It looks like a glideslope. The needle comes alive and the airplane settles into a smooth, stabilized descent toward the runway. If you’ve flown an ILS or LPV recently, the picture is familiar. But on an RNAV (GPS) approach with LNAV or LP minimums, that glidepath can be lying to you.
A recent Garmin service alert highlighted a growing concern: pilots are following advisory vertical guidance—displayed as “+V”—as if it were approved vertical guidance, sometimes descending below minimums in the process. It’s an easy mistake to make. After all, the system behaves exactly like the real thing.
What +V Really Means
On WAAS-equipped GPS units, many non-precision approaches (like LNAV or LP) will display LNAV+V or LP+V. That “+V” indicates advisory vertical guidance—an internally generated glidepath to the runway. It’s designed to help you fly a continuous descent final approach—a safer, more stabilized alternative to the old “dive and drive” technique. That’s the good news.
Here’s the important part: advisory means exactly that.
It does not change the type of approach
It does not lower minimums
It does not guarantee compliance with step-down altitude restrictions
It does not provide obstacle clearance below MDA
It’s simply guidance to help you descend smoothly, but not a guarantee that you’re safe to follow it to the runway. Pilots get tricked because it looks and feels just like a glideslope with the same needle and descent profile. That familiarity is exactly what creates the risk. And when the autopilot captures a glidepath, there’s a natural tendency to trust it. The airplane is doing something that feels precise and intentional. But Garmin makes this explicit in their alert: the autopilot will happily follow that path right through the MDA. It will not level off for you.
Shifting Your Scan
On a non-precision approach, altitude is everything. Stepdown fixes, crossing restrictions, and especially MDA require constant attention to the altimeter. But once pilots lock onto a glidepath, the scan often shifts to much less attention on the altimeter and more on that glideslope needle. That’s the trap. You’ve just traded a hard limit altitude (MDA) for a suggested glidepath and may miss step-down altitude restrictions or the MDA in the process.
Trap: Busting step-down altitudes and obstacle clearance
The advisory vertical guidance will not always keep you at or above the altitude for step-down fixes between the final approach fix (FAF) and missed approach point (MAP). You still need to level off at these to maintain adequate obstacle clearance.
No matter what the avionics are showing, one rule doesn’t change: the altimeter is your primary reference and not the glidepath. Advisory vertical guidance can take you to minimums, but it cannot take you below them.
To descend below MDA, you still must comply with 14 CFR 91.175:
Required visual references in sight
A normal descent to landing can be made
Flight visibility requirements are met
Without those, the correct move at MDA is to level off or go missed.
Advisory glidelope is still valuable
Advisory vertical guidance is a valuable tool and incredibly useful. It has made non-precision approaches safer and easier to fly. It encourages stabilized descents, reduces workload, and helps prevent classic “dive and drive” errors. But it also introduces this new type of risk.
When something looks exactly like a precision approach, it’s easy to start flying it like one. Never forget what kind of approach you’re actually flying.
Simple call-outs can reinforce the habit:
“Approaching minimums”
“Minimums—leveling”
Quick Poll
https://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/19122054/Why-Advisory-Glideslope-V-Can-Get-You-in-Trouble.png10001250Eric Radtkehttps://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14115136/IFR-Focus-Logo_White_Blue_Web-01.pngEric Radtke2026-03-31 08:55:532026-04-02 09:06:24Why Advisory Glideslope +V Can Get You in Trouble
How well do you really know your instrument flying procedures? Here are 5 of the newest FAA-style questions, recently added to Sporty’s comprehensive online Instrument Rating Course. They’re designed to make you think like an IFR pilot—whether you’re prepping for a rating or just keeping your skills sharp.
What distinguishes an obstacle departure procedure (ODP) from a standard instrument departure (SID) when planning a Departure Procedure (DP)?
Correct!Wrong!
If a pilot unexpectedly enters icing conditions, what is the best course of action regardless of the aircraft's anti-ice capabilities?
Correct!Wrong!
