I started flying in 2004 and didn't purchase an airplane until 2016.
During those 12 years, I flew at flight schools, occasionally flew my dad's Super Cub or 182 when I was visiting, and rented 172's here and there.
I wasn't "current" for all of those 12 years, and some seasons I was able to fly more or less than others.
But in 2016 I bought my first airplane, a 1975 Cessna 182P.
I have loved the heck out of this airplane, and it's allowed me freedom and adventure like I've never known.
Today I want to share with you the advice that was given to me when I was searching for what would ultimately be my 182.
There are tons of airplanes out there to consider, but a great starting point is to determine your average mission that you will need the airplane to complete.
Airplanes are a lot like houses, in that they all serve a particular mission.
The neighborhood and school district it's in, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, other functional spaces like an office or playroom, garage, etc.
Airplanes have these same kinds of qualities, they just look a little different.
In my mind, here are the six qualities of an airplane. I like to call this "The Six-Point Mission"
Budget
Seats
Useful Load
Speed
Range and Performance
Equipment
There's not a right or wrong list here, but these are the six factors that I think can describe most airplanes and what you need them for.
I like to start with budget because this will eliminate certain airplanes from the discussion, which is a good thing.
(We can discuss budget at length separately, because it's a big topic. At a high level it comes down to operating expenses that are a function of purchase price and or payment, fuel, maintenance, hangar, and insurance costs.)
Then the other five inputs are an iterative process of describing what you think your average mission will be, and seeing if those can all go together in one airplane while remaining in budget.
Unless your budget is unlimited, you will likely find that you will need to budge on some of those factors to find a suitable airplane.
I recommend determining which of those variables are must-have's for you, and the remaining variables can be flexible to remain within budget.
Why your average mission?
Because buying an airplane that you will only need for 2% of your flights is an expensive way to go about it.
I would love to own a Cessna 206, but it would be way more expensive than my 182 and I'd only need the 206 capability 1-2% of time... the rest of the time my 182 works great.
So I'll take the 182.
My answers to the mission above were as follows:
Budget: Purchase Price under $120k
Seats: 4 (must-have)
Useful Load: 1,000lb+ (must-have)
Speed: Didn't care
Range and Performance: Wasn't worried about range, but I did want to have some short field capabilities as my favorite type of flying is in the back-country.
Equipment: IFR capable, HSI (game-changer for IFR flying), and an autopilot (these were all must-have's).
There are other airplanes than just the 182 that could have fit this mission, but I also had about 30 hours in a 182 and a couple hundred hours in 172's, so I was already familiar and comfortable with them.
If you'd like more info on the six-point mission, you can also check out my video that describes it at more length:
(If that is your first time watching my channel, please forgive the reverb on the video... I have since fixed it in subsequent videos but it makes me cringe going back and watching it now. Watching it on 1.5x or 2.0x speed clears it up, too.)
--
Tomorrow I'll share some other key lessons I've learned in the buying and ownership process.
For now, I'd love to hear from you what your Six-Point Mission would be if you are looking to own an airplane one day.
I'd love to help you think through that and provide any input that I can.
But once you have your 6-Point Mission (from yesterday's email) identified, you'll want to start doing consistent research on your target model to get a feel for the pricing.
The thing is, not all airplanes are correctly priced.
Just like houses or cars, some sellers are completely unrealistic with their asking price.
The way around this is to start building your own comps.
Build an excel spreadsheet or Google sheet and write down all of the entries you see, taking note to the following:
Year, model, total time, engine time, engine age, prop time, upgraded engine (yes/no), damage history (yes/no), and lost logbooks (yes/no).
You can also build a subjective 1-3 rating for avionics, paint, interior, and either other mods like STOL or float kits, speed mods, etc...
Use whatever system you want, but the important thing is to just make the data set and be consistent with your scoring methodology.
Look at enough models, record this data, and you'll start to get a really good feel as to what is driving the price.
It will help you identify good or even great deals when it comes time to actually purchase.
Tip #2: Shift in Payment Timing
The next big thing realization I had was when my wallet would get hit for flying.
When renting, as soon as you drop the keys off after the flight your credit card gets hit with a bill.
The good news is it starts and stops there. The bad news is you inevitably compare the experience you had to the exact penny amount you just spent on it.
When you own a plane, the exact opposite happens.
When you're done flying and you tuck the plane into the hangar, there is no bill waiting for you at the end! (except for maybe any fuel you bought that day... which is sometimes none! Ahhh.. those are the best kinds of days. Free flying!)
On the other hand, you get bills throughout the year that seemed to have no flying associated with them at all!
They are both extremely helpful and (relatively) easy to understand even for someone with very little mechanical knowledge.
I knew enough about engines and systems to pass my check rides, but airplane ownership made me start to realize just how much I still had to learn.
Tip #4: Don't Skimp on Maintenance
After the first year or two of realizing first-hand that airplane ownership was expensive (I obviously knew that, my wallet just hadn't yet experienced it), I had a decision to make:
I could either dread maintenance bills and slowly let that impact my decision making on care of the airplane.
