The beauty of the ATD is that scenarios can be created and adjusted to compensate for the learner’s changing skill level. It can also be reset with a few keystrokes, providing a more expedient learning environment. Here are a few scenarios that you might find useful.

Scenario 1: The Pattern

The pattern can be very intimidating to a learner. It can also be dangerous when the learner drops the airplane to fly the checklist or radio, so practice in the ATD is often a good way to learn procedures, as the ATD is a CFI-controlled environment.

To get the most out of the scenario, the learner should use the same procedures in the airplane.

Checklists need to be followed, and the appropriate power settings and aircraft configuration for each leg of the pattern should be called out and applied. Radio calls should be made too.

If the learner is having trouble remembering what comes next, press the pause button and discuss the options. The CFI can increase the complexity of the scenario by changing the winds or refusing to engage the pause button. This is like playing a piece of music on a piano from one end to the other: You may hit some sour notes, but you will learn.

• READ MORE: Healthy Obsession: What Flight Sim Has Done for Me

Pro tip: If the ATD does not have side-view screens, the CFI should remind the learner that each turn they make will be in 90-degree increments. Note the 90-degree marks on the heading indicator as these help with orientation. If utilizing Runway 17 with left traffic, the crosswind turn will be heading 080, downwind 350, base 260, etc. This can be very helpful when the learner goes to unfamiliar airports and isn’t sure what headings to fly in the pattern.

Make sure the learner focuses on altitude control in addition to headings. Don’t accept the excuses of “I can’t fly if I can’t see the runway,” or “I can’t feel the airplane.” It’s an ATD. You’re not supposed to feel it like you do the aircraft, but this can make you a better pilot as you will develop instrument scan and interpretation skills. This can greatly improve landings as you will be ahead of the airplane and nailing the airspeed and attitude on short final.

To change things up, the instructor can program a tailwind so the learner experiences this situation in a controlled environment, where running off the runway isn’t a big deal. We file this scenario under “This Is Why We Shouldn’t Do It.”

Scenario 2: Uncommanded Loss of Engine Power

This is the big kahuna of emergency scenarios, and if it happens in the real world, knowing what to do can be the difference between telling the story in the FBO lobby or having six of your best friends carry you in a box. The beauty of engine issues in the ATD is that they can be sneaky, just like they are in the airplane. Before the learner launches, the instructor can program the engine to lose power several minutes into the flight. This is usually better than tapping at the keyboard during the sim session because that puts the learner on notice that something is about to happen.

In the airplane, loss of engine power in training is done when the instructor pulls the throttle back. Real world, if the engine loses power, the throttle is probably not going to move. This can be confusing to the learner if they have a loss of engine power—they may not recognize it and simply be surprised they are losing altitude because the throttle position hasn’t changed. The ATD scenario fixes this misconception.

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Partial power loss scenarios—especially at low altitude—are very useful. If a learner develops good habits for addressing the issue, that behavior will likely be automatic in the airplane. With intermittent power challenges, they should focus on troubleshooting using the appropriate checklist and decision-making skills—should we land or push on? Situational awareness is also stressed: Where is the closest airport?

For best results, don’t give the learner an engine failure on every sim session and mix up 100 percent loss of power with the occasional partial loss. The latter on takeoff is the most important. You don’t have the time or altitude to troubleshoot, so good decision-making and situational awareness is key. Learners can practice pitching for airspeed.

Always brief the land-straight-ahead scenario and at what altitude you will attempt the turn back. If you are flying with another pilot, insist on briefing who-does-what tasks in this situation. One of you needs to fly; the other takes the radios if appropriate.

Scenario 3: VFR into IFR

If you read the accident reports the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) compiles, you will notice a lot are attributed in part to the pilot’s decision to continue VFR into deteriorating weather. In the ATD the scenario begins by having the pilot check the weather before takeoff. The CFI creates a scenario with marginal VFR and a mission, like the pilot who is trying to get their airplane to the maintenance shop because it is about to go out of annual. Talk about how “get-there-itis” can make a pilot do foolish things.

