Blog Multi Author : IFR Focus

Welcome to IFR Focus: Sharpen Your Skills, Master the System

May 30, 2025/in News/by Eric Radtke

Instrument flying is demanding. It’s also deeply rewarding—when you’re prepared.

A note from the editor:

As both a pilot and a flight instructor, I know firsthand how easy it is to lose your edge when it comes to instrument flying. Proficiency isn’t just about staying legal—it’s about staying sharp, confident, and ready for whatever ATC or the weather throws your way.

That’s why we created IFR Focus—a new destination dedicated entirely to the art and science of flying in the system.

Whether you’re an experienced IFR pilot looking to stay sharp or a student climbing toward that checkride, you’ll find practical content here to help you fly safer, smoother, and smarter. We’re talking:

Real-world articles written by instrument pilots
Video tips that demonstrate techniques, not just talk about them
Scenarios that challenge your thinking and build judgment
Quizzes to reinforce what you know (and reveal what you don’t)
Flight maneuvers, chart insights, and avionics techniques
And most of all, our monthly signature feature: Practical IFR

Jeff Van West brings you Practical IFR.

At the heart of each monthly email is Practical IFR, an in-depth feature written by noted instructor and aviation writer Jeff Van West. Think of it as a cross between a blog and a deep-dive article, tackling real IFR questions and offering actionable tips you can apply to your next flight.

Do you turn onto the localizer if you’re about to blast through it but haven’t been cleared?
How should you manage glide performance engine-out in IMC with a strong headwind?
Could lowering your personal minimums actually make you a safer pilot?

These are the kinds of real-world scenarios Practical IFR explores—with written analysis, a related video tip, and a quiz question to round it out.

No spam. No fluff. Just focused IFR training you can use.

IFR Focus—a new destination dedicated entirely to the art and science of flying in the system.

We hope you enjoy the site and the newsletter. Your feedback helps us make it better—feel free to reach out anytime at IFRFocus@Sportys.com.

—
Eric Radtke
Editor, IFR Focus

What’s in an approach category?

July 1, 2025/in Approach and Arrival/by Eric Radtke

Aircraft fall into one of five approach categories (A-E) based on the aircraft’s target final approach speed, or reference speed (Vref). If this speed is not published for the aircraft, then a speed of 1.3 times the stall speed in the landing configuration (Vso) at the maximum landing weight should be used. These speeds are established for the aircraft by the aircraft’s certifying authority. Instrument approach charts publish minimum landing criteria (altitudes and visibility) that correspond to the approach categories. If a category is not listed, then it is not authorized.

In the example below from the John F. Kennedy Airport (KJFK), ILS or LOC RWY 13L approach, the decision altitude (213′) and minimum visibility (1,800′ runway visual range), remain the same for Category A-D aircraft. However, if intending to circle to land on an alternate runway Category A & B aircraft must use a minimum descent altitude (MDA) of 680′ and visibility of 1 mile while Category C & D aircraft must abide by a MDA of 700′ and a dramatic increase in minimum visibility to 2 and 2.25 miles respectively.

A pilot is required to use the minima corresponding to the aircraft’s category or higher depending on the speed being flown during the approach. This is necessary in order to provide adequate obstacles obstruction as the higher the approach speed, the larger the turning radius in the case of a circling approach. Therefore, if a pilot chooses to use a higher airspeed than the category established for the aircraft, then the minimums for the higher category must be used. For example, if an airplane fits into Category A but is circling to land at a speed of 95 knots, the approach Category B minimums must be used. It’s important to note that a pilot may NOT choose to utilize a lower approach category even if flying at a lower airspeed.

Most single engine piston-powered aircraft will fit into Category A while most turbine-powered aircraft will fit into Category B and above.

Category A: less than 91 knots
Category B: 91 – 120 knots
Category C: 121 – 140 knots
Category D:141 – 165 knots
Category E: More than 166 knots

A minimum of 300 feet of obstacle clearance is provided in the circling segment. Pilots should remain at or above the circling altitude until the aircraft is continuously in a position from which a descent to a landing on the intended runway can be made at a normal rate of descent and using normal maneuvers.