Or, I could just embrace it and view each dollar as a tangible investment in my own safety.
I promised myself early into airplane ownership that if I was ever to get hurt in aviation, it wouldn't be because I skimped on maintenance.
Of all of the things you can do to remain safe in this hobby, that is one of the easiest.
So, I encourage you, before you ever decide to buy a plane, commit to yourself and your loved ones that maintenance won't ever be something that you compromise on for money's sake.
I know that if at any point money is getting in the way of proper maintenance, I should no longer own that plane.
Once I made that commitment, maintenance bills didn't have the same "sting" to it. It's just part of owning the plane.
(And remember from Tip #2 that the payment timing is at play here too, so it's not like you have those kinds of bills perpetually.)
--
Something I REALLY wish existed when I started pursuing airplane ownership was a solid guide that walked you through the whole process.
So, I am putting together a digital course that will have my flying mentors join me on camera to talk about the entire process of buying an airplane.
From identifying and hunting for the right one, to buying it (legal docs, pre-buy inspection, etc.), to getting it insured, to getting good maintenance done on it, this course will be the framework to help new buyers in the process.
And it won't just be me in the course, but it will also feature my personal mentors that are brokers, mechanics, insurance agents, and more.
I want this to be a go-to guide for anyone looking to own an airplane.
If you'd be interested in knowing when that launches, would you click the link below so I can know to follow up with you later on?
In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this five-day series. What's next you might ask?
If it's alright, I will send infrequent emails in the future sharing other "aha!" and "uh oh..." moments I experience in aviation that I think could serve you in your aviation journey.
If you'd prefer to not receive those, feel free to go ahead and unsubscribe below. It won't hurt my feelings, I promise.
Can I ask one more thing? What's one area you are trying to grow in right now as an aviator? Is there anything that has you stuck? I would love to know if there is any way I can help.
Pilot: Manchester Tower, Cessna 374A with you at 2,000 Pilot: clear for the option, Cessna 374A
ATC: Cessna 374A Manchester Tower, 110@6 Runway 25, clear for the option
Pilot Descend to Pattern Altitude, Gump Check 1st Flap White Arc 2nd Flaps
Example 2 Pilot: Manchester Approach, Cessna 347Y ATC: Cessna 347Y, Manchester Approach Pilot: Manchester Approach, Cessna 347Y 7 miles south east of you, at 3,000, like to do a touch and go NOTE: When you're reporting postition you must make sure you refer to the "airport distance"
ATC: Cessna 347Y Radio Contact, Altimeter 30.17, you've info delta
ATC: Advice when you have the airport in sight Pilot: Will advise when airport in sight 47Y
ATC: 47Y Turn right base to Runway 6 Pilot: Right base Runway 6 47Y
ATC: 47Y change of plan Tower needs you in Runway 31
Uncontrolled Airport Back Taxi Desparting runway -
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
It's one of the only times I can remember actually being afraid in the cockpit.
Idaho Flying
I was flying in the mountains of Idaho in Summer 2019, which is one of the prettiest places to fly in the entire US. It was my second trip there and I was flying my 182 along with a very experienced pilot in his 180.
I was flying trail as he was teaching me the geography while we visited some of the strips we had seen on the last trip.
We were going into Johnson Creek (pictured below), probably the most iconic strip in the region. We briefed our flight, though in retrospect I wish I would have briefed it better... you'll soon see why.
Johnson Creek, like most strips in the Idaho mountains, sits in the bottom of the valley in a V-shape, and there can be two to three thousand feet between the mountain tops you are flying over and the actual runway.
This means that once you are over the runway, you have a lot of altitude to lose.
It's not a big deal if you plan for it, but I learned this day that short, high approaches in the mountains don't work.
I was about a mile in trail behind the lead ship and I saw the airport much later than he did. So, I didn't start descending soon enough into our approach (mistake #1).
(For context, we were crossing over the field and entering left traffic that follows the mountain ridge. In the picture above, we were landing the opposite direction the picture was taken, so you can actually see the left downwind, base, and final we used.)
Starting the Approach
So as I cross over mid-field (far too high), my lead ship is in a left base for the runway. I feel very confident in my 182 and short approaches (at sea level) are something I practice frequently.
So at this point, no alarms are going off in my head even though I'm over the runway and have about two to three thousand feel to lose in a relatively tight space (mistake #2).
Keep in mind, Johnson Creek has a field elevation of about 5,000 feet. Add a few thousand feet to that if you are clearing the tops of the mountains en-route to the field.
So, the entire approach and landing sequence is all relatively high. For context, that's normally my cruising altitude in Texas.
Where things start to really deteriorate for me is that when I'm overhead the field, I hear a formation flight of RV's (small, homebuilt, fast aircraft) entering a left downwind.
I'm not really cutting them off (I have the right away anyways), but I did want to be considerate and try to get out of their way quickly (mistake #3).
I decide to make a relatively short approach but still had quite a lot of altitude to lose, and so I deploy my flaps and bring the power back to idle.
The kicker... density altitude
One key factor that I really neglected was the density altitude.