These flights work best if they are limited to an airport 10 to 15 miles away. It’s just a few minutes, right? What could go wrong? Then the CFI slowly brings the weather down. VFR to MVFR…then 2 miles visibility and a ceiling of 1,200 feet agl.

If the pilot does not possess an instrument rating or is out of proficiency, things can go bad rather quickly. You may even put the learner in and out of the clouds.

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In this scenario, the options are a 180-degree turn using only rudder to avoid overbanking—common when you lose the outside horizon reference—to get back to VFR conditions or contacting ATC to ask where the nearest VFR is.

Focus on basic attitude flying using the attitude, airspeed, and heading indicators, or the backup instrument(s). If the aircraft the learner flies in the real world has an autopilot and the ATD has one, teach the learner how to use it. Put the aircraft in level flight to give them a moment to consider their next course of action so they are not anxiously doing climbs, descents, and unplanned turns.

If the learner is not instrument rated but is training at an airport with an instrument approach, this might be a great time to teach them how to fly the approach as an emergency measure. It just might entice the learner to pursue an instrument rating as it will provide extra skills to address this situation and allow them to legally fly in the clouds.

Scenario 4: Crosswinds

If only flight instructors could control the weather, we’d have the learners practicing crosswind takeoffs and landings on a regular basis. But as we can’t in the real world, we set up the ATD for those scenarios, starting with the limitations used for recently soloed learners. It might be no greater than 6 knots with gusts to 10 mph. Usually that limitation is lifted as the learner gains more experience as a pilot. In the ATD, you can change angle with a keystroke, so the learner can experience winds variable between a 45- and 90-degree angle to the flight path.

The demonstrated crosswind component of the aircraft, as noted in the POH for the make and model, should be discussed, and then you can have the student attempt to fly it. Then the CFI should increase the winds so they are 10 knots (or more) above the demonstrated crosswind component.

You might even increase them gradually while having the learner fly the pattern at the airport. If the approaches turn into go-arounds, suggest the learner head to the nearest airport with a crosswind runway, computing the time en route and perhaps getting flight following—the CFI plays ATC at this point. It is important to discuss decision-making in this scenario, and sometimes pilots become so fixated on trying to land that they end up fighting the airplane—or, in this case, the sim when the best course of action is to go to another airport with a more suitable runway alignment.

Scenario 5: Practice Navigation

Getting lost is one of the major phobias of many fledgling pilots. Depending on how sophisticated the ATD graphics are, they can be an excellent tool for teaching basic navigation. Start by having the learner use the compass and teaching UNOS (“undershoot north, overshoot south”) and ANDS (“accelerate north, decelerate south”). Once that is grasped, get sneaky and fail the heading indicator.

Next, introduce the VOR. For this, it is beneficial to pause the device and walk through TIMS: tune it in, identify it by the Morse code, monitor it (listen to the code twice), and then finally set it so the needle centers up with a “From” indication. Why “From”? Because that’s how most of us process geographic relationships. If you asked someone about the nautical-mile distance between Oshkosh and Green Bay in Wisconsin, the answer would be “Oshkosh is 37 nautical miles from Green Bay.”

With a few keystrokes, the CFI can reposition the learner. Have them use the VOR to determine what radial they are on, and if the unit has DME, show you where they are on a sectional. For an extra level of challenge, reposition the virtual airplane and have the learner use the VORs to determine where they are using triangulation.

I don’t allow the learners to use the GPS in the airplane until they’ve learned the other means of navigation. I do not want them to become slaves to the magenta line, but that being said, the use of GPS is critical as you want to avoid the random panic pushing of buttons.

You will see this tendency in the ATD as well, but in the sim you can pause the action then discuss what the learner is trying to accomplish and go through the steps to find the menus and pages.

