I recently had an instrument student ask me about planning an off-route flight in a mountainous area. They knew that the IFR Enroute Low Altitude Charts included something called an Off-Route Obstruction Clearance Altitude (OROCA) and thought that would need to define their minimum altitude for the flight. The problem was that the OROCAs that would be passed through on the flight exceeded the climb capability of the training airplane. An additional question regarded whether they would need to climb to that altitude in the event of a communications failure, even if cleared for a lower altitude by ATC.
OROCA is not a legal minimum IFR altitude.
It’s a situational awareness tool—not a clearance you can rely on for obstacle protection under 14 CFR 91.177.
This was something that generally isn’t a problem in the areas where I normally fly, but this scenario did present more of a challenge. I set out to explain the considerations which are presented below (emphasis added where needed).
What Is an OROCA?
First let’s take a look at what an OROCA actually is. According to the latest definition found in the Pilot Controller Glossary:
What OROCA does provide:
• 1,000 ft obstacle clearance (non-mountainous)
• 2,000 ft in mountainous areas
• Broad situational awareness What it does not provide:
• Guaranteed nav signal coverage
• ATC surveillance or communications
• A regulatory minimum IFR altitude
OFF−ROUTE OBSTRUCTION CLEARANCE ALTITUDE (OROCA)− A published altitude which provides terrain and obstruction clearance with a 1,000 foot buffer in non−mountainous areas and a 2,000 foot buffer in designated mountainous areas within the United States, and a 3,000 foot buffer outside the US ADIZ. These altitudes are not assessed for NAVAID signal coverage, air traffic control surveillance, or communications coverage, and are published for general situational awareness, flight planning, and in−flight contingency use.
The FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook also notes:
OROCAs are intended primarily as a pilot tool for emergencies and SA. OROCAs depicted on en route charts do not provide the pilot with an acceptable altitude for terrain and obstruction clearance for the purposes of off-route, random RNAV direct flights in either controlled or uncontrolled airspace. OROCAs are not subject to the same scrutiny as MEAs, minimum vectoring altitude (MVAs), MOCAs, and other minimum IFR altitudes. Since they do not undergo the same obstruction evaluation, airport airspace analysis procedures, or flight inspection, they cannot provide the same level of confidence as the other minimum IFR altitudes.
How Does an OROCA Apply to IFR Operations?
The minimum altitudes for IFR operations are covered in 14 CFR 91.177:
(a) Operation of aircraft at minimum altitudes. Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, or unless otherwise authorized by the FAA, no person may operate an aircraft under IFR below—
(1) The applicable minimum altitudes prescribed in parts 95 and 97 of this chapter. However, if both a MEA and a MOCA are prescribed for a particular route or route segment, a person may operate an aircraft below the MEA down to, but not below, the MOCA, provided the applicable navigation signals are available. For aircraft using VOR for navigation, this applies only when the aircraft is within 22 nautical miles of that VOR (based on the reasonable estimate by the pilot operating the aircraft of that distance); or
(i) In the case of operations over an area designated as a mountainous area in part 95 of this chapter, an altitude of 2,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal distance of 4 nautical miles from the course to be flown; or
(ii) In any other case, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal distance of 4 nautical miles from the course to be flown.
Looking at the regulations in Part 95 and the OROCA descriptions, OROCAs are not a regulatory altitude They are not considered a minimum IFR altitude (they can help, but they don’t meet the 4 NM criteria specified in the regulation). They are on the chart to provide situational awareness to pilots. As noted in 14 CFR 91.177(a)(2), the pilot is responsible for determining the minimum IFR altitude for their off-route flight. ATC could clear you for a lower altitude than the OROCAs if you as the PIC have determined a suitable and legal minimum IFR altitude for your route of flight.
Part 95 does define designated mountainous areas. Use this to determine the designation for your route of flight. Next, look at your planned route of flight including 4 NM on either side of your route, determine the height of the terrain and obstacles using a current sectional chart & NOTAMs, and add 1,000 feet or 2,000 feet, as appropriate, to the highest point to determine your minimum IFR altitude for that segment. This will become the legal minimum IFR altitude that you need to use for 14 CFR 91.185(c)(2)(ii). From a risk management and legal standpoint, this should be the lowest altitude which you should file as well. If you try to file a lower altitude, ATC may reject it. If it slips through, it could put you and your airplane at risk if you fly too low. If your airplane isn’t capable of maintaining the higher altitude, you will need to find another route.
If only a portion of your flight requires the higher altitude, separate the longer flight into segments and analyze each segment individually. From a flight plan standpoint, file it for your initial altitude. Request new altitudes from ATC while en route. Make your request before it becomes critical to give the controller time to coordinate the new altitude on their end.
