Blog Elements : IFR Focus

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The Anti-PIC

January 13, 2026/by Elaine Kauh

Staying IFR current doesn’t guarantee proficiency. This article explains how to flip the script—putting proficiency first so currency takes care of itself, without the stress of constant IPCs.

Icing: Awareness, Avoidance, and the IFR Pilot’s Escape Plan

January 9, 2026/by Parvez Dara

Icing isn’t subtle—and it isn’t forgiving. In this IFR Focus article, veteran CFII and safety advocate Parvez Dara explains how aircraft icing forms, why it remains one of the most dangerous threats to IFR pilots, and how quickly conditions can deteriorate in the wrong temperature band. Drawing on decades of experience, he walks through real-world encounters with rime and clear ice and outlines practical escape strategies.

The Anti-PIC

January 13, 2026/by Elaine Kauh

Staying IFR current doesn’t guarantee proficiency. This article explains how to flip the script—putting proficiency first so currency takes care of itself, without the stress of constant IPCs.

Icing: Awareness, Avoidance, and the IFR Pilot’s Escape Plan

January 9, 2026/by Parvez Dara

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The Anti-PIC

January 13, 2026/by Elaine Kauh

Here’s a common scenario: it’s the last week of the month and you’re prepping a trip in two weeks to visit friends you missed seeing over the holidays. Oh, wait—are you IFR current? A quick check on your EFB shows your six-month window under 14 CFR § 61.57(c) ends this week. But since you’re only one approach and one hold short, you can grab your aircraft partner, fly those off in less than an hour under the hood, and extend your currency to cover that trip. Whew—those deadlines sure come up quick. And you’ll have to work in more approaches after you return to keep your privileges alive.

This has become a monthly ordeal for the last three years. By the way, that’s when you had your last IPC—which you’re still recovering from. So up ’til now, you’ve managed to stay current, yet secretly wondering if it’s time for some real training. There has got to be a better way.

First, Proficiency

Thanks to our collective embrace of continuing education via seminars and webinars, we’ve got a pretty good grounding in the idea that currency doesn’t equal proficiency. Yet we can’t resist pairing these as a two-for-one deal. It’s a desirable package, but with unintended consequences.

First, it masks our true state of IFR readiness. Say you’ve been flying several nicely done practice approaches, plus a couple of real ones, over the last few months. That’s current and proficient. But proficient at what? More on that later.

The other pitfall is that we still end up prioritizing currency—and those juicy IFR privileges—often to the detriment of proficiency. Currency is often a do-by deadline, so naturally it gets more attention.

By the same token, getting out of currency by a day doesn’t suddenly make you non-proficient. What really happens is gradual. When you do just enough to stay current, your proficiency in a narrow selection of operations (like the two approaches at your home airport) is great. But skills in other areas—like partial-panel missed procedures and unfamiliar approaches—decline.

So how do you achieve both goals? First, swap them. Then, separate the two. The result: proficiency comes first, and currency takes care of itself.

Start with what you know. Are you good at ILS approaches? Watch this: you can hand-fly all the way to DA without a twitch of the needles and then grease it in. Excellent. Now see if you can be just as smooth and accurate with only backup instruments, or at 10 knots faster than normal (ATC: “Keep your speed up.”)

You and your CFII can concoct all kinds of variables to assess your skills and push them to the edges. This will bring out what needs extra practice or instruction. Make a master list and choose two or three items at a time to tackle. Better yet, use that short agenda to carve out extra time and fly a bit farther to a new airport.

Now each flight is a true instrument proficiency check, but without the pressure of a full-blown IPC. You’ll never run out of scenarios, and you can still fly with a safety pilot when suitable. Better yet, this approach covers the most important goal: knowing that you can be out there flying smoothly and safely, whether things are going normally—or not.

Pain-Free Practice

We all start the rating—and subsequent IPCs—with the Airman Certification Standards. That’s a great starting point for basic proficiency, but it’s just that—pretty basic. So feel free to take it further and halve the published standards, or more.

