10 tips for instruments

Welcome to the world of IFR (instrument flight rules) flight. Sure it can be challenging, and may even seem a bit daunting. But it's really no different than the flying you've been doing VFR (visual flight rules), just much more precise. Instead of you making virtually all of the decisions about when, where, and how you get there, ATC becomes a much bigger partner in the successful outcome of your flight. You'll receive a taste of flight by reference to the instruments if you're pursuing a private pilot certificate, but that introduction really only scratches the surface of what IFR has to offer.

Here are 10 tips that you can practice as a student pilot, private pilot, instrument student, or even as a seasoned pro. By learning these basic skills early, the challenge of the instrument rating becomes a little easier.

1. If you're departing an airport with an air traffic control tower, start your flight right by making sure you have the latest automatic terminal information service (ATIS) and copy the information so your clearance will make sense. Listening to the previous ATIS broadcasts may help you determine what's changed and any trends that are afoot. Taxi and departure instructions are predicated on airport conditions, so listening carefully can provide crucial details that clarify your clearance.
   
   
2. Speaking of clearances, remember that all of them come in a set order. You can write down much of the boilerplate in advance to make copying quicker. C, AD, VIA, AD, DC, and SQ is my template for quickly being able to fill in the blanks. C is for cleared to an airport, fix, or navaid; AD is for after departure, your routing to exit the airport area; VIA is your route, hopefully as filed and to your destination; DC is the communications radio frequency for departure control; and SQ is your squawk or transponder code.
   
   You can save yourself some money by listening to the ATIS and copying your clearance before you start the engine. That will also give you time to clarify your routing, if it's different than what you filed, and locate all the fixes you've been given. Figuring out the route and all the details on the ground in a quiet cockpit is a time-honored secret of professional pilots everywhere.
   
   
3. Now you've got to think about precise flight--that is, holding headings by plus or minus 5 degrees, maintaining altitudes and climb and descent rates to within 100 feet, and keeping airspeeds to within 10 knots. None of this is particularly hard to do, but like those ground reference maneuvers you learn for your private certificate, it requires some practice.
   
   Make it tough on yourself flying VFR and hold heading to plus- or minus-5 degrees. This is easier if you choose a heading that corresponds to one of those 5-degree marks on the heading indicator, such as 025 or 255 degrees. You can bracket your corrections between the 020- and the 030-degree markers. Likewise, use the 250- and 260-degree markers to help you hold a precise heading of 255.
   
   
4. Here's a good trick to help you change radio frequencies with minimal time spent actually looking at the radio. If you turn the radio's selector knob to the right, or clockwise, you'll increase the radio frequency display, whereas turning it to the left will take you to lower numbers. If you're hoping to multitask, this allows you to virtually tune the radio without diverting your scan to the radio stack until you've completed your changes and can take a quick peek to see if you did it correctly. This is better than fixating on the radio for the duration of the change, which might allow your aviating to get away from you.
   
   
5. I permit myself about three seconds of non-aviating before I figure it's time to get back to scanning the basic six instruments to confirm I'm still right side up. Similarly, if you turn to the right, you will fly toward larger numbers on the compass, which can be helpful if you're trying to decide the shortest way to turn to get to a particular heading.
   
   
6. Another of my secrets pertains to maintaining straight-and-level flight by using the two-foot rudder pressure technique. I place a bit of extra pressure on both rudder pedals evenly, so there's no slop in the controls, and my heading stays constant--assuming I don't let a wing drop. This poor man's autopilot is a great way to hold a steady heading and will help you to track that VOR or localizer we bracketed by using precise heading control.
   
   
7. Another crucial aspect to successful IFR flight lies in those organizing skills your instructor taught you as you began your cross-country flight training. Since you'll be concentrating on so many other aspects of flying, having what you need where you need it--and in the order you'll need it--is the best and easiest thing to learn about IFR flight. I recommend for both VFR and IFR flight that you get a legal-size clipboard, turn it lengthwise on your lap, and attach a second clip to the top right side to secure approach charts.
   
   En-route charts (or sectionals folded to show your current position) can be clipped on top of your scratch pad with the board's permanent clip on your left. I attach my pencil to the board with a long string to eliminate groping on the floor when it inevitably falls. Velcro a stopwatch to your board, attach a few nonskid strips to the underside of your new work surface, and you've now got an inexpensive, versatile lap desk that will serve you for many years to come.
   
   
8. If you really want to get a jump on your IFR training and lower the cost, start honing your skills now with some practice on a desktop simulator or computer flight sim to learn those basics we discussed earlier. Developing a good instrument scan is crucial to successful IFR flight, and time spent now can save you many dollars later. Just a few hours per week can markedly improve your IFR skills and help you advance quickly once you reach the airplane. If you have an approved sim available for your training, utilize it to the maximum allowed and consider riding along as a back-seat traffic observer to learn on another student's nickel. If you have IFR-rated friends who want to practice their skills, ask to ride along on actual or simulated flights. You'll learn volumes about how the whole process fits together.
   
   
9. Equally important for your thrifty progress is to pass your IFR knowledge exam before you start training, so you can then concentrate on your flight skills knowing that much of the book work is behind you. Using home study or an online or in-person test-prep course will help you become familiar with the knowledge required, and is an excellent use of your time, especially when financial or weather conditions inhibit your actual flying progress.
   
   
10. Finally, spend some time learning about IFR charts. Ask your instructor and other IFR-rated friends what type they use and why (Jeppesen or the government-issued NACO version). Often, their preferences will be based on location, cost, ease of use, or familiarity. Try out a sample of each by going to the appropriate Web sites for downloadable samples. If you plan to fly professionally, Jeppesen charts are probably the better option because virtually all airlines use them and will expect you to be well versed in their symbology.

Like all of your VFR skills, none of the IFR training is particularly difficult if you have mastered the basics. Each piece flows naturally from the one before if the training is sequenced properly by your instructor. If you demonstrate a quick grasp of the subject because you know the basics, you'll find that each new area of learning, be it holding patterns, DME arcs, or partial panel work, will be fun and easy as you meet the challenges of IFR flight. And you can begin to work on developing many of these skills today.

Capt. Karen Kahn is the author of Flight Guide for Success: Tips and Tactics for the Aspiring Airline Pilot and a career counselor. A Master CFI and 30-year airline pilot, she flies the Boeing 757/767 for a major U.S. carrier.