Practical IFR: Behold the Power of Uninterrupted Descents

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 “Descend and maintain” is such a staple of IFR communications…

Quiz: IFR Navigation

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Modern IFR flying relies heavily on GPS, but that doesn’t mean the fundamentals of IFR navigation have gone away. Between NOTAMs about GPS interference, legacy ground-based navaids, and the occasional ATC instruction that references victor airways or VOR radials, instrument pilots still need a solid understanding of how the entire navigation system works.

Airspace: Who Cares?

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Even when you’re flying IFR, airspace still matters. From hidden Class D boundaries to surprise speed limits and VFR traffic in Class G, staying aware of the airspace around you is key to safe instrument flying. In this article, professional pilot and instructor Elaine Kauh explains why.

Video: Understanding TEC Routes — Advanced IFR, by Pilot Workshops

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Follow along on this scenario-based IFR flight from Riverside, California (KRAL) to Long Beach (KLGB). The short, 20-minute flight presents immediate challenges as the workload is high from start to finish in the busy southern California airspace. The flight will utilize and explain a Tower Enroute Control (TEC) route which is an FAA program of standard routes that keep a flight solely within approach control airspace

The Go/No-Go Decision Isn’t Binary

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

Webinar Video: Instrument Approach Decision-Making—IFR Mastery

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

Approach Lighting Systems: Scenarios for Instrument Pilots

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You’ve probably seen runway approach lights at larger airports many times during your training and when flying at night. These systems take on additional importance when flying IFR since they provide the basic means to transition from instrument to visual flight for landing. If an approach lighting system is available for a runway, the symbology will be displayed in both the small airport diagram in line with the runway, and in the briefing strip towards the top of the instrument approach chart.

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

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

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

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

Practical IFR: Decision Time

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