Practical tips, scenarios, and tools for IFR pilots : IFR Focus

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Departures Get a New Look

November 10, 2026

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The FAA's new obstacle departure notes separate takeoff-minimums obstacles from low, close-in obstacles and introduce new DER crossing-height options. Here's how to interpret the changes, understand which obstacles each option addresses, and determine whether your airplane can meet the requirements.

A Flight Planning Formula

November 3, 2026

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Flying to a new destination is exciting, challenging, and often overwhelming. The pile of items to analyze, along with ever-changing weather forecasts, can make flight planning seem endless. Not only is it easy to miss something, risk management can get lost in the shuffle. One tool to help put up guardrails well before a flight is a Standard Operating Procedure.

Quiz: Flying Skills and Fundamentals

October 30, 2026

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Instrument flying requires more than following a course or maintaining an assigned altitude. Pilots must interpret instrument indications, recognize unusual attitudes, manage changing conditions, and maintain control of the aircraft when things don't go as planned.

Behind the MVA

October 27, 2026

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ATC has a minimum altitude that you won’t find on your charts, and it can explain why you can’t always get the altitude you want.

Webinar Video: Beyond the Buttons — Mastering Your Modern Autopilot

October 23, 2026

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Join PilotWorkshops’ Ryan Koch for Beyond the Buttons: Mastering Your Modern Autopilot, a webinar exploring the habits pilots need to get more from today’s autopilots, stay ahead of changing modes, and recognize when the system isn’t doing what they intended.

Practical IFR: Activate in the Air

October 20, 2026

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Getting an IFR clearance from a busy ATC facility can be a challenge when your departure runway points toward a major airport. Jeff Van West explores two alternatives for pilots departing Linden Airport under New York’s Class B airspace—and explains why one may work even when the weather rules out a typical VFR departure.

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