When acting as CFII on a flight, I use “5-5-50” as an easy-to-see tool to assess proficiency: maximum five degrees off heading, plus-or-minus five knots on airspeed, and plus-or-minus 50 feet on altitude. Smoothly correcting back to the assigned number, with no coaching or prompting, qualifies as proficient.

If things get beyond that, my “assessing” hat comes off and the “training” hat goes on to verbalize the error and discuss tips. Then we’ll practice to proficiency, even if there’s a “malfunction.” Sometimes we’ll save an item for the next flight, but since currency got covered this session, there’s no time pressure. (By the way, instructing mode might be armed and activated a bit quicker when flying under IFR—and especially in actual conditions—for safety and to avoid raised eyebrows from ATC. Funny how we can tell that over the radio.)

It’s great to strive for perfection, but none of us achieves that 100 percent of the time. Nor do we stay proficient at everything without review. More importantly, something new will always come up—whether through hangar flying, new avionics, or experiencing that first icing encounter on approach.

These are the other reasons why we’ll never run out of things to explore in practice, whether in flight or with a simulator. You, as the PIC, might someday need to recognize when “normal” procedures must change—but you’ll have the tools to manage it safely. For example, you might get a present-position hold to run an abnormal gear-procedure checklist, or request 200-foot altitude deviations for turbulence so you can focus on keeping the wings level. That’s a deeper form of proficiency at work.

All of this helps us embrace the pursuit of that elusive 100 percent score every time we fly. That missed approach you did last week was perfect—but it was due to a non-precision approach in a 20-knot crosswind that ended up high and fast. Rather than avoiding that situation forever, it goes on your “next-time” list.

Making it a routine to understand, train for, and then nail the next few tasks will maintain that hard-earned proficiency, too—without gaps that can compromise safety or take more time and repetition to rebuild.

Tips to Emphasize Proficiency While Staying Current

Monthly flights—or something like “second Saturdays”—are easy to schedule, easier to stick to (read: resolutions), and let you plan what to practice, which can be anything you want. I like two hours total: an hour of flight, plus 30 minutes each for preflight and postflight tasks. This is time-efficient, and having to miss one now and then won’t threaten currency.
Every few months, block out three to four hours and fly somewhere new or rarely visited. File IFR so that clearances, approaches, and other procedures—like departures and arrivals—are on the agenda. This can also include lunch or a cheap-fuel stop.
Use elements of the IPC (listed in the Instrument Rating ACS) when flying with your CFII, applying ACS or tighter completion standards. Customize the elements for your own list of skill-building tasks. Then it’s just one hour at a time, at your convenience, toward completing an occasional, painless IPC.

Without worries over currency, ongoing proficiency can become a more useful process—while flying plenty of routes, approaches, and holds. You’ll also be having a lot more fun, which is the best way to get out there and fly—and the best way to achieve both.

Icing: Awareness, Avoidance, and the IFR Pilot’s Escape Plan

January 9, 2026/by Parvez Dara

Editor’s Note: Dr. Parvez Dara makes his IFR Focus debut with this article. An ATP-rated pilot, 10-time Master CFII, and Gold Seal instructor, Parvez serves with the MAPA Safety Foundation, S.A.F.E., and the FAA Safety Team. A former FAA CFI of the Year and Safety Team Representative of the Year, he writes extensively on flight safety and brings a unique risk-management perspective as a practicing physician.

The first snowflake came down the atmospheric elevator shaft completely intact and brushed my face—and the GA pilot’s dread returned. “’Tis the season to be jolly” slowly morphed into weather-forecast management, ending in mostly VFR flights. An unsettling disruption to routine.

