ILS 7 to JAX and VOR 14 to CRG

For my last lesson (two weeks ago), We filed an instrument flight plan from CRG-JAX-CRG and I flew under the hood for the entire trip.

For this flight, we departed CRG and then contacted ATC at JAX. We were given radar vectors for the ILS to runway 7. The vectoring put me right on line with the localizer and when I crossed the IAF, I began a stabilized descent. I like flying the ILS better than a VOR approach because the ILS is much more sensitive than a VOR and the ILS gives a descent path. The DH for this approach is 200AGL, pretty low. As we approached the DH, Justin had me look up and there was the runway - right in front of me. I had kept the needles centered perfectly and we were in very good shape.

We made a low approach (aka go-around) and followed the missed approach procedure returning to the predetermined point that ATC had laid out for us. We then received vectors for another approach and were warned about the presence of a 737 that would be coming in on runway 13. Justin had the 737 in sight - about 1000' above and to our right and increasingly ahead of us. Knowing their position, I slowed our speed to maximize the distance between us and minimize the chance of getting caught in the jet's wake turbulence. Eventually, the jet was vectored across our path and then we were vectored for our approach.

This time, ATC, knowing that we were practicing and would be doing a missed approach, advised us to begin the missed approach before crossing the threshold to avoid the wake of the jet. Again, I kept the needles centered and at the appropriate time, Justin told me to look up-and again we were in perfect shape for the runway. I then executed a missed approach and we were vectored for the entry to the VOR 14 at CRG with circling to 5.

We began our descent at the IAF and quickly dropped to the MDH. With the runway in sight, we made a circling approach to runway 5 and executed another soft field landing.