Any tips for a pilot starting instrument?

David Anthony

David Anthony

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David A
I’m currently 18 and I (as of today) have started instrument training. I got to experience real IMC and couldn’t be more excited to get this rating. Just as a general conversation…does anyone have any tips that could benefit me as I go along?
 
What kind of GPS are you using? Get the simulator for it and learn it well. Throw scenarios at yourself and know how to change up the programming in the GPS. Having the GPS buttonology as second nature takes a lot of stress and hesitation out of your flying.
 
Fly/lessons often, 3 times a week, even more. This is not the rating to drag out, even once a week is marginal, making every session more about review and tune-up. That doesn't necessarily mean a really accelerated program, like some of the 10 day courses (that's one way to do it), but you'll be better off with good, steady progress.
 
- Emphasis the basics to begin - build your scan. You're going to do all the same PPL maneuvers like stalls and UAs under the hood so the scan is key to success, especially partial panel.

- Buttonology - As posted 2 above - knowing the GPS buttons and functions cold helps when you're just glancing over to do stuff

- As Jim says, fly early and often - I flew 2-3 times a week and it helps, even if the flight is short

- Go fly with a safety pilot after you have the basics down - saves a little money and if that SP is instrument rated helps build some additional insights.

- Have fun! Yea, sweating out a turbulent ILS is a challenge and you will have moments of frustration (remember those early PPL flights) but remember we're paying to do this so it better be fun!
 
1. If you are making control inputs, look at the attitude indicator while you're making them.

2. Read the FARs. The Instrument Flight Rules are 14 CFR 91.167 through 91.193.

3. Read the AIM.
 
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I did a really nice write up earlier but the key in that one was fix the trend before it becomes a problem. One dot off means you missed a trend.

But yeah, what they said, scan, “a one and a two and a one”. ‘One’ is your horizon..the triangles connecting, not the horizontal line. It’s frigging tiring if you are doing it right. I didn’t do it right for too damn long.

The other thing is briefing yourself, picturing when and where, then guiding ATC when they are behind your plane. Twice now I’ve had to capture the glide slope from above and that’s no fun.
 
Up to you, but get your instructor to push you hard.

Don’t peek.

Go up in the afternoons when it might be more turbulent.

Get as much actual as possible.

Do at least 2 XCs.

Get FF every single time while VFR.
 
While flying cross country, get flight following any time you can and practice holding heading and altitude.
 
After you get the basics down with your CFII, fly with a safety pilot. A lot of the rating is repetition until the procedures become automatic, and you can get that part using a safety pilot. For that matter, X-Plane is a pretty good procedural tool as well.
 
Find a instructor who will teach you how to fly the aircraft not pass a check ride. I can tell you this from experience there is a big difference, that might save your life.
 
Like people said, know the buttonology well. Also, know the performance of the airplane you're flying, know the power/pitch settings for climbing, cruise, descent, approach, etc.
Knowing those things will allow you to fly the approaches at set airspeeds and reduce your workload.
If you're renting, stick to one or two airplanes with the same avionics and master the panel.
I started in C172 with a six-pack and half-way switched to a PA28 with some glass and it made my flying a lot more precise so I stuck with it until checkride.
 
Do as much of your training as you can at night because that way you lose the visual references you don't realize you were actually getting during the day.
 
Echo the advice to train at night. Especially doing maneuvering work like unusual attitudes, Oscar pattern and holds.
 
1. Learn to fly by the numbers: power + pitch settings for common flight regimes.
2. Get as much actual IFR time as you can.
3. Train the way you want to fly IFR. If possible train in the same equipment you will fly later.
 
chemgeek said:
3. Train the way you want to fly IFR. If possible train in the same equipment you will fly later.
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But also understand what you’re doing well enough to apply it to some other airplane. For example, you fly approaches at a specific speed. If you know what makes that the (an) appropriate speed to fly, you can figure out what would be an appropriate speed in another airplane.
 
Before you do anything previously written, learn to trim your aircraft to perfection. My experience teaching IFR is most VFR pilots are not good at trimming and they find they spend a lot of time and money learning to trim while they should be learning to fly on the gauges.
 
David Anthony said:
I’m currently 18 and I (as of today) have started instrument training. I got to experience real IMC and couldn’t be more excited to get this rating. Just as a general conversation…does anyone have any tips that could benefit me as I go along?
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What I tell my instrument students: IFR rating is the advanced infantry/Ranger course after you go through basic training. You will be a lot better, more accurate, and a smoother pilot with a better understanding of airspace, procedures, and control reactions as you gain experience. That being said:

1. Scan. You have to develop the ability to interpret what the gauges are telling you, and where that places you in 3D airspace while hurtling along at 115 Kts. There are all sorts of suggested scans that work; the T, performance/support instruments, etc. Follow your CFII's advice and direction and develop a good scan technique. It will take time. It's not natural. Over-coming reliance of kinesthetic sense is a learned process. At some point, you will be scanning the panel, and it will all click. Stay with it.