(Refer to the figure) The UMANE intersection at CQX is a
Correct!Wrong!
(Refer to the figure) What would be the most appropriate entry for holding when going missed during the ILS or LOC RWY 11 approach at GJT?
Correct!Wrong!
(Refer to the figure) Which one of these signs identifies the ILS critical area holding position?
https://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/18124616/Instrument-Challenge-Try-These-New-FAA-Questions.png10001250Eric Radtkehttps://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14115136/IFR-Focus-Logo_White_Blue_Web-01.pngEric Radtke2026-03-25 08:55:442026-03-25 09:28:22Try These New FAA Questions
Welcome to the latest edition of the Instrument Maneuver Spotlight series. In each installment, we focus on a specific maneuver you’ll practice during instrument training—and one you’ll be expected to demonstrate confidently on your checkride.
Few IFR skills are as foundational as intercepting and tracking a VOR radial. Whether you’re joining an airway, flying direct, or correcting for wind en route to the next fix, this maneuver is at the core of traditional IFR navigation. In this spotlight, we’ll break down how to properly tune and identify the VOR, set the desired radial, choose an appropriate intercept angle, and smoothly transition to accurate tracking—while staying well within instrument standards.
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.
https://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/09120325/vor-radial-tracking-and-intercepting.png10001250IFR Focus Teamhttps://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14115136/IFR-Focus-Logo_White_Blue_Web-01.pngIFR Focus Team2026-03-20 08:55:572026-03-19 12:33:25Instrument Maneuver Spotlight: Intercepting and Tracking VOR Radials
“Descend and maintain” is such a staple of IFR communications it might as well be a single word. Yet there are times when that’s the last thing you want to do. Maybe those clouds are bumpy and you have the family on board. Maybe they’re icy and you need to minimize your exposure. Maybe you just like the tailwinds where you are and want to keep them for as long as possible before you absolutely must descend to land.
For whatever reason, you don’t want to descend only to level off at some intermediate point. You want to descend later, or uninterrupted to a point below the area of concern.
It Never Hurts To Ask
Sometimes, ATC volunteers this kind of freedom with a clearance of, “… descend at pilot’s discretion, maintain 3000.” You hear this more often in the sparely populated spaces. However, you can certainly ask for the freedom. If ATC issues a descent you’d like to delay, reply with:
“Request descent at pilot’s discretion.”
You may get a crossing restriction, such as, “… descend at pilot’s discretion to 3000. Cross FIXIE at 3000.” If that works for you, terrific. If not, it’s time to negotiate.
Keep your request as clear as possible because you’re asking for something out of the ordinary.
“Approach, we’d like to remain at 6000 until we can get an uninterrupted descent to 2000 to minimize our time in the turbulent/icy/scary/icky (circle one) clouds.”
Be prepared to offer something in return. “We can accept vectors off course if that helps. Thanks.” Remember that altitude changes have three primary purposes in the controller’s mind: To keep aircraft separated, to give you a reasonable transition onto the approach at your destination, and to meet local airspace procedures as to who controls which aircraft in which blocks of sky.
You and the controller may need to get creative to meet everyone’s needs. Freedom to not descend may cost you some time in a weird side vector. You may have to give in order to get.
Of course, if the situation warrants it, you can always use the E-word and get any altitude you need, but we’re trying to keep this low-key. Remember, the family is in the back.
There are a couple of other tools that we often forget about that can be helpful here. Asking for pilot’s discretion obviously works, but you can’t go back up once you vacate an altitude.
Quick Poll
Let’s say you’re really not sure about those clouds 500 feet below you. Will they have ice in them or not? Getting a block altitude might be just what you need. If you were at 6000, you might request, “… 6000 block 4000 for about 10 miles …”
Once approved, you own all altitudes from 6000 down to 4000 and back up. Now you could dip your toe into the troubled altitude and see if it’s likely to be an issue. If not, great; you can convert your block altitude back into a solid IFR altitude and continue. If there is an issue, you can retreat back to 6000 and plan your next move.
