What To Expect in Instrument Training
by Russell Still
As with any complicated subject, there are numerous ways to teach - and learn - instrument rating material. While techniques may differ, they all lead to the same conclusion. That conclusion is defined by the Instrument Rating Practical Test Standards. A student's main concern should be getting there by the most efficient and effective route. All too often, this does not happen.
Ideally, an instrument rating curriculum will work the student from the small to the large. An instructor should start with the details, then gradually put them together to produce the bigger picture. Jumping into an airplane and trying to teach approaches on the first or second lesson is about as inefficient as one can get. It probably indicates a poor training plan by the instructor.
Ground instruction is crucial to effective knowledge transfer, especially when an instrument rating is involved.Learning abstract concepts takes time. The most efficient approach is to teach the concept so that it is well understood long before actually trying to implement it in the cockpit.
If you find yourself with an instructor who rushes through ground, preferring instead to get quickly into the air, find another instructor. The cockpit is a terrible teaching environment. Your ideal instructor will patiently explain the issues in the comfort of a classroom or office and work with you until you have a firm understanding. Then, and only then, should the two of you go out to try it in the air.
A good syllabus will generally start with a review of the instruments and systems, and from there move into what is called basic attitudes flying. This is the part of your training where you learn to fly by the instruments and to gain an appreciation for two fundamental axioms:
- Pitch plus Power equals Performance, and
- Trim Sets Airspeed
During instrument flight, you will always be flying in one of six configurations:
- Cruise
- Cruise Climb
- Cruise Descent
- Approach Level (the speed at which approaches are flown; usually 90 or 120 knots)
- Precision Approach Descent (500 fpm at approach level speed)
- Non-precision Approach Descent (1000 fpm at approach level speed)
What you do NOT want to learn is to futz around with the power and trim and empirically work into the configuration you want. Instead, learn the exact settings of power and pitch which produce the desired result. Hopefully, your instructor will turn you into a test pilot and help you work out these settings, writing them down into a chart. If so, your first homework assignment will be to memorize these numbers for power (RPM or manifold pressure) and pitch (degrees on the attitude indicator).
With your developing mastery of basic attitudes and configuration flight, it will be time to return to the classroom. While there is plenty of work to be done learning about clearances and the en route portion of flight, most of your training time will be spent learning and mastering the multiple types of approaches.
A simulator, FTD (flight training device), or approved PCATD (personal computer aviation training device) can be a huge help in learning and practicing approaches. A lot of old-school instructors are quick to poo-poo the idea of training on a PCATD. "Oh," they say, "what a waste of time. You need to get out there and feel the turbulence bounce you around and see what it's like to figure the winds." Nonsense - they're just unwilling to learn the new technology. There will be plenty of opportunity to get beaten up by the winds after you've mastered the techniques in the simulator.
A sim (allow me to lump simulator, FTD, and PCATD into this generic slang term) is a wonderful training tool for a variety of reasons. It is less expensive to operate and is less stressful to fly (allowing more effective learning to occur). You make a mistake, no problem. In an airplane, you'll spend ten minutes going out to set up the maneuver again. In the sim, you drag the airplane back with the mouse. If you become confused in the sim, press the pause button and you and your instructor can focus on the issue giving you trouble. There is simply no question that you will get more efficient training when a sim is involved. And you will save several hundred dollars on your overall bill.
After learning and practicing the basics - intercepts, tracking, procedure turns, holds, and approach descents - you'll be ready to tackle those small rectangular charts fondly referred to as approach plates. Back to the classroom. Don't let your instructor waste your time and money trying to teach you to read them in the airplane. Learn them on the ground, practice them in the sim, then go out and polish your skills in the air.
Effective homework and self-study is particularly important during instrument training. Flying IFR is all about minimizing workload. And the best way to do that is to become a master of the conceptual material. Remember that stress levels go up during flight - especially flight in bumpy IMC. When stress levels go up, your cognitive abilities go down. Don't expect to be at your peak intellectually during IFR flight. Combat this with a firm understanding and recall ability of the concepts and rules.
Now, of course this whirlwind explanation of instrument training has glossed over an awful lot. Hopefully, however, you picked up on the most important point: learn on the ground, practice in the air. An instrument instructor who does not enjoy giving good ground training will probably cost you money and time in the long run. Choose a CFII who understands that knowledge begins in the brain, not in the hands.
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