Stories from FL280...

[Serenity]

If Jimmy Doolittle could takeoff, fly, and land only on instruments in 1929, I'm sure you can do it too.

The problem isn't that it IS instruments, it's that the instruments were designed as a standby (We have the HUD and two other MFDs), and as a result, they don't work well (They lag, they're not accurate enough, etc.) which makes them a nightmare to revert to under bouncy conditions. As I get more accustomed to just flying the aircraft, it will get easier, but it's basically like trying to drink from a firehose right now.

[DaveBB]

I read this book several years ago http://www.amazon.com/Feet-Wet-Reflections-Carrier-Pilot/dp/B008FUV2SQ/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463097170&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=Feet+Wet+Gilcrist.  It's called "Feet Wet".  Biography of a Naval aviator who went on to become admiral.  If you get time, I highly recommend it.  But in the book, Admiral Gilchrist is pretty critical of instructor pilots, especially the one he had.  Talks about them being bitter because they were washed-out fighter pilots looking for any way to fail him.

Anyhow, good luck with your training!

Heck, I found the book for free on Google  https://45c21f5010fe6081bf68e92f2953d258ee29ad46.googledrive.com/host/0By3PztxxLlG7WEpZS2JVZTlGcmc/Feet-Wet-Reflections-Carrier-Pilot-B008FUV2SQ.pdf

[colmbo]

"Feet Wet".

Good book!

[deSelys]

Good book!

I concur!

[Puma44]

The problem isn't that it IS instruments, it's that the instruments were designed as a standby (We have the HUD and two other MFDs), and as a result, they don't work well (They lag, they're not accurate enough, etc.) which makes them a nightmare to revert to under bouncy conditions. As I get more accustomed to just flying the aircraft, it will get easier, but it's basically like trying to drink from a firehose right now.

The PAR is a fun approach once you get the hang of it.  I found the key was to be well trimmed, RELAXED (try concentrating on wiggling your toes when you get tensed up), and always make small corrections.  Soon all you'll hear is "on glide slope, on course" over and over until you get that "approaching minimums..........minimums" call, you break out, and just land it.  Have any of your instructors introduced you to a way of calculating decsent rate in relation to ground speed technique?  If not, for example, your ground speed is 120 knots and you are flying a precision 3 degree glide slope.  Divide 120 by 2 = 60, add two zeros = 600. That's the approximate feet per minute descent rate at a 120 kt ground speed to maintain the glide path.  There are a few 2.5 degree glide slopes around.  If that's the case, use the example above and subtract 100 from 600 and your approximate descent rate on a 2.5 degree glide slope is 500 feet per minute.  With a little practice, it's easy to make those minute pitch and power corrections when the wind changes and affects your ground speed.  This works well on PARs and ILSs.

Also, when you start flying formation in the jet, remember that "wiggle your toes" technique in close formation when you find yourself developing the death grip on the stick.  It's another time to stay relaxed and concentrate on small corrections. 

     
         

[Serenity]

The PAR is a fun approach once you get the hang of it.  I found the key was to be well trimmed, RELAXED (try concentrating on wiggling your toes when you get tensed up), and always make small corrections.  Soon all you'll hear is "on glide slope, on course" over and over until you get that "approaching minimums..........minimums" call, you break out, and just land it.  Have any of your instructors introduced you to a way of calculating decsent rate in relation to ground speed technique?  If not, for example, your ground speed is 120 knots and you are flying a precision 3 degree glide slope.  Divide 120 by 2 = 60, add two zeros = 600. That's the approximate feet per minute descent rate at a 120 kt ground speed to maintain the glide path.  There are a few 2.5 degree glide slopes around.  If that's the case, use the example above and subtract 100 from 600 and your approximate descent rate on a 2.5 degree glide slope is 500 feet per minute.  With a little practice, it's easy to make those minute pitch and power corrections when the wind changes and affects your ground speed.  This works well on PARs and ILSs.

Also, when you start flying formation in the jet, remember that "wiggle your toes" technique in close formation when you find yourself developing the death grip on the stick.  It's another time to stay relaxed and concentrate on small corrections. 

     
         

I miss the T-6 days when the ILS and PAR was like riding a train lol. Sitting on rails the whole way down. That's the ground speed calculation we use, it's just rough with that VSI that, well, they even train us to just ignore it because it's so useless lol.

[GScholz]

How accurate is your altimeter?

1001 - 1002 - 1003 - read the altimeter. A change of 50 feet = 1000 fpm. 100 feet = 2000 fpm. 150 = 3000 fpm etc.

[Puma44]

I miss the T-6 days when the ILS and PAR was like riding a train lol. Sitting on rails the whole way down. That's the ground speed calculation we use, it's just rough with that VSI that, well, they even train us to just ignore it because it's so useless lol.

Yeah, it's hard to use if the wx conditions aren't smooth.  Do they also teach to lower the nose the appropriate glide slope angle at final approach speed when intercepting the glide slope?

[Serenity]

Yeah, it's hard to use if the wx conditions aren't smooth.  Do they also teach to lower the nose the appropriate glide slope angle at final approach speed when intercepting the glide slope?

They do, but it's a matter of lowering from 5 degrees nose high to 2 degrees nose high, and the standby is only marked in 10 degree increments.

How accurate is your altimeter?

1001 - 1002 - 1003 - read the altimeter. A change of 50 feet = 1000 fpm. 100 feet = 2000 fpm. 150 = 3000 fpm etc.

The standby? Not very lol. You can tell 50 ft increments, but not much better than that. I use that rather than the VSI though.

