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Quiz: Flying with ADS-B Weather and Your iPad

September 5, 2025/by IFR Focus Team

The free datalink weather component of the ADS-B network has become a necessity for IFR pilots flying with portable ADS-B receivers. Test your knowledge of the system components and limitations in this latest quiz.

Decisions on the Fly

September 2, 2025/by Elaine Kauh

If you’ve ever had to change your route to get around cloud-borne hazards like storms or ice, you know how crucial it is to have two requirements met: a solid escape plan, and the ability to fly it. Most days, it’s a simple change in course or altitude to stay in the clear. If conditions were sketchy enough, we certainly have the option to delay or reschedule the mission. But there are plenty of times when weather does shift in unpredictable ways and there you are at altitude, looking for a clear spot to head to. That’s when having a selection of tools ready at launch can go a long way to help you make those changes quickly and comfortably.

Hopefully, we all start out with a Plan B, even a basic one like a turnback for home should conditions ahead get worse than expected. That plan is like a magic door with a key. Sometimes, the door is large and already wide open: That’s the most desirable. Other times, it’s a squeeze-through escape hatch with only one key that fits, or maybe a tricky combination lock. Not ideal, but we can make it a practice of keeping an eye on the door and be ready to sneak out if any concerns arise. In any case, that pre-flight weather briefing lets you form the overall escape plan. So, even if it’s looking comfortable for the entire flight, fuel up and prepare as if you’re going to need that alternate. Maybe it’s a backup route you keep on the spare EFB, or another airport selected for its approaches and services. You now have a door with a key and extra locksmith tools, plus an antidote to get-there-itis.

Storms in Sight

Here’s an example from a flight I made with another pilot from Florida to Wisconsin, a common trip when spring makes it to the Midwest. Such routes typically traverse Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois. On departure day, we noted a tiny line of rain forming west of Memphis creeping northeast towards the route; this was on the watchlist. As it was doubtful if we could get ahead or north of it in time should the line develop, the Plan B was to remain south and west of the weather. We also pre-decided to fly high enough to be on top of the stable cloud layer in Florida and avoid IMC after that, so we could always keep visual contact with any buildups. That kept the door in sight. After a check to see if there were plenty of feasible airports on the alternate route (there were), we departed for the first fuel stop in central Alabama. There, we saw that the line had developed into tall cumulus, but the new briefing didn’t make clear if those would mature. The options were to stop there and call it a day, or get a new clearance to Little Rock to spend the night, well southwest of the weather.

We chose the latter because there were at least a couple hours of progress we could make on the new route. But in only half that time, the buildups had exploded into storms spreading out in all directions, including our way. The door needed a new combination, as multiple heading changes pushed us further southwest. It was also shrinking: Although it might’ve been a good two hours to the south, there was the coastline as a practical limit. We were going to Louisiana. In the midst of that exciting leg, ATC was so helpful – cheerful, actually, probably because this was their time to shine. I could hear airliners and other jets much higher and faster than our four-piston bird working on similar strategies to stay in the clear. It was a great confirmation to never hesitate to divert, regardless of the aircraft type or operation.

All-Season Mindset

The same strategy works to avoid icing conditions, another hazard best avoided by staying out of the clouds. You can plan altitudes to fly above or below cloud layers, and deviate around them as well. Cold seasons do offer great visibility when in visual conditions, making weather avoidance easier. Meanwhile, stable cloud layers common in winter months are also pretty easy to anticipate. But these can extend for sometimes hundreds of miles, making it hard to find openings for climbs and descents – escape hatches might require a lot more fuel. And on cold, misty, low-visibility days, ice near the ground, even if above approach minima, is usually a no-go for light aircraft anyway. Speaking of days, trips after dark take away the visual advantage for in-cloud hazards, requiring extra caution or delays.

From storms to icing, or to avoid turbulence or low IMC—anything that requires flying in the clear—this approach can help with any need to avoid weather hazards. Some considerations:

– Use flight plans that keep wide-open doors in VMC if there are concerns; there’s no reason to fly up into the clouds just because it’s the shortest route. Flying a few more miles is better than getting into danger.

