The Go/No-Go Decision Isn’t Binary

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“Do I fly or not?” It’s a question that may seem simple in the comfort of your living room couch, but in truth, it’s rarely a single, definitive moment. Weather changes. Equipment issues appear. Fatigue creeps in. By the time you reach your destination, you’ve already made dozens of go/no-go decisions. Some of those may have been conscious decisions, but some are instinctive.

Webinar Video: Instrument Approach Decision-Making—IFR Mastery

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In this live PilotWorkshops IFR Mastery webinar, the PilotWorkshops team will walk pilots through a realistic, thought-provoking scenario from the IFR Mastery series. You’ll be placed in the cockpit of a Beechcraft Bonanza and faced with a critical decision: how to enter and execute an instrument approach into Wichita Falls, Texas, with low ceilings and strong winds complicating the picture.

Approach Lighting Systems: Scenarios for Instrument Pilots

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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.

IFR Decision-Making Under Pressure: When “Go” Becomes the Wrong Answer

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We often talk about IFR decision-making and go/no-go calls in comfortable environments, classrooms, safety seminars, or sitting in an FBO with a cup of coffee. In those settings, the decisions are clean. Detached. The weather is hypothetical. The passengers are imaginary. There is no fatigue, no operational pressure, no schedule waiting in the background. From that distance, the “right” answer is usually obvious.

Webinar Video: Using a Home Simulator for IFR Training and Proficiency

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Home flight simulators have come a long way, and for instrument pilots they’ve become a legitimate tool for both training and staying sharp between flights. From procedure practice to scenario-based decision making, today’s simulators can meaningfully support IFR proficiency—when they’re set up and used the right way. Sporty’s webinar video dives into exactly how to do that.

Practical IFR: Decision Time

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Some decisions don’t allow the luxury of contemplation. Every instrument pilot knows at least one of these decisions in the depths of his or her cloud-flying bones: the missed approach. Making a decision while still descending and a mere 200 feet above the ground (lower for Cat II+) only works because the decision is binary. You see the expected environment and continue—or you don’t and you climb away.

Video Tip: Entering a Hold with ForeFlight Hold Advisor

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If weather or an ATC delay requires you to fly a holding pattern, you can use ForeFlight’s Hold Advisor feature to add the details of the hold to the flight plan. If you receive a clearance to hold at a waypoint currently entered in your flight plan, tap that waypoint ID in the Route Editor and select the Hold function.

February is IFR month at Sporty’s

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Sporty’s is celebrating IFR Month this February with special savings, expert guidance, and a full lineup of IFR webinars, articles, videos, and quizzes. From training and proficiency tips to limited-time deals on IFR courses and gear, it’s all about helping pilots get current and fly with more confidence.

Sim Challenge: The Lowdown (IFR)

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In this month's challenge, a short winter flight in Vermont from Rutland (KRUT) to Burlington (KBTV) packs in an IFR procedures workout. It’s also a first-hand look at what cold temperatures can do to your altimeter (and what to do about it).

Instrument Maneuver Spotlight: Intercepting and Tracking GPS Courses

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Whether you’re joining an airway, flying a feeder route, or correcting for wind en route to the next fix, this maneuver sits at the heart of modern IFR flying. In this spotlight, we’ll break down how to properly set up the GPS, select and intercept the desired course, manage intercept angles, and smoothly transition from interception to accurate course tracking—while staying well within standards.