Welcome to IFR Focus: Sharpen Your Skills, Master the System

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IFR Focus is a new destination dedicated entirely to the art and science of flying in the system. Whether you’re an experienced IFR pilot looking to stay sharp or a student climbing toward that checkride, you’ll find practical content here to help you fly safer, smoother, and smarter.

8 IFR SOPs That Could Save Your Life

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Do you fly with SOPs? Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are commonly used in the corporate and airline flying world as a way of formalizing the do's and don'ts of a flight department and making sure every pilot follows the same procedures. I'm generally suspicious of SOPs in life, because they limit your ability to be flexible and react creatively to life's inevitable changes (we all like our freedom). But when it comes to IFR flying, I believe SOPs are a critical safety tool.

How to Choose the Best Alternate Airport for Your IFR Flight: A Pilot’s Guide

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Keep an eye on the weather as you approach the destination, using both ADS-B datalink weather, and by tuning in the local ATIS/AWOS on the radio. If it looks like the weather will be near the minimums for the approach, it is time to start thinking about what the best alternate airport will be based on the current weather. If it still looks like the planned alternate is the best option, go for it.

Keeping One Step Ahead of ATC when flying IFR

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Gone are the days of making an educated guess on a route, only to have ATC respond with a full route clearance with intersections and airways. It now takes only a moment in ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot or FltPlan.com to enter a departure and destination airport and then see recently issued clearances to other aircraft flying the same route.