This course suits new instrument pilots and already-rated instrument pilots looking to stay proficient. The Ground chapters contain all the knowledge for the course and prepares you for the FAA Instrument Airplane written exam. You can take unlimited practice tests and receive an FAA endorsement once you are proficient. The checkride prep section and mock oral exam prepares you for the actual checkride or any upcoming Instrument Proficiency Check. The Flight chapters (under construction) contain all the skills needed to pass an Instrument checkride, proficiency check, or maintain proficiency.
The ability to depart an airport, enter the clouds, and emerge in front of a distant runway is a remarkable thing. Welcome to your journey as an instrument pilot.
Instrument flying starts with learning to control the airplane solely by reference to flight instruments. This is basic attitude instrument flying.
Every instrument flight has a departure procedure, even if it's a standard climb gradient in any direction. Let's dive into the first phase of an instrument flight.
The largest portion of an IFR flight is the en route phase. It's important to understand the unique aspects of the en route phase of flight.
While standard arrival procedures are less common for light airplanes than large airplanes, you may encounter them. We will cover approaches later in the course, but here we’ll review aspects of routing to the initial approach.
Airspeed is our lifeblood. This lesson covers how the instrument works, specific "V" speeds, and how to convert some of them for weight.
The altimeter is an instrument that measures the pressure of the air around you and indicates this as a number that represents altitude.
Although there are some variations in the type, there is always an instrument in the airplane that measures the rate of heading change through the horizon.
The Vertical Speed Indicator provides information about the initial trend and then, a moment later, the rate of climb or descent. How it accomplishes this is quite remarkable.
The Pitot/Static system uses the air pressure to provide information to your airspeed indicator, altimeter, and vertical speed indicator. It's important to understand how this simple system works.
This lesson describes common engine-driven vacuum systems that power some of the airplane's gyroscopic instruments.
In airplanes, the electrical system is independent from the ignition system. It is important to understand the basic elements.
Learn the essentials of aircraft de-ice and anti-ice systems! We’ll cover how these systems operate and protect our aircraft’s aerodynamic surfaces.
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Get Ground SchoolThis lesson reviews the structure of the regulations that govern aviation in the United States. Understanding this structure will help find the answers to common regulation questions.
This lesson covers the rules surrounding "Basic Med", which is an option for healthy pilots if they've held an aviation medical at any point after July 14, 2006.
This lesson looks at 14 CFR 91 Subpart B, which defines all of the flight rules that pilots must adhere to while in the US airspace.
This lesson looks at Subparts C and E of 14 CFR 91, which prescribes all of the equipment that is required on aircraft operating in the National Airspace System.
This lesson will look at the regulations in 14 CFR Part 61 that apply specifically to the instrument pilot.
14 CFR 91.175 is an important regulation because it defines the requirements that must be met to continue an approach below the DA/MDA. You must be familiar with this regulation to fly under IFR.
From the student's perspective, the long list of required IFR reports is rather arbitrary, yet it's extremely important. The best device I've found to memorize and be able to recall this list is "500 WEST CHICKEN".
Air Masses have specific properties. They can be warm, cold, low pressure, or high, and as they interact around the Earth, the zones where they interact are called fronts. Understanding this is central to understanding the big weather picture.
When we talk about atmospheric stability, we are referring to the stability of the air vertically; would a parcel of air have a tendency to rise and if so, how fast and how far?
Thunderstorms are one of the biggest weather hazards to pilots. How they form is quite simple. Understanding this process will help you avoid them.
Low-level windshear has been identified as a contributing factor in several significant incidents, as documented by flight data recorders. Windshear is characterized as a shift in wind direction and/or speed occurring over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere.
Relative Humidity and Dew Point are important concepts in understanding water in the atmosphere and how and when it condenses into clouds and fog.
Understanding where and when fog might form will help you make better weather decisions. It's pretty simple. In this lesson, you learn the different types of fog and how they form.
Icing is one of the major hazards of instrument flight. Knowing how and where ice forms is critical to operational safety.
Learning to read the clouds is an important skill for a pilot. In this lesson, you begin to develop that skill by learning different cloud types and which types of systems they are associated with.
Temperature Inversions are anomalies that occur in the atmosphere and create some unique and predictable weather conditions.
