By Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot
We see many students come through our doors each year to earn their Private Pilot Certificate and the majority of them continue on to earn their Instrument Rating(IFR). However, when we speak with people who received their Private Pilot Certificates years ago or from other schools, their story is quite different. Many of those pilots either have a difficult time earning their IFR or decide against going for it altogether.
There are several reasons why pilots choose to not pursue an IFR. Our hope in this article is to identify those reasons so that they can be addressed and, hopefully, encourage more private pilots to pursue obtaining their Instrument Ratings.
Reason 1: Poor primary training during the Private Pilot course. One of the primary skills that we focus on during the Private Pilot course is Basic Attitude Flying. That is, flying the airplane with reference to outside visual cues along with pre-determined power settings. In simple terms, “attitude + power = performance.” There is no need for any of the aircraft instruments during this phase. All that a pilot needs to understand is that at a certain pitch attitude with a certain power setting, the aircraft will do exactly what is anticipated. Once this set of skills is solidified, we focus on perfecting the climbs, turns, and descent skills. Both can make up 5 – 10 hours of the initial primary training and should not be rushed. The reason these are so important is that the IFR begins with the same exact skills. The only difference is that now, rather than looking outside, we take those same visual cues and apply them to the attitude indicator and other instruments.
As you can see, if pilots have not perfected these skills during their Private Pilot course, they may experience some challenges during the IFR course. We can usually identify these issues early on in the course and if done correctly, we can strengthen these Basic Attitude Skills before frustration and difficulty set in and take over.
Reason 2: A lack of aircraft system understanding is another reason why many students find it difficult to fly instruments. If you aren’t sure how something works, how can you be sure of what it is telling you? A large part of your instrument iraining is learning what to do when something doesn’t work properly. Without a strong understanding of these systems, we see exasperation and pressure build. To counter this, we review all the aircraft systems, from the electrical systems to the engine and avionics, at the start of the training. We have found over the last over 80 Years that reviewing each of these systems from the simulator greatly enhances the educational experience, as well as speeds up the understanding. Going through “what if” scenarios reduces stress when you get into the airplane because you already know what you will do if something doesn’t make sense.
Reason 3: Lack of basic meteorology knowledge is another factor that can make an instrument course more challenging. Understanding weather trends, basic forecasting, how to read weather charts, and how the local and forecasted weather will affect your flight reduces fear, fatigue, and stress. By learning and understanding the weather, you will find that your decision-making process is easier and you can begin to anticipate what you will do and experience on each segment of your approach. We find that most pilots receive only a cursory level of explanation of weather during their Private Pilot training. By understanding this, we can integrate this into an instrument course from day one. Our students find that by constantly reviewing and discussing the weather before and during each flight, they can effectively correlate what they have heard during their weather briefing with what they are experiencing during the flight.
First and foremost, earning your IFR makes you both a better and safer pilot, and we guarantee you will see and feel this by your third lesson. Your confidence will begin to increase, as will your situational awareness. The truth of the matter is that a small portion of IFR flights is in the clouds. However, it’s nice to know that if you do find yourself in or above the clouds, you have many more options available to you with an Instrument Rating than without one.
The most exciting and intriguing part of instrument flying is that you can take off from a 25’ wide by 2,000’ long runway, enter the clouds and fly for several hours and hundreds of miles without seeing anything down below. After shooting the approach, you break out of the clouds a few hundred feet above another runway that is 25’ wide by 2,000’ long. The best part is that you did it on your own, you did it safely and you are now part of a very small exclusive club of pilots who can do the same. So, what are you waiting for?
American Flyers has trained more instrument pilots in the last over 80 Years than any other school. With the right program, right instructors, and the right equipment, you will enjoy your instrument training experience. If you still aren’t convinced, trying a mini instrument transition course is always an option. We call it the “CIP” course. This course takes you through the basic fundamentals of instrument flying on the ground, in the sim, and finally in the air.