Three IFR Curveballs

Flying IFR can get deceptively routine. Most of the time, it means taking off, climbing, cruising, descending, and an approach and landing-all along well-defined routes and usually in VMC. The majority of IFR pilots tend to fly the same routes and procedures again and again, to the point they might memorize communications frequencies and even approach minimums. Its possible to be extremely proficient at the type of flying you usually do while letting other skills atrophy.

Tom Turner

Sunday, April 28, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Routine IFR flying can lead to the neglect of critical, less common skills, for which pilots remain responsible and may be called upon to perform without warning.
Key examples of these often-atrophied IFR skills include flying unpublished holding patterns, understanding and executing obstacle departure procedures (like climb gradients and Visual Climbs Over the Airport), and navigating DME arcs.
Pilots are encouraged to practice these "unusual" procedures to maintain proficiency and be prepared to perform them manually, even if modern avionics like GPS can automate some aspects.

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Flying IFR can get deceptively routine. Most of the time, it means taking off, climbing, cruising, descending, and an approach and landing—all along well-defined routes and usually in VMC. The majority of IFR pilots tend to fly the same routes and procedures again and again, to the point they might memorize communications frequencies and even approach minimums. It’s possible to be extremely proficient at the type of flying you usually do while letting other skills atrophy.

Yet when you accept an IFR clearance, you’re accepting the responsibility to perform any task or procedure in the Instrument Flying Handbook—perhaps in new and untested ways. What are some of the little-used IFR skills you may be assigned at any time, without much warning? What unusual tasks should you practice and have in your back pocket every time you fly IFR?