It's one thing to do a short approach at sea level, but we were at 5-10k feet in the mountains in the summer with density altitude adding to that.
Having high density altitude means the air is much thinner, which makes everything worse.
My non-turbocharged engine performs worse.
The wings produce less left.
Your ground speed when landing is faster even with your normal indicated airspeed.
In short, there are fewer air molecules to "do stuff" with.
But high density altitude also makes it harder to slow the airplane down in a descent. There isn't the nice, thick sea level air providing as much air resistance, and I had never experienced it like I was about to.
The Approach I Should Have Never Made
So in my base turn to final, I realize that the airplane is not slowing down like I'm used to with flaps out and power idle.
I even try slipping the airplane to lose some altitude more quickly and get back to a normal approach (mistake #4.... and it's also worth mentioning that in certain airplanes you should not slip with full flaps out, so make sure to look up the model you are flying).
Then on short final, as I realize I can't descend like I need to, and I'm already going way too fast, I have one of the worst feelings a pilot can experience...
I felt like a passenger in my own plane.
Instead of terminating the approach and going around, I press on and commit to the landing, knowing good and well I'm going far too fast (mistake #5).
My lead ship is already on the runway at this point towards the end, and I force the airplane onto the ground, having to use a lot of forward elevator to keep it from flying again.
Once I was able to slow the airplane down, park, and shut off the engine, I closed my eyes and slowly said to myself, "what the hell did I just do."
Shutting the cameras off I immediately delete the memory cards, not wanting to face the fact that I really just scared myself in an area where people can and do get hurt.
Some of you might be thinking "big deal, you were too high and too fast, but you landed alright. It happens." But it's more dramatic than that.
I really could have gotten hurt that day, and I had a brief moment where I didn't feel in control of my own airplane. That is a bad spot to be in, and it was completely my fault.
I frequently read aviation accident reports and try to learn from them.
It is commonly pilot error and decision making and, because of that, I always thought that wouldn't happen to me.
"I don't make dumb decisions. I know how to control my airplane. I'm confident in short field scenarios where a lot of other pilots might not be."
Pride, pride, and more pride...
The scary part of my situation was that none of the small decisions I was making felt dangerous to me, but when they all added up, I was in a bad situation.
Solution #1: I should have called off the approach when I had seen the airport too late and realized I had too much altitude to lose for the planned approach. I would have avoided this whole situation.
Solution #2: I should have given a lot more credit to density altitude and known that my approach would look and feel different than it would at sea level.
Us sea level pilots need to get more practice with high altitude operations, or at the very least, give it all of the respect it deserves.
Solution #3: I should have briefed the approach better and known my available go-around options. I got committed to the approach because I was too scared to fly down the valley and climb out, not knowing what was on the other side.
That was a dumb mistake and one that could have been solved on the ground before I even took off for this flight.
Solution #4: When I was feeling self-inflicted pressure to hurry up for the formation flight behind me, I should have gone around or at the very least known that I had the right away and not feel pressured by them.
Solution #5: When the "oh shit" moment came on short final, I never should have forced the landing. The moment I felt like a passenger should have been like fire alarms blaring in my head to abort the approach and go around. I tuned them out.
The weird thing is that these all seem like very obvious fixes. And it's because they are.
I didn't assume that I would make simple mistakes like this, much less half a dozen of them all within the same few minutes.
Each mistake I made didn't feel like a dangerous move until they all came together at the end.
And I think that's what got my attention the most: that I'm not immune from being in frightening situations, no matter how confident I feel in my airplane.
I really look forward to going back to Johnson Creek and giving it the proper attention and approach that it deserves. It's beautiful, but you have to respect it.
If I could summarize my takeaway for you, it would be this: Never force it.
And even if you fly into a strip that has a point of no return, make sure your position, altitude, and airspeed are perfect before you commit to the go/no-go.
I tried to make it work throughout the approach that should have been aborted very early on, and scared myself a lot more than I ever thought I could.
I hope this makes you a safer pilot.
And when we have mistakes, it's good to remember that there is a lot of freedom and healing when we can face the music and learn from them.
If you have made a flying mistake that you have kept bottled up inside and are afraid to share, I'd encourage you to tell someone.
You could even respond to this email and tell me about it.
I promise it will help begin to transform that experience from a traumatic one to one that is useful to you.
It’s confusing because they are often (incorrectly) used interchangeably in conversation: Heading, bearing, course, and track. Even correctly used by ATC, “on course heading” is still a little misleading because below you’ll see they’re practically referring to “course” and not “heading”. So what is the difference between heading, bearing, course, and track anyways?
Heading is the direction the airplane is pointed, whereas track is the actual direction of the airplane tracking across the ground. Bearing is the angle between any two points, whereas course is your intended path of travel to your destination.
In the rest of this post we’ll elaborate on each of these points and then also provide a real-world example that incorporates the accurate use of all of these terms.
Heading
Heading is probably the most confusing term out of all of these because it can most easily be used in conversation to replace track, bearing, or course. By definition though, heading is actually just the direction that the nose is pointed. This does not factor for wind, or the actual movement of the airplane across the ground. It only refers to what the compass reads based on where the nose is pointed.
