Stumbling Blocks

There's a reason they exist....and probably a good thing too especially since I am talking about flying with sole reference to your flight instruments. There is very little margin of error that you can afford to play with as one wrong action could potentially have catastrophic results when you are flying with no outside references - particularly when shooting various approaches into different airports. I thought I was ready, but one simple mistake on the first approach forced interaction by the chief flight instructor and a mandatory repeat of this particular approach. I opted to keep going and try to complete the rest of it, but at that point I was so distracted by my immediate disappointment in myself that I just couldn't keep it within test standards and decided to call it off and get a review flight and ground lesson in before I go up again. It was so simple that I couldn't believe it...I forgot to make the procedure turn at the Initial Approach Fix as I was looking at it only as the missed approach hold as it overlaps over the same point. I was furious at myself as I hold myself to the highest of standards. I wanted to scream. I communicated with Providence Approach that I wanted to cancel my IFR flight plan and proceed directly back to Norwood under VFR. I flew the pattern and made a nearly perfect landing. After getting back in the chief flight instructor told me that if he could pass me on copying and repeating the clearance and the landing alone, he would, as they both were picture perfect. It felt good in that alone that I did some things right. I partially attribute my shortcoming due to the fact that I haven't been able to do ab IFR review flight with my instructor in the last 3.5 weeks due to weather and getting my end of course checkride pushed back. Time to get refocused and put my nose back to the grindstone!