of the navigation flights) by reference entirely, with the exception of takeoffs (students only take off from the back seat, not land) and departures, to the flight instruments.
Overall I would say instrument flying really clicked with me, and the syllabus does a god job getting you ready for the flights by exposing you to pretty much everything in the sim first. Unfortunately our instruments academics were in October, so some review was necessary prior to our flights. I forget exactly how many instrument sims are in the syllabus, but it had to be about 20. It was enough that I felt I was reasonably proficient after the 10 instrument flights you get before the checkride. I also finished up my nav sims, low level sim, and formation sim. I am now T-6 sim complete.
This block of training also included six navigation flights. The nav flights are usually done over the weekend on a cross country. Myself and three other students from my class did that a few weeks ago.
Since there are so few working jets, XC planes have to first be used during the day for local sorties, and then have to get new tires prior to being ready to be taken cross country. Because of this, they usually aren't ready until 4 or 5 pm on Friday. Ours was ready early, and we were up by probably 4. First, my IP And I went North to Lubbock (the other guys went to Midland, not sure why my IP wanted to go to Lubbock). After that, we went to Fort Worth, quickly. It was getting late and we were hungry so we left power at MAX and got there in probably an hour, flew two approaches, and then landed.
Below is a picture of our plane at Ft Worth Alliance Airport.
The next day we did a VFR leg up to Fayetteville, AR. This flight was flown solely by references on the ground which I planned out that morning from a sectional chart. It was nice to actually look at all the scenery as we flew through the foothills of the Ozark Mountains.
There was an awesome BBQ place in Fayeteville. It was worth the trip.
After Fayetteville, we flew a night time sortie to Houston for the night. It was a cold flight. Its about 360 miles to Houston, so we flew higher than our previous legs at FL230. Even with the heat cranked all the way up, it was cold up there. With the power at about 70% (you couldn't get much more torque than that out of the plane at that altitude), it probably took us an hour and twenty minutes. Not bad for 360 miles. The next morning we flew to College Station where I shot three approaches, stopped for gas, and then headed back to Laughlin. Overall it was a fun weekend and I was really starting to get the hang of the nav flights, but just like all other phases of training so far, just when you start to feel like you are getting good at something you move on to something new and you're back to not knowing wtf you're doing again.
As I mentioned I had my instrument checkride on Friday. I had a late flight the day before and couldn't show up until 16 minutes before my brief time so as not to violate my 12 hours of crew rest. This was probably good, as my flightmates helped me by putting together a mission data card, signed out Maverick County Airport for my RNAV approach, and got my ORM card filled out. I just showed up, listened to formal brief, looked over the stuff that they prepared and then went up to check flight, filled out a boldface and went on my checkride. I thought I flew decent, and I ended up doing really well, and gradewise, it was my strongest checkride performance yet. But, just like everything else in pilot training, just when you think you're getting good at something...
I start the formation phase of training tomorrow. The picture below is from the sim. It shows the "fingertip" position. Everyone says formation flying is awesome. You get to go up and rage with the other guys in your class. The learning curve is pretty steep, from the steady hand required to hold fingetrtip, or provide a stable platform for #2, to the hand signals (hand signals are used to the max extent practical), and radios. I'm told wing work, where you fly in fingertip formation, 10 feet apart, is the hardest part, especially the takeoffs. I understand the wing landings are even harder than the wing takeoffs. The part I'm looking forward to is extended trail. Everyone says that its awesome. Finally I'll get to fly aerobatics again, either chasing #1, or as lead. The big thing is that now its not just about me anymore, there's another plane that you have to be mindful of at all times, and that you are both there to provide mutual support to one another.
Formation is the last phase of T-6 training. Up to this point, I have about 64 hours in the T-6. I'll get 16 form flights, including a checkride. I'll also get two low level flights. I'm on the schedule to do one of those on Wednesday. I'm really happy I'm doing those now, and not during the instrument phase because if its during the instrument phase you're supposed to practice instrument approaches when you exit the low level route. If you're done with instruments you get to do whatever you want. I think I'll get one of the T-38 MOAs that's over the low level route and fly some advanced aerobatics. That stuff is a little more exciting than the radar pattern back at Laughlin...
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