Good morning of flying for me too
Plan was a short jaunt between Leicester, Kettering and Rugby but wasn't going to happen with this wx so my instructor suggested some instrument flight in the murk. This was something new and it sounded like fun! After a short intro to VORs, OBSs, NDBs and ADFs (with the help of a cunningly-designed cardboard instrument panel!) we were off.
Lost the ground at about 600' agl and didn't see it again 'till about the same on descent but in between we tuned in to the Daventry VOR, got a bearing and tracked inbound to it. Once above, we tuned into HON and did the same towards that as well, before flying the 010 radial outbound to take us back overhead Leicester. Made full use of my newly-learned TITS acronymn! One for the gents methinks...
We were up to 4500' QNH at one point and only just above the murk - it was basically all instrument flight. A real eye-opener - keeping S+L and tracking the VOR definately involves being fairly awake! Challenging but seemed to twig it and start to enjoy it up there in the white. Quite therapeutic! Heard a Thomson jet not too far away chatting to Coventry as well, nice (and disconcerting?) to think it was out there in the clag somewhere nearby.
All in all, a great learning experience and it has really given me a flavour of instrument flight. For anybody who hasn't done much yet, all I'll say is:
1. Scan scan scan. Don't get complacent. You're AI is the most important instrument. We had beautifully smooth conditions but it was still amazing how much slow roll you can get in a small a/c like the 152. When you have a real horizon, the keeping level bit is done without thinking as you're eyes see it straight away. Not so in cloud, it's a lot more subtle. Definately an increased workload!
2. As all books and pilots say, trust your instruments above your senses. We were S+L and instructor pointed out that, to him, it felt like we were in a right banked turn but he knew we weren't due to the instruments. I hadn't suffered any body-instrument contradictions up until now but the minute he said it I suddenly felt we were in a turn as well! All very weird...
Anyway, bye for now,
V1R