Flight Training - August 2022 - 43

develop and solidify procedures. In the
airline world that's checklists, flows, and
crew resource management. In the GA
world it's the same. Cockpit management
is a form of crew resource management,
and checklists and flows are just as
applicable in a Cessna 172 as they are in
an Airbus. Put the simulator 10 miles from
the final approach course intercept and
work on your approach briefing, aircraft
configuration, checklists, and cockpit
management. Or start on the ground and
work on the pre-takeoff briefing, departure
procedures, and checklists. Safe
instrument flying relies on specific, replicable
procedures, and it's more effective
to learn them on the ground without the
pressure of controlling the airplane.
BASIC ATTITUDE FLYING
Assuming you can configure the simulator
just like your training airplane, basic attitude
instrument flying is a great way to use
a home simulator or inexpensive model at
the flight school. Although you can start
this training even before you begin working
with an instructor, it can be helpful
to get a basic introduction to instrument
cross-checking and aircraft control prior
to perfecting it in the simulator.
No, the simulator won't behave exactly
like the airplane. That's not the point.
Instrument flying requires you to ignore
what your body is feeling and focus
entirely on what the instruments are
telling you. Taking the time to learn how
the instruments interact with each other,
where to focus during each phase of flight,
and how to effect change is the core of
the instrument course. You can save many
hours droning along in the airplane by
learning these skills first in the simulator.
Every experienced instructor has an
example of someone who has shown up
for training and effectively knows how to
control the airplane from the first day. It's
almost always because the student had
spent dozens of hours with a home simulator
before coming to the airport.
NAVIGATION
My low point in instrument training was
about a third of the way through when
trying to learn intercepting a radial to
the station. I was a tired, frustrated, and
headstrong 20-year-old, and my instructor
and I were arguing about the technique in
the airplane. The lesson was a complete
failure, and I left wondering if I was cut
out for instrument flying. The next day I
fired up Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 and
in less than an hour figured out intercepting
and tracking to and from the VOR
with nothing but the game and a keyboard
and mouse.
Navigation is a knowledge-based procedure,
not an advanced flying skill, which
makes it a great simulator session. There
is one important caveat. Most simulated
GPS knobology is poor. Either there aren't
any buttons, or they don't react the same
way as the real unit. And constant software
updates from manufacturers keep
simulators nearly always behind.
The basic concepts of navigation,
including intercepting and tracking a
course, are worthy of your ground time,
however. Even if you have to move the
OBS with a mouse, it's usually still beneficial
to spend time learning navigation
first in the simulator before trying it in
the airplane.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
At first blush, learning to work with air
traffic control would seem like a poor
use of simulation. And if it were limited
to the fake back-and-forth with the
instructor, that would be true. But today
there are a few excellent resources
that can make radio communication a
stress-free, simulation-based learning
activity. If you're savvy, and the simulator
can handle it, PilotEdge is the best
solution. This connected community of
simulated flights includes real people
simulating air traffic control. Best used
after you know the basic phraseology,
PilotEdge will give you a realistic environment
with realistic instructions and
other traffic.
To learn the proper phraseology,
you can start by listening to live traffic
on LiveATC.net, and then progress to
an app-based ATC simulator. Check the
Apple or Google app stores for " atc communications "
to find a few options. These
apps demonstrate the proper phraseology,
and then analyze your recorded simulated
interactions. It's a low-stress way to
fully grasp the language of ATC without
the pressure.
Simulation may not be as fun as the
airplane, but doing well in training,
progressing quickly, and getting your
certificate or rating faster is. FT
ian.twombly@aopa.org
FLIGHT TRAINING AUGUST 2022 43
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Flight Training - August 2022

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