This is a lesson that should not be rushed. Have the learner go through a flight from start-up to shutdown using the GPS. Note the appropriate checklists, check RAIM if doing instrument approaches, note aircraft performance, and build flight plans. The idea is to learn the procedures in the controlled environment of the ATD, so when the learner gets into the faster-paced, less-forgiving aircraft, they will have a better chance of staying ahead of the airplane.

Remind the learners that GPS is much more than the “Direct To” key, because the direct key and the magenta line will put them through a mountainside or airspace requiring a clearance, so they best have their wits about them and maintain situational awareness.

The Ultimate IFR Scenario

Preparing a learner for their instrument check ride is much more than having them fly a particular profile under a view-limiting device. You’re supposed to be trained for the real world, with all the challenges and decisions that come with it. Do this with a scenario—the difference between a scenario and practice is that, when doing a scenario, the pause button is not allowed. You can’t do it in the airplane, so you can’t do it in the ATD.

This throws down a gauntlet of challenge.

The CFI plays ATC during this scenario, giving the learner their clearances and fielding requests, just as ATC does. Keep it realistic.

Do that in the ATD first by having the learner plan a cross-country flight in it and launch in MVFR but on an IFR flight plan. When they are just about at their destination, the airport is closed—maybe there is a disabled aircraft on the runway—what are the pilot’s options? Should they hold? Divert? The CFI should be prepared for anything, including the random instrument failure.

A Word About Emergencies

It’s a good idea to occasionally drop in a few emergencies during practice or scenarios but not to do them every time. That’s not realistic, or if it is, find a different flight school because that one has serious maintenance issues. There are also some emergencies I file under “I Hope You Never Need to Know This.”

The first one is the jammed elevator. Teach the learner to control the aircraft’s pitch attitude using throttle and trim, and to make the mother of all straight-ins. I compare this maneuver to knowing CPR—I hope I never have to use it, but I am glad I know how to do it.

When we practice a loss of engine power and emergency landing in the real world, we’re usually within gliding distance of an airport. We do clearing turns, identify the emergency landing area, then the maneuver commences. If only the real world was that predictable.

It can be very beneficial for the learner if the CFI fails the engine when the learner is not near an airport—where will they go? Into the trees? Are they over a beach? Can they make it to that grass strip the GPS says is 1.5 miles away? This is an exercise in decision-making. It may be a no-win scenario, or they may be that guy that puts it down in the farm field then lives to share the story.

And one more note about pacing: Some ATDs have the option to change the speed of the scenario. You can make it slow to allow the learner more reaction time, or you can speed it up to create a more challenging experience. If the learner is having difficulty staying ahead of the action, slow it down. If they are ready for a challenge, speed it up.

For best results, always use a syllabus and have an objective when you use the ATD. Finally, make sure you brief the lesson, just like you would in the airplane. Discuss how the scenario will be achieved—and let learning take place.

This column first appeared in the March 2024/Issue 946 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post Flight Sims for the Win: It’s All About Repetition and Drill appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Cal Poly Humboldt is located in Arcata, California. It is the most northern campus in the California State University system. Full disclosure: I am a graduate of Humboldt. Both my writing and aviation careers began as passions at Humboldt. I consider myself very blessed that I was able to turn them into careers. Imagine how excited I was when I had the opportunity to help the next generation discover the joy of aviation.

It began with a series of fortunate events, starting in February 2022 with a piece written for Black History Month about Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson Jr., a private pilot and the first African American to serve as the president of the university. The piece focused on how pilots take lessons learned in the cockpit and apply them in the corporate world. Jackson joined Humboldt in 2019 and is an active pilot. He grew up in Seattle, where I am based now and we talked about local aviation. Part of the discussion included the challenges of flying in Humboldt County where fog is the norm, and there is a lack of infrastructure for general aviation in the economically challenged area.