Weather Services describes the products pilots use to understand the weather. You should be aware of how to find this information regardless of what product you use.
Establishing a ritual around gathering weather information is critical to your safety. In this lesson, we review the 3 types of briefings.
In this lesson, you will learn to decode hourly routine aviation weather reports known as METARs (said "MEE-TAR").
In this lesson, you will learn to decode hourly routine aviation 24-hour weather forecasts known as Terminal Area Forecast or TAF.
Radar can provide valuable information. It is critical, however, that you understand it's limitations.
It is important that you understand the symbology used on graphic weather products.
It is important that you know how to interpret in-flight weather warnings. This lesson covers the four types you might encounter.
Winds Aloft play a critical role in determining the distance we can fly. It's important to make sure you understand how to read that information.
NOTAMs are a systematic way of getting very important information to the pilot in command of a flight. It is critical you understand them and get them systematically.
In this lesson you will learn to decode pilot weather reports, called PIREPs.
The Skew-T chart can be a powerful tool to get information about where ice might be encountered.
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Get Ground SchoolContent is essential and a challenge we will happily accept when presenting this IFR material. This is a quick introduction to the following chapter.
The Low Altitude Enroute Chart is published every 56 days and covers the low altitude route structure of the United States National Airspace from 1,000 feet up to but not including 18,000 feet.
Many airports have standard charted departure procedures (DPs) that are used to transition IFR traffic from the airport to the en route environment. This lesson covers the essential symbols and features of DP charts.
Many airports have Standard Instrument Arrival Routes (STARs) that are used to transition IFR traffic from the en route environment to an instrument approach procedure. This lesson covers the essential symbols and features of STAR charts.
Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) Charts are probably the most frequently used publication during IFR flying. Here We will provide an introduction to these charts and an overview of the two lessons covering approach charts in detail.
Terminal Approach Procedures are published every 56 days containing all Instrument Approach Charts. These provide the information required to land safely in low visibility conditions. This lesson covers an introduction to IAPs and sections essential to an approach briefing.
This lesson looks at the two sections of Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) charts that provide essential lateral and vertical navigation information for the approach procedure: The Plan view and the Profile view.
The Chart Supplement is published every 56 days and was formerly called the Airport / Facility Directory, or AFD. This book contains essential information.
This lesson covers contents of the Chart Supplement that are specific to IFR flying.
This lesson covers the basic concepts of the Very High Omni Range that are a pre-requisite to instrument training. You covered this material during Private training but it's important to review.
For aircraft that do not carry GPS or DME, the FAA is retaining a limited network of VORs, called the VOR Minimum Operational Network, to provide a basic conventional navigation service for operators to use if GNSS becomes unavailable.
The VOR still serves an essential role in the low-altitude national airspace system.
NDBs are still widely used in some countries, and are an important part of the instrument pilot's toolkit.
Global Positioning System is a revolutionary satellite-based navigation system that has transformed the way pilots navigate in the sky. By the end of this lesson, you'll have a solid understanding of GPS; let's get started...
GPS is the most prevalent technology in today's cockpit and provides a very accurate indication of aircraft position and speed. Dive deeper than "direct to" and understand how to operate beyond following the magenta line.
The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is a navigation system comprising satellites and ground stations that improve the accuracy of the Global Positioning System (GPS).
In order to fly IFR, you need to file a flight plan and receive a clearance. There are a couple different ways to do this, which we'll discuss in this lesson.
The IFR clearance is the backbone of any IFR flight. It is your route from departure to destination and your backup plan in a lost communication situation.
You will either receive your IFR clearance from the air traffic control tower at your airport or, if there is none, from the TRACON facility by phone.
An IFR cruise clearance allows a pilot to choose the altitude at which they'd like to operate within the bounds of the ATC clearance. Pilots are still required to fly an IFR route.
VFR-On-Top is an IFR clearance that allows a pilot to fly an IFR route while choosing VFR altitudes. Pilots are free to fly at whatever VFR altitude they'd like on top of the cloud layer.
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Get Ground SchoolPrecision Approaches are the most precise approach and will allow you to land in the lowest possible weather conditions. They always have vertical guidance and end with an approach lighting system and a runway with precision markings.
