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 currency requires specific tasks (e.g., six approaches, holding, tracking courses) every six months, with an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) needed if beyond that window, but true proficiency goes beyond mere legal currency.
Regaining instrument proficiency should be viewed as a multi-step process, especially if skills are rusty, often requiring dedicated dual instruction proportional to the time elapsed since flying.
Key steps to rebuild instrument proficiency include reviewing weather theory, practicing fundamental hand-flying skills, mastering modern avionics and autopilot, and training through diverse flight scenarios, often utilizing simulators.
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.
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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)
