Pilot Life: Practicing RNAV GPS Approaches at Nephi

I got a really early morning flight in with my instructor today. And for a change of pace, we did non-precision instrument approaches down in Nephi for today's instrument training flight. We met at the airport as usual and we did our pre-flight followed by refueling. After all the pre-flight stuff was done, we hopped in, got the engine started, did the run-ups, taxied to the runway and we took off.

Another round in N968CT!

After departing and turning the plane southbound, my instructor had me put on the foggles and we briefed first the RNAV GPS 17 approach plate for Nephi. My instructor then had me fly the approach. In the case of non-precision approaches, it was "chop and drop" on the throttle and altitude respectively down to the minimums of each segment, which I was able to. After reaching minimums on the final approach for Runway 17 we initiated a missed approach, mainly to make room for some glider operations that was happening at the Nephi Airport. My instructor had me fly us southbound and we practiced a hold over a waypoint before turning around northbound to go do the RNAV 35 approach, which would end in a touch-and-go landing after coming out of the foggles.

After the touch-and-go, we made a straight-out departure and I went back under the foggles. My instructor had me navigate us to Spanish Fork under simulated instrument conditions and he taught me that if conditions permit, an IFR flight to an airport with no instrument approaches are possible granted that conditions at the destination has adequate visibility. We flew overhead midfield and my instructor had me come out of the foggles and I flew the pattern for Runway 12, where I landed the Katana and we called it a flight after taxiing back to the ramp and shutting the engine down.