The other tool is a cruise clearance. You won’t get one coming into White Plains, New York, but you can get them at low-traffic areas or hours. The beauty of the cruise clearance is that it is pilot’s discretion all the way to the pavement. If you request, “… cruise 6000,” and it’s approved, you can stay at 6000 as long as you want, even as you get established on a published approach.
You can go as low as the MEA or published minimum for any segment of the approach—and that’s any approach you want. You could even cruise to a point in the clear on a published route and then request a contact approach to stay out of the clouds to make it to the airport visually.
That’s the beauty of knowing what to ask for. Sometimes ATC couldn’t care less what altitude you fly, while for you it makes all the difference.
Video: Discretion on Descents
Going Up Funny: Shuttle Climbs
Sometimes you want to climb in a specific way or over a specific place. When I lived in Seattle, we had a local procedure called a shuttle climb. The issue was that climbing eastbound over the rising terrain toward the mountains in winter might turn you into a flying Slurpee.
The solution was requesting a “Shuttle climb over Puget Sound.” This was a series of vectors, first north, then south, then back north again, and so on, until you broke out on top or felt comfortable turning east.
It was common to find no ice at all, or just a trace of rime, climbing over the Sound even when there were PIREPs of ice by the hills. You also had low, warmer terrain below in case you did find ice and had to turn tail back home.
https://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/09101920/practical-ifr-uninterrupted-descents.png10001250Jeff Van Westhttps://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14115136/IFR-Focus-Logo_White_Blue_Web-01.pngJeff Van West2026-03-17 08:55:212026-03-18 16:20:09Practical IFR: Behold the Power of Uninterrupted Descents
Modern IFR flying relies heavily on GPS, but that doesn’t mean the fundamentals of IFR navigation have gone away. Between GPS NOTAMs, legacy ground-based navaids, and the occasional victor airway clearance, instrument pilots still need a solid understanding of how the entire navigation system works.
This quiz explores some of the common (and sometimes confusing) questions that come up when flying IFR today. From GPS reliability NOTAMs to VOR operations and alternate navigation requirements, see how well you understand the rules and procedures that keep you on course in the IFR system.
Does your airplane need to have an alternate means of navigation installed when flying IFR with a non-WAAS GPS as the primary means of navigation?
Correct!Wrong!
While planning an IFR flight, you come across a GPS NOTAM for intentional GPS interference testing along your route of flight. Are you able to legally depart and use GPS as your primary means of navigation for the flight?
Correct!Wrong!
While reviewing NOTAMs before a flight you notice that GPS operations are NOTAM'd as UNRELIABLE or MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE for your route of flight. How should you proceed?
Correct!Wrong!
What is meant when departure control instructs you to 'resume own navigation' after you have been vectored to a Victor airway?
Correct!Wrong!
Are hand-held GPS receivers approved for IFR navigation?
Correct!Wrong!
During your preflight briefing you notice there is a NOTAM for GPS interference testing in the vicinity of the destination airport. If you experience GPS anomalies while setting up for an RNAV/GPS approach at the destination, you should:
Correct!Wrong!
What indication should a pilot receive when a VOR station is undergoing maintenance and may be considered unreliable?
Correct!Wrong!
When can you operate an airplane below the MEA on a published airway route segment?
Correct!Wrong!
You are planning an IFR flight in an airplane with a panel-mounted GPS receiver. What verification must be accomplished before this flight takes place?
Correct!Wrong!
(Refer to figure 234) You are currently crossing ESACO inbound on the LOC 18 approach with a single navigation radio, and the glide slope is inoperative. Which MDA must you use if you plan to fly the approach at 90 knots?
Once in a while, it happens. An experienced instrument pilot, flying a high-performance airplane with multiple moving maps, ends a trip with an airspace violation. How could that have happened? The flight had been under IFR, so airspace doesn’t matter…until it does. It might not apply directly to every phase of flight when you’re in the system, but we move around quickly up there; it takes mere seconds to be in the wrong place. That’s why good situational awareness, a key element of safe IFR flight, includes airspace awareness.
