My Top 5 Favorite IFR Tips You Can Implement Today

Instrument flying can be intimidating, especially when you are first getting your rating. There is so much new material to grasp and a lot going on in the cockpit to manage. To make this easier, here are my top five favorite tips that I have received over the years that have made instrument flying easier for me. Hope it helps!
Helpful resources mentioned in and related to this video:
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See more aviation tips, tricks, and training FAQs over at airplaneacadem...
For more about Charlie Gasmire, see his page at airplaneacadem...

[@DrTom1946]

As a retired FAA ATC, I taught the new controllers this mnemonic when issuing clearances.. PHAC…..Position, heading, altitude, clearance. E.g., N12345, you’re 3 miles from ( the FAF), fly heading 270 to intercept the localizer, maintain (x altitude) until (the fix or interception), cleared for ILS RW (#) approach.

[@logansorensen1829]

This was one of the best videos I've ever seen on this topic. Finally an instructor sounds like a real human being and not just regurgitating the FAR/AIM.

[@AirplaneAcademy]

Wow! Thanks so much for saying that. Means alot!

[@archerpiperii2690]

About pitch and power settings: fly to a practice area where you can work on different settings for different situations. When you find what you need, write it down then and there. Some great pointers in the video! Greetings from Phoenix, AZ.

[@stevesayer4045]

you right the more practice the better you become

[@michelrail]

I love night flying because it's so quiet. The air is calmer. Less convection. I'm not sure if it's because of less distraction or calmer air, but my circuits at night are always spot on. I'm a better night flyer than I am during daylight. It makes a lot of sense to train IFR at night.

[@AirplaneAcademy]

Well said. I think night flying is really enjoyable. Great way to crank out the instrument rating too because you can fly on weeknights and not just be subject to good VFR days on the weekends like you normally are when getting your PPL.

[@MulletHead87]

Same on the Ground in a Big Rig....I try to drive through the night as much as possible.....It's you and no one else, the road feels like it's yours. Dallas,Chicago,Atlanta,Orlando,NYC,Houston,LA.....Coast in/out easily at 2am.

[@davidmalone9022]

Great tips. For me, I found flying instrument approaches in clear conditions incredibly useful. It's reassuring to see that the turns and descents don't happen as suddenly and urgently as they seem to when you are in IMC. It also clarifies what slight deviations in the needles (especially on an ILS) actually look like in reality (decreasing the tendency to over-control.)

[@AirplaneAcademy]

That's a good point! Good to build confidence too that you know it's working even when you can't see :)

[@t34bravo]

Great videos. Appreciate you putting these out! How about a video on IFR cockpit organization? I'm working on my instrument rating but I can't figure out the best system with charts, kneeboards, ipads, etc. Thanks again.

[@AirplaneAcademy]

Thanks for the comment and suggestion. I'll consider that! Everyone has a slightly difference preference so there's not really a one-size fits all. When I was getting my instrument I wasn't allowed to use an iPad, so I was keeping paper charts on my lap the whole time. Putting tabs on them so I could quickly find the airports I was frequently using definitely helped but it was still stressful. I've seen people by Jepp charts in a 5-ring binder so you can take out the ones you need and then put them back in (that seems to work better than the flip book since you can just put one page of charts on your kneeboard). If you're allowed to use an iPad, definitely by a mount for it (I like the RAM mounts that have a suction cup for the side of the windscreen.. that's what I use today and you might have seen them in some of my videos. I used to have a yolk mount but found that it got in the way during the landing flare so I moved to the suction mount). Hope it helps.

[@shyammohabir8283]

Man I'm so impress with your explanation. Thanks for sharing

[@jakew9887]

Great tips. Thanks

[@IzzyFlys1]

Working on IR Ticket Now mostly fly at night due to plane availability but also nice because going into non towered fields won’t have the Nordo traffic anymore

[@Heathfx5]

about to do my IFR checkride using my instructor's bird, but went up with my dad yesterday in his bird to do some practice approaches and find power, trim, gear and flap settings for predictable descent rates, cruise climb and lower cruise speeds for holds. Ended in frustration with the gear horn being set to come on at nearly 19" of manifold pressure, its supposed to be around 16"-14" per the cessna MM. Going to fly it to our mechanic soon for a few small maintenance items, but on the way there will mark the throttle (as per the MM) and have our mechanic set the switch to trip properly. ignoring the gear horn is a bad habit I don't want to get into, but at 19" is like the boy who cried wolf. 20" and 2300 RPM gets you nearly 120 kias in a turbo 210, which is plenty fast when holding. I'd really like to get it down to 110 kias though without dragging the gear around. Dropping the gear gives a near perfect 3 deg glide from level flight at those speeds without touching the power.

[@aviatortrucker6198]

I tried to do my IPC at night so that I could also get my night currency back. One thing to note is you need to be very familiar with the airplane, I was using a G 1000 for the second time so I wasn’t as smooth as the old steamer gauges. Just like in a car your peripheral vision is decreased and things that are easy to reach and know where they are or a little more challenging at night because you do not have as much light as you would during the daytime. For instance if you’ve ever tried to reach for a radio knob, you know where it is but it is a little more required for you to focus your attention to because the overall cockpit is not well illuminated. Flying at night is smoother and easier, but it has its challenges of trying to get a good instrument scan especially if you have to dim your instruments to a comfortable level. This is a hard-core comparison as opposed to flying instruments with natural light in the cockpit.