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President Jackson mentioned the university now had an aviation club and put me in touch with the club advisor, a math professor named David Marshall, who is also a private pilot. Marshall told me about a scratch-built flight simulator that had been built by the campus gaming club and was now operated by the aviation club. It is located on the second floor of the library in an open space made possible by the digitization of materials over the decades. The gaming sim is located in a space marked off with whiteboards. There are aviation posters on the boards, and there is a classroom-sized E6-B flight computer on display, along with posters containing the instructions for operating the sim. The gaming sim consists of a non-moving platform and a bank of wrap-around screens. The cockpit is part computer generated, part toggle switch, part knobs.

I had a chance to try it out in February when I was on campus for a visit, and quite frankly, if it had been there when I was going to school, I am not sure if I would have made it to all my classes.

Although the gaming sim is a great tool for generating interest in aviation, it doesn’t operate at the level of an FAA-approved Advanced Aviation Training Device. AATDs are often used when the weather is too poor to fly, or to teach procedures that can accelerate the learning process in the airplane. Professor Marshall mentioned that he had been exploring the idea of getting an FAA-approved device for the university. I have been using AATDs since my student pilot days and know their value—I interpreted his remark as the Gauntlet of Challenge being thrown down.

A Plan Comes Together

Last spring, I wrote a piece about the use of simulation technology to accelerate the aviation learning process. Representatives of several AATD manufacturers were interviewed—one of them was Mike Altman, president of Precision Flight Controls, Inc. Altman mentioned his company, which makes many AATDs was about to take a trade-in on a GTX MAX Cessna AATD. Altman, an accomplished pilot and instructor, mentioned the unit would be refurbished in-house, then a new home would be found for it. I told him about the situation at CP Humboldt and put him in touch with professor Marshall.

• READ MORE: Simulation Technology, Not Just for Airlines

The stars have aligned. As I write this, the GTX MAX is in the process of being refurbished, and soon will be installed in the library at Cal Poly Humboldt. This is a professional-grade device found at FBOs, not a desktop model. The device measures 95 inches wide, 80 inches long, and 70 inches high. The cabin is partially enclosed to provide a cockpit experience.

According to Altman, the GTX MAX has “pitch, roll, heave and yaw effect” and can be configured as either a Cessna 172 or a Cessna 182. The precision flight controls (PFC) device uses X-plane software. The unit comes with a separate instructor operating station. PFC will provide operational checklists.

In the meantime, the aviation club and campus officials are raising money for the Library Aviation Fund. The goal is $5,000, which will be used to employ flight simulator student assistants and to maintain the AATD.

18-year-old Harmony Switzer-Tryon, the president of the aviation club, is excited about the installation. Her father was a private pilot and she often flew with him when she was a child.

“I really hope it inspires people to pursue aviation as an interest or maybe even as a career,” she told FLYING. “The simulator will lower the barrier to allow them to step into the field.”

Airport Open House

The acquisition of the AATD is one of many efforts to increase aviation awareness in the Humboldt area. According to Switzer-Tryon, the aviation club is hosting an airport open house on April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Murray Field Airport (KEKA). 

The airport is a general aviation facility located south of Arcata along Arcata Bay and has a single runway, 12/30 measuring 3,011 feet by 75 feet. According to Airnav.com, there are 22 aircraft based at the airport, but according to Marshall, they expect 50 to 70 aircraft to show up for the open house static display.

The airport is one of six in the county. According to local pilots, over the years the general aviation infrastructure has largely been neglected because the county dissolved the department of aviation and put the operation and upkeep of the airports under different departments, such as public works.

This changed in 2018 when the county hired Cody Roggatz to be the director of the newly reconstituted department of aviation. There have been some growing pains as the county has moved through backlogged maintenance and compliance issues with the FAA. For example, in February 2022, the county instituted a 500 percent rent increase at KEKA, arguing that the rents were artificially low.

FBO owner Kyle Gable stated he could not absorb a rent increase from $1,536 a month to $10,088 a month beginning March 1, 2022. Instead, Gable opted to close the FBO and flight school but keep the maintenance operation open.

