Instrument Check

Im either lucky or I dont fly enough: In more than 30 years of flying airplanes for personal transportation, Ive had to execute a for-real missed approach in IMC exactly twice. On both occasions, weather was the main culprit. At least thats my excuse. Both flights ended after a successful ILS approach. Of course, those two occasions dont include the trips I delayed or didnt make for weather-related reasons. In more than one instance, Ive waited out weather but still arrived at my destination before I had to be there. Theres no real secret to this kind of reliable personal-airplane use. Its a fairly simple matter of planning, keeping open as many options as possible, knowing what the options are and then-when its necessary-making the decision to execute the appropriate plan.

I dont want to go down, well hit something, I protested. Would you rather go down now, or in the dark? Martha replied

When the engines out, IMC complicates the problem of getting down safely, but it can be done with a little preparation

Sometimes it happens. Youre cleared for an approach when, well, there isnt an approach for you to fly

Handhelds can save your bacon, right? Were not so sure thats the right assumption

Your gyros need more than a vac pump. Keep the system healthy and your instruments will often tell you when troubles afoot

Flying IFR with a lightly equipped airplane can be legal, but your options dwindle even if nothing goes wrong

Non-precision approaches can involve either a plunge to MDA or a stabilized approach. Your moving map can make stabilized safer

Some 14 months ago, 20 people died when a U.S. Marines Prowler cut a ski gondola cable in a valley near Cavalese, Italy. Captain Richard Ashby, the pilot, and Captain Joseph Schwitzer, the navigator, were facing trial on criminal charges as this issue went to press. Although the easy explanation is that the jet was flying too fast and too low through the valley, the scenario includes another twist.

Air crews rely on maps given to them by the United States to plan their mission, says Frank Spinner, a civilian lawyer hired to assist Ashbys military lawyers. When you have an uncharted obstruction that goes 500 feet above ground level smack in the middle of an approved low-altitude route,…

Avionics manufacturers have a GPS navigator for every purpose and budget. At this springs Aircraft Electronics Association show in Atlanta, yet more models were announced, overhanging the market with unprecedented choices for owners.

GPS sales are clearly hot, but only a small percentage of the GA fleet is equipped with certified GPS. Our best estimate is not greater than 10 percent have IFR navigators.

Many owners are fence sitters still skeptical about the value of spending six grand or more for an IFR navigator that seems to perform only a bit better than a 10-year-old loran. The reasons are many: the cost of admission, lack of utility, beefs about operating complexity and worries…