It Gets Busy
One of the biggest gotchas is a matter of chart design. Beneath and around every complex Class B hub, there are all flavors of airspace crammed in there—but you wouldn’t know it by the IFR en route charts. For example, look at Chicagoland. There are no color-coded rings or symbology to easily see that Chicago Executive (KPWK) is a Class D field with a control tower, where radio communications must be established. Moreover, the chart conceals its western and southeastern edges, joining the Class B floors (which differ on either side).
On the en route chart, there are no color-coded rings or symbology to easily see that Chicago Executive (KPWK) is a Class D field.
So what? You’re IFR, so all that’s worked in. True, but you’re much better off knowing what’s around you. If using Runway 16 at KPWK, the missed approach requires a low climb to the left, and departures include a similar low-turn departure instruction. Those are designed specifically to keep you outside the Bravo, and it’s up to you to fly those paths precisely. A delay in the initial turn could result in an airspace breach. How much of a delay? Layering on the airspace borders will show you just how tightly PWK airspace is tucked in there.
Now look to the north of Chicago and find Waukegan and Kenosha. Those are also Class Deltas, stepping stones along a traffic-laden corridor running up the Lake Michigan shoreline. To reveal their true nature, swap to the VFR sectional and see how close the airspaces are. This is a hot spot for both IFR and VFR violations, because aircraft on visual approaches to KENW’s 33 and KUGN’s 14 have maneuvered for long finals and entered the neighboring Delta without communication or coordination.
The airspace around Waukegan and Kenosha is a hot spot for both IFR and VFR violations.
Such airport pairings are all over the place, especially under and around Class Bs. Using instrument approach final legs or GPS visual procedures are common tools to fly stabilized approaches, but can potentially cause inadvertent airspace entries. And since visual approaches don’t have missed approach procedures, you’re on your own for navigating for traffic, obstacles, and airspace.
Vectoring can’t always save you either. Small, low-level TFRs can pop up outside ATC’s jurisdiction but on your intended route. Special Use Airspace, such as TFRs—especially those associated with sports venues and stadiums—are often not on ATC’s radar, so to speak.
The Uncontrolled Spaces
It’s common practice to wait until after landing to cancel. This offers less distraction on approach and keeps that protective IFR bubble all the way to the ground—most of the time.
But there can be situations when canceling in the air is a safe option. Take a clear day full of VFR traffic out enjoying the sunshine. You’ve descended in preparation for approach and might need to maneuver laterally or climb/descend to avoid traffic. You won’t have as much flexibility to make quick adjustments while IFR, and Minimum Vectoring Altitudes limit how low ATC can follow you.
Or, on an “IFR” day, VFR traffic can still be flying around in Class G. Remember G? That’s uncontrolled airspace, so ATC can’t assist you—much less hear or see you. While not the safest thing to do, VFR aircraft can legally fly in 1 mile visibility while remaining clear of clouds, and they’re most often found going around the traffic pattern.
Class G airports with IFR approaches have lower Class E layers for some protection; VFR requires three miles’ visibility while at least 500 feet below the clouds. But that’s pretty minimal weather to see in, so if you don’t pay attention to E and G, surprise traffic encounters could be in store.
Not So Fast
For those of you flying faster—like a twin or single turboprop—are you up on speed limits? Yep, that’s airspace-dependent too. See 14 CFR §91.117. That list of rules includes not exceeding 200 knots “at or below 2,500 feet above the surface within 4 nautical miles of the primary airport of a Class C or Class D airspace area…” unless otherwise cleared. The same limit applies to airspace “underlying a Class B airspace area designated for an airport or in a VFR corridor designated through such a Class B airspace area,” while the general limit is 250 knots within a Class B.