Mastering Approach Lighting Systems: Insights and Scenarios for Instrument Pilots

June 27, 2025/in Approach and Arrival, Videos/by Eric Radtke

You’ve probably seen runway approach lights at larger airports many times during your training and when flying at night. These systems take on additional importance when flying IFR since they provide the basic means to transition from instrument to visual flight for landing.

If an approach lighting system is available for a runway, the symbology will be displayed in both the small airport diagram in line with the runway, and in the briefing strip towards the top of the instrument approach chart. You can then refer to the legend in the digital terminal procedures supplement to determine the specifics of the lighting system.

Approach light systems are a configuration of signal lights starting at the landing threshold and extending into the approach area, at a distance of 2,400 to 3,000 feet for precision instrument runways, and 1,400 to 1,500 feet for non-precision instrument runways. Some systems include sequenced flashing lights which appear to the pilot as a ball of light traveling towards the runway at high speed—nicknamed the rabbit.

Approach light systems deserve special attention twice during each flight. First is during your preflight preparation, when you can determine which system you’ll see for a particular runway. Here’s the ILS Runway 29R approach at Torrance, California. Notice the A-5 found in the briefing strip on the approach chart.

Now look in the supplement to find that A-5 represents a medium intensity approach lighting system, or M-A-L-S-R, with runway alignment indicator lights. The inverted dark coloring of the A5 symbol means the approach lights are pilot-controlled.

Approach lighting systems are critical during low ceiling and low visibility conditions when you must decide whether to continue to land or execute a missed approach. If when reaching the minimum descent altitude or decision altitude on the approach and you have the approach lights in sight, you are permitted to descend to 100 feet above the touchdown zone elevation published for the runway. When reaching 100 feet above the touchdown zone, you then must have the runway environment in sight (as specified in § 91.175) and verify the flight visibility is above the published minimums to continue the descent to landing.

If a NOTAM indicates part of the lighting system is out of service, refer to the inoperative components table to make adjustments to the landing minimums. Make it a point to check your destination against the inoperative components table each time you fly IFR to see if the airport has any lighting systems affected.

Remember, these approach lighting systems are an important part of your IFR training. When you arrive at an unfamiliar airport with reduced visibility, let your preflight preparation and knowledge of the various systems lead to quick orientation to the runway.

Now let’s take a look at the approach lighting systems you are likely to encounter and see what they may look like in a variety of weather conditions.

Approach Light Systems Simulator

Approach Lighting Systems Scenarios

Keeping One Step Ahead of ATC when flying IFR

June 24, 2025/in Techniques and Maneuvers, Technology and Tools/by Bret Koebbe

The two most useful benefits have been ADS-B datalink weather and a real-time traffic display in the cockpit, delivered by the network of ADS-B ground stations in the U.S. These free services are available to pilots of all aircraft types (even drones) thanks to the widespread availability of inexpensive, portable ADS-B receivers and rapid developments in mobile app and panel-mount avionics technology.

There is a lot more to gain from these NextGen services than just being able to see the location of thunderstorm cells on your iPad in flight, or noting the location of an airliner passing 10 miles in front of you. When used strategically you can use this information to gain additional insight into what’s going on in the airspace around you and make more informed decisions on each flight, giving you an edge when dealing with air traffic control.

Until recently we had no other choice but to rely on ATC and Flight Service as the primary source of information. How is the weather developing? Call the controller or a flight service specialist. Where is the traffic? Wait for ATC to inform you of a potential conflict. What is the best IFR route and which approach can I expect? ATC will tell you when it’s convenient for them.

These challenges and unknowns have always been a part of flying IFR, but with NextGen that’s starting to change. This new technology has eliminated many of these unknowns, providing pilots with the information needed to make more-informed decisions during every phase of flight, from preflight to shutdown.

Let’s start with the IFR route selection process. Gone are the days of making an educated guess on a route, only to have ATC respond with a full route clearance with intersections and airways. It now takes only a moment in ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot or FltPlan.com to enter a departure and destination airport and then see recently issued clearances to other aircraft flying the same route. They’re even sorted by altitude so you can find the option that best matches the performance of your airplane. File one of these routes and you’re almost guaranteed a “cleared as filed” from clearance delivery.

