Blog Elements : IFR Focus

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Practical IFR: Practice Approaches

May 16, 2025/by Jeff Van West

The two best things you can do are making practice a habit and upping the stakes. The first part is pretty simple: Set a recurring day, say the second Saturday of each month, when you and a friend or two go bore holes in the IFR system for practice. Three people are better because two get to watch while one flies, and there’s still a party if one of the gang must take a day off.

Ask a CFI: What to Do If You Lose Comms While IFR

May 14, 2025/by Eric Radtke

Losing communications in IMC is a rare but serious scenario that every instrument pilot should be prepared for. Fortunately, the FAA provides clear guidance in AIM 6-4-1 and §91.185, but interpreting and applying that information on the flight deck—especially under stress—can be confusing. In this installment of Ask a CFI, we’ll break it down and offer some practical tips along the way.

Practical IFR: Practice Approaches

May 16, 2025/by Jeff Van West

Ask a CFI: What to Do If You Lose Comms While IFR

May 14, 2025/by Eric Radtke

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Practical IFR: Practice Approaches

May 16, 2025/by Jeff Van West

It’s easy to get in a rut practicing approaches around your home ‘drome. You know the airports; you know the frequencies; you fly with the same buddy before stopping at the same airport diner for the same pastrami on rye.

It’s easy to get in a rut practicing approaches around your home ‘drome.

Or, maybe you don’t even practice approaches enough to have a “same.” Don’t feel bad; you’re not alone.

For many pilots, serious IFR happens more in practice than travel. So, amp up your practice—and make it more appealing to do on a regular basis. (Set aside the simulator discussion for now. Let’s just talk about real-world aircraft.)

Upping the ante on the experience can happen in many ways. Here are a few suggestions:

* Have a focus. Each time you fly, have one thing that’s the core practice for the day. Maybe today it’s partial-panel approaches with an ILS or LPV. That’s all you do. You get to focus on exactly that skill and dial it in. Stick with items that make sense in the real world. If you were really partial-panel, you’d almost certainly find an ILS or LPV, so practicing partial panel without vertical guidance isn’t realistic—unless when you lose your PFD you have no vertical guidance. In that case, partial panel and non-precision would be a great thing to practice.

* Request the option. Rather than ending every flight with a missed approach, let your safety pilot make the call just as you reach minimums or a reasonable visual descent point. You’ll be ready for either. Also, having an option to land might force you to fly a more difficult approach for the runway in use, or fly to circling minimums and circle to the landing runway. Circling is a great skill even if you’d only use it with high ceilings and in daylight. Circle no lower than pattern altitude if you want, but practice maneuvering to land somewhere other than straight-in.

* Remove one thing. This could be a focus topic or something your safety pilot tosses in at random. Just lose one of the tools at your disposal and see what it does to your process. It could be the iPad, your second radio, electric trim, the MFD, flaps, etc. Remove just one thing, however. A variant on this is losing one part of the approach system at the last minute: no glideslope, no GPS position, only an approach with a tailwind available. The key is you don’t know what, or when, until it happens. Your flying buddy(ies) get to surprise you with that one.

* Place a bet. Want to really make practice count? Rate the approaches and have the loser buy lunch. Or the avgas. Believe me, you’ll try harder. The safety pilot must watch for traffic, but if he also has an iPad or tablet, have him grab screenshots for proof. Ideally, the screenshot would show speed and altitude as well as position. ForeFlight, CloudAhoy, or Flysto recordings are great tools for this.

* Debrief. I’m as guilty of not debriefing my own practice as anyone else, even though the instructor in me knows the debrief is as important as the flight itself. Take notes on the other pilot’s flight and have that pilot take notes for you. Use those screenshots as you discuss what happened while you enjoy that lunch. Or beer if the airplane is tied down for the night.

The pilot flying does all the communicating with ATC, except for special requests and traffic calls. A good safety pilot can think ahead and ask for things like alternate missed approach instructions that get you going in the best direction for the next approach … or ask ATC for an impromptu hold to let you catch your breath if things start to fall apart.

Having the right safety pilot is key. You want someone who’s not only legal but knows your airplane and your avionics well enough to give feedback on how you did. If you’re swapping approaches, knowing the equipment is required. It’s helpful to have the safety pilot plan ahead for your next approach request. You also want someone you get along with—and won’t gloat too much when you have to pick up the tab.

Watch ThisVideo:

Practice Approaches and Downgrading GPS Quality

Closer Look: Practicing in VFR Conditions

When not restricted by ATC, altitude is your discretion.

Practice approaches in clear air are the common fare, and the only option in the icing months. This means you can practice without even filing IFR—which is a real boon if your currency has expired. However, VFR practice puts you into a nebulous region where you get some of the ATC services, but not all of them.

The big divide concerns separation services. When these services are provided, you’ll get an altitude to maintain when on an ATC vector. Clearance for the approach means you’re still getting separation from IFR aircraft. When not restricted by ATC, altitude is your discretion. That can confuse pilots when they’re direct to a fix, expecting to get a lower altitude and it never comes. If in doubt, just ask.

