IFR Magazine

• That Illusive Proficiency
• Instrument Currency
• Going Below Minimums
• Traffic and Winds
• Night Fright
• Controller Training
• Go? Or No Go?
• Take your Time
• Forecast Models

Non-towered Longmont Airport (KLMO) had one RNAV 28 instrument approach. It’s not unusual to have five airplanes in the pattern. On this particular VFR day, one was lifting off from a touch-and-go, another was on crosswind, the third neared midfield downwind, another turned from downwind to base, and another airplane was on short final. In […]

Today’s Sim Challenge is just an out-and-back. You’ll start on the ramp at Santa Maria, California, (KSMX) and hop over the hills a scant 76 NM to Bakersfield Muni (L45). Leg Two is just the reverse. Simple … except you’ll set the outside visuals to deep nighttime with ceilings of 1000 feet at KSMX and […]

Instrument pilots know that IMC is challenging and far less forgiving than flying visually. Proficient flying by instruments is a must for us lest we enter the NTSB annals. When the ink on our instrument tickets was still wet, our skills were ultra-sharp. But as time passed, without continued practice those instrument skills slowly atrophied. […]

Star Wars Episode 2 In March 2021, we delved into Star Wars Episode 1 in the JJEDI TWO ARRIVAL (RNAV) into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport. In the tradition of the Star Wars series of movies, there is more to this arrival in Star Wars Episode 2: LLNDO (Lando Calrissian) was a smuggler and gambler who […]

During my time as a controller, I’ve had a lot of pilots ask about what’s involved with ATC training and how it compares to pilot training. Unlike for some pilots, it’s not one and done, nor should it be. The Big Picture ATC has many different functions and jobs. Most pilots know of the main […]

Operations below minimums on an instrument approach can be quite simple if the ceilings and visibilities are significantly above minimums. But when the chips are down along with the ceilings and visibilities, things aren’t quite so simple. Let’s take a deep dive into what it takes to get an airplane on the ground after a […]

TEXTRON BUYS PIPISTREL In an announcement that surprised many industry watchers, Textron revealed it was buying Pipistrel Aircraft, a Slovenian company that has been at the forefront of light aircraft innovation, most recently in the electric and hybrid airplane sector. In the announcement, Textron CEO Scott Donnelly said the acquisition will result in the creation […]

Simulators first made a believer of me when I got a Pacer Mk II in 1978. In 10 years, I put over 1000 hours on it. It augmented my Cessna 172 so faithfully that I successfully moved 15 pilots through their instrument rating and completed 40 IPCs with its help. An FAA authorization allowed 15 […]