Knowing the airspace you’re in and near also keeps you prepared should something else require your attention. Got a “Low Fuel” or “Low Voltage” light? Time to divert and request an amended clearance. True, ATC will provide any information you need, including frequencies. But if you have airspace awareness, you can quickly think ahead and cut down on the radio exchanges, especially when it’s busy.
You can more easily anticipate your workflow, like a handoff to a tower or a change to advisory, often paired with terminating radar services. All good to know.
If it’s not an abnormal situation or emergency, but you want to change the destination, the biggest airspaces aren’t always the best if you want to save fuel on approach or spare yourself a long taxi to parking. Better yet, if you already knew that a nice Class D airport is just a few miles behind you, you can set up quickly and reserve the radio calls for more essential functions.
Worst case, that low voltage causes a comm outage and you’re on your own. So whether all’s well or not, knowing the airspace along the route gives you the full picture.
There are plenty of resources to review the alphabet soup of airspace, so that’s the easy part. It is easy to get rusty on things we don’t use often, so treat airspace awareness as part of PIC duties and responsibilities. It’s like knowing how to fly a full procedure on an approach chart, even if you’re not using the course reversal or missed approach.
Along with thorough route planning, there are some in-flight tools to enhance airspace awareness:
EFB users can layer chart features to help de-clutter unneeded items while making airspace information available with a couple of quick taps. You can also use a secondary screen (portable or on the panel) to refer to a VFR sectional.
Stay ahead of the moving map, just like you stay ahead of the airplane. If you’re surprised when the navigator alerts you with a flashing notification of airspace ahead, you’ve missed something. That’ll help avoid problems if you must change routing, get distracted by a malfunction, or simply miss a message on the screen.
If you “always fly IFR,” that’s great. But most of the time, you’re interacting with airspace along with any traffic flying VFR – best to know where it could be, where you are, and most definitely where you’re going.
https://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/05104756/airspace-who-cares.png10001250Elaine Kauhhttps://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14115136/IFR-Focus-Logo_White_Blue_Web-01.pngElaine Kauh2026-03-10 08:55:092026-03-11 16:19:55Airspace: Who Cares?
Why Advisory Glideslope +V Can Get You in Trouble
/by Eric RadtkeIt looks like a glideslope. The needle comes alive and the airplane settles into a smooth, stabilized descent toward the runway. If you’ve flown an ILS or LPV recently, the picture is familiar. But on an RNAV (GPS) approach with LNAV or LP minimums, that glidepath can be lying to you.
A recent Garmin service alert highlighted a growing concern: pilots are following advisory vertical guidance—displayed as “+V”—as if it were approved vertical guidance, sometimes descending below minimums in the process. It’s an easy mistake to make. After all, the system behaves exactly like the real thing.
What +V Really Means
Here’s the important part: advisory means exactly that.
It’s simply guidance to help you descend smoothly, but not a guarantee that you’re safe to follow it to the runway. Pilots get tricked because it looks and feels just like a glideslope with the same needle and descent profile. That familiarity is exactly what creates the risk. And when the autopilot captures a glidepath, there’s a natural tendency to trust it. The airplane is doing something that feels precise and intentional. But Garmin makes this explicit in their alert: the autopilot will happily follow that path right through the MDA. It will not level off for you.
Shifting Your Scan
On a non-precision approach, altitude is everything. Stepdown fixes, crossing restrictions, and especially MDA require constant attention to the altimeter. But once pilots lock onto a glidepath, the scan often shifts to much less attention on the altimeter and more on that glideslope needle. That’s the trap. You’ve just traded a hard limit altitude (MDA) for a suggested glidepath and may miss step-down altitude restrictions or the MDA in the process.
The advisory vertical guidance will not always keep you at or above the altitude for step-down fixes between the final approach fix (FAF) and missed approach point (MAP). You still need to level off at these to maintain adequate obstacle clearance.
To descend below MDA, you still must comply with 14 CFR 91.175:
Without those, the correct move at MDA is to level off or go missed.
