If your answer is yes—do you religiously follow it? Until recently, I would have said yes without hesitation. Now, I’m not so sure. A Routine IPC Trip Every six months, I schedule an IPC with an instructor I’ve flown with for nearly eighteen years. We make a two-day trip out of it—a mix of travel […]
I began climbing to get between layers, intending to stabilize and then request IFR. But as I entered the clouds, what I thought could never happen did. I was in an unusual attitude: 45 degrees banked and nose down. For a moment, I considered pulling the CAPS parachute. I had often wondered if I’d have the presence of mind to use it in a real emergency. After this, I know the answer is yes. But I also realized I could recover.
About three years ago, I had an unfortunate incident with my airplane. I flew to a nearby airport to pick up my instructor for a couple of days of training. We typically did intensive IFR training but this year, I wanted to refresh some basic flying skills so we planned a combination of some VFR basics and some IFR.