A journal of getting my dang IFR rating after flying VFR for a decade and a half...and 'glassing up' Flash's cockpit.

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Welcome.  I'm currently studying for my IFR written exam.  In late 2007 I had about five hours of IFR training time in my logbook - training had stalled when I started building my RV-6 'Flash' back in 1996.  Now that the RV is finished and I have over five years of flying it behind me, I'm hoping to finally get my IFR rating.

In 2007, VansAirForce.net became my full time job, so I'll be needing to travel around the country covering RV events.  An IFR rating is a good thing.

Here I'll journal any thoughts as I prepare for the written, as well as document construction on a new EFIS-based IFR panel.

The adventure continues!

Kindest,
Doug Reeves

Relevant Links:
- IFR section: VAF Forums
- Glass cockpit section
- WX Page (VAF)

5/8/08
   Finished the FARs section of the King IFR DVDs (screen capture below shows what was covered).  Did you know if you have (2) VORs and one fails in flight during an IFR flight, you MUST report that failure to ATC?  I didn't know either...(but I do now).  AIM section next...wish me luck <g>.
  

5/7/08
   Panel getting more complex...and expensive.  I'm going to shift some finances around and change the long term focus a bit.  The RV-3B project that I was hoping to start in the near future will be pushed back a couple of years so I can budget for a little more flexibility in this panel.  I'm going to go with (2) 430W units, and either a simple ADI on the right or a Dynon 180.  The entire center is now all Garmin.
  This gives me (2) GPSs, (2) VORs, (2) radios and (3) separate artificial horizons.  Lots of stuff can fail and I still have tons of options.  An autopilot that will fly holding patterns and an EFIS that will display approach charts.  I can shoot GPS or ILS approaches from either seat safely.
  I'm also going to finally finish out the interior!  I've been flying 5+ years with primer on the inside cockpit walls.  Gonna try to make the interior look like a nice touring sedan.  Now that Susie is flying with me more I want to make sure she's the most comfortable she can be.  I'll start that dirt simple RV-3B in a coupla years if we're still on track for all the usual stuff (college savings, etc).
  Current panel layout (and if all goes as planned you'll be able to see it in person at the SteinAir booth at OSH):

5/5/08
   Latest panel layout.  Expect it to change.  Whatever final form it takes, we're planning on having it on display in the SteinAir booth at OSH.  More to come (like I gotta tell you that <g>).

5/4/08
   Finished the 'Weather' section.  Going through this got me to add some more links to the top of the VAF WX section.
  Starting FARs next...

5/3/08
   A little progress to report on the rating.  I finished 'Flight Instruments' and have started 'Weather'.  Got to give a little shout out to Martha and John on these topics, as I had gone through the primary/secondary instruments in various flight scenarios before and it didn't stick.  After watching Martha lay it out I actually got it - and it was simple.  They have a way of saying 'this is how you remember it' that seems to stick in my 9-celled brain.
  Work begins on Flash next week to get the panel up to IFR lesson standard - installing a remote compass for the Dynon, adding a clipboard for approach plates, re-sealing the top of the panel for water, etc.  It'll be over at Monk's for most of the week I suspect.

4/24/08
About halfway through 'Flight Instruments'.  Still amazed at all the stuff I've forgotten over the last decade and a half of VFR flying.  I do have to give credit to Martha and John King for making me UNDERSTAND why the compass lags and leads - the graphics they use may make you sleepy after awhile, but they do work.  I have discovered I'm a graphical learner.  I'll never forget it again.
  Yesterday, while watching the DVD on my laptop waiting in the car for Susie to do some stuff, I re-learned:

• Lag and Lead of the magnetic compass
• Horizontal lift component, centrifugal force, vertical lift component (and skid/slip's effect on them)
• Rates of turn (increases and decreases in rates and radii of turns and their relationship to increases and decreases in airspeed, bank and rate).

Onward to all the turn coordinator stuff I've forgotten now...then shortly into the primary/secondary instruments.  Holy cow, there's hope for me yet.

4/22/08
Tinkering still with the new panel layout.  IFR test prep study continues with the King DVDs.  Reacquainting myself with the use of the E-6B (IAS/CAS/Wind problems/etc).  On disk four now - working my way through true, pressure and density altitudes now.  Finished with both the 'Holding Patterns' and 'Flight Planning' sections.  Getting there!
  

4/17/08
Started and finished the 'Holding Patterns' section of the King DVD.   Took 1.6hrs.

• Holding Pattern Speeds
• Holding Pattern Timing
• Holding Pattern Entries
• Holding at a DME fix
• Holding at a VOR

...and a couple dozen questions on determining which type of entries to make given various clearances from ATC.  My head hurts a little...

My scratch pad on some of the questions.  GPS has spoiled me.

4/15/08
Studying continues with Martha:  RMI, ADF, HSI, VOR, DME approaches.  All the three letter stuff...  Amazed at what I have forgotten flying strictly VFR for the past decade.

4/1/08
Approach plates section complete.  Here's the TOC of that part.  Each video is about five minutes long followed by questions.

The 'roadmap' continues...

3/31/08
First DVD complete.  Now on approach plates.  See Doug.  See Doug study.  Study Doug.  Study!

