It just keeps getting better and better . . . .

The track above is from FlightAware.  It's the second half of my IFR long cross country, part of IFR training.  Hand flying I was doing great until I leaked off to the right while I was supposed to be direct KSRQ.  What happened?  Expectation bias.  I kept thinking and knowing that I would get vectored right for the LOC RWY 14 Approach.  What I learned?  You gotta wait for the Controller to tell you to go right before you go right when you are IFR or the Controller will ask you where're you going!

A question for you who are smarter than me, what is that blue line on FlightAware?  See the picture above again.  It ain't how we were cleared.

Regarding it getting better, the whole flight was wonderful!  Starting at KSRQ with a planned missed over KISM and then direct KOCF I got to fly in actual IMC for the first time. It was a little hair raising knowing I was going to pilot a plane to 200 feet above the ground and was hoping to see the runway before that altitude!  I wish I recalled when we actually broke out but I don't.

So after the long cross country all the requirements for IFR rating except the total hood or actual time have been met.  It's all practice and study now.

A few other learnings:

• From KSRQ to KISM, N65995 appeared to be cleared to KNEED then KISM but we were never told about KNEED and swore the Controller kept saying MEAD.  After some confusion, the Controller fixed the issue and vectored us to KNEED.  Next time?  Ask the Controller to spell the fix if I can't find it quickly.
• The two pilots in the plane couldn't find SOWMU on Enroute L24.  Duh, it's one of the IAFs for the RNAV RWY 18 at KOCF.  Next time?  Remember you briefed this approach and look at the plate if you can't find a fix on the enroute chart, even if you are 40 miles out and not near ready to load or activate the approach.  It was embarrassing when I asked the Controller to spell SOWMU and he added, it's the IAF.
• Being embarrassed just means you have the right attitude and learn from all these incidents.  It means you're human.  It means Controllers and pilots have to work closely together and communication is critical.  One example, while on the RNAV RWY 18 at KOCF we were told to report over FIBUS.  After not finding that fix I was getting dejected, but then I asked if the Controller meant CUMIB.  Nope, he meant LUGGY and had misspoke.  FIBUS is the FAF for the RNAV RWY 36.  LUGGY is the FAF for the RNAV RWY 18, the approach we were on.

Just amazing . . . .

Click here.  Then click play.  You will see Niner Niner Five depart KSRQ, fly to KBOW for fuel and lunch, fly home to KSRQ but with a couple of twists.  Literally!  Flying over the Sunshine Skyway was intended.  There was a first-time-ever-in-a-small-plane passenger aboard and you have to admit the Sunshine Skyway is one of the coolest tours in the area.  But the three 360s out over the Gulf were just because we were number 6 to land at KSRQ.  Number 6!  Never have I seen the airspace so crowded in the area.  At least I got to practice maneuvers.  But you can see without a ground reference you can make perfect circles but you drift with the wind.  What I could have done is marked a waypoint and flown perfect circles around that waypoint which would have supplemented my instrument training but I didn't think I was going to go round three times.

Y2020 vacation . . . .

My boss knows.  It's on my calendar.  This I gotta do!  Around the Caribbean Sea.  How cool is that going to be?

Details are not on the website yet, link above, but they are coming.  I am sure friends and family will be able to watch the track of N65995 at the website when the flying starts, if you want to watch.

Proud of this landing . . . .

Today was a great day flying.  The first part of the day, an hour of IFR training under the hood with the odd ending where Tampa Approach 119.65 basically terminated the flight.  The sequence of events:

• A first ILS RWY 14 practice approach including a clearance for the published MISSED APPROACH, hold at MURDO
• A canceling of the clearance to MURDO upon going missed with the ask, SAY INTENTIONS
• An ask and a clearance for a second practice approach but with the admonition, this approach will end in a full stop.

I stuttered a bit in the read back at the beginning of this second practice approach saying, uh, okay, Niner Niner Five.  My instructor and I moved to a bit of ground school after the full stop.  He was surprised too and had never heard a flight not being cleared for the option and given a choice.  The airspace is filling up in and around West Central Florida!

The second part of the day, because the training flight ended early there was time to join a flock of five Cubs at Havana Café of the Everglades in Chokoloskee.  Great company and food.  Great cafe to fly or motorcycle to.  The flight was KSRQ VPCLE KX01 and the reverse.  A smooth ride down and back over beautiful land, beaches, water and Everglades.

Then the best part of the day.  Back at KSRQ the winds were 18018G27 which meant that the crosswind was 11.6 steady and 17.4 gusting.  You can bet I was quietly repeating to myself the whole descent, go around if, go around if, go around if.  I had already decided Albert Whitted was the alternate since they have a RWY 18.  The landing at KSRQ?  My passenger thought the right wing was going to touch the ground before the wheels and was amazed at how smooth the touchdown was.  After clearing the runway, crossing the hold line, unclenching, connecting with Ground, I smiled all the way to engine off.

The worst part of the day?  Tomorrow's weather is forecast beyond my personal minimums and Alexandra is going into annual Monday.  Hopefully she won't be more than a week there.