Practical IFR: The Contact Approach

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A good IFR plan isn't one you follow blindly—it's one that gives you options when conditions change. Jeff Van West looks at the underappreciated contact approach and how it can add flexibility to your next IFR flight.

Don’t Just Press Buttons: Modern Autopilot Habits That Matter

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Modern autopilots can dramatically reduce workload—but only if you understand what they're doing. Here are six habits that will help you get more from your autopilot while staying ahead of the airplane.

Keeping up: Managing Busy Airspace

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Busy airspace doesn’t have to be intimidating. Elaine Kaugh shares practical strategies for managing routing, workload, communications, and preparation when flying IFR into busy airports.

New IFR Mastery Scenario:The End Is Niagara?

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What would you do if an engine problem developed in actual IMC—but the nearest airport wasn't necessarily your safest option? That's the dilemma in this month's IFR Mastery scenario from PilotWorkshops, The End Is Niagara?, featuring instructor Martin Pauly.

Before the Frequency Gets Busy

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In Part 121 operations, complex environments are managed through standardization, preparation, defined procedures, and shared cockpit responsibilities. A single pilot does not have another crewmember available to catch an error or absorb part of the workload, but many of the same professional habits can be adapted to the Part 91 cockpit. The objective is to anticipate workload before it arrives.
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