Video Tip: Flying with Datalink Weather

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Weather is one of the biggest advantages of modern IFR flying—but only if you understand what you’re really looking at. Datalink weather has transformed the cockpit, putting radar, METARs, and forecasts right at your fingertips. But not all datalink weather is created equal. In this video tip, we’ll break down the two primary sources—ADS-B and SiriusXM—highlight how each system delivers its information.

Video Tip: Cruise Clearance

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One of the most misunderstood clearances in instrument flying is the cruise clearance, which gives pilots more freedom than a standard “maintain” altitude assignment. In this video tip, we’ll break down what a cruise clearance really means, how it changes your responsibilities in the cockpit, and when you can take advantage of this unique tool to simplify your flight.

Video Tip: Required IFR Reports

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Even in an era of advanced avionics and near-constant radar coverage, IFR flying still depends on clear, timely communication with ATC. Some reports are expected as part of the normal flow of a flight, but others are specifically required. In this video tip, we’ll break down the key IFR reports every pilot needs to know, including when to speak up, what to say, and how these calls help keep the system running safely and efficiently.

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

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.

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.

Video Tip: Entering a Hold with ForeFlight Hold Advisor

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If weather or an ATC delay requires you to fly a holding pattern, you can use ForeFlight’s Hold Advisor feature to add the details of the hold to the flight plan. If you receive a clearance to hold at a waypoint currently entered in your flight plan, tap that waypoint ID in the Route Editor and select the Hold function.

Video: IFR Cross-Country with Spencer Suderman

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Join CFI-I Spencer Suderman for a real-world IFR cross-country from Jacksonville to Daytona Beach, Florida, flown in a G1000-equipped Cessna 172. From preflight planning and filing in ForeFlight to copying a clearance, flying in the system, and executing an RNAV approach at the destination, this is a complete, end-to-end look at how everyday IFR flying actually works.

Choosing the Best IFR Route — Advanced IFR, by PilotWorkshops

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Follow along on this scenario-based IFR route selection exercise as we plan a flight from Oceana, CA (L52) to Monterey, CA (KMRY) using ForeFlight Route Advisor.

Video Tip: Understanding Ice Protection Systems

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In this IFR Focus video tip, we break down the major types of ice protection found on general aviation aircraft—from classic pneumatic boots to thermal systems and weeping wings—and explain the critical distinction between anti-ice and deice. Just as important, we look at what it actually means for an airplane to be approved for flight in known icing conditions.