For some reason, Friday has always been a day where people can look forward too because it gives the feeling of relaxation. It is suppose to be the day where people feel "free." In Palm Coast, we're glad that we can relax a little bit, but there is nothing to help alleviate the stress besides hanging at home. It is so damn boring. I guess I should be reading and practicing some approaches or something. Maybe even reading up on weather. Umm...

So today was the 15th Instrument Lesson. It was fun filled with a GPS hold over BARBS Waypoint, followed by the GPS 8 approach into KOMN, then followed by the GPS 11 in X47 full stop. We took off immediately right before a huge towering cumulonimbus headed towards the airport. By the time I was rotating, I could barely see the runway. The rain was hitting at full downdraft force. We side skirted to the right to avoid the cloud and stay VFR until we got a local IFR clearance from Daytona Approach. Finally at 2000 feet, there were multiple planes just panicking waiting for their clearances. We had to callback in 6 minutes then wait for a controller changeover, then finally we got our procedures. I logged 1.2 on the Hobbs, but this flight felt like an eternity. While I was actually in IMC, I could barely hold on to my alt. because of the updrafts and downdrafts. It was just nutty. I was constantly varying the manifold pressure from 16 in to 24 in. I was all over the place. The winds were blowing strong from the West, so I was putting in some crazy correction while on the hold.

Overall, it was a nice flight. Went by and I have to admit that I felt my pulse about to explode from out of my neck. I had to take a drink of water and was wore out by the time we landed. I didn't even want to taxi anymore. There were so many people in the air, I was constantly being super super attentive just listening for those key words, "Diamond Star 808ER, clear to Flagler County Airport Full Stop via RNAV 11 Approach."

I love Instrument!