Transitioning from floats to IFR

[Vern]

So i've done 3 seasons on floats now, most recently on the Caravan and Beaver and I did my group 1 IFR last winter. I started looking for work a few weeks before float season ended and I was just offered a single pilot IFR Caravan job.

For anyone that has gone a similar route, how did you find the transition? Having done the IFR rating last year I feel very rusty. I'm studying the regs and going in for a refresher in the sim at the local flight school but I still feel like I have forgotten most of what I learned.

How proficient does a company hiring a pilot for his first IFR job expect him to be? I'm already comfortable in the Van so I don't have to worry about that too much. I'm just not sure how much training a 703 company typically gives a new pilot.

I'm hoping it all comes back to me pretty quick. Any thoughts?

[SuperchargedRS]

Spend a little time in a sim, heck I used MSFX, or find a frasca or red bird, unusual attitudes, steep turns, some IAPs, get your scan back, refresh on buttonology no biggie. I wouldn't go into that job without some rust removal though.

[FOD_Vacuum]

Unfortunately, many 703 do the basic 5 hours which IMO isnt enough (usually two flights). You will learn the vast majority of stuff while flying in real IFR. The sim does a good job of replicating procedures, but the real learning is when you fly the airplane in IFR. Use your autopilot as much as possible and brief each approach and checklist out loud to yourself.

What Supercharged said, make sure your scan is good and my pointer is pay particular attention to airspeed, altitude and power management. Have a good situational awareness. Since winter is around the corner, make sure you don't forget to check your wings for ice ever so often. Ice is usually the worst towards the top of clouds, so make sure you flight plan accordingly and know where the good weather is. Note that if you do have ice on wings, your horizontal stabiliser will most likely have collected more ice since it is a thinner airfoil that collects quicker. Review tail stall also, and even if your company does not have an approved deice program, use the deice fluid and every other resource you have to your advantage, and treat it as though you do have a program in place. If you don't have an approved deice program for your company, it does not mean you can deviate from CAR 602.11. Make sure YOU fly the plane, and the plane doesn't fly YOU. I always use the Avatar example when they plug their hair into the horse to essentially guide it and be in control of it.

Because you are hired to do the job, they expect you to be proficient. If the pace of training and flight in IFR tends to be too quick, you need to focus more on how you can stay ahead of the airplane. Know your emergencies off by heart, since you are single pilot and everything is on you. IFR in cloud isn't a game when it comes to emergencies, so know them. Also, the company will most likely give you 20% of training info. The remaining 80% is up to you ie self study checklists, procedures etc. Know your area or departure and destination. If you are unfamiliar, go over approach plates before you start to fly. Remember, treat every approach like you plan to go missed unless the weather, ceiling and vis prove you wrong.

Most of all, do not transfer your float VFR habits into the IFR world-they are two different types of flying.

[Gear Jerker]

Great post FOD.

I was in a similar boat, at least in terms of lack of currency/experience. It's amazing how much things slow down. I remember feeling pretty overwhelmed early on.

The name of the game is to minimize your workload at all times. The less of your concentration you're using to fly/manage the aircraft, the more you have to focus on what's next, and ensuring situational awareness. I'm assuming fairly short (i.e. less than an hour) flights in the Van? You should pretty much never be idle. You can always load/brief/tune/set the next thing. Become proficient with your autopilot, and have a borderline lazy mindset! Not literally, of course.

Come up with a system for keeping track of your changing clearances and clearance limits. My personal format is basically a 3 column (or is it a row? the one that goes from top to bottom) blank piece of paper, where the left side is basically LNAV (vectors, airways, approach clearances, direct to's, etc.), the middle is altitude, and the right side is frequency.