I was doing some shower thinking this morning about what is so different from the T-6 days where I was good at this, and I think I came up with an important difference: in T-6 days we had gouge power settings, and good ones. When you hit MDA you set 54% torque. When you hit the FAF you set 24% torque. 99% of the time that gave you a perfect profile. They didn't teach us power settings for the T-45 so I can't just set the power and get in the ballpark, I'm juggling power, pitch, and trying to keep my head from catching fire. Before my flight today, I'm gonna spend some time asking the IP for some gouge power settings to get in the ballpark.

[Golfer]

Sounds to me you'll figure it out.  Don't blame the equipment, everyone else who made it through used the same stuff or less.

[Puma44]

The standbys are just that.  They aren't intended for day to day precision approach work.  They are there to get you out of a square corner some day when everything goes sideways.  Like Golfer said, everyone else got through it and you will too.  Hang tough!   

[Golfer]

The point of this training is to make you survive when you're out over the ocean, no divert field, you're having a bad day and for whatever reasons your magic lets the smoke out...which does happen.  Your only options are to land on the boat or punch out.  Clouds above blank out the starlight, water below has none and you've never seen anything so dark and lonely and that little peanut gyro is the only thing between you and a swim in some nice cold water.

Those instruments will look pretty darn primary then and there won't be an instructor in the airplane to play Jesus taking the wheel.

But like I said, that's the point of this training.  Make you a steely eyed missile man who can handle it.

I think you're on the verge of having it click and have the right thoughts on what to do going forward at least.  When you check out in other airplanes you'll learn to take note of what looks and sounds normal when it's normal so you know what to look and listen for when stuff becomes abnormal. Even other airplanes of the same type are a little different when the have worn out engines and fly a little crooked.

Keep your chin up.

[Shuffler]

The point of this training is to make you survive when you're out over the ocean, no divert field, you're having a bad day and for whatever reasons your magic lets the smoke out...which does happen.  Your only options are to land on the boat or punch out.  Clouds above blank out the starlight, water below has none and you've never seen anything so dark and lonely and that little peanut gyro is the only thing between you and a swim in some nice cold water.

Those instruments will look pretty darn primary then and there won't be an instructor in the airplane to play Jesus taking the wheel.

But like I said, that's the point of this training.  Make you a steely eyed missile man who can handle it.

I think you're on the verge of having it click and have the right thoughts on what to do going forward at least.  When you check out in other airplanes you'll learn to take note of what looks and sounds normal when it's normal so you know what to look and listen for when stuff becomes abnormal. Even other airplanes of the same type are a little different when the have worn out engines and fly a little crooked.

Keep your chin up.

Sound advice!

[zxrex]

Not sure if this is applicable for the T-45, but when I went from turbo props to jets I chased the power all over.  Definitely could cause problems.  There was some lag at the lower power settings. Set the power to what you wanted.  Second later or so and it wasn't where I left it. Small corrections with the baseline you're talking about should do it. Good luck!

[Serenity]

So, round two kicked today. I asked the IP before we walked about gouge power settings. His words: Don't bother. These jets are so cobbled together, that no two are even remotely the same when you get dirty. But, since I nagged him for at least a rough idea, he said the books say 1900 lbs/hour dirty and level, 1700 lbs per hour boards out, descending on profile.

So, we walked out to the jet, got strapped in, started up and started taxiing. I made a comment about how hot it was in the back, and the IP said "Yeah, it's pretty bad up here too, but you've gotta be careful. These ECAs (Environmental Control something-or-other...) SUCK, and in climates like today, they start spitting water at you." I responded with "I wouldn't mind a little water to cool off..." Remember that part, lol.

We went up into the MOA and did our power-on stalls and unusual attitude recoveries. He was happy enough with the departure and those to call the high work there and bring us down  for the approaches. Came in on the TACAN, and everything was fine, until about 4,000 ft... The vents started SPRAYING water all over me, soaked my approach plate, covered my visor... I fought through it until we hit the final approach fix, and by that point it was so bad I had to do something. As I moved the vents and wiped my visor off, my scan broke down for a second. Luckily, I caught it about 100ft above MDA, and levelled us off nicely. IP said it was a little "Dive and drivey" for his taste, but we didn't blow through anything, and I could see again! The rest of the TACAN was uneventful, and I asked if we could do a full-panel PAR first so I could get a picture of what "normal" was. I'm glad I did. That 1900lbs per hour fuel setting didn't keep me level dirty, it had me dropping like a rock! 2300 lbs seemed to do it though. The descent was proportional, 2000lbs per hour had me right on glide slope, and I got a couple of slightly below and slightly above calls, but it wasn't bad if I do say so myself. We came around for the partial panel, and it was MUCH better this time. I set the 2300 on the dog leg, and got my scan going on the standbys. At the up and on call, I cracked it, drove the nose down and got the boards out. This time around, a couple more slightly above and slightly below calls than the full panel, but never a full Above or Below! I remembered to set the LAW (Low Altitude Warning) this time (Easy to forget, because it's on the display they take away) and I cheated JUST a little (Decision Height on the PAR is 243, I started my missed approach at what I would estimate at 280) to make sure I didn't blow through, but also to make sure I could take my time and not get spun with the rapid change in configuration. As I got the gear and flaps clean, I did let attitude get away from me a bit (Got us as high as 30 degrees nose high), but got it back under control, and took it around for a no-gyro and a normal PAR, which were all even better than the first two.

Pass complete, and my first phase of Intermediate Jet training is complete!