Another tool that may be available for determining the height of terrain and obstacles within 4 NM of your route is your EFB app. Availability will depend on the app that you are using and the subscription level that you have. Check with your EFB developer’s website to determine what tools they have and how you can obtain and use them.
What If I Have a Communications Failure?
When it comes to a communications failure, the altitude that you will need to fly is covered by 14 CFR 91.185(c)(2):
(2) Altitude. At the highest of the following altitudes or flight levels for the route segment being flown:
(i) The altitude or flight level assigned in the last ATC clearance received;
(ii) The minimum altitude (converted, if appropriate, to minimum flight level as prescribed in § 91.121(c)) for IFR operations; or
(iii) The altitude or flight level ATC has advised may be expected in a further clearance.
Remember, this is for the route segment being flown. Your calculated minimum altitude for IFR operations for that segment is what matters. You don’t have to change altitudes immediately unless your current route segment requires it.
Conclusion
OROCAs can be confusing and I have seen the topic taught incorrectly by flight instructors, especially those instructors that generally operate in the flat lands. The topic shouldn’t be that difficult, but it does take some digging in the regulations and the FAA’s guidance material.
Finally, before planning your next off-route instrument flight, take a look at AIM 5−1−6 d. for other flight plan requirements for IFR flights using GPS to navigate a random RNAV route. It can be very helpful.
Welcome to the Instrument Maneuver Spotlight series—where we break down the key maneuvers you’ll need to master for instrument flying and your checkride.
Few scenarios demand quicker thinking than a missed approach from a circling approach. You’re low, close to the airport, and transitioning from visual references back to instruments all while not aligned with the runway. In this spotlight, we’ll show you how to execute the maneuver smoothly and within standards—when to make the call, how to reposition to overfly the airport, and how to manage the climb, configuration, and communication when the workload is at its highest.
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/2026/04/21091340/missed-approach-from-circle.png10001250IFR Focus Teamhttps://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14115136/IFR-Focus-Logo_White_Blue_Web-01.pngIFR Focus Team2026-04-21 08:55:182026-04-21 09:13:48Instrument Maneuver Spotlight: Missed Approach from a Circling
The IFR Mastery Series from PilotWorkshops is a fun and effective way to build IFR skills for the instrument pilot. This scenario-based training really gets you thinking with new scenarios every month—a great way to keep your head in the game.
In this sample scenario, Anticipation Near Anaheim, you’re flying a Trinidad on a short IFR trip in busy southern California airspace from Corona to Hawthorne on a TEC route in marginal VFR conditions. The clearance includes an obstacle departure procedure with a climbing eastbound turn to a fix, but stronger winds increase groundspeed and triggers the early GPS turn anticipation. Watch the scenario, decide which option you would choose, and then learn from our expert instructor. Watch to the end for a chance to win one of two, $1,000 Sporty’s gift cards.
Step 1: Watch the IFR Mastery Scenario
Step 2: Make your choice
Now make your choice, and see what other pilots would choose.
Step 3: Learn from an expert then enter for a chance to win one of two, $1,000 Sporty’s Gift Cards
In the expert response video below, instructor Mark Kolber shares how he would handle this situation, drawing on his experience as a commercial pilot and instrument instructor. He explains how to manage GPS turn anticipation, stay compliant with the departure procedure, and maintain control when technology and workload start to collide. When the video wraps up, you’ll also have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win one of two, $1,000 Sporty’s gift cards—perfect for upgrading your gear or investing in your flying.
Win a $1,000 Sporty’s Gift Card!
Enter for a chance to win a Sporty’s Gift Card
Whether you’ve been eyeing a new headset, upgrading your flight gear, or investing in training courses, this is your chance to choose exactly what fits your flying. From gear and apparel to technology and pilot supplies—it’s a serious upgrade, your way.
The drawing ends April 22, 2026.
IFR Mastery from PilotWorkshop
Subscribers to the IFR Mastery Series can continue to an audio recording of a roundtable discussion where five additional experts offer their opinions on the best choice. And it’s rare that all the experts agree (although one might agree with your choice). The highlights from these roundtables are compiled for each scenario. Subscribers can continue the discussion among themselves along with the experts in a dedicated forum and have access to quizzes as well as all previous scenarios.
If you are interested in learning more or subcribing to IFR Mastery Series from PilotWorkshops, click the banner below and begin your free trial.
https://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/13122513/turn-anticipation-near-anaheim.png10001250Pilot Workshopshttps://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14115136/IFR-Focus-Logo_White_Blue_Web-01.pngPilot Workshops2026-04-16 08:55:402026-04-16 09:07:04IFR Challenge: Anticipation Near Anaheim—Enter for a Chance to Win a $1,000 Sporty’s Gift Card
One thing that’s universally true of my aviation mentors was their persistent pursuit of refinement. They strove to improve a technique here, apply a concept more skillfully there, and generally understand the craft of aviation as deeply as they could. They also all had stories where said knowledge saved their bacon.