So you can be “heading” due north but if you have an incredible wind from the west, you might still be pointed (heading) due north but actually tracking over the ground to the northeast. Magnetic variation and deviation of the compass also impacts what heading you’ll need to be pointed to maintain a given track. Speaking of track, let’s cover that next.
Track
Track is the easiest of these four to understand in my mind, because it simply refers to how you are actually tracking over the ground. When navigating in the air, your track is really all that matters in terms of getting to where you want to go. If you need to go northeast to your destination, and have a significant wind from the west, your heading might be to the north in order to achieve a track to the northeast.
For example, my Garmin 430 GPS will present my current track as well as the desired track to get to a particular destination. This is the track over the ground I need to achieve to get to where I’m going. If the track and desired track don’t match, then I have a heading problem. Luckily if you have an autopilot that is coupled to your GPS, if you hit “nav” mode then it is going to solve for the correct heading to fly your desired track.
Heading and track are really the two main categories of direction of flight, but they are further broken down into bearing and course which we will cover next.
Bearing
Bearing can be confusing sometimes because has some overlap with course. Bearing is simply the angle or direction between two points. A practical application of this is in VOR navigation. It’s a common thing to hear someone say “we are bearing 090 from the station”. This simply means that off of the VOR they are tracking on the 090 radial outbound from the station. In relation to the VOR they are bearing 090.
Due to wind correction angles you might have to be heading something different than 090 in order to track 090. If you have a northerly wind, you might have to head 080 in order to track along the 090 bearing off of the VOR.
Along the way though you might triangulate your position from another VOR by determining what the bearing to that station would be. You could be on the 180 radial for one VOR and the 090 radial of another one, and those are two separate bearings from the station. Bearing has less to do with your desired course as it does with describing where something is in relation to something else.
Course
Course is very similar to bearing in that it’s the desired direction for your route of flight. If you are going directly from one airport to the other, your course and bearing will be the same along the route of flight. If you are flying from an airport to a VOR to another airport, your course will change in each leg, as will your bearing.
Example
For this example we’re going to work backwards through the above mentioned directions. Assume you are departing an airport and your destination is directly eastbound. When you take off the course between the departing airport and destination airport is 090. In this instance the bearing of the destination airport off of your departing airport is also 090. This is also the direction you want to track the airplane so that it will stay on a course of 090.
Your (compass) heading may or may not be 090, depending on both the wind correction angle (which you can solve for using an analog or digital e6-b calculator), magnetic variation of your location, and any deviation of the compass itself onboard your aircraft. Remember the following calculation to solve for your compass heading in order to fly your desired track or course (both 090).
True (Desired) Course +/- Wind Correction Angle = True Heading True Heading +/- Magnetic Variation = Magnetic Heading Magnetic Heading +/- Deviation = Compass Heading
From the above calculation, you can determine what your actual heading on your compass will need to be to maintain your desired course to get to the destination airport.
Does a GPS Use True or Magnetic Heading?
The above example assumes you are using the compass in your airplane (hence why it requires so many steps to calibrate the difference between your true course all the way down to your actual compass heading). But what about a GPS? By definition it’s not using earth’s magnetic fields as a way of navigation, but rather positioning information provided by satellites. So if it shows your “desired track” is that a true or magnetic heading?
“There may be slight differences between the course information portrayed on navigational charts and a GPS navigation display when flying authorized GPS instrument procedures or along an airway. All magnetic tracks defined by any conventional navigation aids are determined by the application of the station magnetic variation.
In contrast, GPS RNAV systems may use an algorithm, which applies the local magnetic variation and may produce small differences in the displayed course. However, both methods of navigation should produce the same desired ground track when using approved, IFR navigation system. Should significant differences between the approach chart and the GPS avionics’ application of the navigation database arise, the published approach chart, supplemented by NOTAMs, holds precedence.
Due to the GPS avionics’ computation of great circle courses, and the variations in magnetic variation, the bearing to the next waypoint and the course from the last waypoint (if available) may not be exactly 180° apart when long distances are involved. Variations in distances will occur since GPS distance-to-waypoint values are along-track distances (ATD) computed to the next waypoint and the DME values published on underlying procedures are slant-range distances measured to the station. This difference increases with aircraft altitude and proximity to the NAVAID.”
I've been flying since I was 14 years old and have loved every minute of pursuing aviation ever since. Particular highlights include my seaplane rating in Talkeetna Alaska in a Super Cub on floats, getting my instrument rating, taking mountain flying courses in the Idaho backcountry, and purchasing my first airplane (a 1975 Cessna 182P) in 2016. Aviation is my biggest passion and Airplane Academy is my outlet to continually research aviation tips, tricks, and FAQs and present them in a helpful way both on this website as well as our YouTube channel. You can read more about my story here.
Some pilots will say the instrument rating was one of the hardest ratings of all (second to perhaps becoming a flight instructor). Whereas in the private and commercial license training you are learning the physical coordination of flying, in instrument training it is nearly all a mental exercise to constantly process lots of lots of information about the flight without being able to see what’s happening outside.