Advisory glidelope is still valuable
Advisory vertical guidance is a valuable tool and incredibly useful. It has made non-precision approaches safer and easier to fly. It encourages stabilized descents, reduces workload, and helps prevent classic “dive and drive” errors. But it also introduces this new type of risk.
When something looks exactly like a precision approach, it’s easy to start flying it like one. Never forget what kind of approach you’re actually flying.
Simple call-outs can reinforce the habit:
Quick Poll
Try These New FAA Questions
/by Eric RadtkeHow well do you really know your instrument flying procedures? Here are 5 of the newest FAA-style questions, recently added to Sporty’s comprehensive online Instrument Rating Course. They’re designed to make you think like an IFR pilot—whether you’re prepping for a rating or just keeping your skills sharp.
Share the quiz to show your results !
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Share your results :
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Instrument Maneuver Spotlight: Intercepting and Tracking VOR Radials
/by IFR Focus TeamWelcome to the latest edition of the Instrument Maneuver Spotlight series. In each installment, we focus on a specific maneuver you’ll practice during instrument training—and one you’ll be expected to demonstrate confidently on your checkride.
Few IFR skills are as foundational as intercepting and tracking a VOR radial. Whether you’re joining an airway, flying direct, or correcting for wind en route to the next fix, this maneuver is at the core of traditional IFR navigation. In this spotlight, we’ll break down how to properly tune and identify the VOR, set the desired radial, choose an appropriate intercept angle, and smoothly transition to accurate tracking—while staying well within instrument standards.
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.
Practical IFR: Behold the Power of Uninterrupted Descents
/by Jeff Van West“Descend and maintain” is such a staple of IFR communications it might as well be a single word. Yet there are times when that’s the last thing you want to do. Maybe those clouds are bumpy and you have the family on board. Maybe they’re icy and you need to minimize your exposure. Maybe you just like the tailwinds where you are and want to keep them for as long as possible before you absolutely must descend to land.
For whatever reason, you don’t want to descend only to level off at some intermediate point. You want to descend later, or uninterrupted to a point below the area of concern.
It Never Hurts To Ask
Sometimes, ATC volunteers this kind of freedom with a clearance of, “… descend at pilot’s discretion, maintain 3000.” You hear this more often in the sparely populated spaces. However, you can certainly ask for the freedom. If ATC issues a descent you’d like to delay, reply with:
“Request descent at pilot’s discretion.”
You may get a crossing restriction, such as, “… descend at pilot’s discretion to 3000. Cross FIXIE at 3000.” If that works for you, terrific. If not, it’s time to negotiate.
Keep your request as clear as possible because you’re asking for something out of the ordinary.
“Approach, we’d like to remain at 6000 until we can get an uninterrupted descent to 2000 to minimize our time in the turbulent/icy/scary/icky (circle one) clouds.”
Be prepared to offer something in return. “We can accept vectors off course if that helps. Thanks.” Remember that altitude changes have three primary purposes in the controller’s mind: To keep aircraft separated, to give you a reasonable transition onto the approach at your destination, and to meet local airspace procedures as to who controls which aircraft in which blocks of sky.
You and the controller may need to get creative to meet everyone’s needs. Freedom to not descend may cost you some time in a weird side vector. You may have to give in order to get.
Of course, if the situation warrants it, you can always use the E-word and get any altitude you need, but we’re trying to keep this low-key. Remember, the family is in the back.
There are a couple of other tools that we often forget about that can be helpful here. Asking for pilot’s discretion obviously works, but you can’t go back up once you vacate an altitude.
Quick Poll
Let’s say you’re really not sure about those clouds 500 feet below you. Will they have ice in them or not? Getting a block altitude might be just what you need. If you were at 6000, you might request, “… 6000 block 4000 for about 10 miles …”
Once approved, you own all altitudes from 6000 down to 4000 and back up. Now you could dip your toe into the troubled altitude and see if it’s likely to be an issue. If not, great; you can convert your block altitude back into a solid IFR altitude and continue. If there is an issue, you can retreat back to 6000 and plan your next move.
