Electronic Flight Bags—Legal Briefing

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For instrument-rated pilots, an iPad or other electronic flight bag (EFB) isn’t just a convenience—it’s a fully legal replacement for paper charts in most Part 91 operations. Staying current with the FAA’s rules and guidance is an important part of maintaining IFR proficiency, and understanding the legal framework helps you use your digital tools confidently.

Instrument Maneuver Spotlight: Radar Vectored Instument Approach

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When ATC takes control of your headings and altitudes, precision and anticipation are key. In this spotlight, we’ll cover how to fly an instrument approach using radar vectors from ATC—maintaining communication discipline, staying ahead of the airplane, and managing configuration and speed changes.

Practical IFR: Don’t Disable. Revert!

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What should you do when the autopilot fails to capture the glideslope or turns right when you expected left? You should disengage the autopilot and hand-fly, right? Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Think about this objectively for a moment. Right at a critical moment in the approach, you’ve been hit with a surprise, so you double your workload by throwing out one of your best IFR tools. You do it right when a precise flying action is required.

Quiz: Preflight Planning an IFR Flight

There are many details to consider when planning a flight under Instrument Flight Rules. Mix in some inclement weather, and the workload increases exponentially. Answer all these questions correctly and prove you have the keys to unlock a successful IFR flight.

Ask an IFR Expert: LPV vs. ILS—Which Should You Fly in Low Weather?

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I see more and more approaches labeled LPV in the GPS database, but I’ve heard pilots talk about them as ‘GPS ILS equivalents.’ What exactly is an LPV approach, how is it different from an ILS, and why should I care as an instrument pilot?

Video Tip: How to Fly an LPV Approach with a Garmin GTN 650

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For many IFR pilots today, flying a GPS approach is second nature. Among the most capable options is the LPV approach, which offers ILS-like lateral and vertical guidance—but with far wider availability. Thanks to WAAS-enabled GPS, pilots can fly precision-style approaches at thousands of airports that don’t have an ILS installed.