I figured, what can be so hard about an IPC? I had 30 hours of hard IMC flight in the past 180 days and 34 approaches. I didn’t even need the check ride to stay legal – all I was missing was a hold. However, good sense says that a semiannual check is a good idea, even if you don’t technically need it.

I made a date with my local DPE and occasional instructor. I told him I wanted an informal but demanding couple of hours, doing things that I wouldn’t normally do. The morning dawned with low IMC but VFR conditions were forecast for the afternoon when we were meeting.…