The other tool is a cruise clearance. You won’t get one coming into White Plains, New York, but you can get them at low-traffic areas or hours. The beauty of the cruise clearance is that it is pilot’s discretion all the way to the pavement. If you request, “… cruise 6000,” and it’s approved, you can stay at 6000 as long as you want, even as you get established on a published approach.
You can go as low as the MEA or published minimum for any segment of the approach—and that’s any approach you want. You could even cruise to a point in the clear on a published route and then request a contact approach to stay out of the clouds to make it to the airport visually.
That’s the beauty of knowing what to ask for. Sometimes ATC couldn’t care less what altitude you fly, while for you it makes all the difference.
Video: Discretion on Descents
Going Up Funny: Shuttle Climbs
Sometimes you want to climb in a specific way or over a specific place. When I lived in Seattle, we had a local procedure called a shuttle climb. The issue was that climbing eastbound over the rising terrain toward the mountains in winter might turn you into a flying Slurpee.
The solution was requesting a “Shuttle climb over Puget Sound.” This was a series of vectors, first north, then south, then back north again, and so on, until you broke out on top or felt comfortable turning east.
It was common to find no ice at all, or just a trace of rime, climbing over the Sound even when there were PIREPs of ice by the hills. You also had low, warmer terrain below in case you did find ice and had to turn tail back home.
Quiz: IFR Navigation
/by IFR Focus TeamModern IFR flying relies heavily on GPS, but that doesn’t mean the fundamentals of IFR navigation have gone away. Between GPS NOTAMs, legacy ground-based navaids, and the occasional victor airway clearance, instrument pilots still need a solid understanding of how the entire navigation system works.
This quiz explores some of the common (and sometimes confusing) questions that come up when flying IFR today. From GPS reliability NOTAMs to VOR operations and alternate navigation requirements, see how well you understand the rules and procedures that keep you on course in the IFR system.
Share the quiz to show your results !
Facebook
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Share your results :
Facebook
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Airspace: Who Cares?
/by Elaine KauhOnce in a while, it happens. An experienced instrument pilot, flying a high-performance airplane with multiple moving maps, ends a trip with an airspace violation. How could that have happened? The flight had been under IFR, so airspace doesn’t matter…until it does. It might not apply directly to every phase of flight when you’re in the system, but we move around quickly up there; it takes mere seconds to be in the wrong place. That’s why good situational awareness, a key element of safe IFR flight, includes airspace awareness.
It Gets Busy
One of the biggest gotchas is a matter of chart design. Beneath and around every complex Class B hub, there are all flavors of airspace crammed in there—but you wouldn’t know it by the IFR en route charts. For example, look at Chicagoland. There are no color-coded rings or symbology to easily see that Chicago Executive (KPWK) is a Class D field with a control tower, where radio communications must be established. Moreover, the chart conceals its western and southeastern edges, joining the Class B floors (which differ on either side).
On the en route chart, there are no color-coded rings or symbology to easily see that Chicago Executive (KPWK) is a Class D field.
So what? You’re IFR, so all that’s worked in. True, but you’re much better off knowing what’s around you. If using Runway 16 at KPWK, the missed approach requires a low climb to the left, and departures include a similar low-turn departure instruction. Those are designed specifically to keep you outside the Bravo, and it’s up to you to fly those paths precisely. A delay in the initial turn could result in an airspace breach. How much of a delay? Layering on the airspace borders will show you just how tightly PWK airspace is tucked in there.
Now look to the north of Chicago and find Waukegan and Kenosha. Those are also Class Deltas, stepping stones along a traffic-laden corridor running up the Lake Michigan shoreline. To reveal their true nature, swap to the VFR sectional and see how close the airspaces are. This is a hot spot for both IFR and VFR violations, because aircraft on visual approaches to KENW’s 33 and KUGN’s 14 have maneuvered for long finals and entered the neighboring Delta without communication or coordination.
The airspace around Waukegan and Kenosha is a hot spot for both IFR and VFR violations.
