Practical instrument: Welcome to the real world

Bringing your instrument training to life

May 1, 2021 By Ian J. Twombly

Back in the bad old days before every airplane had an IFR-certified panel-mounted GPS I remember filing a cross-country IFR flight plan along VOR-defined airways, following along on a paper chart, shooting an approach, and watching the runway appear like magic.

Photography by Mike Fizer

Perspective

File for what you want

GA pilots shouldn’t worry about expected routings

Some people intend to help GA pilots by instructing us to file IFR flight plans for expected routings as professional pilots do. I feel strongly that this advice misdirects IFR GA pilots.

Even though I am flying in the same IFR system, I am not a professional pilot. Most GA pilots fly Part 91 and are not paid, and most professional pilots are not flying GA-type aircraft.

I’ve been flying GA for over 40 years, most of it in the IFR system, and have been a CFII for about 30 years. I’ve participated in many safety seminars (as instructor and student), including several where ATC has been present. At one seminar, an attendee asked, “When filing IFR out of the east side of DTW going north, what would you recommend for the routing?” The answer from the ATC representative: “File for what you want,” followed by an explanation that you would most likely get vectors but, due to your request, you would get on course as soon as practical.

The rationale is pretty simple: If you file for what you want, most of the time you will get it. I have flown out of many towered and nontowered airports, and I was based for 38 years below Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)’s Class B airspace. Fewer than a dozen times, I received routing different from what I had filed (other than some vectors to keep me clear of the airliners). And, almost every time, the controllers next cleared me direct or on course. If you file for a route that works for ATC, you most likely will get it—so it better be what you want.

One argument for filing the route you expect to get rather than the one you want is that we fly in the same airspace as airline pilots, so we should follow the same routes. That is not the case very often. Few professional pilots fly out of nontowered fields. Airline/professional pilots almost always fly preplanned or assigned routes including STARS, SIDs, and transitions in and out of Class B, C, or D and then climb to Class A airspace. Hardly the same airspace as most the GA pilots.

At some airports, routing is routine; if you are assigned that routing often enough, plan or file for it. Most important, plan your fuel knowing that unexpected routing can happen at any time. Recently, I was routed to two waypoints to keep me clear of a hot military operations area, only to have the MOA go cold; then I was cleared on course. If your fuel gets to be a concern, tell ATC and most likely they will accommodate your more direct requested route. If they don’t, you should not gamble. Change your flight plan to make a fuel stop. —Dan Valle

For me the first solo instrument flight was a bigger accomplishment than my first solo flight. Trusting the airplane, the ground-based navigation system, and my training felt like a giant leap.

For me and I’m sure many others, the euphoria of passing a checkride often turns to nervousness. It can feel like you’ve gotten away with something and aren’t truly prepared to take on the challenge of flying in the real world. Looking back on that first solo instrument flight I realized that success after the checkride comes down to trusting that you are ready, and having a plan to get better. With a plan to increase proficiency that begins soon after the checkride, you can continue to build on your training, and more importantly, build confidence in the process.

The biggest mistake people make when they earn an instrument rating is immediately letting the skills become stale. It’s understandable. The training is difficult, and you just want to look outside the windscreen after months of feeling like a caged mouse under foggles. You must force yourself to continue growing as an instrument pilot because unlike after the private pilot certificate, that growth doesn’t happen automatically when you get in the airplane. You need to plan for it. A three-tiered approach can help.

Start slow

The basis of everything you need to do to be a good instrument pilot is broken down into three skills—the ability to effectively work in the IFR system, basic attitude instrument flying, and weather interpretation.

Athletes drill basic skills so they become second-nature when they move to more advanced techniques and gameplay. You can do the same. As soon as you get your rating, plan some trips. They don’t have to be long. In fact, the best mix includes some short 50-mile jaunts; a few longer, 100- to 200-mile flights; and one or two that take you somewhere a bit longer. Here’s the kicker. File and execute an IFR flight plan for each, but plan for VFR days. Reverting back to your previous comfort level with the weather will enable you to focus exclusively on the IFR procedures. Most students do a lot of approaches at their home airport as they train for the rating, but your goal is to get out there and see the world a bit. Fly to airports you’ve never been to and ask to do a practice approach once you get there. There’s no need for a safety pilot or view-limiting device. Your only goal is to work on procedures. Think back to your private pilot training and you can see why this works. Your first post-checkride flights were probably to familiar airports on nice days, some solo and a few with friends. Solo flying builds confidence. Yes, it can be scary at first, but without the weather considerations you will be free to build on procedures.

