Drinking from the Fire Hose

Today's IFR lesson... create a quick flight plan, get the clearance and fly (in simulator) from RHV to Stockton, shoot the ILS approach, execute the missed approach and hold... and...  do the radio work, tune the fake radios, tune the navaids, etc., etc. And.. I almost forgot ... do all of the above while keeping the "plane" right side up, on course and on altitude in spite of winds and turbulence by reference to instruments alone.

The main thing I learned, you have to stay one step ahead of the game at all times. Before take off have every navaid and frequency you can tuned. After you get past one navaid, tune and identify the next. Write down every frequency and clearance. When you are preparing for the approach, prepare for the missed too. Need to twist the OBS when turning in a hold on a VOR radial, then twist again when you turn again.

W O W

I drank from the fire hose but I didn't choke. I wouldn't have passed a checkride by any stretch, but I didn't "kill" myself either. I got there, did the approach, executed the missed approach and the hold. Had a couple missteps along the way of course, but in the end I got a "great" from my CFI and a great learning experience too.