I have been through pilotage and dead-reckoning training, both of which rely on outside visual aids for navigation, and since this in Texas in the summer, we count on VFR conditions just about all the time. But there are instruments on a plane, even on a little Cessna like this, that will help me from getting lost if I happen to wander into IFR conditions. Hence, today's lesson featured a stylish new accessory.
Foggles. Designed to keep your eyes on the instrument panel only, to simulate flying through a cloud or thick fog, when the windshield becomes merely a shield for wind. Ben has me put them on at climbout, about 500 feet AGL, and they didn't come off for about 2 hours. Instrument panel, meet Ryan. Ryan... instrument panel.Ben calls out headings and I use my heading indicator to aim for them. I maintain altitude (well, kinda... it's rough 102-degree air) and airspeed... not much to it, really. I just have to trust Ben to keep scanning for traffic. He also gives me a long lesson on using the onboard GPS and VOR radials to track to a particular location, in this case the Glen Rose VOR itself, which we lap around.
(Note to my San Diego kin... ever wonder why that big bowling pin is sticking out of the middle of Mission Bay? That's our VOR station.)
There's an extremely hazardous condition common to pilots known as spatial disorientation, which has killed many pilots... most notably JFK, Jr. With so many sensations going on during a flight, it's not difficult in IFR conditions to have the feeling that you're flying straight-and-level, when in fact you could be in a steep dive. Sometimes it's hard for your body to recognize the difference. The unusual attitudes exercise develops trust in one's flight instruments, which is paramount to combating spatial disorientation.
Ben has fun with this exercise, which starts with him taking the controls and telling me to close my eyes and put my head down. The plane starts weaving, dipping, climbing, banking... I was able to keep track of our position for a few seconds, but by by the time I hear "look up", I have no idea what to expect. I open my eyes and look at my gauges. Airspeed increasing rapidly... attitude is nose down and banked. Throttle out, ailerons neutral, recover from dive.
Another one, and upon looking up I see my airspeed slowing down about the same way. I cheated a bit here... I could easily tell that the sun was in my face so I knew I had to recover from this extreme climb before we stalled, and I did.
Another one, and this time the airspeed and attitude indicator were fine, which worried me for a split second until I realized that Ben had tried to pull a fast one. After all the dipping and diving, he had brought us to straight-and-level flight before telling me to open my eyes.
I kept the foggles on the whole way back, using the GPS to get back to Arlington. Ben handled the radio and gave me subtle instruction (5 degrees left, 2 degrees right, etc.), and by the time I got the order to remove the foggles, I was on right downwind for runway 16. Bounced the landing, but hell... I had been blind for the past two hours and I was a little discombobulated. Ben says it happens on all foggle flights.
Good flight, good day. Hoping the solo cross-country comes tomorrow.
3 comments:
Congratulations Ryan to your arrival in the "P.I.C. Club" !! Do they still cut off part of your tie (what's that?) when you solo, or, something else? It's good to see that they are moving you in to the world of spatial disorientation right away. No doubt about it, JFK, Jr. never learned this lesson; but, I understand he was somewhat of a know-it-all and a little cavalier. So far your night flying in blackout conditions have already introduced you to near IMC conditions. Nothing like foggles and night flying to cut out subtle sun or horizon clues; go for all the night IFR training you can get; it's real and a lot cooler this time of the year. Believe what you see with those instruments and keep up a good scan, no fixation allowed. I do appreciate your keeping us connected to your progress, especially us older ace's.
Foggles are now an absolute must for you the next time we go out for a drink...I hear the chicks dig 'em!
And the chicks look better also!
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