It can definitely be done. Do what FOD said lol

[180]

I recently did the float to IFR switch. The problem I'm running into is my lack of multi-PIC time is holding me back from an upgrade. I realize a bird in hand is worth 2 in the bush, but if you could find a right seat IFR gig, you could ease into the IFR world in a more controlled atmosphere, log some multi time, and hopefully upgrade within a year or so into a multi-PIC position. You probably already have a good chunk of PIC, so a single pilot IFR Caravan job is more of a sketchy lateral move in my opinion. Best of luck in your decisions.

[upintheair_]

I think Superior flies Caravans IFR. Maybe check them out.

[Rookie50]

I second the great post FOD....even for me a simple active PPL.

I try to do 2 things, admittedly I have less pressure to complete missions than operators -- I do Hope Air volunteer stuff -- always be way ahead of what's next, and always have a good chicken out.

I like FOD's comments on airspeed / power management -- memorizing power settings for different phases of the approach / -- so you don't even have to think about it.

[Kzanol]

It really depends on what IFR caravan job you got. Northern charter and cargo work is almost all VFR, IFR flight depends on how much you actually want/allowed to do it. The IFR part of it only comes in when it's dark out so you can fly Night VFR. Holding that extra fuel reserve for alternates is not 'acceptable' to the customer, unless you crash and then of course it's your fault for not going IFR. It won't be much different from your float gig, other than your just flying wheels now. The Fedex runs out of Vancouver, Winnipeg or Toronto are a little different however, and you may be in over your head for a first IFR gig.

[2R]

The scan can be improved by looking at the instrument no longer than takes to read it . If you are a slow reader you are screwed. The scan can be improved by listening to the morse code ident or fast music while scanning. Video games can also improve eye hand co-ordination better than reading dirty magazine's. Re-trim after every attitude /power change.
Hand fly at least one full approach a week in the Van. You do not want to have to Fly a rusty approach down to minimums if the bumps kick off the autopilot.
Learn to fly the approach at best forward speed until two miles final. Do not slow down in ice.
Always have an out. One way approaches are no fun.
Do the Nasa ice course and the Cessna online icing courses. Learn to use the RADAR like your life depends on it .Winter warm fronts and Summer cold fronts have killed more pilots than syphilis. Always know what weather you are flying towards, and always have an out.
Be disciplined and take the opportunity to improve your skills with every flight.
Make it boring for the passengers and they will return again and again.
Respect the numbers and limits in the book written by smart people and you will have fun

[jspitfire]

Does this company fly pax? If so you're required to go to Flight Safety. A week of IFR flying in the sim, practicing all types of approaches and icing conditions starts you off on a pretty good foot.

[Redneck_pilot86]

Does this company fly pax? If so you're required to go to Flight Safety. A week of IFR flying in the sim, practicing all types of approaches and icing conditions starts you off on a pretty good foot.

+1, the course is meant to take you from never having seen the inside of a caravan to spifr in 5 days, it will remove all your rust.

[esp803]

Do remember though, the way a caravan handles ice in the Sim is vastly different from how a caravan handles ice in reality. Just don't expect to magically gain 30kts 20 seconds after blowing your boots.

As for single pilot ifr: autopilot. It should almost never be off. Unless you're checking for the aforementioned icing. Seriously though, that autopilot should be on from flaps up to minimums when you're in the soup.

E

[HiFlyChick]

...As for single pilot ifr: autopilot. It should almost never be off. Unless you're checking for the aforementioned icing. Seriously though, that autopilot should be on from flaps up to minimums when you're in the soup....

Not sure I'd leave the A/P on until mins, but certainly I like to have it on until final. By that time you've got everything set up and briefed and I like that extra little bit of hands on time to get the feel for the wind, re-trim, etc. But most of my time is in a Navajo with an okay but rather old autopilot that tends to wallow slightly at slower speeds with flaps, too, so that may affect my reasoning.

Just be very very careful - when I first started reading this thread I shuddered - single pilot into hard IMC is not the place to be if you're rusty or inexperienced. VV100 and RVR2000 is ugly no matter how you slice it and I feel the rust if I haven't seen hard IMC in the last month. Please don't push it and end up a statistic....