IFR Magazine

One of the things I see often on IFR stage checks and IPCs is a lack of familiarity with the different kinds of GPS approaches and their respective capabilities and idiosyncrasies. Introduction of Localizer Precision (LP) approaches has made that worse. Given that the U.S. has over 12,000 GPS approaches, it’s time we mastered the […]

Controller guidance for getting an aircraft onto an approach was a hot topic at a recent Air Traffic Procedures Advisory Committee meeting of various organizations of pilots and airlines. Previously, there were two basic ways to join an approach, 1) Fly the full procedure starting from a charted route, feeder route, or Initial Approach Fix […]

You got a visual approach on your arrival this morning. You even canceled IFR ten miles out, and enjoyed a pleasant VFR ride to the runway. Now the AWOS is reporting low ceilings and two miles of visibility, requiring an IFR departure clearance. You’re a damp mess as you preflight, thanks to the drizzle drifting […]

Although they look alike, there is a world of difference between ILS, LNAV+V and LNAV/VNAV glidepaths. It turns out that not all glidepaths are created equal.

One element of IFR flying thats universally disliked among pilots is the circling approach. The prospect of flying visually in marginal weather conditions at low altitude while configuring the aircraft for landing and, oh yeah, not straying beyond sight distance of the airport, understandably strikes fear into the hearts of many pilots, and with good reason. Circling approaches are serious business and offer plenty of opportunities to get in trouble.

While not all pilots are gadget geeks, drooling over the newest cool stuff, few among us don’t pine for the latest EFIS, navigator or portable. Garmin’s D2 introduction—possibly the ultimate pilot “Gadget Geek” watch yet—left us begging for a sample. UsesLet’s face it: one of the major attractions of the D2 is simply the “gee […]

Did you know that GPS performance worldwide is continuously evaluated in great detail, to make sure the system remains safe and reliable for use by everyone? In 1999, the FAA began publishing quarterly Performance Analysis Reports on the basic Standard Positioning Service (SPS) that is provided by GPS. Lets take a look at some performance information critical to pilots. The latest report covers April 1 to June 30, 2013, and well look at some of…

The circle to land has proven throughout aviation history to be one of the least understood, least practiced and most feared maneuvers. Add the inherent risks of low-level maneuvering in minimum visibility and you may have the most dangerous maneuvers in instrument flight. So much so that some operators prohibit such circling.

There are actually two pieces to this. There’s the clearance to maintain altitude “VFR-on-top” itself, but there is also the variation mentioned in “Tame the Fog Monster” last month, the IFR departure to VFR-on-top. Both are useful tools that deserve a closer look. The first is simply a clearance to climb to VFR-on- top. “Climb […]

Every seasoned pilot occasionally finds a stubborn thunderstorm blocking the path like a bully in the schoolyard. We wonder not only where to deviate but whats on the other side. If you have a weather display, youve got a better idea of what lies ahead, but theres always uncertainty about how safe it is to cross the area. An understanding of thunderstorm patterns and ingredients, and considering the basic meteorology pattern of the day is…