It can no doubt be an intimidating 40+ hours of flight training, so here are 16 actionable tips to get the most out of your instrument rating.
#1: Get Some Actual IFR
Unless you’re really lucky, most (if not all) of your instrument rating training will be simulated IFR, meaning you are wearing some sort of view-limiting device like a hood or foggles. These restrict your vision so that you are only able to see inside of the airplane and truly rely on your instruments.
While these view-limiting devices will still substantially recreate IFR flight, there was always a small part of me that was comforted by the fact that if I really needed to I could look up and get my bearings again outside of the airplane.
There is nothing like flying a real instrument approach in real IFR conditions to where you know the only way you get to see outside the airplane is to successfully fly the approach and come out at the bottom. Foggles can never simulate that healthy anxiety during an approach that is waiting for you to break out of the clouds and back into VFR conditions.
If at all possible you really don’t want the first actual IFR experience you have to be “the real thing” when you’re solo. If that happens, just treat it like your training, but I promise you’ll feel more comfortable if you schedule some lessons on days you know there will be some stable IFR conditions.
Try to get some actual IFR practice whenever possible during your training, and especially enjoy the fact that a crummy weather day won’t cause your lesson to be rescheduled but rather enhance it all the more!
#2: Be Ahead of the Airplane
Probably the best advice I was given during my instrument rating (that still applies to every instrument flight) is to be ahead of the airplane. For example, don’t begin the approach and then start briefing the approach. Be several minutes (if not a lot more) ahead of the airplane in terms of what to expect. A great practical application of this is to expect what is coming next with ATC communication.
One of the overwhelming moments for me at first in my instrument rating was all of the new radio calls that were happening that I had not experienced in VFR flight. As with most radio communication, it gets a LOT easier once you learn what to expect, and that couldn’t be truer than in IFR flying. Here are a few ATC calls to expect and be ready for in instrument flying:
Weather and NOTAMS: When nearing the airport, ATC will ask if you have the weather and NOTAMS at the field. It’s always good when you don’t have to report back when you have that information, and so get that information as soon as practical in your flight. Cruise flight is a great time to start briefing the descent as well as the weather and traffic environment at the destination.
Cleared for the Approach: When being vectored to a final approach fix, expect that they will give you a heading and altitude assignment until established on the final approach course (or localizer) and also clear you for the approach in the same sentence. This was the most intimidating part of radio communications for me because it felt like a lot to remember until I realized more conceptually what they were trying to accomplish.
The instruction “916DF you are three miles from JERIT, fly heading 300 and maintain 2,100 until established, cleared RNAV 33 approach” for some reason that always felt like a lot of information to me until I realized that I didn’t need to repeat my position from the final approach fix (JERIT), and more than likely I was already flying heading 300 (to intercept the 335 approach course), and 2,100 feet was the minimum altitude of that leg of the approach (as published on the chart).
So really I wasn’t having to repeat much net new information. All of this to say, be expecting how they might get you onto the final approach course and never be afraid to ask for clarification or to repeat a transmission.
Enroute: Expect enroute that they are going to ask what approach you would like to make into your destination, and once you tell them they will usually (not always) clear you to a certain fix within that approach. So once you tell them the approach, be familiar with the fix names within that approach so that it doesn’t sound foreign when they say “cleared direct UCETI.” If you didn’t know that UCETI was an initial fix in the approach it would sound pretty confusing at first.
If there’s one thing that aviation is full of, it’s acronyms. And just when you thought you couldn’t handle any more acronyms from your days as a private pilot, the instrument rating is waiting to pile on a few more to your list. Between GRABCARD, FLAPS, and others, there are a few more to learn to get this rating.
Everyone has a different learning style, so you’ll need to find what works best for you. But the one memory technique that has helped me tremendously in not only aviation but in many other areas of my life is the memory palace technique.
The concept is to basically be able to take lists of information and be able to convert this into very vivid memories that are hard to forget. And it’s actually pretty easy to do with a little bit of practice.
I highly encourage you to watch our few minute video below to learn about this technique. I personally used it for GRABCARD and FLAPS so that when the question came up in my check ride, it was something I barely even had to think about in order to answer.
Shameless plug: Have you subscribed to the Airplane Academy YouTube channel? We are posting at least one video every week on aviation tips, tricks, and FAQs, plus unique experiences and interviews we can have that deal with flying. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a video!
#4: Brief Approaches So There Are No Surprises
Perhaps the most critical phase of an instrument flight is the instrument approach. While the entire flight is certainly worth briefing, no part of the instrument approach should be overlooked.
Even things like the radio frequencies on the chart are especially easy to glance over, but it’s always good to think through what each of them mean. Does the airport have AWOS or is it an ATIS? Is there a control tower or will this be uncontrolled airspace that might have unannounced VFR traffic underneath a marginal VFR layer despite the fact that you are flying an instrument approach?
