‘Round the Block’ TEA-style.

I finally got my Technically Enhanced Aircraft (TEA) instrument rating on October 6th. As I already held an instrument rating this would be a renewal. In order to get use of the ILS at RNZAF Ohakea we had to be airborne by 0700 which meant an 0600 report to flightplan, refuel and pre-flight. No student to do that for me as I was the student! The plan was:

PM-OH(2xILS)-WU(GNSS)-FOXTN-PM(VOR)

Flight time was just over an hour and a half, no alternate required and as it was just me and the examiner I had the tanks filled up. RAIM forecasts-checked, Jeppesen NAVDATA alerts-checked, off we went.

A short climb out on the RWY 25A7 SID I was vectored straight away for the RWY27 ILS at NZOH.

At 4000ft we were just skimming the top of a layer of stratus, I wish I’d had a camera. I selected Vector-to-final on the MFD as we were cleared for our first ILS. This was to be a fully automated approach. The GFC700 took us down to DA + 100ft where I disengaged and hand flew to DA. Then it was right-thumb on the Go-Around button as we commenced the missed approach.

One lap of the missed approach hold and then one more ILS but this time hand flown. I say hand flown but I did have the use of the Flight Director. Down to DA again, this time we wnet to Wanganui (NZWU) for the GNSS RWY29. This is a short leg so my fingers were furiously loading a flight plan OH-WU and then loading and activating the approach. Again, the GFC700 was doing a great job as I figured out the approach.

This approach was flown on the GFC700 to MDA +100ft and then in the missed approach I got our clearance back to PM via FOXTN at 6000ft.  I requested the RWY07 VOR/DME circling for RWY25, one I’ve done many times before. Again, the G1000 & GFC700 did a fantastic job flying the plane while I got the ATIS, briefed the approach and configured the VNAV.

Back on the ground and now renewed/technically enhanced. Now I’m ready to teach IFR in the DA40. Bring it on!