Vectors To Final

Today I filed an IFR flight plan and we flew from PHF to ORF to Hamptons Roads and back to PHF. We did the ILS @ ORF and PHF (with a circle to land on 02) and the GPS overlay for the NDB 2 approach at Hampton Roads. I did a poor job on the GPS approach, but OK on the two ILSs. Had some stumbles on the radio today as well. Definitely my worst IFR flight yet. The primary culprit was not being prepped for the GPS approach (it was a complicated one to boot). I ordered some new Jepp approach plates today, but I am getting tired of paying $27 per set. I think I may start printing out the FAA ones from PDF files online.

Saw this online today, it talks about a navigation fix called " MILLZ " which is the same as my username.

Today I gained another 1.0 hours of hood time by performing some airwork in the area local to JGG. We did steep turns, slow flight, power on/off stalls , unusual attitudes, partial panel turns, and a circle to land back into JGG. The air was absolutely, perfectly still today. It was very unusual. When we did some unusual attitudes, I put my head down and tried to fly straight and level blind. After a long 7-8 minutes Charles had me look up (just before I feel asleep) to see that we were in a perfect left-hand standard rate turn (3 degrees/sec). That airplane must like standard rate turns. :) I learned one thing I already knew, that I am too reserved with the yolk when doing stalls. I was not pulling it back far enough (all the way back) to make it do a nice stall. I guess there are worst things to be bad at though. :)

I brought my total instrument time up to 27.1 hours today after a 1.4 hour flight in the vicinity of JGG. We shot the GPS 20 approach into Wakfield, where I did a rather poor job of circling to land (got too low, should have gone straight in away). We then headed over to PHF to shoot the ILS 7 partial panel. That went quite well, I kept the needles nicely centered and did a nice, soft touch and go. I also did better on the VOR into JGG under a partial panel (and with one NAV radio). I got on the inbound radial much quicker this time, using the hold at HARCUM to help reduce the turn angle to get on the inbound course. Things to improve: - CIRCLING TO LAND - holding altitude (kept going 100 ft high)

Charles and I spent 1.4 hours today flying out of JGG to the ILS 7 at NN, the VOR-A @ FYJ and the VOR-B at JGG. After the ILS approach, we went partial panel (covered up the 2 gyro instruments) and did the approach at West Point. We planned to do a touch-and-go at West Point but since there were parachutists there we went off to the east for a steep turn to the right and left (both went well). On the approach to JGG Charles had me hold at the HIGAL intersection, partial panel, only using VOR1. This was the first time I had tried that before and it went relatively well. Things I can improve on from today: Holding altitude in cruise - especially during power changes I forgot to start the timer when passing the HIGAL intersection to JGG