But perhaps the biggest overlooked part of an approach briefing is the missed approach procedure. We obviously want the approach to conclude with breaking into VFR conditions below the cloud deck, but that’s not guaranteed (despite what the ATIS or AWOS might tell you). You don’t ever want to be in the situation where you thought you’d definitely pop out of the clouds above minimums but you don’t, and then have to scramble to brief the missed approach procedure. Know every part of the approach before you ever get cleared for the approach!
#5: Train at Night
One logistical advantage that instrument training has over your days getting your private license is that you can do some, most, or all of it at night (not to mention in bad weather). I was able to knock out my instrument rating relatively quickly because I was able to train 2-3 times per week after work from about 6-9pm.
Whereas the private license can take people quite a long time limited to mostly weekends, getting your instrument rating can sometimes be much more flexible if you opt to do some of your training during weeknights.
On top of it being a logistical perk, training at night for your instrument rating can also help you be a more proficient instrument pilot since you’ll likely be less intimidated to do night IFR.
One caveat to all of the above… be sure to do at least some of your IFR training during the day to develop the “site picture” for what the cockpit looks and feels like during the day in IFR conditions. If at all possible, try to get actual and simulated IFR during both daytime and nighttime operations. Plus, skies will generally be busier during the day and so it will be good to get used to flying in more congested airspace while IFR.
#6: Always Scan and Cross-Reference Instruments
This will be an important part of your training but never forget outside of training environments to constantly be cross-checking other instruments to spot any erroneous readings. One system failure that can be particularly dangerous and harder to spot (especially in an all-steam gauge aircraft) is a vacuum failure.
The danger here is that unless you see your vacuum gauge go to zero or the annunciator light for low vacuum illuminate, it’s going to be extremely hard to catch. Eventually your attitude indicator will begin to display incorrect information but because it takes the gyroscope a while to lose speed, the instrument will only gradually display errors in attitude.
This means you can very easily end up chasing the attitude indicator to get back to what you perceive as level flight even though if you looked at your other correctly performing instruments you’d realize the attitude indicator was actually failing.
So while you are checking your attitude indicator in your instrument scan, be sure to occasionally also check the vacuum suction gauge to verify the legitimacy of the attitude indicator. Also cross-reference the attitude indicator with other instruments, such as your VSI or directional gyro. Does the attitude indicator show that you are in a banked turn but no other instrument is indicating that you are in fact turning? Does the attitude indicator show a nose-low attitude but your VSI actually shows a climb?
It’s easy to just scan over the instruments, but actually interpreting the information and cross-referencing that information against other instruments takes a little more thought and is vital. Your instrument rating will be a very tiring one because of the amount of mental focus required on each flight, constantly analyzing systems, navigation, and situational awareness.
#7: Hacks for Copying Clearances
You’ll probably learn pretty early on the acronym “CRAFT” for writing down your IFR clearance. CRAFT stands for cleared to, route, altitude, frequency, and transponder. That is the order in which ATC will give you your IFR clearance, and so that acronym will definitely help get your notepad organized so that you are ready to copy.
However, I have found that sometimes ATC will read your clearance so fast that even having CRAFT on the page doesn’t help much because of the rate the information is coming at you. But there’s a trick I used that solves this problem 90% of the time.
I file my flight plans in Foreflight and get a handful of emails after I file – things like a confirmation email of what I filed, weather and NOTAMs, and any expected route updates versus what I originally filed. That route update email is incredibly handy because I can go ahead and write out that route on my kneeboard in CRAFT and simply underline each part of it as ATC says it, instead of having to write it in real time.
This works unless ATC has a last second route change for you, in which case you can just copy it as usual and you’re still okay. But usually this helps me keep up with just about any controller, even the fast ones.
A second handy trick is coming up with some abbreviations for commonly used instructions in a flight plan. Here a few I routinely use that help me to copy IFR clearances much faster:
As Filed = AF
Direct = D-> (can leave off the arrow to be faster)
Radar Vectors = RV
Runway Heading = RH
Altitudes (leave off the 000’s… so 6,000 would just be 6)
Climb and maintain 2,000, expect 8,000 one zero minutes after departure would just be “2, 8, 10” next to the “A” in “CRAFT”
#8: Know Your Backup Systems
Make sure you are aware of what backup systems your aircraft has, how to use them, and how any instruments will perform differently (if at all) when the backup system is in use. Two practical examples of this would be the alternate static source and a standby vacuum system.
The alternate static source is covered a lot during your instrument training and is a backup in case the static system gets clogged or iced over. It uses static air inside of the aircraft in replacement of the static outside air and as a result is a little lower pressure than the static air outside of the aircraft (because of the venturi effect of the air moving around the fuselage).
When the alternate static system is in use, you need to know that your altimeter and airspeed indicator will read slightly higher than normal because the alternate static air is actually a little lower pressure than the static air outside of the airplane it would otherwise be using for these instruments. Be sure that you know how to active the alternate static source so that in a real world scenario you aren’t having to go looking for it.
Secondly, be sure to know if your aircraft has a standby vacuum system installed. I did not train with one of these and so this system was new to me when I bought my Cessna 182. If you do have one, it’s important to know that in a pinch your standby vacuum system can keep your vacuum-driven instruments running in the event of a vacuum pump failure.
