My first real IFR lesson — accidental, but with my instructor.
We had planned to fly out to Cable (CCB) and then down to Long Beach (LGB), but the weather didn’t hold up, so instead we flew to Torrance (TOA). Weather was marginal — if I’d been by myself, I wouldn’t have gone. But we decided to pop over to Long Beach since it was right next door.
Got on the runway fine in VFR. By the time we’d taxied back, it was drizzling and closing in. So Jesse — my instructor — filed a “Tower Enroute” IFR clearance, and I got to fly it back to Santa Monica.
I didn’t do any of the radio work for the IFR portion — just flew the plane, which was challenging enough. I’ve flown with a “hood” before — a visor that blocks outside reference so you’re flying instruments — but never in actual clouds. Actual IFR might be somewhat easier; I get claustrophobic with the blinder on. In clouds, at least you can see something out the window, even if it’s just grey.
Our clearance: fly runway heading (250) to 800 feet, turn to 270 for vectors to Santa Monica, climb and maintain 3,000, expect 4,000 ten minutes out. Which is what we flew — heading out over LAX, then back east to the VOR approach into SMO. We went in and out of clouds most of the way, dropping out to VFR about four miles east of the airport. The controller was very patient with me.
I followed roads on the way back. It’s a hard habit to break when you’re flying visually, even when you’re supposed to be flying instruments. The roads were there and the roads were familiar and the roads were not going to help me in a cloud, but there they were.
The GPS track from the flight was, of course, immediately saved.
Starting IFR ground school the following week with Joe Justice, the owner of the flight school. Written test to follow, then instrument approaches with Jesse. After that I won’t be quite so worried about this sort of weather. Or at least, I’ll be more formally qualified to worry about it.