Seven IFR Prep Tips

Approach, could you read back the arrival waypoints...we can’t seem to find that arrival....” The request got my attention because it came from the aircraft somewhere ahead of me in the soup of a thick overcast, headed to the same airport. The controller had just warned of a pending change to my arrival plans by changing those of the flight ahead of me. Taking that change as a cue, it was easy to turn to the last plastic-protector page in my little IFR folder—where I’d already inserted the appropriate page. It was less luck than experience, which had tutored me on the likelihood of a traffic conflict with another airport’s arrivals.

Key Takeaways:

• Thorough pre-flight planning, starting days in advance, is crucial for all flights (VMC or IMC), encompassing weather beyond basic forecasts, facility outages, aircraft readiness, and pilot fitness to minimize en route surprises.
• Develop comprehensive contingency plans, including Plan A, Plan B, and multiple alternate scenarios (e.g., airports, routes, fuel stops), to enable quick, confident decision-making when unexpected events arise.
• Manage flights in phases, continuously updating plans with all available resources (Flight Service, ATC, Pireps), staying alert to combat boredom and fatigue, and proactively monitoring frequencies to maintain situational awareness.

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