2.9 (2) So-Called "IFR"

<Can’t Finish without IFR>

For a few days after checkride, I was relaxed. I had nothing to do for the first time in quite a while since starting flight training. I had a big empty spot in my heart.

I had asked my instructor to give ma a flight to roughly demonstrate what an IFR flight is like. Now I became a private pilot, but before that I had no idea what a pilot was like and mistakenly practiced ATC phraseology of IFR which should be that of VFR. Furthermore, my image of flying was IFR, therefore without flying IFR, I couldn’t finish my flight training.

The glossary added in the last part of PHAK defines Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) as follows:

Rules and regulations established by the Federal Aviation Administration to govern flight under conditions in which flight by outside visual reference is not safe. IFR flight depends upon flying by reference to instruments in the flight deck, and navigation is accomplished by reference to electronic signals.

Since it says, “under conditions in which flight by outside visual reference is not safe,” it inevitably requires aid by air traffic control (ATC). Therefore, a pilot must file a flight plan, and even if the weather is VMC, he/she cannot file it without Instrument Rating.

Also flying in Class A (a portion in red of the figure below) from 18,000 feet MSL at and up to FL 600 requires pilots to hold the Instrument Rating. Airspaces are discussed in Chapter 15 of PHAK.

From My PHAK Translation Notebook

By the way, the airspace above FL 600 is called Class E, where, my understanding is, space aircraft or military test flight is conducted. When the Darkstar in “Top Gun ~ Maverick” without letting their boss know, Maverick requests “ Tower, this is Darkstar, we’re ready for takeoff, requesting an unrestricted climb to 600 and above. This let us know the Darkstar will fly in this Class E above FL 600. Another important point is the controller’s answer to this request, saying “Darkstar, the runway and skies are yours.” Sorry for my going off the track.

n IFR flights, charts are different from those for VFR flights. VFR Charts are not divided by the flight phase., but IFR Charts are divided into several types such as those for departure, arrival, enroute, and approach.

From FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook, ILS Approach Chart

<So-Called “IFR” was Fun>

In reply to my request to fly so as to roughly understand what IFR flights are like, the instructor prepared a flight departing from Cilantro Airport and arriving at Cilantro Airport, which he named “So Called IFR,” nice branding.

Because the So Called “IFR” was like an IFR version of a VFR Familiarization Flight, it was rather a enjoyable flight than flight training. The instructor was responsible for all of ATC communications, and I was responsible for flying by reference to instruments in the flight deck.

* The Familiarization Flight was referred to in the article of 2.1 (9) Introductory Flight and Host Family 2.1 (9) Introductory Flight and Host Family | 自家用操縦士訓練物語～超怖がりな私が空を飛んだ日（My PPL Training Days） (ameblo.jp)

I can accomplish the “flight by reference to flight instruments” as I did in the hood practice during PPL training. As I stated in the article “2.7 (2) Controlling Airplane under Hood,” the hood practice gave me a serene mind without unnecessary matters in my mind to the contrary prediction of myself and instructors.

I tried to understand what IFR is like while flying. Listening carefully to ATC communications between the controller and the instructor, I recognized that ATC communications are conducted more frequently than in VFR flights, and each phraseology is longer. There are several ATC facilities which requires us to change frequencies more often. Furthermore, much more numbers are used, such as heading, altitude, and airspeed.

There are several types of approaches. This time, we had requested the ILS Approach. The ILS Approach means the approach in the use of Instrument Landing System (ILS), where a pilot tries to center the lateral and vertical needles of the ILS instrument which allows flying on the desired approaching path.

From FAA Instrument Flying Handbook, the system of the Instrument Landing System (ILS)

Descending to a certain altitude (landing minimums), if the runway is in sight, you can land visually, and if it isn’t, you cannot land.

After the flight, asked what my thoughts on the IFR flight is, I answered it was so exciting. This was the moment when I decided to take the flight training for instrument rating (IR). I subsequently went to a pilot shop to get a textbook and Test Prep for IR.

Considering the difference between IFR training and VFR training from the viewpoint of a student, my understanding was (i) more preparation is required; and (ii) communications with ATC dramatically increases. I also thought that all of what I practiced in the PPL training is included.

After the so called “IFR,” we also flew the traffic pattern three times. I lost focus and my flight was terrible LOL. Only three traffic patterns included many elements as in the checkride such as S-Turns, Make 360, and Caution Wake Turbulence flying behind the DC-3 aircraft, which satisfied too much.

Despite that the checkride was over, the instructor taught me many things as was before. I thought flying was fun because there were unlimited things to learn. The last landing was not so bad that I could safely land with the nose aligned with the centerline despite crosswinds.

So, this is the end of the flight training of PPL. The instructor said, “Your skills and knowledge will be regressed while you are away from flying. But now you got the PPL, you will soon get back the skills for flying.” I had no idea when I would come here for the instrument rating training, but I ended up this PPL training with positive and enjoyable feelings.

Well, there were so many events for these few months. How meaningful is it for my life thereafter? And were my three objectives well satisfied or not? (continued to the finale)