The ILS is one of the most common approaches utilized for IFR operations. This lesson takes a deeper dive into how ILS approaches are flown and some of the errors associated with them.
Nonprecision approaches are, by definition, usually less precise. Traditional nonprecision approaches have no vertical guidance. However, GPS technology is changing all of that to some extent.
The VOR approach is perhaps one of the easiest approaches to fly and requires minimal extra equipment. This lesson dives into the basics of flying a VOR approach and provides an example of how it can be used.
LOC approaches are the bread-and-butter for an airfield in mountainous terrain—one without the required climb gradient for an ILS or when the glide slope is inop. We'll review how to set up and execute a LOC-only approach to touchdown safely.
Although flown similarly to a precision or non-precision approach, RNAV (GPS) Approaches are their own category; APV. This lesson dives into GPS approaches and some of the nuances associated with them.
Missed approaches are approaches that cannot be completed. The missed approach procedure guides the pilot safely back to altitude.
A contact approach allows a pilot in visual contact with the ground to follow known terrain features to the airport. Contact approaches can only be flown into airports that already have an instrument approach procedure available.
A visual approach is an IFR approach that relies on visual contact with the runway or the preceding airplane that has visual contact with the runway.
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Get Ground SchoolHolding patterns are used to kill time in the air. The need to kill time in the air can occur for various reasons, but the holding procedures remain the same.
Course reversals are integral to flying in non-radar environments. We'll learn the different types of turns and dive into the intricacies of flying full approach procedures, delaying commencing an approach, or aligning the aircraft towards the runway.
Knowing how to fly an arc to a final approach course is a critical maneuver to master. This is used in lieu of flying a full procedure and just another way for ATC to sequence aircraft.
In this lesson you will learn about one of the hardest and most important parts of good airmanship, aeronautical decision making. ADM.
As the pilot you must do everything you can to predict and prevent spatial disorientation from occurring. That starts with you knowing a bit about how it works.
The DECIDE and PAVE acronyms are designed to help you during stressful situations by giving you a specific device to help you process the information.
As more technology becomes available to pilots in the cockpit, it is extremely important that you learn to remain the Pilot In Command and manage the automation effectively.
It's important to understand how the sinuses and inner ear work as you fly through various altitudes and flight conditions.
Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen in the brain. Most hypoxia is due to reduced partial pressures at altitude but there is more to the story than that. It's important that you understand.
In this lesson we go over the symptoms of hyperventilation and dehydration both the traditional solutions and the practical realities of these two potential problems.
14 CFR 91.185 is the regulation that prescribes the actions you should take if you lose communication with ATC. In this lesson, you will learn the steps to follow should you find yourself in this situation.
As an instrument pilot, it's extremely important that you recognize signs of blockages in the Pitot-Static system and know what to expect from your flight instruments.
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Get Ground SchoolThe introductory video gives a broad overview of what it means to fly IFR from one airport to another. You'll learn the context for all the material to follow.
There is a specific system we use to help you process the massive amount of information necessary for an IFR flight. It will help you stay safe and think in front of the airplane.
This lesson teaches the difference between checklists and do-lists and how to establish redundancy in a single-pilot environment.
Standardizing your taxi operation can add safety to your flying and allow you to detect critical instrument errors before the airplane leaves the ground.
The "run up" is done short of the runway and is the last chance to find an issue with the flight control system, the charging system, the avionics, and the engine before we head out.
Takeoff callouts are a way to bring redundancy to a single pilot environment and tie your actions during takeoff directly to the briefing you just performed. This lesson teaches you standard takeoff callouts used by professional operators.
In this scenario, we're flying from Santa Rosa (KSTS) to Half Moon Bay (KHAF). Before you file an IFR flight plan, you must look at the proposed route and required aircraft performance to ensure you can fly what you file. There are several ways to do this, and we will look at it in the context of this scenario.
Unlike VFR, to fly in the system under IFR you must file a flight plan. There are various ways to do this, and in this lesson we will use our first template flight to learn the depth of it. As much as possible, we try and keep our procedures the same, VFR or IFR.
Once you have a flight plan filed, you must get your clearance to fly in IFR in the National Airspace System. In template flight one, we are departing from a towered airport and we'll explore the various ways to get a clearance. There are several ways to do this. In this first scenario, we'll look at the optimal way.
