Yeah, true. If it's a VFR flight, the primary way of navigation IS looking out the window. And you were looking out the window, you just weren't aware of it because it comes natural.
I've been an instrument rated flight instructor for ~ 3 years now and I've worked with dozens of students for their first IFR practice. They thought they didn't look out the window, but when the goggles and shutters came on, they were stumped to realize how much it means to see out the window while focused on the instruments....even if it's just with the corner of your eye.
By that I mean I mainly watched the attitude during manuevers. The visiblity wasn't too much so I couldn't make out the horizon to well to tell if I was level or not. So, I kept my eyes on the attitude indicator during manuevers. Don't get me wrong, I kept a look out the window. Especially when I saw the trail that we ride the dirt bike on.
Don't worry buddy. I'm not blaming you for anything here. If you continue your training towards an Instrument rating, and get yourself in IMC simulation training or in actual IMC, you will know exactly what I meant and remember this discussion with a light chuckle.
As said, the thing with pilots' eye is that although you are looking at the attituce (which is the least significant thing in a Cessna VFR flight) you're also seing the horison line in the surroundings. You make a turn, look at the VS indicator and the gyro for a controlled and proper turn, but you're still seing the horizon which is giving you the very much needed feedback on the rate of roll, and general bank angle.
Even in flight sim, flying without a flight director (and ofcourse without an autpilot) in full IMC can be a challenge. Try it sometimes...
Pretty much the main reason I watched the attitude was because off in the distance, everything looked real foggy and I couldn't quite make out a level horizon too easy. I know experience will cure this off and it'll eventually become easy to tell if I'm level or not.
The first thing I will do at my new school is go to the counselor and ask him/her what I have to do to earn credits, and if there is a possibility of me gaining a scholarship to an aeronautics university.
Does anyone have university suggestions? I want the best in the nation!
I got 4 short years to earn credits, and to study for that scholarship, if it even exists. I hope it does.
I also got my letter from school, and I am going to be taking all honors, except for Drafting and P.E.(lol) I was thinking of R.O.T.C. instead of P.E. (I think I put R.O.T.C. on my registration form.) but it seems a little bit too much for me. Is there is anybody at the SurClaro forums out there who is in high school, and is in R.O.T.C.? I need to know how it’s like, and what it requires, or if someone was in HS and R.O.T.C, but long graduated. What is it like?
I'm also taking Honors Italian to make me trilingual. I chose Italian because it’s a melodious language, but it’s very similar to Spanish. So in a way, I'm learning two languages. I already know Polish, just graduated from Polish School today! Next up is, Polish High school.
So about that R.O.T.C., need info on that, and University suggestions (remember, the best of the best only please. )
Well, as soon as you said "Aeronautical university" knowing that you're from the USA, I thought of Embry Riddle. That's the most worldwide known university in the business. I think. There are many many schools around that will get you through all the training, but I don't know how are those individual ones credited by airlines when you're looking for a job.
Tenspace: Yeah, that sounds about right. That must be some kind of physiological thing. The only reason I wouldn't trust an instrument would be because I suspect a problem with it. All of the instruments in that 152 were fine. I have to admit, I was only just a tad bit nervous during the flight because we didn't check the fuel for water or any contaminents. I was going to ask him if we should, but an interruption from my brother caused me to forget, and I just remebered after takeoff. I was thinking "Oh crap" to my self.
Tenspace: Yeah, that sounds about right. That must be some kind of physiological thing. The only reason I wouldn't trust an instrument would be because I suspect a problem with it. All of the instruments in that 152 were fine. I have to admit, I was only just a tad bit nervous during the flight because we didn't check the fuel for water or any contaminents. I was going to ask him if we should, but an interruption from my brother caused me to forget, and I just remebered after takeoff. I was thinking "Oh crap" to my self.
You can't ever let that stuff happen!
I had an instructor who was keen on distractions. For example, he'd have me make a left turn to heading 180, and when I was just at the point of coming out of the bank, he dropped his pencil, which of course rolled to my side of the plane. He asked, "Hand me my pencil."
I told him he would have to wait until I completed my turn and made sure the aircraft was stable and trimmed.
Remember:
1. Aviate - fly the plane first
2. Navigate - know where you're going
3. Communicate - let others know your intentions.
Always fly in that order. You must fly the plane first.
A simple distraction on the ground could result in major problems in the air. Not checking the pitot, for example, or not removing a gust lock.
Even in the sim, especially with FSPassengers, it always turns out that if you are distracted during a checklist run, you will skip something that will be important.
I was flying the PIC 737 from KORD to KEWR. There were plenty of distractions after transition, from bad wx to a dog on my lap to my wife's questions about dinner.
I thought I was on top of the checklist. I was. I noticed my descent profile was a little weird, and here I was, 2500 feet and 1 mile, nose didn't seem at the right AOA. Reduced speed to 154 kts, I hear the co-pilot say, "What are you doing!" Just then, stall horns, GPWS, and I pancaked just short of the runway.
Turns out, in all my distractions, I didn't bring the flaps down as I should.
I just love it, after a crash in close proximity to the runway, tower says, "Delta 402, contact ground on..."
Thanks for the information about distractions, Tenspace. That is one of my faults: I'm distracted easliy. When I was flying, I was looking out the windows periodically to check stuff out from 3000'. But the main priority was flying the plane, so I stayed on it. One problem I did seem to have was a loss of altitude during 20 degree banks he had me do. I need to learn how to watch the VSI.
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and remember this discussion with a light chuckle.
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