– When requesting changes, be as specific as you can. Example: “Cessna 234, request 20 degrees left for weather, for 50 miles.” Or, have a VOR or fix to head for; add the next waypoint you wanted to get back to and you now have a picture of your diversion on the map (plus you can couple to the autopilot). You might not know how far to take the new leg; that’s OK. The typical ATC reply: “Deviation left of course approved, report when direct XXX.” If you need to go further out or need another turn or fix, let them know. Never feel locked into something because it was your idea.

– Traffic and/or airspace in the way of a desired deviation might delay the request, so give ATC a heads-up as early as practical. If you see a layer of icy clouds ahead in the distance, start working on the escape plan. If you find in a few miles you’re going to be clear of it, that’s better than being in it. For precipitation, ATC will often give you early information from weather radar with an offer to help you deviate. If you need a minute to formulate a plan, a “stand by” or “will advise in ten miles” works great.

How far you’re willing to go in shifting headings, altitudes and destinations is ultimately a PIC decision, and that can include not just one, but a number of changes. Having an early assessment to prepare for possible changes helps frame the overall strategy to avoid bad weather. That way, you’re ready. So when a flight ends with the feeling you were prepared, you won’t regret going in the first place.

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Video Tip: Getting Started in Your Instrument Training

August 29, 2025/by IFR Focus Team

Adding an instrument rating will greatly expand the utility of your Private certificate and allow you to fly on days when the visibility is low and the cloud layers are close to the ground. In this tip, we’ll explain the steps you’ll need to follow to earn your instrument rating and the new procedures and knowledge you’ll learn along the way.

To take the next step, check out Sporty’s Instrument Rating Course, which includes 13 hours of in-flight HD cross-country and instrument approach video training and comprehensive written test preparation tools.

The Foundation of IFR Flying: Basic Attitude Instrument Skills

August 26, 2025/by Eric Radtke

Every instrument training program begins with basic attitude instrument (BAI) flying—and for good reason. It’s the foundational skill that supports everything else. Departures, holding, approaches—all of them are just navigation layered on top of your ability to control the airplane precisely by reference to instruments.

In actual IMC, it’s not the autopilot or the GPS that keeps you safe. It’s the fact that you can hold altitude, heading, and airspeed precisely, even when ATC throws you an unexpected turn or altitude change.

If you can master BAI, the rest of IFR flying becomes a matter of applying that foundation under pressure.

Straight and Level

Most of your IFR time will be spent here—cruise or vectors on an approach. A proficient instrument pilot should be able to hold altitude, heading, and airspeed with precision, regardless of workload.

There are countless pitch and power combinations that maintain altitude. Knowing your airplane’s “sweet spots” is what lets you change pace without losing control.

The key is finesse. Pitch changes should be limited to ½, 1, or 1½ bar widths on the attitude indicator. These are smaller corrections than you’d make outside, and when trimmed correctly, only the lightest touch is required.

For altitude corrections greater than 100 feet, start with a full bar-width change, then reduce to a half-bar as you approach the target. Think about this the next time ATC asks you to maintain an odd altitude like 3,700 feet—you’ll need that precision.

Heading and Bank Control

Heading and bank control go hand in hand: hold the wings level and your heading stays constant. The attitude indicator gives the big picture, but for small deviations the bank index is the sharper tool.

In the IFR system, heading control isn’t just about precision—it’s about credibility. If you can’t roll out on a heading within a couple of degrees, ATC will notice.

Remember, overcontrolling is the #1 error. An aggressive roll overshoots heading.

Small corrections (<5°): keep the wings level and use rudder pressure. Handy when ATC gives you a slight vector.
Larger corrections (>5°): use a coordinated turn, but limit bank to half the degrees of correction (never exceeding standard rate). That’s how you avoid blowing through a final approach course intercept.

