Hotdog

Instrument Rating Skills Test


So this was it, the final stage had arrived and yet it felt like yesterday that I was taking my first ever trial flight for my 16th birthday. I never actually thought I would get this far and be taking the test that would put a CPL/IR into my hands ready for my flying career. The IRT is known for probably being the most difficult stage to pass in training for a professional license. All flying is done in instrument conditions (or simulated instrument conditions with screens covering the windows if the day’s conditions allow visual flight) to test your ability to fly without visual reference to the outside world. Using little more than a few different navigational aids, needles and controller instructions you’re expected to take off in poor weather conditions and complete a smooth, safe and expeditious flight to land again, with only making reference visually to the outside world the final few hundred feet to touchdown.


The night before the test was the most nerve wrecking for me, involving frantic last minute preparation and sucking in every last word of air law and IFR procedures as possible! The sleep prior to the big day always seems to be the worst night’s sleep you ever have which really doesn’t help when you’re about to sit a 2 hour flight attempting to impress an examiner with some good flying skills. The morning came with a 7am wake up (not that I needed an alarm to wake me up) and once more planning started almost straight away. With toast in one hand and laptop powered up, I checked the mornings NOTAMs and the aviation weather to gain a picture of what to expect during the flight later in the day. There was little time to stick around indulging over breakfast so I set off for Bournemouth International Airport to let the big day begin.


My first action was to report at operations for the flight, grab the plane’s technical log and check for any aircraft defects or issues with the validity of the log itself. I made sure all the legally required documents were in there knowing that the examiner would check in exactly the same way. Whilst I still had time left prior to my report time I left the building to give the aircraft an A-check; the first inspection of the day. I took this opportunity to ensure all the instrument screens were working (because it looked like that for most of the flight we would be in visual conditions) and to check that all the relevant documents, life rafts and spare headsets were in the back should we need to use them during the flight. After the check was complete I went inside to print off all the weather reports of the local aerodromes and have a quick study of the overall metrological picture. After some last minute cramming from the ANO, EU Ops and UK AIP I then walked out to my plane and requested taxi to the exam centre where I had to report to my examiner. It just so happened that my flight would be known as ‘EXM01’ because the chief examiner of the UK was going to be on board during the flight which really didn’t help put my nerves at ease! I arrived on time and met the examiner where he shook my hand and lead me into a room for the initial flight briefing.


During the initial briefing I explained the overview of the day’s weather and NOTAMs whilst he checked all of the basic paperwork and my logbook. Shortly after my paperwork was deemed to be correct and current my navigation route was given to me, along with a brief explanation of where the circuit work would be conducted and details of his weight for the mass and balance calculations. I then had just 45 minutes to prepare for the flight. My route was Bournemouth to Old Adson reporting point, over Yeovilton towards Exmor, then from Exmor to Bristol international and then directly back to the BIA at Bournemouth. Preparation included such items as calculating required fuel, completion of a PLOG, weight and balance data completed, performance calculations checked, flight plan filed and all the relevant weather and NOTAMs for the journey. The navigation route itself had to be checked against the relevant sections in the AIP to know which radar frequencies I would be passed onto and to confirm I would be in the designated operating ranges of the navigation beacons I had chosen to use along the flight.


On completion of the planning the final brief started. I was given a rundown of the flight and what to expect along with a short grilling on my IFR air law. I was questioned on basic route chart symbols, my minimum altitudes, weather requirements for filing alternate aerodromes and all kinds of questions relating to the flight in general along with other questions on the actual requirements for the issue of the Instrument Rating. I was further asked all of the speeds that I would be using for the aircraft during the flight to which he noted down. The tech log was checked once more with a few questions on the contents of it and that completed the main briefing, we then started making way to the aircraft.


On reaching the aircraft it was my duty to brief the examiner as though he was merely a passenger and in completion of that he asked a few basic questions testing my technical knowledge on the systems. The flight then commenced as I called for start, taxi and IFR departure clearance. Within no time I was airborne flying a North West departure from Bournemouth following on into the en route phase where I was passed onto Yeovilton Military. Reporting in on Yeovil’s frequency I requested a traffic service and gave them my ETA to Exmor so they could start arranging a handover to Cardiff for me to enter controlled airspace. Shortly after I was handed over to Cardiff radar where I was told to hold clear of airspace which meant setting up a holding pattern from different beacons. Eventually I was cleared and vectored in for an ILS approach at Bristol. From the ILS approach we simulated not getting visual and climbed away where my examiner then threw an engine failure at me. After I correctly controlled the aircraft and secured the engine we then started heading back to Bournemouth. At this point the examiner took control of navigation and radios for the general handling phase of the flight.


In order to carry out general handling a block clearance was requested from control to allow us to deviate from the nominated flight path. During this section the air work included unusual attitude recovery, a selection of different stalls, partial panel flying and compass turns, all of which obviously were completed without any visual reference to outside. Following on from this I resumed normal ops and this completed the large majority of the air work that the examiner wanted to see prior to the issue of the instrument rating and so I continued back to Bournemouth once again requesting clearance to join their hold. The small problem with holding on the NDB is that an error known as ‘dip’ is induced when the wings of the aircraft are banked causing false readings from the bearing pointers. This value of dip is a known factor and so I continued in the hold taking these false readings into account and factoring the error out of them. On completion of the first lap I was expected to commence the procedural approach (e.g. the approach using just a beacon and DME with printed advisory altitudes at specific distances) on one engine only, so I only had one change to fly an accurate hold and during that hold my approach brief had to be short and sharp ready to commence it on the inbound to the beacon. I was cleared outbound but due to inbound traffic my descent instructions were not given, meaning I was way too high to turn inbound. I requested an extension of the outbound leg which actually took me outside of controlled airspace before I was then at an adequate height to turn inbound! Not ideal but it meant I had plenty of time to settle on a good heading before commencing the final descent to land.


Continuing for the runway I was asked to continue to the minimum altitude before having to make a go around to enter the visual circuit. Adjusting from staring at instruments inside the cockpit to then flying visually was a difficult task in itself. I climbed out on one engine to the low level circuit altitude of 700ft where I commenced the final stage of the test. I was soon on base leg configuring for the final approach still one engine inoperative and my landing clearance was given to me, meaning I now had to complete a successful landing and taxi in to brakes on to complete the test.


Once brakes were on and the shutdown checks were complete my examiner told me to meet him inside for the debrief. Minutes later I was given the news that I had achieved a pass, taking all the stress and strain from off of my shoulders! This was it, the final flight in the course which meant I had completed it all and was now a qualified professional pilot. It was a weird feeling. To know how far I had come since my 16th birthday and to finally have achieved the largest part of my childhood dream, the only thing remaining now was to find my first job with an airline…


To be continued...