Code Blue
I'll be doing SPIFR flying soon, so that's what I wanted to hear. Another good one-liner always helps in times of stress too, don't fly the mike, fly the aeroplane. I can feel a few students are going to get sick of hearing that!
How though would you have handled my situation, climbing out after takeoff, just about to call airborne and altitude passing when that wonderful hissing sound and a yaw to one side tells you what your next few seconds are going to be spent on. Just after phase 1 complete, and I mean JUST, as in saying 'phase 1 complete' and reaching for the checklist, the controller asks for your level passing. Do you reply (it's only half a second, you can do it while getting the checklist) or say 'standby'?
Does your answer change if you have heard traffic you need to be aware of, and are 1/2 mile short of entering the CTR and you haven't called them airborne yet because you were identing everything (can't get them on the ground)? Which has the higher priority then, getting established on track, avoiding the collision with the other traffic, or 'aviating' an aeroplane that is already trimmed and flying?
I like your suggestion of putting "track" into the initial "control" memory item, although in this case I wasn't on track yet.
212man, it's all much the same from what I can see, if one engine fails we both keep flying so have more to sort out than a FLWOP or autorotation. At least then you know it's going to be over in five minutes (or fifteen seconds in your case). Thanks for the support.
Tinstaafl, that's pretty much how I had it as well, it's thrown me a bit. I was starting to wonder if I should stick to VFR flying (which I enjoy), but a long flight today around the North Island (NZ) with an actual IMC approach from 7000' to 1000' has cheered me up somewhat. And I made up a new one-liner of my own, 'flying is a great way to feel average'.
Off to read some Richard Bach and get inspired.
------------------
Confident, cocky, lazy, dead.