Airspeed Changes

In real IFR, airspeed discipline matters most when configuring for arrivals or approaches. ATC expects you to comply with assigned speeds, and the airplane needs to be stable at those speeds when the course comes alive.

Most level-flight airspeed changes are driven by power first, then pitch. Set power for the desired speed, adjust pitch to hold altitude, then fine-tune as the airplane stabilizes. As you approach the target speed, the airspeed indicator becomes the primary power instrument while the altimeter becomes primary for pitch.

Retrim every time—nothing builds workload faster than fighting the airplane during a busy approach.

Climbs

For a constant airspeed climb, raise the nose to the predetermined position on the attitude indicator, then apply climb power. Add right rudder as necessary to stay coordinated.

For a constant rate climb, set power for the target rate and adjust pitch accordingly. Once the VSI stabilizes, it becomes your primary pitch instrument, with the airspeed indicator primary for power.

Level-offs should begin at about 10% of your climb rate (e.g., 50 feet early if climbing at 500 fpm). This keeps you from “yo-yoing” through your assigned altitude—and keeps ATC happy.

Descents

Descents are where precision really matters: ATC might expect you to cross a fix at a specific altitude and speed. Missing by 200 feet or 20 knots isn’t just sloppy, it can mess up the flow of traffic.

For cruise descents, lower pitch and reduce power simultaneously. For slower descents, reduce power first, let the speed stabilize, then lower the nose.

Corrections follow the same recipe:

Adjust pitch for airspeed,
Adjust both pitch and power for rate.

Plan your level-off like a pro:

At 500 fpm, start leveling off 50 feet early.
If leveling at a faster cruise speed, lead by 100–150 feet.

That way, when ATC says “maintain 3,000,” you’ll be there exactly when expected.

Build a Personal Cheat Sheet

One of the smartest habits you can build is documenting pitch + power settings for your airplane in common IFR profiles: cruise, climb, descent, approach.

Think of it as a quick-reference card for your brain. When you’re in the soup, there’s no time to experiment—just set the numbers, then make small refinements. That’s how you stay ahead of the airplane when workload is highest.

Remeber that IFR flying is built on the unglamorous basics. Hold heading, altitude, and airspeed precisely, and you’ll have the bandwidth to manage everything else—ATC calls, avionics, charts, and approaches.

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Instrument Maneuver Spotlight: Flight Deck Check—Flight Instruments

August 22, 2025/by IFR Focus Team

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 an IFR flight, the cockpit setup and check for flight instruments is more than just a box to check—it’s your first line of defense against in-flight surprises or emergencies. This systematic preflight review verifies that each required instrument is not only present and functional, but operating within acceptable limits.

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: Making Avionics Sing

August 19, 2025/by Jeff Van West

I’m an unabashed geek when it comes to avionics. My flight instruction career has lived in parallel to one in technical education and writing. It also started less than a year after Garmin introduced the original GNS 430, so maybe it was destiny that my niche would be avionics training and IFR training.

That said, I despise pushing pixels around just for the wow factor. I want every bit of tech to do something for me. The effort needs to have some payoff in speed, ease, or safety.

Obvious payoffs are simple, but subtle ones can be equally important. How you use your cockpit technology affects how you interact with the flight. It reinforces—or erodes—habits that promote safety. Put more grandly, the way you use your cockpit tech changes the way you think in flight.

Here’s a simple example: My GPS navigator is always set up to show the desired track (DTK), actual track (TRK), and cross-track error (XTE). From takeoff, through en route, and on approach, I’m checking and correcting to keep DTK and TRK equal. My game is to keep XTE, which is my lateral distance off-course, to under 0.05 miles. Ideally, I’ll keep it under 0.02. That’s 180 feet left or right of course.

ATC can’t see that level of deviation. The en route CDI is centered even if you squint. In fact, there’s no compelling reason to fly that precisely except on approach. Even then, 180 feet left or right will pass an ATP exam with room to spare.

