Making Practice Count: IFR Self-Critique

I fly a lot of IFR year round and a fair amount of actual IMC during the winter, but not much in the summer. Like everyone else, Ive heard the wakeup call from Center in that unmistakable tone that says, "Were not amused that you think flex-altitudes are in use today...please get back to 5000 feet. Now." That sort of thing may be a minor mistake, but if you add up enough minor mistakes, youve got a trend and that could lead to something ugly. The 24-month flight review and instrument proficiency checks are supposed to correct the inevitable decline in skill for those of us who dont fly much, but there may be a better way.

Key Takeaways:

• Pilots' IFR skills naturally degrade over time, making continuous self-assessment and correction on every flight crucial, rather than solely relying on periodic flight reviews.
• The author recommends a disciplined approach: dedicate mental bandwidth to honestly assess performance across all flight segments (climb, cruise, descent, approach), recording observations in a notebook for improvement.
• To counteract complacency and maximize expensive flight time, actively seek opportunities to practice complex or challenging maneuvers and full procedures, aiming for precise, "ATP standards" flying.

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