Humbled
Posted by Little_Function3346@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 41 comments
Had my first real humbling experience during an actual IMC training flight yesterday (I only have 5 hours of actual IMC)
Took off, got into the clouds and ATC was vectoring me out of KFTW
Was doing great until I did the next turn. Spacial disorientation hit hard. I over compensated the turn, and started to descend causing the plane to increase airspeed rapidly. I tried to correct but ended up making it worse
First time I had a CFI since early PPL take controls
Needless to say, I was humbled and I learned from this experience. Not gonna lie, it scared the bajeebers out of me
After this, I flew great, approaches were awesome , hold was awesome and even comms. That initial oh snap moment though… like damn
Good luck to all you IR students out there. Get actual IMC experience if you are able. It’s worth it 100%
Kazarelth@reddit
My first time in actual IMC was on my way to the checkride with my instructor. To say it was disorienting is really underselling it - I felt scared for the first time when I could not make any sense of the world outside and flying over the mountains of California, I was quite sure we'd hit something (we were significantly higher than anything in that area). Felt nauseous, disoriented and was quite sure I was flying straight and level while we were turning.
poisonandtheremedy@reddit
Sounds like my first lesson in hard IMC hand flying. Feel ya!
Zynera@reddit
If you dont get it during your rating, get it after your rating. Keep in touch with the CFI and see if they can schedule you in when someone has to cancel for IFR.
cficole@reddit
Best time for the experience, with a CFI. My first spatial disorientation was on an instrument training flight. Knowing the CFI was there kept me calm, and fortunately I was able to fly through it. Not IMC, but close enough, night over Lake Michigan, pointed directly away from the shoreline.
Left_Chemistry_9739@reddit
This is how it should be. Just imagine if you got your rating fully under foggles, and then this happened the first time you had passengers.
Ask me how I know.
Fine_Fortune844@reddit
Im a CFII who has TBM actual and otherwise all foggle time up until a year ago. I’ve had to intentionally seek out imc w my cargo friends.
Little_Function3346@reddit (OP)
Man, I feel for those that only have foggle experience and then hit real IMC. Scary to think about it
VileInventor@reddit
You first IMC without foggles will force you into reality of your instruments truly are your only friend.
Kelvin62@reddit
Do tell, please.
Skynet_lives@reddit
If your first experience in IMC is with passengers you should revisit your ADM. regardless of how you got your rating First (and probably second, maybe third) actual experience should be with a CFII, or at least an instrument rated pilot with IMC experience. But never non pilot passengers.
Kemerd@reddit
Think you misread, he said “first time [he] had passengers.” Not first time IMC
VileInventor@reddit
Man it happens, i’m doing my CFII proficiency flights waiting for checkride and today I screwed up ALL my landings. You’ll be alright.
TxAggieMike@reddit
I live near FTW and was under last nights supercell storms….
Did you see any of the build up happening while you were airborne?
Little_Function3346@reddit (OP)
Hey, I fly out of the club and no we didn’t. It was normal IFR and nothing on the forecast that would have indicated something as bad as what rolled in
aetherforest@reddit
who was your CFII? were the initials MG?
Little_Function3346@reddit (OP)
No, RC, amazing instructor
aetherforest@reddit
ah okay. i don’t know all the CFIs there, just MG. might be joining the club when a slot opens!
Little_Function3346@reddit (OP)
Been a member for almost a year, amazing people for sure!
aetherforest@reddit
yeah it seems like it! when/if I can get in il have to let you know!
TxAggieMike@reddit
Say hi next time we wee one another at club hangar.
Little_Function3346@reddit (OP)
You got it! I always say hi , but I’ll let you know it’s me next time I see you
CaptMcMooney@reddit
don't beat yourself, you've learned a lesson that nothing but experience can teach. foggles don't come close, heck putting on the foggles might help in that situation 8).
exbex@reddit
Scaring yourself while with an instructor is a good thing. People don’t really understand spacial disorientation until it actually happens to them. You’ll be a better, safer pilot because of that flight.
hhjijnnm@reddit
And people lose their lives like this. Imagine if you didn’t have that CFI with you. It’s hard to pull yourself out of that stew. Trust those instruments because your life depends on it. It’s actually super constructive that you were able to experience this early on
Little_Function3346@reddit (OP)
Exactly! I’m so glad I’m getting actual experience, it makes a world of difference. I’m a low hour pilot (240 hours) and this really put me in my place for sure
cazzipropri@reddit
That's not a humbling IMC moment. A humbling IMC moment is when you enter clouds under IFR, then reach altitude at which you turn fuel pump off, and accidentally kill master/alternator instead of fuel pump.
Little_Function3346@reddit (OP)
That sounds like loads of “fun”!
cazzipropri@reddit
The fun was calling departure after a minute and having to tell them what happened...
bhalter80@reddit
I always find I'm a bit more stressed in actual knowing that I can't just take the foggles off and make it stop
Little_Function3346@reddit (OP)
Foggle experience vs Actual are completely different. Hard to describe, but they are not even close to the same . But I agree you can always take them off, but I have also always told my CFI no when she asks if I want a break, because if I’m solo in IMC I can’t
bhalter80@reddit
Yep, I'm fortunate I live in New England and there's no shortage of actual to take students up in especially in spring
JPAV8R@reddit
This is going to happen. It’ll happen more infrequently until it happens almost never again.
If youre going to make a career of it, that’s why there’s (at least) two of us up there, and that’s ok.
Little_Function3346@reddit (OP)
I hope to go part 135 eventually! I can see how having a backup helps tremendously and helps reduce workload
Ok-Technician-2905@reddit
I’ve learned that I’m susceptible to the leans during my first five minutes in IMC, so I plan for it. It’s good to know your body’s proclivities.
Little_Function3346@reddit (OP)
Experienced this on the teardrop turn in the hold. So crazy!
CharAznableLoNZ@reddit
Every time I've gone into the clouds I don't look up. I just keep my eyes on the gauges. I just pretend the windows don't exist. I have looked up while in the clouds the first time and thought, well that's too bright as I squinted and went back down to my gauges.
Antique-Kitchen-1896@reddit
Partial panel going into a death spiral was interesting. Luckily, was in a sim with zero risk.
LuthierKv21@reddit
Aviation makes you a better man, or at least a bit more humble, so they say
pooserboy@reddit
Had the same thing happen to me on my first IMC flight as an IFR student. Although startling it’s cool to see it happen in a safe environment. When I was a CFI I made it a point to try to take students up in actual as often as I could, it’s wildly different than being under the doggies
CryptographerHuge682@reddit
Hello man, I haven’t started IFR yet but just remember we are in training to learn, take the good things and learn from the mistakes and keep pushing until the end.
Best of luck 👍🏻
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Had my first real humbling experience during an actual IMC training flight yesterday (I only have 5 hours of actual IMC)
Took off, got into the clouds and ATC was vectoring me out of KFTW
Was doing great until I did the next turn. Spacial disorientation hit hard. I over compensated the turn, and started to descend causing the plane to increase airspeed rapidly. I tried to correct but ended up making it worse
First time I had a CFI since early PPL take controls
Needless to say, I was humbled and I learned from this experience. Not gonna lie, it scared the bajeebers out of me
After this, I flew great, approaches were awesome , hold was awesome and even comms. That initial oh snap moment though… like damn
Good luck to all you IR students out there. Get actual IMC experience if you are able. It’s worth it 100%
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