2. "The Numbers". As you progress, one of the keys (besides having a 3 axis autopilot) to predictable flight outcomes is to know what 'the numbers' are for your aircraft. Initial climb, cruise, cruise climb, descent, approach, etc. Being able to say to yourself "I'm in cruise at 115, ATC just gave me higher...what RPM (or RPM/MP) setting do I go to for a standard/expedited/leisurely change in altitude?" You've figured it out beforehand...you just set it, cross check that the response is what you want, and fly the plane.

3. Patterns A and B. They're documented for a reason. And they're fun. The approach and landing sequence is the most complex of what we need to do at the end of every flight (there's no such thing as a forced take-off...lol). Again, visualizing and being ahead of what's next and setting the plane up to do what it needs to do are part of CRM.

4. 2 or 3 times a week get into the left seat. When you've 15-20 hours, grab your (qualified as PIC) buddy, strap on the foggles, and go practice. IFR procedures are the first to get rusty...and need to be reinforced with regular hoodwork with a CFII as well as practicing with a safety pilot who's qualified and legal to act as such. And, it's a great way to meet potential new flying buddies.

5. You can not read too much: AIM, IFR flight manuals, a couple of the Belvoir publications, Jepp textbooks, Gleim manuals...soak it in, there is a lot to learn. You come across something that makes you go "hmmmm"? Sit back and visualize what YOU would do, and how you'd handle the situation or procedure.

6. Buttonology. I like that term. I earned my IA rating with steam gauges, ADFs, VOR approaches, NDB approaches, and flaky ARC radios in 172s back in the late 1980s. Was not real hard to twist knobs and OBSs. I've upgraded my own ride to a GFC500, dual G5s, WAAS GPS, and all that means that *I* need to get with a competent fellow CFII and even after 30-something years of flying in my logs...I need and want some good rigorous training before I launch off into the clag. So, my desk is covered in flight manuals, my bookmarks in my browser are loaded with YouTube and other videos, and I'm visualizing what I need to have front of mind before I even start.

These are just some of my off-the-cuff thoughts and not to be construed as gospel or official. Good luck with your quest for the rating that will let you get your wings wet...you will not regret one moment (though, you will have to work harder than you did for your PVT...but, you WILL be part of the 30-40% of pilots who earn the right to have Instrument Airplane embossed on the back of your certificate...:)) After IA...the commercial rating is a lot more fun (I think).
 
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Visit an ATC facility (or two). For the pilots that visited us, they all said they learned a lot about why we did what we did. I would suggest a smaller approach control where the controller had time to talk between transmissions to explain what's going on. If you can also visit a center as well I think that would be beneficial.
 
The AIM is a good source of information, but two other FAA manuals bear reading and understanding. They'll get you a long way toward both your written and the flight instruction:

Instrument Flying Handbook: https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/media/FAA-H-8083-15B.pdf
Instrument Procedures Handbook: https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/instrument_procedures_handbook/

The best book for the actual flying part in my opinion is the Peter Dogan book. But since, ABC went belly up, I don't know if it is in print anymore.
 
flyingron said:
***DELETIA***

The best book for the actual flying part in my opinion is the Peter Dogan book. But since, ABC went belly up, I don't know if it is in print anymore.
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Could not agree more. Still read through it from time to time. I bought mine in '87...and the cover is worn, binding is a bit wonky, but it's still a good read, and relates his real-world stories to make the point of what he goes into in the subsequent pages. A gem and if you can find one for sale...grab it.

They're available: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/instr...fbd9918ab81f1d477#idiq=1056846&edition=725028
 
Don’t forget to spend time in your AFM, particularly any sections and/or supplements that deal with instrument flight.
 
Jim Carpenter said:
Fly/lessons often, 3 times a week, even more. This is not the rating to drag out, even once a week is marginal, making every session more about review and tune-up. That doesn't necessarily mean a really accelerated program, like some of the 10 day courses (that's one way to do it), but you'll be better off with good, steady progress.
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Yes, fly regularly, don't start if you don't have the $ to finish and fly often
 
I got the written out of the way before I started with a CFII. It’s busy enough without having to fly and study for written at same time.
 
WDD said:
I got the written out of the way before I started with a CFII. It’s busy enough without having to fly and study for written at same time.
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IGI signed you off for the written?

