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 author's Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) was unexpectedly challenging due to extremely heavy air traffic on a perfect flying day, leading to a high-stress environment and self-assessed poor performance in managing dynamic situations and aircraft systems.
A significant misunderstanding occurred with Air Traffic Control (ATC) where the author and his instructor believed they were cleared for an approach but ATC later denied it, resulting in multiple scoldings and highlighting potential expectation bias.
Key takeaways include the need for greater aircraft proficiency in dynamic scenarios, the importance of choosing less busy times/locations for critical training like an IPC to minimize stress and potential miscommunications, and the value of de-escalation and diligent confirmation of ATC clearances.

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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.