Flying IFR - Lesson 48 - Approaching Absolutely Nowhere Fast

So today I was in N6288J.

88J has an upgraded, or as it turns out, downgraded GPS. Its  a Garmin 355A.   Nice touchscreen operation but it takes a lot of getting used to compared to using the 430W.  Some of that is just re-finding things but its an extra learning curve I don't particularly want to waste time on right now.  Even better, Rocky wasn't fully up on it either.

Even worse, as it does link to the G5 HSI and can do RNAV, it does not have CDI flip capability and no VOR radio so you can only use the HSI for RNAV approaches.  All VOR, ILS and Localizer approaches have to be used with the old "steam gauge" VOR receiver not the HSI.

This is really flipping stupid and a downgrade in capabilities from the 430W for that aircraft.  

In essence, it's like flying VOR and similar approaches partial panel compared to a properly functioning HSI. Great.

So we headed off to Flint from Pontiac's Runway9L, and had to stay on Pontiac's runway heading for quite awhile due to traffic. Then we were stuck on heading 360 for awhile too.  I then did the VOR 36 Circle to 9 which is a really weird circle route.  The circle is absolutely huge between the two runways in question, as 36 is closer to the 27 side by quite a lot.

Did it using the VOR receiver as we couldn't find a CDI flip for the 355.  The 355 does function as a DME at least so there's that.  Overall good on keeping the needle centered, did a good descent and again need to control my altitude better.

Then off to D95 Lapeer for my first IFR approach there ever.  Did the VOR-A using Flint's VOR and again using the backup instead of the nice G5 HSI as there's no way to switch it out of GPS mode.

Did a circle approach and was way too high as I did not have the airport in sight at the time for the beginning of the circle.  Since it's a -A approach, the VOR is not lined up with the runway, and you have to circle.  Circled over to 36. Also I was working on staying high enough to stay at minimums and yet being able to lose enough altitude on final to be able to land which is rather difficult with that approach.  Altitude control is my current PITA.

Then on to Pontiac for a nice stable RNAV 9R approach. Well it would have been, but Detroit Approach started by telling us to go direct to HASTY.

There is no HASTY waypoint on the approach.  It's HASRI, so I called him back and asked if it was direct to HASRI and he said it was.

Made it to HASRI and Detroit Approach was busy and then asked us if we wanted to just shoot it ourselves and we said yes rather than getting dropped from it entirely.

So I did a nice lined up approach, need to descend a little more to stay on glideslope, but made a very nice landing.

Overall complete Meh of a lesson. I don't think I made any progress that lesson at all, and am currently going nowhere fast and paying a lot to do so. Radio work is fine, use of the VOR 2 is fine, total meh with no real improvement. I suppose it gave me a refresher on semi-partial panel procedures and using NAV2 so there's that.

Oh, and I need to interrupt this program and do a flight review now too as U couldn't get the IFR test in before my flight review runs out.   The couple Instructors at my flying club are too busy to do it, so I get to pay a premium and do it at DCT.  Great.