Best Glide Isn’t Published
One refinement that rarely gets taught is adjusting best glide speed (Vbg) for changes in weight and wind. I was never taught it, and therefore never passed it on to others, until I added on a glider rating. In a glider, if you’re heading back to the airport with a headwind, you can’t just open the throttle to make up for lost groundspeed. Instead, you pitch down to speed up. A lot. In fact, you might add 20 knots to your best glide (L/Dmax) speed to counter a 20-knot headwind.
Without going into too much math, think about it this way. If your best glide speed was 65 knots and you were pointed into a 65-knot wind, you’d have zero speed over the ground. You’d be descending vertically. Pitch down for 95 knots and you’re losing altitude much faster, but you’re at least moving forward by 30 knots, so you’re increasing your glide range. It’s obviously not as good as your glide range with no wind, but it’s better than just holding 65 knots.
Glider pilots get published data that tells them how much to change speed for a given amount of headwind (as well as tailwinds, rising air, and sinking air). Without such data, the quick estimator for most fixed-wing aircraft is to add at least half the headwind component to your best glide speed to get the best glide range over the ground into the wind.
Curious about how much this would hurt sink rates, a friend and I went out in his airplane and did a bunch of engine-idle descents at speeds from Vbg – 10 knots to Vbg + 30 knots. This data is just one sample, but we found the hit to sink rate was minimal up to 20 knots over best glide. Yes, we were sinking faster, but the variation in rate just due to minor pitch changes in holding airspeed were greater than the overall effect of a faster speed. The takeaway: If you have to glide into a wind in a GA airplane pitch down and go faster.
The takeaway: If you have to glide into a wind in a GA airplane, pitch down and go faster.
You can really see this effect doing power-idle glides to a runway into a wind. It’s kinda shocking with a strong wind. Try it.
While this sounds like a VFR skill, here’s the point for our IFR flying. It’s easy to say that if we lost the (only) engine in IMC, we punch up a nearest airport and glide there. But we don’t think too much about the how. The act of simply adding about half the headwind component to your best glide speed could make the difference between reaching that airport or not, especially if you’re up high and have to glide a long way. Pitching down at the bitter end if you’re not going to make the runway might get you enough forward progress that you do make the runway.
While we’re tweaking numbers, remember that Vbg is published for gross weight. It’s lower if you’re lighter. This change is small, but not zero. The actual formula is to reduce the airspeed by a factor of SQRT (CurrentWeight / GrossWeight). This works out to about a 1.5 percent reduction per each 100 pounds under gross weight for aircraft with gross weights of 1600-4500 pounds.
You might wonder if slowing down below Vbg with a tailwind will also increase range. Yes, but it’s probably not worth it. Slower than Vbg, many aircraft get more difficult to hold on speed. Also, you never want to go slower than minimum sink, which is about 75-percent of Vbg (corrected for your weight). That’s often less than a 20-knot window in piston singles.
All of this adjustment should happen after more critical items, like turning to the emergency airport, slowing to at least the Vbg you’ve studied and memorized, telling ATC, and trying to restart the engine. If you don’t have time for more than that, then adjusting your best glide probably won’t matter. However, if you have a long way to go and time to do it, adjustment could make all the difference.
Quick Poll
“Direct to” Tips For Your GPS
Editor’s Note: This video dates back about a decade, but the fundamentals are just as relevant today—even if a few specifics have changed over time.
Stopping the Prop
Glide tables in the POH are published for a windmilling propeller, which creates a lot of drag. Wouldn’t it be better to just stop the prop? Sure. In fact, you might extend your glide by ten percent or more. Except it’s not that simple.
First of all, you want the prop windmilling while you try to restart the engine. Otherwise, you’d have to crank it with the starter. Even if you were certain the engine will never restart—“Hey Bob, is the piston supposed to hang outside the cowling like that?”—it’s not easy to stop a windmilling prop in flight.
Getting airflow slow enough to stop the prop often requires flirting with stall speed, and even that might not do it. This isn’t what you want unless you have a long way to glide and will make up lost altitude from such low speed (or a stall recovery). If you have a constant-speed prop that doesn’t automatically feather. However, pulling it to a coarse pitch is usually free distance. Do it.
https://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/08111022/practical-have-a-speed-to-fly.png10001250Jeff Van Westhttps://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14115136/IFR-Focus-Logo_White_Blue_Web-01.pngJeff Van West2026-04-14 08:55:112026-04-08 11:11:36Practial IFR: Have a Speed-to-Fly for Emergencies in IMC
IFR flying demands precision, but when something goes wrong, it also requires good judgment. Emergencies in instrument conditions rarely unfold exactly like the textbook, and the ability to make timely decisions while understanding the rules can make all the difference.