On that same topic, the need to “call” clearance delivery is no longer a requirement at all airports. Both ForeFlight and FltPlan.com offer GA pilots convenient access to the Pre-Departure Clearance system that the airlines have been using for years. After enrolling in this service, and when departing from one of over 70 approved airports in the U.S., your IFR clearance will be sent via email and text message 30 minutes before departure.

Currently, this works at airports served by airlines in busy Class B and C airspace where you’re also most likely to receive a complex IFR clearance. The textual clearance also includes a digital transcription of the current ATIS. With routine these tasks out of the way before you step foot in the airplane, you can devote 100% of your attention to programming the GPS and preparing for taxi instead of studying IFR charts and departure procedures searching for obscure waypoints and other gotchas.

After takeoff, you can use the datalink weather component of NextGen to stay ahead of ATC when flying near convective weather. Prior to ADS-B, you had to rely on the advice of ATC, Flight Watch and Flight Service to guide you around the storms and hold on tight if the ride got rough. Now you can easily identify thunderstorms, icing or turbulence threats hundreds of miles away and request to modify your route accordingly. The controllers prefer you handle weather avoidance in this manner as well with a predetermined route, as opposed to flying up to the weather and then making multiple heading requests.

On longer flights, the best time to start planning for the arrival and approach is when things are quiet during cruise and while several hundred miles from the destination. The problem is you may not be able to receive the ATIS at this range, so there’s no way to confirm which runway or instrument approach is in use to begin preparing for the approach. Don’t give up there – all it takes is a little detective work with the traffic layer in your mobile app to determine the active runway.

First, make sure you have an unrestricted or unfiltered traffic layer enabled on the moving map, zoom into the destination airport, and turn on the extended centerlines feature. Now keep an eye out for traffic approaching and descending towards the airport and you’ll be able to see which runway is in use. I used this trick when flying into Nashville recently and was able to determine they were using the ILS or RNAV Runway 20L approach and using runway 20C for departures. All of this was observed by tracking another airplane’s final approach course on the map while I was still 250 miles southeast of the airport.

You can use the nearby traffic depiction to expedite the issuance of a visual approach clearance too when flying into a busy towered airport. When the weather is VFR, it’s not uncommon to be vectored into a sequence behind multiple aircraft. The inefficiency occurs as ATC has to build in extra spacing between each airplane to ensure adequate separation, leading to time-consuming vectors. But here’s where your NextGen tools can help. After visually locating the airport, begin developing a mental picture of the preceding aircraft and try to find their location on the traffic display on your iPad. This should make it much easier to spot them visually, at which point you can let ATC know you have both airport and traffic in front and sight. If they’re on top of things, the controller can now clear you for the visual approach sooner since you have the airplane you’re following in sight.

This is just the beginning of what NextGen has to offer to make our flights more efficient and interactions with ATC more meaningful. The next 10 years will be even more exciting, as internet connectivity reaches the GA cockpit and ATC communications transition to digital messages. I’m personally looking forward to retiring the phrase “say again” and forgetting how to adjust squelch on analog radios.

Instrument Maneuver Spotlight: Approach Brief

June 23, 2025/in Techniques and Maneuvers/by Eric Radtke

Welcome to the latest edition of the Instrument Maneuver Spotlight series. Here we’ll highlight the various maneuvers you’ll practice during your instrument training and be expected to demonstrate during your checkride.

Before every instrument approach, a well-executed brief is essential for staying ahead of the airplane and ensuring a safe, stable arrival. This month’s spotlight focuses on the Approach Brief, a concise but structured review of critical approach elements including navigation, altitudes, and missed approach procedures. This briefing sets the tone for precision and preparedness in IMC.

Each maneuver is part of Sporty’s Instrument Rating Course and includes a narrated video animation, along with step-by-step instructions that include performance standards and common errors. Study them while on the ground or print them for quick reference in the airplane.

