IFR Training to Kelowna
On the 5th of March there was a follow up training flight to Kelowna. I had originally planned to fly to Tofino, but at the last moment, after the flight plan was filed, it occurred to me to check the NOTAM. Turns out the NDB approach into Tofino (the only one my aircraft can make) was not authorized until later in May.
This is becoming a recurring issue. When CF-NZB was acquired I decided to put in a bare bones IFR suite with an ADB and a VOR/ILS. These two independent systems, along with plenty of reserve fuel, mean that a legal flight plan can be filed to most places. In practice, the world is moving swiftly to GPS based approaches. There have been a few instances where we have ended up negotiating clearances with ATC as they come to grips with the fact that the 160 knot aircraft they are looking at has no RNAV capability.
So the first flight plan was cancelled and we put together a flight to Kelowna instead. I have used this as an alternate for several flights to Penticton but have never been there, so it seemed like a good choice.
The departure from Langley was completely routine. We were vectored onto the beacon at Princeton and were asked to expedite the climb to 11,000 feet. That old Comanche climbs at a startling 1,500 feet a minute when the nose is pulled up till it stabilizes at 80 knots.
The aircraft has a Garmin Aera 500 that is for daily use. While we were tracking the VOR to and from Princeton the terminal control people asked us to get back on heading a few times. The VOR needle jumps around quite a bit until we were higher. Again, tracking the GPS and monitoring the VOR seems to be the best way to actually follow a precise track.
At Kelowna I was cleared to a visual approach downwind from 11,000 feet over the airport. This is where I made a serious mistake. I misunderstood the instructions and started a shuttle descent north of the airport, and thus delayed a jet on the ground. Eventually I understood what was going on and headed out of the IFR airspace so that jet could get going.
2.3 hours of simulated hood time leaves about 10 hours to go.
This is becoming a recurring issue. When CF-NZB was acquired I decided to put in a bare bones IFR suite with an ADB and a VOR/ILS. These two independent systems, along with plenty of reserve fuel, mean that a legal flight plan can be filed to most places. In practice, the world is moving swiftly to GPS based approaches. There have been a few instances where we have ended up negotiating clearances with ATC as they come to grips with the fact that the 160 knot aircraft they are looking at has no RNAV capability.
So the first flight plan was cancelled and we put together a flight to Kelowna instead. I have used this as an alternate for several flights to Penticton but have never been there, so it seemed like a good choice.
The departure from Langley was completely routine. We were vectored onto the beacon at Princeton and were asked to expedite the climb to 11,000 feet. That old Comanche climbs at a startling 1,500 feet a minute when the nose is pulled up till it stabilizes at 80 knots.
The aircraft has a Garmin Aera 500 that is for daily use. While we were tracking the VOR to and from Princeton the terminal control people asked us to get back on heading a few times. The VOR needle jumps around quite a bit until we were higher. Again, tracking the GPS and monitoring the VOR seems to be the best way to actually follow a precise track.
At Kelowna I was cleared to a visual approach downwind from 11,000 feet over the airport. This is where I made a serious mistake. I misunderstood the instructions and started a shuttle descent north of the airport, and thus delayed a jet on the ground. Eventually I understood what was going on and headed out of the IFR airspace so that jet could get going.
2.3 hours of simulated hood time leaves about 10 hours to go.
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