Flight Training - May 2021 - 47

PRACTICAL IFR

TIPS TO FLY BY
How to take your flying beyond the training

Training is a structured and controlled environment. Here are five tips to get beyond
training and build skills for instrument flying
in the real world.

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A CARD
FOR PILOTS.

1. Pick your route. In training you probably
made meticulous flight plans with airways and
departure and arrival procedures. But nothing
says you have to. You can file direct and accept
whatever ATC gives you, stick with the strict
plan, or settle on something in between. Pick
whichever method suits your planning style.

bility, currency, and more (airsafety
institute.org/ifrcontract). Its purpose is to
create a document that can be witnessed
and posted in your home, office, or anywhere it's easy for you to see and someone
you care about to read and monitor.
Ultimately, it's up to you to set the
personal minimums that you're comfortable with, keeping in mind one big
caveat. Personal minimums are in part an
acknowledgment that the weather will be
worse than forecast. So, if yours are 500-1,
you need to be prepared for approaches to
200 feet. Or if you've set them at 1,000-2,
keep in mind you'll need to be prepared for
approaches that don't necessarily end at
the final approach fix. Test the minimums
and you'll know what feels right for you.
From there you can make adjustments that
are more strict or more lenient.
By slowly building a foundation of
confidence and good practices, you'll
have what it takes to soon be launching
in weather you never before thought
possible. FT
ian.twombly@aopa.org

Get practical tips for IFR flying in the
AOPA Air Safety Institute's IFR Insights:
A Practical Approach online course.
airsafetyinstitute.org/
ifrinsightsapproach

2. Don't thread the needle. The tendency will
always be to fly the most direct route, even if
it requires threading through convection. Don't
do it. Avoid storms completely by flying around
them. In many cases it will only add a few
minutes to your trip.
3. Think outside-in. Situational awareness is
everything in instrument flying. Without the
benefit of seeing the ground you have to orient
yourself using electronic aids. Even with GPS,
the best way to learn this is considering your
position based on an outside-in reference. That
means placing yourself on an imaginary map and
knowing if you're north, south, east, or west of the
reference, rather than left or right (inside-out).
4. Ask questions. You don't want to sound
dumb on the radio. We get it. Seeking clarification doesn't sound dumb; it's a good strategy.
Ask ATC to spell waypoints you can't find, ask
for vectors to navigational aids you've just been
rerouted to, and ask for pilot weather reports
(pireps) of other airplanes that have flown the
approach before you. Listen to the radio at
major international hubs and you'll hear the
pros ask ATC for all kinds of information. Controllers are there as a resource, so use them.
5. Be nervous, but honest. Is that pit in your
stomach healthy nervousness or a warning?
Sometimes it can be hard to know. But if you're
current and proficient and the weather is within
your capability, use those nerves as a way to
stay sharp, not as an excuse to stay on the
ground (see " Always Learning: Good Stress, "
March/April 2021 Flight Training). All pilots
get nervous at various times in the clouds.
You'll never progress, and the rating will go to
waste if you don't sometimes push through the
nerves. -IJT
AOPA.ORG/FT 47

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Flight Training - May 2021

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