3/29/08
En route section of the King IFR Test DVDs complete.  I actually understood it, which is saying a lot.  Went through the questions at the end of each section and got 'em all.  I actually think I have a shot at this thing.  It's on a laptop I keep next to a chair in the living room - I plug the iPod ear buds in it and the kids can make all the noise they want.  A nice improvement from the please be quiet studying routine in a book.  Confidence level high.  Attacking approach plates now...

DP doesn't stand for Dr. Pepper anymore...

3/27/08
The King IFR Knowledge Test DVDs came in the mail today.  I installed the software on my laptop, went through the 'how to use' clip, then went through the following clips and questions over the next two hours:

Low Altitude Charts
------------------
Airspace
Airways
Minimum Navigation Equipment
VOR Changeover Point

Airway Altitudes
------------------
Minimum En Route Altitude
Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude
Minimum Crossing Altitude
Minimum Reception Altitude

IFR Flight Operations
------------------
Class G
ATC Frequencies
FSS Frequencies
Airport Lighting
Localizer Symbols

First impression is very positive - making a difference with my retention percentage.  I'm sold.  Having someone point to a thing on a chart in a video and explain what it's for allows my feeble brain to absorb the info a little better for some reason.

3/24/08
Was talking with Rosie a couple of weeks back and he said he was using the King IFR training DVDs to study for his test and checkride.  He's a visual kinda guy (his words).  I must admit, studying for the test using the ASA Written Test Prep book can get pretty dry for me, I've found.  In an attempt to get the written out of the way a little sooner, I have an IFR Knowledge Test Course and IFR Rating Checkride Course (DVD) inbound to the house as of today.  I'll let you know if I retain stuff better...
I only have about nine good brain cells, and four of those are dedicated to reminding me to put food in my mouth and not my ear.  Anything that helps me understand all this will be appreciated.

Feb - Mar '08
Holding pattern.  Life....taxes...spring break....sick....and a thousand other excuses.

2/14/08
Happy Valentine's Day!  Dynon back on right brings radio stack back to left a little more, and placed in line with 430W screen.  No off-the-shelf annunciator panel (might build own and run across top of EFIS).  Outline for large, custom glove box.  Use Photoshop to print out exact-size representations of the avionics and used pennies for switches.

click for 1,500 pixel wide version

2/7/08
Playing around with paper cut out to the size of the actual instruments (I'll deny ever using my wife's scrapbooking cutter).  Pennies represent switch/breakers and the autopilot is the TruTrak AP100.  Can't decide where I want the Dynon - on the left or right.  Using my existing audio panel (SL15), annunciator panel (ACU), nav/com (SL30) and transponder (SL70).  Putting the Dynon on the right moves the radio stuff a little more in the middle, just above where my throttle hand would be anyway.  On the other hand, having them a little more to the right is no big deal - my radios are about in that spot right now and with over a thousand hours in the plane currently I'm perfectly content with them in that spot.  Three good reasons to have the Dynon on the left:  1) dedicated HSI if need be  2) can use the 'list' feature to program all the checklists, etc that I would need and 3) completely independent flight instruments right in front of me.

Definitely going with the approachfaststack.com hub system.  Whatever I end up doing I'll leave ample room for a big glove box on the right.

This is fun...

before lunch version

after lunch version - Dynon and 430W screens roughly in line.  ACU above Dynon. 
I like the space left over under the two AFS 3500's - I envision a slit-like, felt-lined shelf just big enough to
hold a few folded maps, charts, pencils, etc...

after dinner version - moved the Dynon and 430W up a bit
to be more in line with the AFS EFIS screens.  Yeah, I know
this'll change a thousand more times....but it's fun.

2/5/08
New panel blank arrives.  I'm committed...

1/31/08
Talked with Alex DeDominicis.  He has agreed to be my CFII.

1/30/08
Talked with Tim Hass of approachfaststack.com Wednesday.  I'm thinking about using their modular wiring system.

1/29/08
Studying continues.  Currently re-wrapping my brain around primary and secondary instruments in pitch, bank and power.  Fun stuff (not).  Today I ordered a new RV-6 tip up instrument panel blank from Van's - I'm $42 into the project.

1/28/08
  A revision in mindset.  I want the Dynon over on my side in case everything and their cousin goes blank - it can be a nice plan 'C'.  The Dynon will be flush mounted.  I'm now thinking about building a whole new panel from scratch, ordering all new equipment (except the Dynon and SL30) and selling all the existing instrumentation in a few months when I make the cut over to the new panel.
  This new version uses a Garmin 430W Waas-enabled GPS (also gives me a 2nd radio).  That's the future of approaches I'm continually told.  Leaving room for a map box on the right side.  The AFS 3500's can work completely independent of each other and either can be used for primary flight instruments (and I still have the Dynon).  Even though the SL40 is shown here, I'm keeping my SL30 (NavComm) so I can use the ILS if the GPS unit fails.  All (3) EFIS systems have battery backups.
  Thinking this should cost just at a billion dollars.

1/24/08
Just throwing some panel ideas area in Photoshop.  I know all the sizes are wrong, but I'm wondering what is involved and what I can use from the existing panel.  Initial thinking is to move the Dynon over to the right side, keep the 496, intercom and SL30.  All this reminds me I need to proved a good 'before' panel picture.

1/15/08
Bought IFR exam test prep and related books from Tina's Pilot Shop at 52F.  The journey begins (continues....actually).

12/11/07
New workbench on side of garage completed.  Swings down to allow entry into passenger side of my car.