• READ MORE: Pilots Accuse California County of Neglecting Airport While Asking for Massive Rent Increase

In addition to the loss of the FBO and flight school, the airport lost its ability to provide fuel, as the above-ground fuel tank had rotted away from years of neglect and was no longer environmentally stable. As this story was being written, a new tank had not yet been installed, although at multiple county airport meetings since March 2022, Roggatz had stated that there was progress being made in obtaining a tank and getting the permits for its installation. He blamed delays on supply chain issues.

Most of the county’s focus is on California Redwood Coast—Humboldt County Airport (KACV) located in McKinleyville, California, north of Arcata. KACV was built during World War II by the U.S. Navy as a facility to test defogging technology. Today, the airport is the only one in Humboldt served by commercial passenger air carriers. At the present time, United Airlines and Avelo operate at KACV. Historically, the county has had difficulty keeping regional carriers in Humboldt County for more than a few years because the profit margin is slim.

The county’s regional airport is powered by a self-sustaining solar grid. When an earthquake knocked out power to most of the country in December 2022, the airport remained in operation.

This summer, the Humboldt County Department of Aviation will begin the Runway Rehabilitation and Electrical Improvement Project. The work is slated to begin in June 2023, with anticipated completion in Dec. 2023. It was noted that between August 14 to 25, there will be no airline flights at KACV as the work progresses.

GTX MAX AATD Specs

• All-Metal Construction
• C172, C182, or 206 Flight Model 
• PFDl000 PFD/MFD Panels
• Dynamic Control Loading (Pitch/Roll/Yaw)
• Active Circuit Breaker Panel
• PC Rack System w/Integrated IOS Desk
• (5) Monitors (Visuals)
• Monitor (IOS)
• Integrated Cockpit Air Flow System
• FlightCrew Seats- Pilot & Co-pilot (w/Adjustable Base and Tracks)
• X-Plane Professional Software License
• PFC 1000 Professional Software License
• PFC 1000 NXi Software
• Exterior Cockpit Graphics
• Interior Cockpit Upholstery
• PilotEdge Compatible (4-way Intercom Included)
• EFB Compatible

The post Aviation Simulator To Land in Cal Poly Humboldt Library appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

FAR 61.57(c) lists the experience required to exercise pilot-in-command privileges in IFR conditions. In addition to meeting the recency requirements for VFR flight, the pilot must have, within the preceding six calendar months, performed and logged at least six instrument approaches, holding procedures, and intercepting and tracking courses through the use of electronic navigational systems. The tasks can be accomplished in actual weather or under simulated conditions using a view-limiting device. If it’s been within the 12 months since your initial instrument rating, you also have the six-month window to maintain currency on your own if you haven’t flown the required tasks in those first six months. Go beyond that, and you will require an instrument proficiency check (IPC) with a CFII.

The FARs note that the requirements may be accomplished in a full-motion flight simulator, a flight training device (FTD), or advanced aviation training device (AATD). The latter two may include the Frasca, Precor, Redbird, or OneG devices often found at flight schools.

The regulation states: “To use these devices for recurrency, the devices must represent the category of aircraft for the instrument rating privileges to be maintained, and the pilot performs the tasks and iterations in simulated instrument conditions.” Also, “a person may complete their instrument experience in any combination of an aircraft full flight simulator, flight training device or aviation training device,” which means you can accomplish some of the task requirements in an FTD, or AATD, then finish up in an aircraft, or vice-versa.

Common Soft Spots

According to Rod Machado, instructor, aviation author, and humorist, if it has been awhile since the pilot used their instrument skills, often the first things to get rusty are mental skills, rather than physical ones. “There is a lack of recall with instrument procedures,” Machado says. “Most instructors will gloss over this deficiency, assuming that it’s the IFR motor skills that need the most attention. That’s not necessarily true based on my experience.”