Icing, like thunderstorms, is not for mere mortals. It can ruin your day—much less your life. Having encountered icing in all four seasons, it evokes some fast–heart-rate negotiations with your Maker. Early in my flying career, a traversal into unknown icing at 15,000 feet in July left rime—like slime—all over the leading edges. I panicked and called ATC. They wanted to know the type, intensity, etc., and all I wanted was, “Get me outta here!” Descending to 13,000 feet got rid of it quickly. Oh, did I mention my M20M was equipped with a non‑FIKI TKS system at the time—and it wasn’t on? It was summer, after all. A mysterious gravity of existence in turmoil.

Another time, another flight at 15,000 feet from Dallas to New Jersey, I saw the windshield haze over with small pockmarks of ice crystals on the Bonanza. I looked at the leading edges and, sure enough, they were rough white on smooth white. I did not panic, but simply asked to descend to 13,000 feet, and voilà—the aircraft smoothed out and the IAS picked up a fraction. Experience teaches us the tricks of the trade. Yet another time, climbing through an unforecast icing layer at 7,000 feet with moderate-to-severe turbulence, was an eye-opening, neck‑whiplashing, shoulder‑in‑a‑sling event—safely negotiated by climbing to 12,000 feet in clear, smooth air.

Icing is an atmospheric phenomenon imposed on human creation. The aircraft is a perfect example of a cold object flying inside clouds where supercooled water droplets find harbor. Ice accretion depends on both the shape and the speed of the object. To prove that theory, a few years back I was flying the Mooney while a relative flew four miles behind me at the same altitude in the clouds—both on IFR flight plans. I collected rime ice on the laminar wings of the Mooney while he skated through without a crystal on his A36 Bonanza. Both shape and speed matter. The faster the speed, the greater the potential accretion. The latticework of water (H₂O) can form a beautiful crystalline product over any cold aluminum structure, given two things: temperatures between 0 and −15°C and a cold surface.

Icing often accrues faster on the horizontal and vertical empennage than on the wings because of their thinner structures. So if you see ice on the windshield or the wing leading edge, keep in mind that it is likely enveloping the tail as well.

Types of Aircraft Icing

Three types of icing afflict fuel‑injected piston aircraft: rime ice (70%), clear ice (10%), and mixed ice (20%). In carbureted aircraft, there is also the risk of carburetor ice. The physics are simple: the throttle body restricts airflow, and as the air expands past it, the temperature drops—sometimes enough to freeze moisture. If airspeed diminishes or the engine begins to run rough, turn carb heat on immediately. Carbureted engines can ice up in temperatures ranging from +70°C down to −15°C.

Induction ice can also occur when air‑induction vents clog the filter, requiring pilot awareness and corrective action. Pitot heat should be on, and alternate air selected as needed so air can continue to support combustion. Structural icing, on the other hand, can affect every surface of the aircraft—especially protrusions such as antennas, the pitot tube, and air‑temperature probes. When an antenna becomes ice‑laden, a noticeable shudder can occur, and transmission and reception may degrade dramatically.

Icing Temperatures

On an IFR flight plan, if you find yourself near the 0 to −15°C temperature range, your first move should be to remove yourself from that environment. If able, climb 2,000 feet or descend 2,000 feet. In mountainous terrain, always ensure at least 2,000–3,000 feet above the MEA. Temperatures between −15°C and −40°C reduce the likelihood of icing, while below −40°C there is virtually no risk.

Rime ice forms most often in stratiform clouds and is typically greatest near the top of the cloud layer. It is white, grainy, and forms relatively evenly. Clear ice, by contrast, can build rapidly and form horns above and below the leading edge. These horns disrupt airflow, increase drag, raise stall speed, and force the wing to fly at a higher angle of attack—often accelerating the icing problem.

Imagine the wing at a higher angle of attack: airflow slides downward over the top surface, carrying moisture with it. That moisture can then impact the underside of the tailplane, loading the elevators with ice. Which brings us to stalls.