It works by taking the pressure differential between the intake manifold and ambient air pressure and using that to drive the flight instruments. In a vacuum pump failure in actual IFR situation this backup system can be a lifesaver, so be sure to know how to engage it (and know if your airplane is equipped with one in the first place).
#9: Know How to Diagnose Pitot Static Failure
Pitot static blockage is something that is certainly covered in training but in my opinion is under-emphasized. Not recognizing a pitot static system error can get you into trouble very quickly, and it’s very important to know how to diagnose that you may have a problem. Even larger airline flights have been victim to undiagnosed pitot static failure that resulted in tragedy, such as Northwest Airlines Flight 6231 in December 1974 (a Boeing 727-200). Here are some of the main failures and how to spot them:
Pitot failures:
Remember that the pitot tube only controls the airspeed indicator. Be sure to have “airspeed alive” (or some equivalent airspeed check) while accelerating down the runway so that you are checking this system before you ever make it into the air. Even professional pilots sometimes take off with the pitot tube cover still on, and so it can happen to anyone. Here are two key failures to be on the lookout for:
Clogged pitot tube (but drain hole isn’t blocked): Airspeed indicator goes to zero. This is probably the easiest of the failures to spot.
Clogged pitot tube (and drain hole is blocked, too): Airspeed indicator effectively acts like an altimeter, since the air that was in the pitot system gets trapped and gets compared to the changing ambient air pressure as you climb or descend. This can be tricky to spot at first though because in level flight your pitot tube could ice over but the airspeed might contribute to display the same reading until you change altitude.
With a completely clogged pitot tube, as you climb, airspeed will show an increase. As you descend, airspeed will decrease. Both scenarios if undetected can be very dangerous as in a climb you might continue to pitch up thinking you are speeding up, when in reality you could be (and likely are) losing airspeed. In a descent, the opposite happens where airspeed will appear to be decreasing when you could be (and likely are) gaining airspeed. Try engaging pitot heat to resolve the issue.
Static Failure:
Remember that the static port affects your airspeed indicator, altimeter, and vertical speed indicator (VSI).
Blocked static ports: The main error that will occur is that the static port(s) will get blocked. When this happens, the altimeter will “freeze” on whatever it was indicating when the blockage happened, and the VSI will remain at zero. However, when you climb, your airspeed indicator will show a decrease in airspeed because of the difference in pressure of the trapped static air and the decreasing pressure of the pitot tube air.
Your recourse for static port blockages is to use the alternate static source which will pull static air from inside the cockpit. Because this alternate static air has a slightly lower pressure in the cabin than the outside air due to the venturi effect of the air flowing around the fuselage, three things will happen when the alternate static source is in use:
The altimeter will indicate a slightly higher altitude than normal
The airspeed will indicate slightly higher than actual
The VSI will show a momentary climb but then stabilize (if in level flight)
Be sure to know where your alternate static source is located and how to engage it should the need arise. You can test this in flight in your particular airplane to measure the differences to the pitot static instruments mentioned above.
For more in-depth reading on all of the flight instruments, the FAA actually has a pretty good PDF on the topic.
#10: Know the Pitch and Power Settings of Your Airplane
Each airplane is different, but it will be helpful if you can develop some base line pitch, power, and airspeed settings for your particular airplane that you can use as a guide for steady flight, approaches, and more. This will take some experimentation to determine what is right for your airplane but it can be an incredibly helpful tool.
For example, rather than needing to chase your airspeed and descent rates to chase the glideslope, you can know what you’ll need to pull the power back to once intercepting the glideslope and following it to the runway, trimming the airplane for your desired airspeed and controlling descent rate with power.
As a starting point in a Cessna 172 you can use 2100rpm, 90KIAS, and 450fpm descent, and adjust accordingly. Always remember trim for airspeed and use power to control your descent rate. It can help make your instrument approaches more predictable and stable when you already know what approximate power settings will get you in terms of climb/descent rate and airspeed.
Remember that it will vary from airplane to airplane, and even from flight to flight depending on the flight conditions and weight and balance of the airplane itself.
#11: Use a Moving Map with Integrated Approach Plates
The biggest challenge for me in instrument flying is maintaining situational awareness. Especially without the use of a GPS, you are constantly having to picture in your head where you are in relation to an instrument approach or desired flight path. It is MUCH easier if you can use a GPS moving map that also incorporates the actual IFR charts or approach plates as part of that map.
Personally I use Foreflight on my iPad (coupled with a Stratus) that has a feature to embed an approach plate onto the sectional itself, and show your position to scale on that map. It is SO helpful with situational awareness to be able to visualize with confidence where you are in the approach and eliminate any chance of confusion.
I use this mounting device (link to read reviews on Amazon… I REALLY like the RAM mounting kits… highly recommend) for my iPad and highly recommend the stratus and or the sentry (link to read reviews on Amazon) which will both load traffic and weather information to display in Foreflight.
