IFR Head Game

Editorial Staff

Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Safe IFR flight is primarily a "head game" focused on thinking, planning, and understanding procedures, rather than just aircraft control.
Many flight errors, even for experienced pilots, arise from mental lapses and inattention, particularly with unfamiliar procedures or aircraft.
Maintaining recent proficiency and specific familiarity with the aircraft and its systems is crucial to prevent these mental errors and effectively leverage recurrent training.

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I just attended the insurance-mandated recurrent training for my C340A that I haven’t flown in years. I made my share of mistakes, most of which the scenarios are designed to uncover. A few of ‘em really made me think about things.

And that’s really what IFR flight is all about. Anybody with even modest hand-eye coordination can operate a fixed-wing aircraft in instrument conditions. Adding all the fancy gadgets we have these days just makes it even easier yet. “Here—keep this little airplane symbol between those crosshairs to follow the line on the map.” Even if you haven’t got much acumen for video games, chances are you can at least do that.