However, maintaining that pervasive awareness of desired track and heading keeps me engaged in the flight in a way I wouldn’t otherwise be. Small changes in winds are immediately apparent. That, in turn, makes me consider the validity of the forecast, check my groundspeed, review my fuel at the destination, consider which off-route airports are downwind from me, should I need one. It even tunes my scan and awareness of trim: “Why do I keep rolling a bit left today?”

All of that is fallout from one screen customization and habit.

Of course, I’m human and easily distracted, so I’ll look over at times and see an appalling XTE of 0.4. Aviation is terrific for promoting humility. The point is that these little tech habits add up. There are dozens, so here are a few more of my favorites.

Terrain on a secondary map: This started when flying G1000 systems where I could put terrain awareness on the moving map. The problem was that the entire MFD becoming yellow, then red approaching an airport didn’t sit so well with passengers. It was better to show terrain only on the little PFD inset map. That way, only I could always see the location of high terrain around the airport on approach. With dual GPS navigators showing terrain, I prefer to have the secondary navigator show terrain on the approach.

Loading destination frequencies from the database: It’s simple to dial in your destination frequencies after reading them from the approach chart. However, your GPS has those frequencies in its database as well. I like to load them from the waypoint pages specifically to stay facile with using those waypoint pages. If my tablet dies in flight, or just slips out of reach, grabbing frequencies or other data from the GPS is a ready skill. I also find it just improves the mindset, “OK, time to really review and set up for my destination.”

Monitoring airports below or Guard: I’m a big fan of listening to airports I’m over flying when it’s VMC and I’m not very high. More than once, I’ve heard traffic that could be a concern before ATC called it. It also keeps me in tune with what’s going on in the aerial world around me. My favorite way to do this is using the monitor function available on some radios (including the GTN 650/750, SL30, and GX60). Monitor auditions both the active and standby frequency of the same radio transmissions on the active frequency mute the standby one. Up high or IFR, I can tune Guard in standby and monitor it. Of course, monitoring can be done with two radios as well, but without the auto-mute.

Weight and balance, and performance planning on the tablet: It’s easy to gloss over this planning because our aircraft performance is well within the requirements for most of the airports we use. However, knowing roughly where you should rotate is a great check for any subtle issues affecting your craft. Knowing your landing weight is the first step in determining a correct reference speed for landing. Many GA pilots, without an AOA indicator, use the same final approach speed regardless of weight. Yet for any airplane with a short-final speed over 70 knots or with a useful load pushing 40 percent of gross weight, adjusting landing speed for weight will improve landing quality and control. It also promotes determining and holding a precise speed on approach (presuming that’s appropriate procedure for the landing you have in mind).

Nearest airport on the tablet: Back in the days of flying needles VOR to VOR, an emergency diversion to an off-route airport was by ATC vector or best guess using your thumbs on a paper chart. The moment we had direct-to, magenta lines, and the nearest page on a GPS, it was a self-navigating snap. The irony is that with a moving map, particularly on a tablet, it’s never been easier to play “what-if” games measuring distances and directions to airports if you must make an emergency diversion. Just the act of doing that keeps you more aware of your surrounds and your position along the magenta line as you fly.

And that’s really the takeaway here: You can use the tech to compensate for disengagement or to promote active engagement. It’s your call, but active engagement is undoubtedly safer. And speaking from my own experience, it’s simply more fun.

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Practicing Single-Box Failures

The flip side of squeezing maximum utility from every box is the ability to deal with that box failing at the most inopportune time. If you fly with two nav/coms, you probably use one as your primary and one as your secondary. Fly a series practice approaches with the primary nav/com powered down. Even if you don’t lose specific capability, such as GPS approaches, just the disruption to your normal flow can throw you off. Also, your MFD, traffic display, or other cockpit devices might not work with the GPS inoperative. Try tossing your tablet in the backseat and finishing the flight using your backup device, which might be just your smartphone.

You can take this as far as you want, such as flying the entire approach with the pitch trim still in the cruise position if you only have electric trim. The point is failing a single system and playing out all the repercussions, both obvious and subtle.