It is not uncommon for a pilot to have the means to upgrade their instrument panel with the latest technology but not have sufficient time and opportunity to learn or relearn how to use it effectively. [Credit: Adobe Stock]
Key Takeaways:
Instrument flying skills are highly valuable but perishable, requiring consistent practice beyond minimum FAA currency requirements (14 CFR 61.57) to maintain true proficiency.
Regaining instrument proficiency, especially after a break, should be treated as a comprehensive process involving an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) and dedicated dual instruction.
Key areas for refreshing skills include reviewing weather knowledge, practicing basic instrument maneuvers (hand-flying), mastering both modern and analog avionics, and utilizing scenario-based training in simulators or aircraft.
Of all the ratings a pilot can earn, the instrument rating is often the most intense academically and the most useful.
Filing IFR on VFR days gives you priority handling—like flight following on steroids—and the procedures you learn and skills gained can give a pilot more confidence in general.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
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.
![It is not uncommon for a pilot to have the means to upgrade their instrument panel with the latest technology but not have sufficient time and opportunity to learn or relearn how to use it effectively. [Credit: Adobe Stock]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/FLY0126_1.6-IFR.jpeg)