Disclaimer: I got my instrument rating “the hard way” with no digital charts or approach plates, and did a lot of it without a GPS. There’s merit to learning this way so that in the absence of new technologies you can still fly IFR.
#12: Watch YouTube Videos of Approaches With Your GPS
Now that YouTube is so full of rich information, you can most likely find good walkthrough videos of approaches and general IFR navigation for any GPS that you might be using. It can be a really great use of time to watch someone provide the ins and outs of your particular GPS so that you know it backwards and forwards in IFR. If you are lacking in your confidence on how to use every part of your GPS, take some time on the couch to watch some training videos on YouTube. It’s definitely a good use of your time. For example:
#13: You Can Disagree With ATC
As pilots we sometimes forget that we hold the ultimate decision making authority as pilot in command, and are responsible for the safety of the flight. During IFR flights this can be even harder to remember because we are using the ATC system more heavily than we otherwise might in VFR. Nonetheless, we need to always remember to use our own discretion for the safety of the flight.
For example, never be afraid to ask for a vector or a +/- heading deviation clearance to avoid approaching weather. If ATC has assigned you a heading but that heading puts you into some building cumulonimbus (article: why are cumulonimbus clouds dangerous?), you can always tell them “unable.” Don’t let them put you into a compromising situation.
ATC is run by humans, and humans make mistakes. Make a habit of validating in your mind each instruction from ATC and make sure that you can safely and practically comply with the instruction before blindly doing it. If you can’t, speak up.
#14: Use a Simulator
One practical way to cut down on the expense of getting your instrument rating (article: how much does an instrument rating cost (and how to reduce it)?) is to use an AATD, or advanced aviation training device, to count towards some of your simulated instrument time. Up to 20 hours of the required 40 instrument training hours can be counted in an AATD, and these hours will almost always be less expensive than flying an actual airplane. Not to mention it can be a more approachable and less overwhelming situation to start on before you get in the airplane and put the foggles on.
My first 3-4 hours of instrument training was actually in a simulator, and while it saved me some money which was nice, it more importantly made me much more confident and prepared when I hopped in the airplane to start doing the real thing.
Quite honestly, since getting your instrument is such a mental focus battle as anything else, I found the simulator to be an extremely helpful warm up to what cockpit management would be like, as it is much different than the VFR flying you have gotten used to.
#15: Take Your Written First
People will have different opinions on whether you should train first and then do ground school or the other way around. But especially for the instrument rating I strongly recommend you take ground school (and ideally your written test, too) first before you get in the airplane.
The instrument rating in particular is such a mental challenge that it will help so much to go ahead and get all of the book knowledge down (or at least be familiar with it) before you get in the airplane and try to do it.
Whereas the private license has a lot to with the actual coordination and dexterity of flying the airplane, the instrument is almost purely a mental exercise to be able to navigate and execute procedures and maneuvers all without seeing outside of the airplane.
In order to do this you really need the book knowledge first of the ins and outs of what you’ll be doing up there. Plus once you start the flying portion of your training, you can focus on just the flying and no longer worry about your written test because it’s already out of the way. For more reading and the pros and cons of doing your written first, check out our article should I take the written exam before flight training?
In terms of actually taking ground school and the written test, personally I recommend doing an intensive ground school such as American Flyers that has a 3-day course where you take the written at the end (article: American Flyers: My Review After Training 100+ Hours There). It is a lot of information to take in that quickly but it is 8am-5pm on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to get through everything.
As a second option, I do recommend King Schools self-guided curriculum as they have a great track record and you can watch the videos as many times as you want for each section. I used the King Schools curriculum for my Commercial ground school and got an A on the written. I did the intensive 3-day ground school with American Flyers for my instrument written and did equally well. Everyone has a different learning style so you’ll just need to decide what is best for you. There are other digital learning methods other than King but I have not personally used them. American Flyers and King Schools I can personally recommend with confidence.
#16: Fly Often
This goes for not only the instrument rating, but any rating or license you are working on (or flying in general, for that matter). The more you fly, the better you are going to learn and retain information. I recommend that if you aren’t in a season of life where you are going to be able to fly at least once per week, wait to start your training until you can better commit to the schedule. Personally I recommend flying 2-3 times per week if at all possible (some weeks will be less) to make sure that you remain committed to the process and learn information at a pace that feels rewarding.
The less you fly, the longer it is going to take to complete your training, and the more likely you are to quit before you finish.
Whereas you have to do mostly all of the private pilot training during daylight, the instrument rating can be done anytime. I found that flying after work helped me be able to train 2-3 nights per week and complete the rating much faster than I did my private. Whatever you need to do, just make sure that you can remain committed to a training schedule so that you don’t quit half way.
Additional Reading
The instrument rating can be one of the hardest but most rewarding flight training experiences, and can really open up realm of possibilities for your flying both logistically and educationally. IFR ceilings change from being a flight cancelation to an opportunity to practice your skills. Fewer flying trips will get canceled on account of weather, and you’ll have a broader set of skills that will make your aviation experience all the richer.
We wish you the best of training as you pursue the instrument rating. Here are a few other reading resources on Airplane Academy in relation to IFR training:
