Pilot September 2017

Beyond the PPL | CB Instrument Rating

http://www.pilotweb.aero Pilot September 2017 | 47

Despite the ‘competency-based’ bit in the
name, the CB-IR test itself is identical to
the ‘normal’ EASA instrument rating test.
Of course I was doing it single-engined so
there was no asymmetric flight section, but
otherwise−as John pointed out−we’d be
running the full gamut of departure, cruise,
holds, limited panel, as well as precision
and non-precision approaches.
The route would be from Bristol to
Gloucester and back−one that I was
thankfully very familiar with. John then
gave me time to prepare my Plog and file
my flight plan, after which he proceeded
to question me very closely on both, as
well as asking me to provide a
comprehensive weather, weight and
balance, and Notam brief. This
interrogation is all part of the test itself,
and can be pretty exhaustive. By now I
was zinging on a combination of nerves
and several gallons of black coffee and
just wanted to get cracking, come hell
or high water. It was a relief when we
finally headed out to the aircraft to
commit aviation.
It wasn’t the best of flights, but it
wasn’t disastrous either. I made a few
silly mistakes, but managed to spot

most of them early enough to make the

right corrections. Despite the incredibly

tight tolerances, examiners will give you

some leeway if you catch the error of your

ways and do something about it quickly.

I think I flew an acceptable departure,

a fairly okay-ish NDB procedure at

Gloucester, and I even managed to

complete the hold without having to do a

second one. It was pretty bumpy up there

but, crucially, the winds were blowing

down the inbound track and not howling

across it, which made things easier. Quite

rightly John didn’t speak much in the

cockpit but when he did he was courteous

and friendly, all of which helped. What

also helped was that I was by now

desperate to have a pee after all that coffee,

and my bladder was urging me on to the

finish line.

But the finish line was almost my

undoing. Given a radar-vectored ILS at

Bristol, I very nearly managed to fly the

glideslope outside half-scale deflection,

which is the test limit. Instead of properly

trimming the aircraft to the correct speed

and rate of descent and basically

letting it get on with it, I committed

the sin of chasing the needles all the

way down the approach. Out of the

corner of my eye I could see John

making notes on his pad. Thankfully, I

held the glideslope just within that

critical half-scale and we landed. Not

my best effort but at least we were

down and safe. But had I passed?

As we taxied back, John gave no

indication whatsoever one way or the

other. My hopes drained away. By the

time I parked the aircraft and switched

off, I was absolutely convinced that I

Approach to Runway 27, Bristol had failed.

The new Severn Bridge, close to Bristol on the return leg