To Be a "Good" Instrument Pilot.

[cookmg]

Hey!

I've often read that one thing that makes a great airline pilot, or any proffesional that flies is the IFR system, is to have really solid instrument skills. This seems to be a very important development in becomming a pro. What surprised me to learn was that many pilots, even experienced pilots, may not reach these standards of proficiency.

So, apparently, just passing the instrument ride is not enough. Then, what is? What do you guys look for in a pilot to see if he/she has "solid" instrument skills. Or, better yet, how might one critique themselves to find out how their instrument flying is coming along.

If you regularly fly well enough to pass an ATP ride on any given day is that a good standard?

Do you need to be able to fly partial panel ILS with the cross-hairs fixed?

What are the characteristics of a great instrument pilot?

Thanks.

Mike

 

[bigD]

Well, you hit the nail on the head that the checkride is certainly not enough!

I live in an area where I don't get a whole lot of actual, so I try to stay proficient by filing IFR essentially every time I go anywhere - regardless of how nice it is outside. I then follow that up by doing some approaches (and some partial panel) with a safety pilot at least once a month. I find that this keeps me in pretty good form.

For me, periods of IFR inactivity shows by my making little mistakes - forgetting to time, not ID'ing a navaid, etc... Of course, when I haven't done much IFR, I'm finding these mistakes with a safety pilot or CFII in the right seat - not while flying in actual! My ability to fly the plane accurately, keep the needle(s) centered, and so on, don't seem to atrophy like the "procedural" stuff you need to do while IFR. For this reason, filing IFR as much as possible - even if not actually on instruments - seems to help a lot.

I also occasionally sit down on my PC sim (X-Plane) and shoot approaches to various airports. It's also a good way to practice unique and strange approaches that you may not find close by.

As for what makes a "good" instrument pilot - I dunno. I just try and stay proficient and learn as much as I can. I figure that if I try as hard as I can to be as proficent and safe as possible, everything else will work out.

 

[need2AV8]

as many opinions as there are pilots

Personally, I think there is no replacement for actual conditions. That's when the illusions really manifest. Usually, it's 'bumpier' in IMC, making partial panel while using a bouncy compass rather difficult. I feel that if you can "get it all right" in IMC under tough conditions (partial panel, one engine out in a multi, moderate or greater turbulence, etc) then you are pretty solid.

Just as there is no replacement for actual conditions, there is no replacement for experience. You'll likely notice your skills continue to grow more solid (if you work at it) the more time you spend in simulated, or preferably actual, conditions.

On that note, whenever we get a certificate or rating, we're like the 16 yr. old who just got his drivers license. In theory, the 16 yr. old should be a safe driver, but they should not be driving around a bus load of school children in a snow storm just yet.

 

[bobbysamd]

IFR rating

Passing the instrument practical only proves that you have "soloed" in the IFR system. It is one of those "licenses to learn" that we speak of.

Instrument skills are perishable. You want to maintain them as much as possible. To that end, spend as much flight time as you can under the hood with a safety pilot, etc. File, even in VFR weather. Go out and shoot approaches - shoot as many different kinds and varieties as possible. Wait for some safe actual (i.e. clouds but no ice) and fly in it - with help, at first, but by yourself as you gain confidence. The strange thing about actual is that it's easier than flying under the hood. The hood in and of itself is a distraction.

Challenge yourself. Try flying an NDB partial panel. When you can't fly, see if you can get in the ground training device and "fly" it.

Do other things. Take an instructor or safety pilot with you and practice holding. I know that in the real world holding is rare, but you'll have an edge if you can figure out holding effortlessly. Have a safety pilot or instructor get you a PAR or surveillance approach. You may never get one for real, but if you do you will know it, and it's fun!

Depending on your flying goals, you want to fly the gauges with the highest precision possible. In other words, as soon as possible you want to hone your skills to ATP standards or better. You can do better. Read the ATP PTS; the standards aren't that much tougher than the instrument ride.

Instrument flying is really the essence of professional aviation. You will help yourself greatly if you hone your skills.

I like this book, IFR Principles and Practice: A Guide to Safe Instrument Flying by Avram Goldstein and Newton Miller, ISBN: 0934754047. It's a great little book on instrument flying with ideas on building instrument skills.

Good luck with your instrument flying.