The flight maneuver is from Sporty’s Instrument Rating Course.

Practical IFR: “Cleared to Intercept?” A Common IFR Dilemma

June 17, 2025/in Approach and Arrival, Practical IFR, Techniques and Maneuvers/by Jeff Van West

Would You Intercept the Inbound Without a Clearance?

Fly IFR and you’ll run into this situation soon enough: You’re on a base-leg vector to the localizer or inbound course. A kickin’ tailwind has you screaming over the ground. The needle comes alive, and you know you need to start the turn now or you’ll overshoot. However, ATC seems to have forgotten you. Do you start the turn as you try to verify you’re cleared to intercept the inbound course? Or do you hold your heading while clamoring for the clearance, knowing you’ll blow through and need a new heading to re-intercept?

This is one of those places where there’s a right and wrong answer per the regs, but it’s not so cut-and-dry in the real world. By the book it’s simple: You have not been cleared for the approach, so turning off your heading is a violation of 14 CFR 91.123 unless you have good reason to suspect communications failure or it’s an emergency. By the book, you’re going to blow through that inbound course.

Breaking the Rules

In practice, we often exercise a bit more self-determination tempered by situational awareness.

There are really only two possibilities in this situation: One is that the controller got distracted and wants us to turn. The other is the situation has changed, the controller plans to vector us through the inbound course, and has forgotten to tell us that by saying something like, “Fly heading 360. Vectors across the localizer.”

Obviously, the best thing to do is ask, “Do you want us to join the course inbound?” If the frequency is jammed up, you can raise your virtual hand by pushing IDENT to get the controller’s attention. Hopefully, one of those will do the trick.

But it might not. My experience is that if the controller is busy with other aircraft, or if I’m at a remote airport where I know the little blip representing me is in the back 40 of the controller’s scope, they probably want me to start the turn. More often that not, that’s what I’ve done, usually with a call to confirm that was right if it’s a non-towered airport, or even a quick call to Tower requesting that they relay the information.

Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but I’ve never been reprimanded for this. Quite the contrary; I’ve been apologized to and thanked plenty of times.

Could I have gotten in trouble? Sure. This decision carries risk. Aviation is all about managing risk, however, so how does this situation fit in?

Step one is working to avoid the situation altogether. Masterful IFR requires maintaining a pervasive awareness of the situation. You should know you’re converging on the final course with a tailwind, so you can proactively ask ATC if you’re cleared to intercept the final approach course even though you aren’t close.

Suppose you see this situation brewing while still a ways out on the base leg and your moving map makes it clear that your downwind heading is more like a 45 that’s diminishing distance between you and the inbound course rapidly. You could preemptively request the final heading and clearance rather than waiting. “Portland Approach, Cirrus Two Fox Tango. Request heading 220 now and approach clearance.” We’re all people. Sometimes a simple request makes life easier for everyone.

This isn’t for everyone. The consequence of obeying the letter of the law and flying through the localizer is usually only wasted time. I wouldn’t fault anyone for just trucking along and waiting. But it’s still worth mentally preparing for this situation. If that missed turn inbound puts you on course to rising terrain or other traffic you can see via your avionics, you have a bit more justification for taking matters into your own hands. The last thing you want is for the controller to remember you because a low-altitude or traffic alert went off in the control room.

The Opposite Issue: Communicating Before Turning

Question for you: When ATC tells you, “… left turn 130,” what’s the first thing you do?

Most people key the mic and parrot back the heading. Personally, I prefer to swing the heading bug and start the turn. I have two reasons.

The primary one is I can see if that turn makes sense to me before I accept it. If a left turn to 130 is a 280-degree turn, maybe ATC meant right, or maybe I misheard 130. Instead of accepting, I can ask for verification when I key up.

The second reason is to prevent spitting back a heading—and then forgetting to actually start the turn because I was in the middle of some other task when it came in. (Not that I’ve, um, ever done that or seen anyone else do it.) Even though ATC is waiting on your response, it only takes 2-3 extra seconds before you reply. Even New York controllers have that much patience. Well, usually.