[@747-pilot]

Your article on the difference between an HSI and a CDI brought me here to your KZbin channel!! That article did an outstanding job of explaining and dissecting the whole thing (the "mystery", if you will) behind this whole HSI thing!! Now I understand its workings "to a T". Yes, believe me, I'm an Instrument rated Commercial Pilot, and did not have a proper understanding of the HSI (I've never flown an aircraft with one in it). Virtually all of the VOR navigation related questions on the FAA Instrument and Commercial written exam, use an HSI and not a conventional CDI. No wonder I had such a hard time getting them right. Although I did get some of them right, just by "shrewd guessing" and pure luck, I could have aced everything and got close to a 100, if I had read your article at the time!! There is not a single article, or KZbin video, that explains this properly!! In your write up, you stated _" ....The HSI eliminates the reverse sensing issue, so if the needle is to the right, you are ALWAYS to the left of the course...."_ This one sentence could have saved me so much pain on those writtens!! 😂 Beyond this, understanding the HSI properly is very critical, as it follows you into glass cockpits and so on (as you correctly point out). Now that I'm training to become a CFI, it is even more critical that I understand this mysterious instrument, so that I may be an effective teacher to my students!! 😂 Thank You for that great explanation!

[@AirplaneAcademy]

Thanks so much for the detailed comment and such a great compliment! I wrote that article because I couldn't find a good answer out there that explained it clearly. Really glad to hear it was useful to you. -Charlie

[@fhummel]

" ....The HSI eliminates the reverse sensing issue, so if the needle is to the right, you are ALWAYS to the left of the course...." Bonus points for who can describe a case where this not correct. 😉

[@tomcorwine3091]

Can you provide a link to that article, please?

[@carlosdeleon7620]

excellent Videos. thank you

[@AirplaneAcademy]

Thank you! Glad you enjoy. :)

[@knoxflier5171]

Great tips! I use 13” and 10 degrees in my 182H. Keep it up Charlie, great advice and content you are sharing

[@AirplaneAcademy]

Awesome - helpful to have settings like that so it removes one more thing you are having to process and manage in the cockpit, particularly while IMC.

[@Jonnydeerhunter]

Awesome video. You've gained my subscription!

[@AirplaneAcademy]

Awesome! Thanks so much. Excited to have you!

[@VictoryAviation]

Off to take my check ride in less than an hour. Catch ya on the flip side!

[@AirplaneAcademy]

So awesome! How did it go?

[@VictoryAviation]

@@AirplaneAcademy Nailed it! Now I can legally fly in the clouds 😜 I start in on my commercial license on Monday. Your channel has absolutely helped me through this learning process. Thank you for the countless hours you invest in your content.

[@AirplaneAcademy]

This is such great news! Congratulations. Very rewarding accomplishment!

[@vittoriafiorentini8276]

More ifr videos please

[@AirplaneAcademy]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@vittoriafiorentini8276]

Grazie mille

[@texstar77]

Where did you do your training at ADS? And, how much did the Bravo help or hinder?

[@AirplaneAcademy]

American Flyers. I felt that learning in/around the Bravo helped tremendously because there won't be an airspace you'll be intimidated to fly into if you learn there from the start. But even if you don't, it's still very learnable and do-able it just takes practice. If you're already training in the Class B then you get practice from day one. I know pilots that won't set foot in even class D airspace which is a shame because it doesn't have to be hard!

[@ngierot1]

I have a question. I recently brought my 172 and I quickly discovered that flying at night is the best thing ever. Quiet on the radio quiet in the sky and during COVID even more quiet in the skies over Florida. But when you are flying at night and flying with only the instruments do you consider this actual instrument time?

[@AirplaneAcademy]

Yes nighttime is such peaceful and different flying! Congrats on purchasing your 172. I think this article addresses your question: www.ifr-magazine.com/technique/actual-conditions/

[@ngierot1]

Airplane Academy thanks man. Good article. I’m gonna keep flying at night. After this hurricane passes. Makes for a much calmer, darker and quieter. If you ever come to Orlando. Let me know. I’m actually coming to Addison for CFI School in a few months.

[@AirplaneAcademy]

Awesome! I think you'll enjoy flying here it is busy busy!

[@delladog]

Much of the IFR workload is generated by ATC. Just fly the airplane.

[@pziemann]

Also there is less GA traffic at night.....

[@jovanni_orb5116]

Hi

[@FLONEKLO-AEEZY]

On my piper warrior 161, rpm at 21 airspeed at 90, and just look at that constant 450 ft per min descent

[@BrianGochnauer]

"added safety measure flying at night" really what part of safety would that be? That you're in a single engine airplane or that you don't have to worry about an off-airport landing because you're likely not going to find a suitable landing area in the pitch black of night? As a private pilot I am confused by that statement that night flight is safer; and having two pilots does not make it that much safer.

[@AirplaneAcademy]

Hi Brian - I was meaning that getting night IFR practice is really valuable because it tends to be more stressful than daytime IFR. For example, type ratings are typically given in simulated night conditions to just add another layer of complexity to the flight. So, if you ever do encounter night IFR, it's helpful to have some hours under your belt having done it during training. Hope this helps!

[@chinoman7234]

Charlie? I was wondering if you make any money from your videos? I am thinking of starting a channel and was just curious. Thank you