61.65(a)(4) Receive a logbook or training record endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that the person is prepared to take the required knowledge test;

An authorized instructor would need to be a CFII or IGI.
 
If you do a course like Kings, Gleim, etc you get a certificate that ypu print and take to the written exam.
 
I haven't seen anyone suggest it, but time spent in the simulator is super valuable. It's cheaper and more time efficient. It also lets you drill approaches over and over without the in-between time.
 
Have an instructor explain approaches and map a few out on the ground with road cones or something similar. Then walk through the approach as if you were flying it. I think this makes it much easier to comprehend all the stuff thrown on an approach plate the first few times you do it.

Trying to to learn in the air is often a waste of time as you are too task saturated to really comprehend what’s going on.
 
Yes I do.

make yourself an expert on FARs and IFR procedures. Most of the headaches I got as a controller during my 35 years were pilots who were incompetent (by the clinical definition...I.e. not competent) procedurally. And this can be accomplished for free at home in your easy chair. Mental mastery.

second...ditch the Facebook and social media, ditch the TV, stop dating during your training, lock yourself in your room and study. And when you are ready to bang your head against the wall...snap out of it and study more.

third...during the time you are out practicing VFR spend some of that time perfecting precision descents. By that I mean going from cruise level flight to a precise airspeed/vsi rate/power setting. Over and over. This is to perfect the process of becoming established on the glide slope and tracking it to the DA.

I tell all of my 141 college students that most employers want a pilot to be able to take their airplane down to legal minimums every time in order to achieve the highest percentage of successful completed flights. Anyone can depart and climb IFR. Anyone can cruise IFR. But not every IFR pilot can go down to DA safely and with confidence. A pilot makes his money in the last 5 miles of a trip-the approach to landing. So that is where the most practice and mastery is needed.

most new IFR pilots are taught to have personal minimums which is a good thing for you. But if I hire someone to fly for me I want a a pilot who has the experience to go to minimums.

most new IFR pilot personal minimums are high because they yet lack the confidence to approach the ground in clouds. The closer they get to the ground the more nervous they get. As a result, they establish a high personal minimum so they avoid doing just that—approach the ground. This is mostly due to lack of confidence in tracking the glide slope. Chasing the GS needle when you know the ground is only 4 or 5 hundred feet below you gets spooky. You would feel much better if you could lock down the GS. This is where precision descent practice comes in.

the 3 degree slope equates to a certain power setting, airspeed and rate of descent that can be predicted and practiced. For example, if you fly your final at day 85kts in a 172, there will be a specific power setting that gives you 85 at the proper rate on the VSI every single time. Go to the practice area and find what those settings are, write them down and practice them. Find the power settings that give you the proper VSI for 3 degrees for, day, 80, 85, 90 and 95 knots. This way you know that when you intercept the GS you immediately go to those settings and airspeed and the rate should match the actual GS (plus or minus ground speed diferences due to wind). You will find that the glide slope will almost fly itself.

That ability to nail the GS needle will build your approach confidence and you will start to reduce those personal minimums to the standard MDA of 200. That will make you more marketable to perspective employers and make you a safer pilot even if you don’t do it for a living.

It’s the one thing I find most students don’t practice. Oh they will brag about their personal minimums but when I ask if they are doing anything about reducing those minimums the usually have no idea what I’m talking about.

fourthly. Did I mention dumping the social media and tv?

tex
 
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Hyperbole much?

I was still instructing and training 3 days a week in martial arts, had a full time job, traveling for work, dating, weekend LAN-gaming and was doing instrument study and training all at the same time. 95 on the written, minimum time for check ride. If you have half a brain you do not need to sequester like you say.

M W F was martial arts, T and Th was instrument training. Saturday and Sunday was social.
 
Dave S. said:
Did I mention dumping the social media and tv?
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Funny. This is social media as are the other aviation boards I follow. I've learned a lot about civilian GA flying from theses conversations compared to my military time but if you insist I guess can quit :rolleyes: Not sure how I stay IFR current and competent with reading this stuff.:D
 
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While not all ATCers are pilots, a decent percentage are. Get to know them through your local pilot community. If there are things they do that increase workload, tell them when they're off. They will work to change things to make it easier on you.

PastZTL said:
Visit an ATC facility (or two). For the pilots that visited us, they all said they learned a lot about why we did what we did. I would suggest a smaller approach control where the controller had time to talk between transmissions to explain what's going on. If you can also visit a center as well I think that would be beneficial.
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Absolutely. Especially a TRACON.
 
A lot of facilities are still not give tours (Covid whatnot).
 
New pilot here. 75hrs or so. Does it make any sense to begin Ifr yet? I bought the King videos just to get a sense of what it was all about. Is studying for the written the first thing you should do?
 
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