This quiz explores key concepts around IFR emergencies, from deviations and communication failures to fuel status and how situations are classified. Some of these questions are straightforward, while others highlight the nuance in how regulations are applied in real-world scenarios. See how well you understand the procedures that keep pilots safe when the unexpected happens.
While on an IFR flight, a pilot has an emergency which causes a deviation from an ATC clearance. What action must be taken?
Correct!Wrong!
When may ATC request a detailed report of an emergency even though a rule has not been violated?
Correct!Wrong!
What does declaring 'minimum fuel' to ATC imply?
Correct!Wrong!
You are in IMC and have two way radio communications failure. If you do not exercise emergency authority, what procedure are you expected to follow?
Correct!Wrong!
Emergency conditions are classified as either ‘distress’ or ‘urgency’. Which of the following would be an 'urgency' condition?
When most pilots think about IFR emergencies, the mind immediately jumps to the big ones: engine failures, engine fires, pressurization issues—high-consequence events that dominate simulator sessions and recurrent training. We rehearse these scenarios repeatedly, building muscle memory and confidence that if something catastrophic happens, we’ll respond correctly.
But in the real world, not every emergency announces itself with sirens and smoke.
Some show up quietly. Unexpectedly. And often at the worst possible time.
The Problem with “Unscripted” Emergencies
The danger with less obvious IFR emergencies isn’t necessarily the severity—it’s the element of surprise.
When you encounter a situation you’ve never trained for, your brain doesn’t immediately shift into action mode. It hesitates. It tries to categorize the problem. It searches for a script that doesn’t exist.
That hesitation, even for a few seconds, can put you behind the airplane.
And in IFR, being behind the airplane compounds quickly.
A Real-World Example
About six months after being hired at NetJets, I was flying a passenger trip out of Columbus, Ohio, heading west with four business executives on board. It was a routine departure, one we’d all done hundreds of times.
We briefed the takeoff: abort criteria, standard callouts, etc. Everything was normal.
We rolled onto Runway 28R, applied power, and accelerated through the takeoff roll.
“V1… rotate.”
“Positive rate. Gear up.”
Then, immediately after liftoff, we got a message: baggage door open.
Not a fire. Not an engine failure. Not something we’d ever practiced.
And now we were in the clouds.
Why It Mattered
At first glance, a baggage door doesn’t sound like a major emergency. But context matters.
On this aircraft, the baggage compartment sat directly beneath the left engine. If the door were actually open, several risks came into play:
Loose baggage could strike the engine
Debris could impact flight controls
The door itself could cause structural or aerodynamic issues
We didn’t know how serious it was, but we knew we didn’t want to stay airborne to find out.
The Workload Spike
The captain immediately made the right call: declare the need to return and get vectors back to Columbus.
But here’s where the real challenge began.
Just seconds earlier, we were in “departure mode”—climbing, accelerating, cleaning up the aircraft, and preparing for cruise. Now, suddenly, we had to:
Transition to an approach mindset
Reprogram the flight management system
Load approach frequencies
Pull up and brief the approach plate
Configure the aircraft for landing
Coordinate with ATC on tight vectors
Manage concerned passengers in the back
All while flying a high-performance aircraft at 200 knots in IMC.
There was no time to ease into it. No time to “get settled.”
We had to catch up, fast.
The Outcome
We turned back, flew the approach, and landed without issue. After taxiing in, maintenance inspected the aircraft.
The baggage door hadn’t actually opened, but one of the four latches had come unsecured, triggering the warning.
It wasn’t catastrophic.
But it was enough to disrupt the flow, spike the workload, and expose a gap in preparation.
The Lesson: It’s Not Always the Big Stuff
That flight changed how I think about IFR emergencies.
We spend so much time preparing for the big, dramatic failures that we overlook the smaller, less-defined abnormalities—the ones that won’t necessarily hurt you, but can absolutely throw you off your game.
Things like:
A baggage or cabin door indication
A minor system warning
An unexpected configuration issue
A nuisance alert at a critical phase of flight
These aren’t usually life-threatening.
But they are attention-demanding, and they often happen at the worst possible time.
A Simple Habit That Changes Everything
IFR Habit to Try: Before every takeoff, preload an approach back into your departure airport. When something unexpected happens, you won’t be starting from zero.
After that flight, I made one small but powerful change to how I prepare for departures:
Before every takeoff, I set up an approach back into the departure airport.
That means:
Loading the approach in the FMS/GPS
Pre-selecting frequencies
Having the approach plate readily available
So, if something happens after takeoff—anything at all—I’m not starting from scratch.
I’m not digging through menus. I’m not heads-down trying to build a plan.
I’m already ahead of the airplane.
All I need are vectors.
Why This Matters for GA IFR Pilots
In a general aviation cockpit, that kind of surprise hits even harder.
