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

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Video Tip: Visual Descent Points

October 16, 2026

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Visual Descent Points, or VDPs, help pilots determine when they can begin a normal descent from the minimum descent altitude on a nonprecision approach. In this video tip, we’ll look at how to identify a VDP on an approach chart, when to begin the descent, and why the VDP is different from the missed approach point.

Webinar: Beyond the Buttons — Mastering Your Modern Autopilot

October 15, 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.

Webinar Video: What’s New With ForeFlight

October 14, 2026

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Join Thomas Daugherty, Head of ForeFlight Training Solutions, for a look at the latest updates to ForeFlight, including ClearNOTAMs and Mobile Clearance Delivery, along with new safety features such as Emergency Glide.

Be Ready to Take Back the Airplane

October 13, 2026

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Modern avionics can make an instrument approach remarkably predictable. But every once in a while, the airplane does something you aren't expecting and that's when your instrument skills still matter. I was reminded of that recently while flying a Challenger into Jackson, Wyoming (JAC).

The Instrument Cross-Check Is Bigger Than You Think

October 6, 2026

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The traditional instrument scan is still important, but modern IFR flying demands something more. Tim Decker explains how to build a broader cross-check that keeps you ahead of the airplane and its automation.