Such airport pairings are all over the place, especially under and around Class Bs. Using instrument approach final legs or GPS visual procedures are common tools to fly stabilized approaches, but can potentially cause inadvertent airspace entries. And since visual approaches don’t have missed approach procedures, you’re on your own for navigating for traffic, obstacles, and airspace.
Vectoring can’t always save you either. Small, low-level TFRs can pop up outside ATC’s jurisdiction but on your intended route. Special Use Airspace, such as TFRs—especially those associated with sports venues and stadiums—are often not on ATC’s radar, so to speak.
The Uncontrolled Spaces
It’s common practice to wait until after landing to cancel. This offers less distraction on approach and keeps that protective IFR bubble all the way to the ground—most of the time.
But there can be situations when canceling in the air is a safe option. Take a clear day full of VFR traffic out enjoying the sunshine. You’ve descended in preparation for approach and might need to maneuver laterally or climb/descend to avoid traffic. You won’t have as much flexibility to make quick adjustments while IFR, and Minimum Vectoring Altitudes limit how low ATC can follow you.
Or, on an “IFR” day, VFR traffic can still be flying around in Class G. Remember G? That’s uncontrolled airspace, so ATC can’t assist you—much less hear or see you. While not the safest thing to do, VFR aircraft can legally fly in 1 mile visibility while remaining clear of clouds, and they’re most often found going around the traffic pattern.
Class G airports with IFR approaches have lower Class E layers for some protection; VFR requires three miles’ visibility while at least 500 feet below the clouds. But that’s pretty minimal weather to see in, so if you don’t pay attention to E and G, surprise traffic encounters could be in store.
Not So Fast
For those of you flying faster—like a twin or single turboprop—are you up on speed limits? Yep, that’s airspace-dependent too. See 14 CFR §91.117. That list of rules includes not exceeding 200 knots “at or below 2,500 feet above the surface within 4 nautical miles of the primary airport of a Class C or Class D airspace area…” unless otherwise cleared. The same limit applies to airspace “underlying a Class B airspace area designated for an airport or in a VFR corridor designated through such a Class B airspace area,” while the general limit is 250 knots within a Class B.
Knowing the airspace you’re in and near also keeps you prepared should something else require your attention. Got a “Low Fuel” or “Low Voltage” light? Time to divert and request an amended clearance. True, ATC will provide any information you need, including frequencies. But if you have airspace awareness, you can quickly think ahead and cut down on the radio exchanges, especially when it’s busy.
You can more easily anticipate your workflow, like a handoff to a tower or a change to advisory, often paired with terminating radar services. All good to know.
If it’s not an abnormal situation or emergency, but you want to change the destination, the biggest airspaces aren’t always the best if you want to save fuel on approach or spare yourself a long taxi to parking. Better yet, if you already knew that a nice Class D airport is just a few miles behind you, you can set up quickly and reserve the radio calls for more essential functions.
Worst case, that low voltage causes a comm outage and you’re on your own. So whether all’s well or not, knowing the airspace along the route gives you the full picture.
There are plenty of resources to review the alphabet soup of airspace, so that’s the easy part. It is easy to get rusty on things we don’t use often, so treat airspace awareness as part of PIC duties and responsibilities. It’s like knowing how to fly a full procedure on an approach chart, even if you’re not using the course reversal or missed approach.
Along with thorough route planning, there are some in-flight tools to enhance airspace awareness:
EFB users can layer chart features to help de-clutter unneeded items while making airspace information available with a couple of quick taps. You can also use a secondary screen (portable or on the panel) to refer to a VFR sectional.
Stay ahead of the moving map, just like you stay ahead of the airplane. If you’re surprised when the navigator alerts you with a flashing notification of airspace ahead, you’ve missed something. That’ll help avoid problems if you must change routing, get distracted by a malfunction, or simply miss a message on the screen.
If you “always fly IFR,” that’s great. But most of the time, you’re interacting with airspace along with any traffic flying VFR – best to know where it could be, where you are, and most definitely where you’re going.