When there are no separation services, altitude is entirely your discretion. In this case, you’ll usually hear, “Maintain VFR. Practice approach approved. No separation services provided.”

Also, keep track of airspace. Talking to ATC for VFR practice approaches meets the requirement for entering Class C airspace, but not Class B or Special Use Airspace. Don’t count on ATC to steer you clear of it.

Reader Question

“Why would the ILS minimums be higher than the LOC minimums on this approach? Thanks! Jon.”

Jeff’s Answer:

It’s impossible to know for certain without seeing the documentation for the approach, but an obstacle close to the airport is the most likely reason. Possibly it’s that tower shown just off the approach end of the runway. I know it seems odd that you’d have to start an ILS missed approach higher than the Localizer-only MDA, but there are two things to consider:

The ILS has a DA, which is the point where you decide to go missed, but the aircraft will take time and distance to change from a descent to a climb. This must be accounted for. A DA of 1482 feet means the aircraft will descend below 1482 feet as it initiates the missed approach. Less power-to-weight and longer spool up time for the engines means a lower descent below DA before climbing again. It’s not uncommon for heavy commercial aircraft with Cat-II, or -III DAs close to the runway to actually touch down momentarily during a missed approach from minimums.
The shape of the protected airspace is different for ILS versus localizer approaches. It’s possible for an obstacle in just the right spot to affect the ILS approach but not the localizer approach.

Tech Question of the Month:

Ask a CFI: What to Do If You Lose Comms While IFR

May 14, 2025/by Eric Radtke

First: Confirm It’s Really Lost Comms

Before diving into the legal guidance, don’t forget some basic troubleshooting:

Check your radio volume, mic connections, and audio panel selections—a bumped switch is often the culprit.
Try a backup radio if available.
Listen on the emergency frequency 121.5 MHz—ATC may be calling you there if they suspect an issue.
Use your transponder to squawk 7600, which alerts ATC to your situation.
Try contacting ATC on a nearby frequency—center frequencies often overlap.

What Route Should I Fly? (AIM 6-4-1 Route Guidance)

If you’re convinced your comms are out, the AIM tells us to follow the AVEF mnemonic to determine the correct route:

Assigned – the route ATC assigned in your last clearance.
Vectored – if being vectored at the time of failure, proceed direct to the fix, route, or airway where you were being vectored to.
Expected – the route ATC told you to expect in a further clearance.
Filed – your filed flight plan route, if none of the above apply.
Always prioritize them in that order.

What Altitude Should I Fly? (AIM 6-4-1 Altitude Guidance)

For altitude, use the MEA mnemonic and fly the highest of the following:

Minimum Enroute Altitude (MEA) or other applicable minimum altitude (e.g., MOCA, OROCA).
Expected – the altitude ATC told you to expect.
Assigned – the last altitude ATC cleared you to.

How to Use the IFR Enroute Chart

Many IFR pilots today are flying GPS-direct and may not be on published airways. This can create confusion about the minimum altitudes to fly during a comms failure. Here’s where the Off Route Obstruction Clearance Altitude (OROCA) becomes important:

OROCA provides 1,000 feet of obstacle clearance (2,000 in mountainous areas) within a quadrant.
While not a guaranteed ATC-assigned altitude, OROCA is your safest minimum in a lost comms scenario if you’re off-airway and don’t have a MEA or MOCA to fall back on.
Always make sure the OROCA you’re referencing covers your actual position—not just your intended route.

Arrival Procedures and Timing

If you’re close to your destination, timing your descent and approach is critical:

Proceed to the fix from which the approach begins and hold until your EFC time or the ETA filed or amended with ATC.
Then, commence the approach as close as possible to the expected arrival time.

Tip: If you’re GPS-equipped, and flying direct-to a fix on the approach, ensure that you load the full approach—including the initial and intermediate fixes—to allow for a safe and complete navigation path.

Practical Tips for Prevention

Always have a backup plan—know your route, alternates, and potential lost comms procedures before entering IMC.
Keep a cheat sheet or kneeboard card with the AVEF/MEA acronyms.
Listen to ATIS or other communication frequencies early so you’re aware of expected procedures.
Consider using datalink (ADS-B or other comms) to stay informed, even when voice fails (even a cell phone if necessary).

Lost comms IFR doesn’t have to be a panic-inducing event. With a firm understanding of the regulations and a plan in place, you’ll be able to continue safely to your destination. Stay calm, fly the airplane, and trust your training.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Practical IFR: Practice Approaches

Ask a CFI: What to Do If You Lose Comms While IFR

Practical IFR: Practice Approaches

Ask a CFI: What to Do If You Lose Comms While IFR

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Practical IFR: Practice Approaches

Watch ThisVideo:

Practice Approaches and Downgrading GPS Quality

Closer Look: Practicing in VFR Conditions

Reader Question

Jeff’s Answer:

Tech Question of the Month:

Can you get ForeFlight to work with your desktop flight simulator?

Ask a CFI: What to Do If You Lose Comms While IFR

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