Instrument Rating Skills Test............ :)

So after 6 months in ground school, 8 months on the other side of the world in New Zealand and flying down in sunny Bournemouth for 8 weeks, I am pleased to say that I have now got my EASA CPL/IR, having passed my IR Skills Test yesterday.

The even better news is that everyone in CP106 have all got first time passes.

Backseating down to Cherbourg (France), the day before my IR

The IR test is made up of 6 sections: Departure, General Handling, Enroute IFR, Precision Approaches, Non-Precision Approaches and flight with one engine inoperative. The flight started with a route from Bournemouth to Exeter where I completed an RNAV (GPS) approach, followed by an engine failure in the go-around, then straight into a single NDB hold. After leaving the hold at Exeter, we then made our way back to Bournemouth with me demonstrating stall recoveries, unusual attitude recoveries and limited instrument flying (including compass turns). Once these exercises were completed I then returned to Bournemouth using just one engine for an asymmetric ILS approach and circuit.

Fortunately there wasn't a long wait for the result, and I can't explain in words how much it was a relief to hear I had passed.....

So that's the basic phase with CTC completed; looking back, the last 16 months have gone so fast, even though it seems an absolute age since the day we started. The next part of training is the Intermediate phase which is a 3-week course (AQC) down in Southampton, where we get to eventually fly the Boeing/Airbus simulators which we were dying to go in last year during groundschool. All that's left in Bournemouth is the final part of signing out......home tomorrow !!!

BA 747 as I backseated to Oxford

Flying down south.....

Hello all. The last couple of weeks have been fairly busy for CP106 as we enter our last week down in Bournemouth. Due to us becoming so close to the IR Skills Test we have been in for flights (flying and backseating) nearly every day.

The first flight in Bournemouth was just a 1 hour sortie overhead the airfield. After departing we went and flew a couple of holding patterns as well as flying a couple of approaches - NDB and ILS. As well as getting us use to being back in the plane it also exposed us for the first time to UK air traffic control and CTC SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures).

After this first flight, we then got straight in with some IR (Instrument Rating) routes, all of which are potential routes for the actual IR test. So far I have flown to Alderney in the Channel Islands, Cardiff and Exeter and have backseated all of these too. The next 2 flights I hope to fly myself are to Oxford and Cherbourg in France.

Alderney

Barry Island on finals to Cardiff

Yesterday was my birthday, and after having a flight of my own in the afternoon, I backseated a flight to Oxford and was treated to some fantastic views and sunset from 7000ft, before heading to the pub for a few celebratory drinks.

Birthday Sunset from Oxford

After the Oxford and Cherbourg routes which I am scheduled to be flying on Monday and Tuesday, I then have a F170a (a kind of mock IR) and then the big test........