gallois wrote:
you have your eyes inside the aircraft, on the instruments even in VMC
And how is that different from how many of the glass-cockpit / iPad moving map and Synthetic Vision pilots fly all the time? 
There are two ways to fly a practice IAP:
So if the training is to make oneself familiar with the procedure and the knobology of one’s cockpit, that should be completely fine.
The second case is atrocious airmanship. For those who lack an instinct of self-preservation and need a rule, it is illegal because they cannot “see and avoid”, whether they are flying an IAP or not. I wonder – is sticking a screwdriver into an electricity socket illegal, and if not, would one do it?
and also how an IFR pilot would fly the approach in VMC.
That’s excellent point. In VMC you are still required to look out, so…
gallois wrote:
Surely if you are flying an IAP you have your eyes inside the aircraft, on the instruments even in VMC, therefore, if you are not under ATC you need a safety pilot to look for other traffic, see and avoid.
Do you need a safety pilot for GPS/VOR tracking for a nav in VMC?
(it is instrument flying? or instrument navigation? but for sure you have the eyes are inside the cockpit…)
You can definitely track a VOR, while looking out nearly all the time. Most of the time you are just holding a heading, and occassionally you tweak that heading according to the deviation bar. And one can definitely fly a heading while VFR…
In fact every instrument procedure is flown (laterally) by flying a heading. Even an autopilot flies a heading as the primary control loop, even when tracking a LOC or a GPS.
That is how VFR nav was done pre-GPS, if flying significant distances over unfamiliar terrain, or terrain with no usable/obvious features. One would plot a route as a VOR-VOR-VOR job. Well, that’s unless you flew just locally and then you don’t need radio nav because you are on first name terms with every sheep down below, so you can use map+compass+stopwatch and how your students how it is done, in between great stories about the French postal service heroically flying the ILS in zero-zero 
Let me share my experience. This was the worst experience in my life in term of near miss or almost a collision. Happened few days ago.
I did not open a legal case on this, but I did my in-house investigation as a former air traffic controller. I collected all evidences from Hungarocontrol as owner.
In Hungary, we have class G airspace upto 4000’. NO IFR, no IFR procedures are allowed. For those fields, where ILS or RNAV proc established, the state established TIZ upto 10000’ with AFIS or part time ATC depends. During the operation of the TIZ, runs as Class F airspace. By the law, if you fly on IFR flightplan into the TIZ (TIZ always requires FPL to fly in/out), the AFIS must keep all VFR on the gnd or outside of the TIZ fence untill the traffic is out or landed. It is clear and straightforward.
On that particular day, I flew VFR to LHPP for my 100 EUR coffee with my partner :). When approaching to the TIZ, it became clear, that we are 3 airplanes who are proceeding to the field. (PA44 at 2500, C172 at 4000) I was the last one T7TSB, the fastest one. When entering the TIZ, the 2 preceding traffic were already on TIZ’s freq. I got the QNH and the RWY in use (RWY16). I tried to obtain the position of the other traffic by getting his distance to the NDB locating on the final RWY 16. I have learned, that the PA44 is proceeding in from of me my around 2 miles, right side. Because he seems a training flight (way of ATC communication) , I declared my positions, and intention several times. I did some S turns to see the PA44 and shifted myself more to South. My plan was to fly to the rwy perpendicular, while he flew on my right the NDB. Upto now everybody believed, that all of us will proceed according to RWY 16. Since I could not find him, decided, that I will proceed well over the tic pattern altitude, leaving the rwy perpendicular and joining the downwind. Nice plan.
When I declared my position over the runway, AFIS wanted me, to report the right base turn for RWY 16 (as was planned) . At this very moment, this PA44 declared, that over the NDB, he joins the opposite runway’s ILS procedure. (means turning into me) WTFFFFFF? We increased the intensity of the scan, but it was impossible to avoid the near miss. HE PASSED APPROX 3-5 meters behind my tail. I even heard the his engines.
We have landed. I walked to him. They were three in the PA44. The trainee under hood, the instructor and an trainee observer . He blamed on me due to right of the way ? I simply asked them, if he knows, that I am on his left, reporting 2-3 times why he turned? And if he flies an ILS tang, why he is not flying at 4000’ which is the initial alt for the ILS ?
They task were ILS practice, the instructor was “inside” , the trainee was under hood and he blocked the instructor’s view to the left, they followed the ILS procedure ( flying outbound) , and the trainee in the aft seat (most likely) was not instructed to assist them with the circular scanning.
Flying IFR training in VMC needs extra scanning, since the trainee is committed to fly the course. But it could be done only, if he/she respects the surrounding traffic as well..or filling IFR plan. If not, the AFIS needs to be informed in the FPL RMK/ in order to inform other traffic, and AIFS (even if is uncontrolled apt) needs to guide the traffic in order to use on LDG direction only.
At that day I decided to install the L3 Lnyx with all the features. Of course it does not solve the problem, but may reduce the risk of stupid people.
I attach the video extract of the radar. My plane is the T7TSB
Cttime wrote:
“Interconnected” ailerons + rudder on P28A as seen here
I never knew the PA28 was so difficult and dangerous to fly…