In general aviation—especially single-pilot IFR—you don’t have the luxury of a second set of hands or brains in the cockpit.
When something unexpected happens, you are:
The pilot flying
The pilot monitoring
The systems manager
The communicator
The decision-maker
All at once.
Which means even a “minor” abnormality can quickly overwhelm your bandwidth.
Preloading an approach back to your departure airport gives you a critical advantage:
Reduces mental load when you’re already saturated
Speeds up your response time in a high-workload moment
Keeps your head up and outside (or on instruments) instead of buried in setup tasks
Builds a mental escape plan before you ever need it
Quick Poll
Think Beyond the Checklist
Checklists are essential. Training is essential.
But not every situation will be in a checklist.
The key is to start asking yourself before each flight:
“What’s something small that could happen today that would still force me to change plans?”
Then take one step—just one—to prepare for it.
Because in IFR flying, the biggest threat isn’t always the emergency you trained for.
It’s the one you didn’t.
Final Thought
You don’t need to prepare for every possible scenario.
That’s impossible.
But you can prepare your mindset.
Expect the unexpected. Plan for a quick return. Stay ahead of the airplane.
Because sometimes, the difference between a stressful situation and a controlled one isn’t skill—it’s setup.
https://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/02111610/The-IFR-Emergency-You-Didnt-Train-For.png10001250James Oniealhttps://media.ifrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/14115136/IFR-Focus-Logo_White_Blue_Web-01.pngJames Onieal2026-04-07 08:55:412026-04-09 10:01:02The IFR Emergency You Didn’t Train For
Off-Route IFR Altitudes: Why OROCA Isn’t Enough
/by Paul JurgensIt’s a situational awareness tool—not a clearance you can rely on for obstacle protection under 14 CFR 91.177.
This was something that generally isn’t a problem in the areas where I normally fly, but this scenario did present more of a challenge. I set out to explain the considerations which are presented below (emphasis added where needed).
What Is an OROCA?
First let’s take a look at what an OROCA actually is. According to the latest definition found in the Pilot Controller Glossary:
• 1,000 ft obstacle clearance (non-mountainous)
• 2,000 ft in mountainous areas
• Broad situational awareness
What it does not provide:
• Guaranteed nav signal coverage
• ATC surveillance or communications
• A regulatory minimum IFR altitude
OFF−ROUTE OBSTRUCTION CLEARANCE ALTITUDE (OROCA)− A published altitude which provides terrain and obstruction clearance with a 1,000 foot buffer in non−mountainous areas and a 2,000 foot buffer in designated mountainous areas within the United States, and a 3,000 foot buffer outside the US ADIZ. These altitudes are not assessed for NAVAID signal coverage, air traffic control surveillance, or communications coverage, and are published for general situational awareness, flight planning, and in−flight contingency use.
The FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook also notes:
OROCAs are intended primarily as a pilot tool for emergencies and SA. OROCAs depicted on en route charts do not provide the pilot with an acceptable altitude for terrain and obstruction clearance for the purposes of off-route, random RNAV direct flights in either controlled or uncontrolled airspace. OROCAs are not subject to the same scrutiny as MEAs, minimum vectoring altitude (MVAs), MOCAs, and other minimum IFR altitudes. Since they do not undergo the same obstruction evaluation, airport airspace analysis procedures, or flight inspection, they cannot provide the same level of confidence as the other minimum IFR altitudes.
How Does an OROCA Apply to IFR Operations?
The minimum altitudes for IFR operations are covered in 14 CFR 91.177:
(1) The applicable minimum altitudes prescribed in parts 95 and 97 of this chapter. However, if both a MEA and a MOCA are prescribed for a particular route or route segment, a person may operate an aircraft below the MEA down to, but not below, the MOCA, provided the applicable navigation signals are available. For aircraft using VOR for navigation, this applies only when the aircraft is within 22 nautical miles of that VOR (based on the reasonable estimate by the pilot operating the aircraft of that distance); or
(2) If no applicable minimum altitude is prescribed in parts 95 and 97 of this chapter, then—
(i) In the case of operations over an area designated as a mountainous area in part 95 of this chapter, an altitude of 2,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal distance of 4 nautical miles from the course to be flown; or
(ii) In any other case, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal distance of 4 nautical miles from the course to be flown.
Looking at the regulations in Part 95 and the OROCA descriptions, OROCAs are not a regulatory altitude They are not considered a minimum IFR altitude (they can help, but they don’t meet the 4 NM criteria specified in the regulation). They are on the chart to provide situational awareness to pilots. As noted in 14 CFR 91.177(a)(2), the pilot is responsible for determining the minimum IFR altitude for their off-route flight. ATC could clear you for a lower altitude than the OROCAs if you as the PIC have determined a suitable and legal minimum IFR altitude for your route of flight.
