Modern electronics almost relegate lost-comm concerns to a thing of the past. But what should you do if “almost” comes to your flight?

Shortly after we published our update on making ACS regulatory (March 2024 issue), the FAA finalized the change. Here’s what you need to know.

Even with proliferating GPS approaches, not all airports have an approach. And, without an approach, there’s no departure procedure. Can you legally get out in IMC?

No, we’re not going to beat you up for relying on your GPS. Instead, our concern is overreliance on your autopilot. But not for reasons you might think.

Even if you got your instrument rating 30 years ago, this still affects you since the requirements for an IPC are in the ACS.

Back in 2018, the FAA expanded our ability to use training devices to maintain instrument currency. Incomprehensible distinctions between aircraft and various types of simulators were removed. Rated pilots may log currency tasks without an instructor. An increased market for training devices and their increased use—often by pilots who logged little or no device time […]

Turning in the opposite direction of the regulatory traffic pattern during a circling approach is an almost constant topic of discussion in instrument pilot circles. In “Going Below Minimums” (May 2022 IFR), we wrote: “At a non‑towered airport the Instrument Flying Handbook in Figure 10‑13 seems to indicate that you can circle in any direction […]

Holds are the bane of many pilots’ existence. The variety of helpful and not-so-helpful tips, tricks, and other “aids” tells us how big a problem it is. Fortunately, most of us eventually figure out that published holds are easy. A picture tells a thousand words. Unless we are a little OCD about that 70/20 section, […]

The article, “Safety Pilot Rules” (March 2020 IFR), talked about the ins and outs of safety pilot roles, qualifications, responsibilities, and logging. Under 14 C.F.R. §91.109(c) safety pilots are considered required crewmembers. The minimum requirements for acting as a safety pilot are (1) a private pilot or higher certificate, (2) the applicable aircraft category and […]

A skillful instrument scan is essential to safe IMC flight. It may be a while since you reviewed the underlying scanning techniques with a focus on the principles and best practices. This quiz will help you scan more efficiently and effectively. Answers are on page 23.