 

[350DRIVER]

A "good" instrument pilot (in my opinion) is one who after 30 years of flight finally walks away for that one last time without having dinged a piece of metal or scratched any pax over his entire career. A checkride is nothing more than you proving your skills in a very controlled environment. The "real world test" comes over the entire span of one's career and your experiences along the way at each and every level. It amazes me that the FAA allows the 40 hours required per FAR to be either "simulated" or "actual".- I have a hard time buying into the concept that one can go through there entire instrument training program and need not log one hour in "actual" instrument conditions and then after that "magic" ride be then legal to shoot approaches down to minimums and they then are a "safe pilot". Not too safe in my opinion. The not so funny thing is that there are quite a few CFII's that I instruct with that will n o t take there students up in "actual" because.?? Yeah- they didn't have the training when they were coming up the ranks.. Almost like a chain effect.)

A G O O D instrument pilot begins with having a g o o d CFII.

What are the characteristics of a great instrument pilot?

What is your definition of great.??


Let your track record and reputation speak for itself, take pride in your skills and never stop improving and the rest will fall into place.

c h e e r s

3 5 0

 

[skyavtr]

Here is my opinion of what a "good" instrument pilot is. One who realizes that the instrument rating is a license to learn and gain experience for flying in IMC. One who has good judgment in that they know honestly what their limitations are and have personal minimums, which are constantly reevaluated, has their career progresses. One who not only practices flying by IFR but enjoys and wants to refine their skill to a higher level of proficiency for it may be called upon to save their life and the life of their passengers. One who knows that up there in the "soup" there is NO reset button, and there is NO room for errors.

Learning is not only a change in behavior has as a result of experience but is also a process of always moving. Learning whether it be in knowledge or skill if one is standing still they are not really still but are moving backwards losing ground. What I am trying to say here is that one needs to study and practice if they wish to improve or become better. If one does not they are not getting better but actually worse. It is a never-ending battle.

 

[wingnutt]

#1 i agree...passing the test is a "ticket to learn", sounds familiar dosent it?

#2 anticipation...staying ahead of your airplane (self-explanitory)

#3 current does NOT mean proficient!

pro·fi·cient ; adjective
well advanced in an art, occupation, or branch of knowledge
synonyms PROFICIENT, ADEPT, SKILLED, SKILLFUL, EXPERT mean having great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession. PROFICIENT implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice <proficient in translating foreign languages>. ADEPT implies special aptitude as well as proficiency <adept at doing long division>. SKILLED stresses mastery of technique <a skilled surgeon>. SKILLFUL implies individual dexterity in execution or performance <skillful drivers>. EXPERT implies extraordinary proficiency and often connotes knowledge as well as technical skill <expert in the evaluation of wines>.

ie; just because you have your 6 approaches with holding/tracking in the previous 6 months, does not incurr that you can do it profficiently.

#4 in a nutshell what makes a good instrument pilot great (in my eyes) is small corrections...the ability to maintain desired heading/descent/track/airspeed/etc. or even a combination of all of the above without needing to use large correction factor(s). small control inputs and knowing when to instigate said inputs almost before they are needed, make an instrument pilot a step above the rest. unfortunately, this is not normally a built-in art form. lots of practice, and many moons of flying in actual will definately get you there though!

good luck!

 

[hagen]

I thought it was directly related to how "GOOD" the autopilot is. I mean my deffinition of good is being able to arm the approach with one finger, throw the heading bug for a spin with another finger, throw a chew in and finish your coffee all at the same time without spilling any. Then just sit back and watch a crappy F/D slip and slide around.

Good Times..........................Good Times.

 

[wanabe_fo]

CFII in actual

Everyone is right on. Simulated is no replacement for actual. When I was teaching in NY, we would regularly have 200 and ½ days all the time. The best part though is that there were airports nearby higher than we were so they would be below mins when we would be right at them. I would call all my instrument students and get as many to the airport as I could. WE would pile into the airplane and go shoot approaches to and particularly to the airport below mins. ATC would querry us to “if we had the current weather at the field”. But the first time you drive all the way down and hear the MM going off and the needles are very sensitive and you do not even see tree tops below you can be a very very humbling experience.

As to a good instrument pilot, If you can fly in the busiest of airspace, in the bumps and clouds, not pi$s off the controllers, do everything right, keep everyone safe, and not bend any metal then you are doing all right. If the controller reminds you of an altimeter setting more than three times while talking to the same guy then you are not doing it right(unless you are flying in a hurricane then you need to have your head examined).