Part 95 does define designated mountainous areas. Use this to determine the designation for your route of flight. Next, look at your planned route of flight including 4 NM on either side of your route, determine the height of the terrain and obstacles using a current sectional chart & NOTAMs, and add 1,000 feet or 2,000 feet, as appropriate, to the highest point to determine your minimum IFR altitude for that segment. This will become the legal minimum IFR altitude that you need to use for 14 CFR 91.185(c)(2)(ii). From a risk management and legal standpoint, this should be the lowest altitude which you should file as well. If you try to file a lower altitude, ATC may reject it. If it slips through, it could put you and your airplane at risk if you fly too low. If your airplane isn’t capable of maintaining the higher altitude, you will need to find another route.
If only a portion of your flight requires the higher altitude, separate the longer flight into segments and analyze each segment individually. From a flight plan standpoint, file it for your initial altitude. Request new altitudes from ATC while en route. Make your request before it becomes critical to give the controller time to coordinate the new altitude on their end.
Another tool that may be available for determining the height of terrain and obstacles within 4 NM of your route is your EFB app. Availability will depend on the app that you are using and the subscription level that you have. Check with your EFB developer’s website to determine what tools they have and how you can obtain and use them.
What If I Have a Communications Failure?
When it comes to a communications failure, the altitude that you will need to fly is covered by 14 CFR 91.185(c)(2):
(2) Altitude. At the highest of the following altitudes or flight levels for the route segment being flown:
(i) The altitude or flight level assigned in the last ATC clearance received;
(ii) The minimum altitude (converted, if appropriate, to minimum flight level as prescribed in § 91.121(c)) for IFR operations; or
(iii) The altitude or flight level ATC has advised may be expected in a further clearance.
Remember, this is for the route segment being flown. Your calculated minimum altitude for IFR operations for that segment is what matters. You don’t have to change altitudes immediately unless your current route segment requires it.
Conclusion
OROCAs can be confusing and I have seen the topic taught incorrectly by flight instructors, especially those instructors that generally operate in the flat lands. The topic shouldn’t be that difficult, but it does take some digging in the regulations and the FAA’s guidance material.
Finally, before planning your next off-route instrument flight, take a look at AIM 5−1−6 d. for other flight plan requirements for IFR flights using GPS to navigate a random RNAV route. It can be very helpful.
Fly and stay safe!
Instrument Maneuver Spotlight: Missed Approach from a Circling
/by IFR Focus TeamWelcome to the Instrument Maneuver Spotlight series—where we break down the key maneuvers you’ll need to master for instrument flying and your checkride.
Few scenarios demand quicker thinking than a missed approach from a circling approach. You’re low, close to the airport, and transitioning from visual references back to instruments all while not aligned with the runway. In this spotlight, we’ll show you how to execute the maneuver smoothly and within standards—when to make the call, how to reposition to overfly the airport, and how to manage the climb, configuration, and communication when the workload is at its highest.
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.
IFR Challenge: Anticipation Near Anaheim—Enter for a Chance to Win a $1,000 Sporty’s Gift Card
/by Pilot WorkshopsThe IFR Mastery Series from PilotWorkshops is a fun and effective way to build IFR skills for the instrument pilot. This scenario-based training really gets you thinking with new scenarios every month—a great way to keep your head in the game.
In this sample scenario, Anticipation Near Anaheim, you’re flying a Trinidad on a short IFR trip in busy southern California airspace from Corona to Hawthorne on a TEC route in marginal VFR conditions. The clearance includes an obstacle departure procedure with a climbing eastbound turn to a fix, but stronger winds increase groundspeed and triggers the early GPS turn anticipation. Watch the scenario, decide which option you would choose, and then learn from our expert instructor. Watch to the end for a chance to win one of two, $1,000 Sporty’s gift cards.
Step 1: Watch the IFR Mastery Scenario
Step 2: Make your choice
Now make your choice, and see what other pilots would choose.
Step 3: Learn from an expert then enter for a chance to win one of two, $1,000 Sporty’s Gift Cards
In the expert response video below, instructor Mark Kolber shares how he would handle this situation, drawing on his experience as a commercial pilot and instrument instructor. He explains how to manage GPS turn anticipation, stay compliant with the departure procedure, and maintain control when technology and workload start to collide. When the video wraps up, you’ll also have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win one of two, $1,000 Sporty’s gift cards—perfect for upgrading your gear or investing in your flying.
Win a $1,000 Sporty’s Gift Card!
Enter for a chance to win a Sporty’s Gift Card
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IFR Mastery from PilotWorkshop
Subscribers to the IFR Mastery Series can continue to an audio recording of a roundtable discussion where five additional experts offer their opinions on the best choice. And it’s rare that all the experts agree (although one might agree with your choice). The highlights from these roundtables are compiled for each scenario. Subscribers can continue the discussion among themselves along with the experts in a dedicated forum and have access to quizzes as well as all previous scenarios.
