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Flip Flopping

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Simplifying tasks, especially frequency management, is a crucial skill for instrument pilots in single-pilot cockpits.
  • Dual comm radios can be strategically utilized to streamline operations, reduce workload, and minimize stress during various flight phases.
  • Initial techniques involve using two separate radios as an "improvised flip-flop" to quickly switch frequencies or revert to previous controllers if needed.
  • A more advanced method involves dedicating one comm for ground operations (ATIS, clearance) and the other for air operations (tower, approach), allowing pilots to pre-set frequencies and effortlessly transition during busy phases like takeoff and landing.
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When I was first getting my feet wet with instrument flying one of the hardest but most crucial skills was learning how to make things simple.

Those of you who are experienced instrument pilots might chuckle at this because doing that is the essence of much of what we do in the single-pilot cockpit. As with everything in flying, what we do is inextricably mated with the equipment we’re flying in.

Isabel Goyer

A commercial pilot, Isabel Goyer has been flying for more than 40 years, with hundreds of different aircraft in her logbook and thousands of hours. An award-winning aviation writer, photographer and editor, Ms. Goyer led teams at Sport Pilot, Air Progress and Flying before coming to Plane & Pilot in 2015.

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