65
votes
Accepted
Why does flying IFR require a rating?
The short and sweet answer to this question: That kind of thinking is what kills a lot of pilots.
A non-instrument rated pilot may know how to fly and navigate but does not yet have the skill to do ...
- 71.9k
48
votes
Accepted
What did Chuck do wrong in this Chicken Wings comic?
Chuck landed blindfolded.
He's using a hood, a device worn like a visor which blocks part of your vision so you can only see the instrument panel and nothing outside. Pilots practicing instrument ...
- 14.1k
39
votes
Accepted
Was it possible to land a Boeing 707 with 300 feet cloud ceiling in the 70s?
ILS approaches were in common use in 1970 when I got my instrument rating. The normal (Cat I) ceiling minimum was 200 feet. So, yes, a 707 would have been able to land with a 300 foot cloud ceiling in ...
- 39.1k
35
votes
Accepted
Do you have to look outside at all under IFR?
In the U.S., "See and Avoid" is the controlling concept. 14 CFR 91.113 (b) states (in pertinent part):
When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under ...
- 32.4k
33
votes
Accepted
Why fly VFR at all?
(This answer is based on light aircraft in the US.)
Leaving aside any scenarios where you must file IFR (class A, IMC) and any where you can't (pilot and/or aircraft not IFR-capable), it comes down ...
- 71.5k
31
votes
Why does flying IFR require a rating?
Because it is very difficult to navigate with instruments alone.
I just wished to illustrate to you by giving you an example. (These are flight simulation images, but should illustrate the idea well.)...
- 39.6k
31
votes
Accepted
Am I allowed to tell ATC "unable" if asked to climb to less than 12,500 ft without supplemental oxygen aboard?
FAR 91.211 only requires supplemental oxygen be used by the pilot/minimum required flight crew for that part of the flight at altitudes above 12,500 MSL to 14,000 MSL that is of more than 30 minutes ...
- 32.4k
27
votes
Why does flying IFR require a rating?
Once in the air, the pilot's most basic task in manipulating the controls is to keep the airplane right side up. As it turns out, this is much easier to do when we have reference to an outside real ...
- 39.1k
27
votes
How do pilots align the HUD with their eyeballs?
The other way around - you set up the pilot for eye-to-HUD alignment. When you are in the right position then you can see all the data-fields on the HUD - if you can't see them, you move your seat.
- 4,588
25
votes
Accepted
What are the reasons for autopilot restrictions on instrument approaches?
It's the fact the autopilot works more accurately than a pilot which is actually the cause of the restriction.
The decision to restrict the use of the autopilot usually comes from the certification ...
- 69.7k
25
votes
Accepted
Is the pilot required to keep visual lookout during IFR operations in VMC?
You didn't mention which country or jurisdiction you're asking about, but in the US 14 CFR 91.113(b) says:
When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is
conducted under ...
- 71.5k
25
votes
Accepted
Is there a penalty for changing the approach procedure after accepting one?
There is no penalty per se, but visual approaches in particular have lower separation requirements, so having to switch you back to a non-visual approach may require ATC to make corrections (e.g. ...
- 27.6k
25
votes
Accepted
How many holds to be IR current?
According to this AOPA article, quoting the FAA person who actually wrote 61.57, it’s one hold:
When paragraph 61.57(c)(1)(ii) [i.e., "Holding procedures"] was written it was not intended ...
- 71.5k
24
votes
Accepted
Is skydiving in IMC (through clouds) legal and safe?
It is not legal to conduct skydiving into clouds, atleast in US. From 14 CFR §105.17 Flight visibility and clearance from cloud requirements:
No person may conduct a parachute operation, and no ...
- 99.8k
23
votes
Accepted
May a non-instrument pilot legally file IFR as long as he amends and doesn’t accept an instrument clearance?
My instrument students, when they get more advanced, file FP with their name, and in remarks say "Training xxxxxx CFII"
That way it is clear. The FAA office investigated one student, dug up his ...
- 17.7k
23
votes
Why do helicopter operations avoid IFR?
Helicopters do not avoid IFR. They will, however, try to avoid IMC for safety reasons. The same is true for airplanes in the same weight class. Just because the pilot is IFR rated and the aircraft is ...
- 16.5k
21
votes
Accepted
Why must IFR be cancelled?
It's all about making sure everybody knows what's going on. While you are on an instrument approach and thus flying IFR, ATC is responsible for spacing you, giving instructions on heading and speed in ...
- 22.7k
21
votes
Accepted
How do pilots align the HUD with their eyeballs?
A pilot will usually adjust his seat height to align his eyes roughly with the design eye-position in an aircraft. As there is almost no parallax error, even with the wrong seat height, HUD-elements ...
- 125k
19
votes
When are procedure turns not required?
The correct thing to do very much depends on the clearance that you were given.
If you were simply cleared direct to BEJCY and cleared for the approach, then your instructor is correct and you should ...
- 58.5k
19
votes
Why are visual approaches (in the US) preferred by US pilots, but not European pilots?
Since your question explicitly mentions emergency situations:
Especially during time-critical emergency landings, the workload of the flight crew is at a higher level anyway. The answer by ymb1 ...
- 1,206
19
votes
Why do helicopter operations avoid IFR?
Helicopter IFR operations do exist, but the short answer to the thrust of your question is: helicopter IFR is inherently more dangerous than fixed-wing IFR due to the lack of stability. A properly ...
- 14k
18
votes
If you were to fly an ILS in a knife edge would you receve GS and LOC be flipped?
No, the directional part of ILS is located at the ground. (Ground) transmitter creates lobes with specified frequency and modulation to mark the high, low, right and left areas.
LOC and GS signals ...
- 2,469
17
votes
Accepted
Can GPS be used in lieu of DME for instrument approaches?
Yes, the details are in FAA AC 90-108:
7. Usage of Suitable RNAV Systems. Subject to the operating requirements in this AC,operators may use a suitable RNAV system in
the following ways.
(...
- 71.5k
17
votes
Accepted
What do solo pilots do between reporting points on longer flights?
The short answer is that you keep checking everything in the aircraft is doing what it should. For light piston GA operations, one common acronym for en route checks is FREDA. Here are some things ...
- 71.5k
17
votes
In the US, is it legal to cover up some of the required gyro instruments during flight under IFR in actual IMC?
To my knowledge there's nothing illegal about practicing partial panel in real IMC, however it's a spectacularly bad idea to do so. A failure of vacuum instruments in IMC is an emergency because you ...
- 52.8k
17
votes
What organisation owns intersection names?
The allocation of waypoint names is actually handled by each country's individual aviation authority. This means that there are actually duplicates in different countries or regions. The ICAO has made ...
- 12.8k
17
votes
VFR aircraft on a practice instrument approach—is the aircraft IFR? Do they receive separation?
Is the aircraft now IFR?
No.
The only way ATC can initiate an IFR clearance is by saying the words "CLEARED TO [location]" (7110.65 4–2–1b). The location they say is the clearance limit. If ...
- 13.2k
16
votes
Accepted
Lost radio communication after take-off in IMC - what are my options?
The answers to these questions can be found in the AIM in section 6-4-1. All quotes are from that page.
To the first question, you should expect to receive a clearance to 8,000 feet twenty minutes ...
- 6,095
16
votes
Accepted
What does Alternate NA mean on an approach plate?
That symbology means this approach cannot be considered when deciding if this airport is a suitable alternate. This is probably due to the lack of weather reporting or the navaid might not have the ...
- 35.2k
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