Each taxi should start with a brief of the route. You must confirm the operation of the turning instruments during taxi and work to keep a sterile environment. At a busy airport like Santa Rosa, this is especially important.
On an IFR flight, you must decide which technology is primary and which is backing that up. Then, along with all the other run-up duties, you must confirm the radios are set up for instrument flight. You'll see how we standardize this process.
Once you have the clearance, there is more to do before you can go. You must get *released*. Air Traffic Control has to time you into the system based on immediate traffic in the area. The departure should be briefed and you should be fully ready to go before you call for takeoff.
During the cruise phase of flight, it is easy to get lulled into a sense of complacency. Work to think and talk in front of the airplane. "Shake the tree" to look for proverbial loose apples. On this flight, we work to get vectored closer to shore.
The arrival phase of the flight transitions from the en route phase to the approach phase by allowing your descent to an appropriate altitude and getting you lined up with the final approach course.
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Get Ground SchoolScanning the instruments is the art of cross-checking, interpreting, and controlling the airplane without visual references. It is the essential skill to hand-flying an aircraft in Instrument Meteorological Conditions.
Pitch plus power equals performance. In visual conditions you reference the window, in instrument conditions the attitude indicator becomes your window. In this lesson, we learn to trust it.
Most climbs and descents are done at a constant airspeed. Learn to control the speed of the airplane during climbs and descents with and without the autopilot.
If you can fly a constant-rate/constant-airspeed descent, you'll have a much better chance at accurately holding a glide slope or a glide path. In this lesson, you'll learn that skill and gain confidence flying approaches.
The Oscar Pattern originated as an old Navy training exercise for instrument flying that involves standard-rate turns and constant-airspeed/rate climbs and descents. This will help you improve your instrument scanning technique and reinforce standard operating procedures.
Understanding aircraft performance based on known power settings and aircraft configurations is an essential skill to instrument flying. It's far easier to stay ahead of the aircraft if you know what to expect.
Bracketing a course is the process of continually fine-tuning small intercept angles until the wind correction is known and applied to hold the course. It's one of the fundamentals of good airmanship, regardless of the navigation source.
The Horizontal Situation Indicator is still the primary tool of needle navigation and included on every primary flight display.
It's important to learn how to visualize your position on your heading indicator and omni-bearing selector. This is important regardless of whether or not you have an HSI or a moving map.
In this lesson we cover bearing pointer navigation, which can be applied to all needle navigation. Learn to fly intercepts and specific courses using GPS, VOR, or NDBs.
The Garmin GTN 750 series is an IFR-approved, panel-mounted, touchscreen GPS. In this lesson we will cover the basic functionality.
This lesson covers the "Direct-To" mode of navigation on the Garmin GTN 750.
This lesson covers flight plan navigation on the GTN 750 including adding and deleting waypoints, loading airways, and activating legs.
This lesson will have an overview of how to use the PROC key, which allows you to load instrument departures, arrivals, approaches, and missed approaches.
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Get Ground SchoolIn this lesson, we learn two "always/never" rules about holding, where to start your timers, and rules of thumb on wind correction.
In this lesson we learn to visualize holding pattern entries, verify they are correct, and talk in front of the airplane about the action items required.
In a direct entry to a holding pattern, you will arrive at the fix and turn directly to the outbound heading in the direction of the pattern. This is the "easy" one.
You will perform a teardrop entry when you arrive at the holding fix headed in the wrong direction but pointed toward the holding side of the pattern.
You will perform a parallel entry when you arrive at the holding fix headed the wrong way and pointed toward the non-holding side of the pattern.
The Instrument Landing System is still the most precise landing system available to pilots. It consists of a localizer signal, a glide slope, and runway lighting/markings.
VOR approaches are common nonprecision approaches without vertical guidance. The navigation signal is a radial of the VOR and the pilot performs step-down descents.
For all practical purposes, an LDA approach is identical to a Localizer approach: precise lateral guidance without the vertical guidance, albeit offset from the runway.
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Get Ground SchoolIf you are flying an aircraft equipped with WAAS, you will recieve an accurate vertical guidance which will allow you to fly GPS approaches to LPV minimums.
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