CFI Central FLYING Magazine Pilot Proficiency

When VFR Turns Into IFR

Pilots should receive training in the transition between VFR and instrument conditions with an instructor before they fly in It themselves.

Friday, November 17, 2023 at 03:35 PM ET

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The Seattle Skyline encased in early morning fog with the Olympic Mountains in the background and evergreen trees in the foreground. [iStock]

Key Takeaways:

Pilots should gain actual Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) experience beyond simulated IFR for effective risk management and confidence, despite it not being a regulatory requirement for the instrument rating.
Various inflight illusions can cause spatial disorientation in IMC; pilots must learn to recognize these and rely solely on flight instruments to maintain control.
Effective instrument flying requires disciplined practice, including proper instrument scanning and specific maneuvers in actual clouds, a challenge also faced by flight instructors in maintaining their own IMC proficiency.

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I live in the Seattle area, where we have so much moisture the AIRMET for mountain obscuration is as common as a Starbucks on every corner. For this reason, when I pursued my instrument rating all those years ago I insisted on having at least 15 hours of actual IFR logged before I would take the check ride. I pursued the IFR rating as an exercise in risk management, and it didn’t make sense to me to get the ticket without ever going into the clouds.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.