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Practial IFR: Have a Speed-to-Fly for Emergencies in IMC
/by Jeff Van WestOne thing that’s universally true of my aviation mentors was their persistent pursuit of refinement. They strove to improve a technique here, apply a concept more skillfully there, and generally understand the craft of aviation as deeply as they could. They also all had stories where said knowledge saved their bacon.
Best Glide Isn’t Published
One refinement that rarely gets taught is adjusting best glide speed (Vbg) for changes in weight and wind. I was never taught it, and therefore never passed it on to others, until I added on a glider rating. In a glider, if you’re heading back to the airport with a headwind, you can’t just open the throttle to make up for lost groundspeed. Instead, you pitch down to speed up. A lot. In fact, you might add 20 knots to your best glide (L/Dmax) speed to counter a 20-knot headwind.
Without going into too much math, think about it this way. If your best glide speed was 65 knots and you were pointed into a 65-knot wind, you’d have zero speed over the ground. You’d be descending vertically. Pitch down for 95 knots and you’re losing altitude much faster, but you’re at least moving forward by 30 knots, so you’re increasing your glide range. It’s obviously not as good as your glide range with no wind, but it’s better than just holding 65 knots.
Glider pilots get published data that tells them how much to change speed for a given amount of headwind (as well as tailwinds, rising air, and sinking air). Without such data, the quick estimator for most fixed-wing aircraft is to add at least half the headwind component to your best glide speed to get the best glide range over the ground into the wind.
Curious about how much this would hurt sink rates, a friend and I went out in his airplane and did a bunch of engine-idle descents at speeds from Vbg – 10 knots to Vbg + 30 knots. This data is just one sample, but we found the hit to sink rate was minimal up to 20 knots over best glide. Yes, we were sinking faster, but the variation in rate just due to minor pitch changes in holding airspeed were greater than the overall effect of a faster speed. The takeaway: If you have to glide into a wind in a GA airplane pitch down and go faster.
The takeaway: If you have to glide into a wind in a GA airplane, pitch down and go faster.
You can really see this effect doing power-idle glides to a runway into a wind. It’s kinda shocking with a strong wind. Try it.
While this sounds like a VFR skill, here’s the point for our IFR flying. It’s easy to say that if we lost the (only) engine in IMC, we punch up a nearest airport and glide there. But we don’t think too much about the how. The act of simply adding about half the headwind component to your best glide speed could make the difference between reaching that airport or not, especially if you’re up high and have to glide a long way. Pitching down at the bitter end if you’re not going to make the runway might get you enough forward progress that you do make the runway.
While we’re tweaking numbers, remember that Vbg is published for gross weight. It’s lower if you’re lighter. This change is small, but not zero. The actual formula is to reduce the airspeed by a factor of SQRT (CurrentWeight / GrossWeight). This works out to about a 1.5 percent reduction per each 100 pounds under gross weight for aircraft with gross weights of 1600-4500 pounds.
You might wonder if slowing down below Vbg with a tailwind will also increase range. Yes, but it’s probably not worth it. Slower than Vbg, many aircraft get more difficult to hold on speed. Also, you never want to go slower than minimum sink, which is about 75-percent of Vbg (corrected for your weight). That’s often less than a 20-knot window in piston singles.
All of this adjustment should happen after more critical items, like turning to the emergency airport, slowing to at least the Vbg you’ve studied and memorized, telling ATC, and trying to restart the engine. If you don’t have time for more than that, then adjusting your best glide probably won’t matter. However, if you have a long way to go and time to do it, adjustment could make all the difference.
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“Direct to” Tips For Your GPS
Editor’s Note: This video dates back about a decade, but the fundamentals are just as relevant today—even if a few specifics have changed over time.
Stopping the Prop
Glide tables in the POH are published for a windmilling propeller, which creates a lot of drag. Wouldn’t it be better to just stop the prop? Sure. In fact, you might extend your glide by ten percent or more. Except it’s not that simple.
First of all, you want the prop windmilling while you try to restart the engine. Otherwise, you’d have to crank it with the starter. Even if you were certain the engine will never restart—“Hey Bob, is the piston supposed to hang outside the cowling like that?”—it’s not easy to stop a windmilling prop in flight.
Getting airflow slow enough to stop the prop often requires flirting with stall speed, and even that might not do it. This isn’t what you want unless you have a long way to glide and will make up lost altitude from such low speed (or a stall recovery). If you have a constant-speed prop that doesn’t automatically feather. However, pulling it to a coarse pitch is usually free distance. Do it.
Quiz: IFR Emergencies
/by IFR Focus TeamIFR flying demands precision, but when something goes wrong, it also requires good judgment. Emergencies in instrument conditions rarely unfold exactly like the textbook, and the ability to make timely decisions while understanding the rules can make all the difference.
