IPC and ATC: We All Goof

After a few days of unusually nasty weather, the day of my postponed IPC dawned bright and clear. There wasnt even much wind. It was the perfect day to fly, and as it turned out, it seemed like just about every other pilot around thought the same thing. There was traffic everywhere and everyone wanted something different. I was caught in a perfect storm.

Frank Bowlin

Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The pilot's Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) was unexpectedly challenging due to heavy air traffic and a saturated ATC environment on a "perfect" flying day, leading to a dynamic and stressful flight.
During the IPC, a significant miscommunication occurred where the pilot and instructor believed they received an approach clearance that ATC later denied, resulting in two reprimands and highlighting the need for explicit clearance confirmation.
The experience revealed the pilot's need for greater proficiency with their aircraft and systems to handle complex, dynamic flight scenarios, acknowledging that such situations, while unusual, must be prepared for.
Key lessons learned include choosing less busy days for IPCs to reduce stress, and a strategy to de-escalate ATC conflicts by complying and filing an ASRS report later rather than arguing on a busy frequency.

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After a few days of unusually nasty weather, the day of my postponed IPC dawned bright and clear. There wasn’t even much wind. It was the perfect day to fly, and as it turned out, it seemed like just about every other pilot around thought the same thing. There was traffic everywhere and everyone wanted something different. I was caught in a perfect storm.

Three’s the Charm

I needed an IPC. I’d been flying regularly, but never got more than a few moments boring through the occasional cloud. So, having been fully current about six months ago, I needed to get current again. Rather than just go up with a safety pilot, I decided to ask my friend Ted to actually give me an IPC to work not only on my currency, but on my languishing proficiency.