Add on a layer

Once you feel more comfortable picking up clearances, taking reroutes, programming the avionics, and executing instrument approach procedures it’s time to add in some complexity. Now take a few flights on days with only marginal VFR weather. A predictable ceiling of 2,000 feet, a layer that’s lower but thin, or clear skies and something like 2-mile visibility are all great options. It can be hard to find the right days, so be a little flexible here. The goal is to fly at least part of the en route segment in the clouds.

On my first solo instrument flight I climbed through a thin overcast, cruised above a solid undercast in clear skies and bright sun for about 40 minutes, and then made an approach and broke out about 500 feet above minimums. It was the perfect way to combine what I’d learned about working in the system with easily manageable weather thrown in. Look for conditions like these on two or three flights and you’ll be prepared to tackle more.

Bring it all together

You’ve gained some experience with instrument procedures and flown a few trips with weather meant to help build confidence. Now you can bring it together and set personal minimums that will serve you in almost any weather situation. These will change and grow as you do, but the concept is always the same: Set a limit for the ceiling, visibility, and general weather hazard that you’re willing to fly in and don’t break it.

There are lots of great resources to help establish your minimums. Cirrus Aircraft has a system that approximates downhill ski trail ratings. A point system covers eight factors, including overall experience, currency, certificates and ratings, time in type, and even age. Add them up and you’re given a green circle, blue square, or black diamond, each corresponding to VFR and IFR weather minimums.

The AOPA Air Safety Institute has a “contract” for personal minimums that includes factors such as wind, ceiling, visibility, currency, and more (airsafetyinstitute.org/ifrcontract). Its purpose is to create a document that can be witnessed and posted in your home, office, or anywhere it’s easy for you to see and someone you care about to read and monitor.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to set the personal minimums that you’re comfortable with, keeping in mind one big caveat. Personal minimums are in part an acknowledgment that the weather will be worse than forecast. So, if yours are 500-1, you need to be prepared for approaches to 200 feet. Or if you’ve set them at 1,000-2, keep in mind you’ll need to be prepared for approaches that don’t necessarily end at the final approach fix. Test the minimums and you’ll know what feels right for you. From there you can make adjustments that are more strict or more lenient.

By slowly building a foundation of confidence and good practices, you’ll have what it takes to soon be launching in weather you never before thought possible.

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Practical IFR

Tips to fly by

How to take your flying beyond the training

Photo by Chris Rose Training is a structured and controlled environment. Here are five tips to get beyond training and build skills for instrument flying in the real world.

Pick your route. In training you probably made meticulous flight plans with airways and departure and arrival procedures. But nothing says you have to. You can file direct and accept whatever ATC gives you, stick with the strict plan, or settle on something in between. Pick whichever method suits your planning style.
Don’t thread the needle. The tendency will always be to fly the most direct route, even if it requires threading through convection. Don’t do it. Avoid storms completely by flying around them. In many cases it will only add a few minutes to your trip.
Think outside-in. Situational awareness is everything in instrument flying. Without the benefit of seeing the ground you have to orient yourself using electronic aids. Even with GPS, the best way to learn this is considering your position based on an outside-in reference. That means placing yourself on an imaginary map and knowing if you’re north, south, east, or west of the reference, rather than left or right (inside-out).
Ask questions. You don’t want to sound dumb on the radio. We get it. Seeking clarification doesn’t sound dumb; it’s a good strategy. Ask ATC to spell waypoints you can’t find, ask for vectors to navigational aids you’ve just been rerouted to, and ask for pilot weather reports (pireps) of other airplanes that have flown the approach before you. Listen to the radio at major international hubs and you’ll hear the pros ask ATC for all kinds of information. Controllers are there as a resource, so use them.
Be nervous, but honest. Is that pit in your stomach healthy nervousness or a warning? Sometimes it can be hard to know. But if you’re current and proficient and the weather is within your capability, use those nerves as a way to stay sharp, not as an excuse to stay on the ground (see “Always Learning: Good Stress,” March/April 2021 Flight Training). All pilots get nervous at various times in the clouds. You’ll never progress, and the rating will go to waste if you don’t sometimes push through the nerves. —IJT

Get practical tips for IFR flying in the AOPA Air Safety Institute’s IFR Insights: A Practical Approach online course.
airsafetyinstitute.org/ifrinsightsapproach

Ian J. Twombly

Ian J. Twombly is senior content producer for AOPA Media.

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