Stalls

There are two types of icing‑induced stalls: wing stalls and tailplane stalls. If confronted with a wing stall, the recovery mirrors a normal stall recovery—reduce angle of attack, add power if available, and regain airspeed. A tailplane stall is different and counterintuitive. The telltale signs include mushy controls and difficulty maintaining altitude. In this case, pull back slightly on the yoke and slow down. Recognition is key before initiating the correct response.

Weather

Cold fronts are particularly conducive to icing and can produce icing conditions more than 100 miles ahead of the front. They are often associated with unstable air and convective clouds that harbor clear ice. As moisture is lifted, droplets grow larger; when they enter colder air, they can remain supercooled and freeze on impact—creating clear ice. Warm fronts, meanwhile, can extend the icing threat 300 miles or more ahead of the boundary.

Avoidance is the key for GA aircraft, regardless of deicing equipment. Whether FIKI or non‑FIKI, the equipment is designed to help you escape icing—not to press on through it. Think of it as a “get out of jail” card. Never launch into known icing expecting the system to carry you safely through. Even large aircraft with sophisticated bleed‑air systems have been humbled by ice.

Quick Poll

Winter Flying and In‑Flight Strategy

Can you fly in winter? Absolutely. Monitor the weather, frontal positions, and their movement. Be especially cautious when cold fronts overrun warm fronts—these setups can be particularly hazardous. Maintain a healthy margin between the MEA and cloud layers. Remember that winter often brings stronger winds as the jet stream dips south, offering good easterly tailwinds and punishing westerly headwinds.

If you encounter icing, ask ATC for an immediate exit from the clouds. If that’s not possible, a 2,000–3,000‑foot altitude change may help. Seek warmer air to shed ice. If you must carry ice to the destination, plan a higher‑than‑normal approach speed, delay gear and flap extension, and consider a flap‑less landing. Extending flaps changes wing camber and can further load the tailplane, reducing elevator effectiveness. Flare close to the runway to avoid a sudden loss of lift just feet above the surface.

One overriding rule remains: find warmer air. That requires an intimate understanding of the forecast—fronts, freezing levels, winds aloft, and tools such as Skew‑T charts. Avoid missed approaches or diversions through freezing layers whenever possible.

Awareness

Preflight awareness is essential, but in flight, adhere to these fundamentals:

Monitor airspeed—gradual decay is a warning sign.
Monitor pitch—a rising pitch to hold altitude suggests loss of lift.
Disconnect the autopilot and hand‑fly to prevent stalls or spins.
Declare an emergency in moderate or severe icing to expedite help from ATC.
Use angle of attack, if available—it is more reliable than airspeed in icing.
Energize TKS prior to IFR flight in fall, winter, and spring so fluid is ready when you need it to get out of jail.

Awareness, avoidance, and decisive action remain the pilot’s best defenses against icing.

Let’s Test Your Knowledge

Which temperature range presents the highest icing risk in clouds?

Below −40°C

−15°C to −40°C

0°C to −15°C

Correct! Wrong!

Why is tailplane icing especially dangerous?

It can cause a tailplane stall requiring opposite control inputs

It reduces rudder effectiveness

It increases drag more than wing ice

Correct! Wrong!

Your primary goal when encountering icing in a GA aircraft should be:

Exiting the icing environment as quickly as possible

Activating deicing equipment and continuing

Maintaining assigned altitude

Correct! Wrong!

Share the quiz to show your results !

Icing Reality Check You got out of 3 right!

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

The Anti-PIC

Icing: Awareness, Avoidance, and the IFR Pilot’s Escape Plan

The Anti-PIC

Icing: Awareness, Avoidance, and the IFR Pilot’s Escape Plan

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

The Anti-PIC

First, Proficiency

Pain-Free Practice

Tips to Emphasize Proficiency While Staying Current

Icing: Awareness, Avoidance, and the IFR Pilot’s Escape Plan

Types of Aircraft Icing

Icing Temperatures

Stalls

Weather

Quick Poll

Winter Flying and In‑Flight Strategy

Awareness

Let’s Test Your Knowledge

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