In general, instrument-rated pilots do a good job of assembling all the information they’ll need to complete a flight as safely and efficiently as possible. They’ll diligently study approach procedures, weather forecasts, fuel minimums, runway lengths, alternates, and notams – in short, all the things we pilots should be considering before every flight, whether we’re flying IFR or VFR.
But what about the departure, especially a departure from an unfamiliar airport? How often do you look up the published departure procedure for a given airport before blasting off into the clear blue sky – or worse, into a not-so-clear-blue sky?
