Flight Training - April 2012 - 36

1. TRAIN LIKE YOU FLY.

3. KNOW YOUR SYSTEMS.

5. EARN THE RATING, USE THE RATING.

Here’s an open secret: The vast majority of instrument training is done in visual conditions. This wouldn’t be such a big deal if view-limiting devices weren’t so poor at actually limiting your vision. But they are. You might be perfect flying by reference to instruments with a hood or Foggles, but that is no substitute for actually getting into a cloud. If you’re working on an instrument rating or thinking of working on one, push your instructor to get you time in the clouds. You can get an instrument-rated safety pilot to act as pilot in command and take you in the clouds, as well.
2. FLY LOTS OF CROSS-COUNTRY.

The last thing you want to be doing in the clouds is learning how to use a GPS or autopilot. Learn how to use these tools on the ground or on nice days. The same goes for checking out in a glass-equipped airplane. Start with the nice days and work your way up.
4. FILE ON EVERY FLIGHT.

If, after completing the private certificate, you have any inclination of getting an instrument rating, make every possible flight a cross-country. Not only is the cross-country time required to get the rating, the exercise of planning and flying to other airports is great practice. Instrument flying almost always consists of flying between two airports, and anything you can do to put your mind at ease when it comes time to fly in the clouds is worth it.

If you consider that instrument flying is broken down into two tasks—the procedures and the basic attitude instrument flying—taking away angst from one leads to the ability to concentrate on the other. Make it a habit to file an IFR flight plan on burger runs, beach trips, training flights, and at every other possible opportunity. This is especially true on nice, crystal-clear days. When you get to your destination, fly the approach, even if you’re not wearing a view-limiting device. Many instrument pilots are just as concerned about the procedures as the clouds. Don’t be one of them.

When you spend thousands of dollars to earn an instrument rating, don’t waste another few thousand having to retrain yourself because you let your skills atrophy. It’s not only a waste of money, it will also breed fear of the clouds. Instead, make it a point to file and get in the clouds soon after you get your rating, and continue to do it at every possible opportunity. Intensive courses are of particular concern here—while the learning can be fantastic, it will go away quickly if not properly reinforced. Take a safety pilot if necessary, but make sure you fly often in the first year after you earn the rating.
6. SET PERSONAL LIMITS.

If you know you feel comfortable flying an ILS down to 1,000 feet above the ground, but you’re unsure about your skills beyond that, simply don’t fly on a day when that could happen. In other words, set personal weather minimums and stick to them. Your minimums likely exist at a comfort point. All you have to do to remain confident is not go past them. Doing so is not a license to be complacent, however—it’s too easy to leave your personal minimums the same for years on end. Reevaluate them often and adjust them as you gain confidence.

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Flight Training - April 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - April 2012