This quiz explores key concepts around IFR emergencies, from deviations and communication failures to fuel status and how situations are classified. Some of these questions are straightforward, while others highlight the nuance in how regulations are applied in real-world scenarios. See how well you understand the procedures that keep pilots safe when the unexpected happens.
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The IFR Emergency You Didn’t Train For
/by James OniealWhen most pilots think about IFR emergencies, the mind immediately jumps to the big ones: engine failures, engine fires, pressurization issues—high-consequence events that dominate simulator sessions and recurrent training. We rehearse these scenarios repeatedly, building muscle memory and confidence that if something catastrophic happens, we’ll respond correctly.
But in the real world, not every emergency announces itself with sirens and smoke.
Some show up quietly. Unexpectedly. And often at the worst possible time.
The Problem with “Unscripted” Emergencies
The danger with less obvious IFR emergencies isn’t necessarily the severity—it’s the element of surprise.
When you encounter a situation you’ve never trained for, your brain doesn’t immediately shift into action mode. It hesitates. It tries to categorize the problem. It searches for a script that doesn’t exist.
That hesitation, even for a few seconds, can put you behind the airplane.
And in IFR, being behind the airplane compounds quickly.
A Real-World Example
About six months after being hired at NetJets, I was flying a passenger trip out of Columbus, Ohio, heading west with four business executives on board. It was a routine departure, one we’d all done hundreds of times.
We briefed the takeoff: abort criteria, standard callouts, etc. Everything was normal.
We rolled onto Runway 28R, applied power, and accelerated through the takeoff roll.
“V1… rotate.”
“Positive rate. Gear up.”
Then, immediately after liftoff, we got a message: baggage door open.
Not a fire. Not an engine failure. Not something we’d ever practiced.
And now we were in the clouds.
Why It Mattered
At first glance, a baggage door doesn’t sound like a major emergency. But context matters.
On this aircraft, the baggage compartment sat directly beneath the left engine. If the door were actually open, several risks came into play:
We didn’t know how serious it was, but we knew we didn’t want to stay airborne to find out.
The Workload Spike
The captain immediately made the right call: declare the need to return and get vectors back to Columbus.
But here’s where the real challenge began.
Just seconds earlier, we were in “departure mode”—climbing, accelerating, cleaning up the aircraft, and preparing for cruise. Now, suddenly, we had to:
All while flying a high-performance aircraft at 200 knots in IMC.
There was no time to ease into it. No time to “get settled.”
We had to catch up, fast.
The Outcome
We turned back, flew the approach, and landed without issue. After taxiing in, maintenance inspected the aircraft.
The baggage door hadn’t actually opened, but one of the four latches had come unsecured, triggering the warning.
It wasn’t catastrophic.
But it was enough to disrupt the flow, spike the workload, and expose a gap in preparation.
The Lesson: It’s Not Always the Big Stuff
That flight changed how I think about IFR emergencies.
We spend so much time preparing for the big, dramatic failures that we overlook the smaller, less-defined abnormalities—the ones that won’t necessarily hurt you, but can absolutely throw you off your game.
Things like:
These aren’t usually life-threatening.
But they are attention-demanding, and they often happen at the worst possible time.
A Simple Habit That Changes Everything
IFR Habit to Try:
Before every takeoff, preload an approach back into your departure airport. When something unexpected happens, you won’t be starting from zero.
After that flight, I made one small but powerful change to how I prepare for departures:
Before every takeoff, I set up an approach back into the departure airport.
That means:
So, if something happens after takeoff—anything at all—I’m not starting from scratch.
I’m not digging through menus. I’m not heads-down trying to build a plan.
I’m already ahead of the airplane.
All I need are vectors.
Why This Matters for GA IFR Pilots
In a general aviation cockpit, that kind of surprise hits even harder.
In general aviation—especially single-pilot IFR—you don’t have the luxury of a second set of hands or brains in the cockpit.
When something unexpected happens, you are:
All at once.
Which means even a “minor” abnormality can quickly overwhelm your bandwidth.
Preloading an approach back to your departure airport gives you a critical advantage:
Quick Poll
Think Beyond the Checklist
Checklists are essential. Training is essential.
But not every situation will be in a checklist.
The key is to start asking yourself before each flight:
“What’s something small that could happen today that would still force me to change plans?”
Then take one step—just one—to prepare for it.
Because in IFR flying, the biggest threat isn’t always the emergency you trained for.
It’s the one you didn’t.
Final Thought
You don’t need to prepare for every possible scenario.
That’s impossible.
But you can prepare your mindset.
Expect the unexpected. Plan for a quick return. Stay ahead of the airplane.
Because sometimes, the difference between a stressful situation and a controlled one isn’t skill—it’s setup.