Machado suggests CFIIs provide their IFR clients with study materials in preparation for their IPC. “Sometimes you can assign someone chapters out of a good book to read, and they’ll do it, sometimes. Then there are other times when you need to have someone take a good e-course refresher to update their knowledge, especially if technically advanced aircraft technology will be used during the refresher.”

Machado adds, the FARs for instrument flight—such as when the pilot needs to file for an alternate (the so-called “1, 2, 3 rule”)—should be reviewed. The instructor should refresh the client’s knowledge of weather as well, especially icing and thunderstorms. 

Pilot confidence may also be an issue when a pilot is out of IFR currency. According to Machado, the pilots who kept current under VFR may have good piloting skills. However, because they haven’t used their IFR skills for so long, they don’t trust themselves in the IFR environment—when it comes to their ability to anticipate, plan for, and respond to the demands of flight.

“A rusty pilot might know the mechanics of entering holding, but once he attempts to hold he realizes he’s lost his previous grasp on the physical and mental priorities for doing so. He might not anticipate the turn after crossing the holding fix, or he might forget to reset the OBS to the inbound holding course if necessary, or apply a wind correction after this, or monitor time, or DME, or all of these. You could ask him if he knows what to do in these instances, and he’ll probably respond accurately. What he won’t tell you is that he’s unsure if the next action is the proper action, assuming he can identify the next action at all. Therefore, he is easily overwhelmed, which degrades confidence.”

Machado suggests having the pilot perform an IFR flight in VFR conditions as a confidence builder. If the pilot hasn’t flown IFR in two or more years, “IFR flights without a view-limiting device are essential. [The pilot can] regain familiarity with the IFR system without having to worry about [aircraft control].”

Weather Review and Communications

Weather skills are more than reading a TAF and METAR—the pilot should understand the causes of weather and the patterns for the region in which they are flying. For example, a converging temperature and dew point means a good possibility of fog; and when the winds come from over the mountains, anticipate turbulence, noting that mountains are weather makers. “Pressure falling rapidly (PRSFR)” means strong winds are on the way.

Radio communications for IFR in radar and non-radar environments (under FAR 91.183, cross-referenced with AIM 5-3-3) should also be reviewed. Recall them with the acronym “MARVELOUS VFR C500.”

• MISSED approach
• AIRSPEED ±10 knots or 5 percent change of filed true airspeed
• REACHING a holding fix (time and altitude)
• VFR on top altitude changes
• ETA change of ±3 minutes (non-radar)
• LEAVING a holding fix
• OUTER marker inbound (non-radar)
• UNFORECAST weather
• SAFETY of flight

• VACATING an altitude or flight level
• FINAL approach fix inbound (non-radar)
• RADIO or navigation failure

• COMPULSORY reporting points (non-radar)
• 500 FPM climb or descent rate not obtainable

Here to There Under IFR

Instrument flight is more than the approaches, notes Jason Blair, a seasoned CFII, designated pilot examiner, and FLYING contributor. Blair notes that the ability to plan an instrument flight—a process much more detailed than VFR flying—can be an area of weakness. “IFR folks get really weak on planning considerations with alternates, weather scenarios,” Blair says. Wearing his DPE cap, Blair suggests part of the issue comes from the level of “rote regurgitation in the collegiate/academy style training realm… [Pilots] tend to be able to think point A to B, but not the mix that comes with that. Approach plate details get weak for rusty IFR pilots also. They get the general stuff like frequency and course, but all the notes tend to get missed.” Reviewing Blair’s installment of Chart Wise in each issue of FLYING can help pilots recall those details.

Blair adds, the changes in VOR service volumes—as well as their removal—tend to catch pilots by surprise. “Changes in VORs can change alternate minimum planning, especially for non-WAAS-equipped aircraft or during a GPS outage,” he says, adding, “The primary navigation range for most general aviation aircraft will change from a 40 nm range to a 70 nm usable range, with 80 nm between VORs to 140 nm between VORs for en route usage below 18,000 feet msl.”

Plan of Attack for Rust Removal

If you want to get your IFR skills back, start the process at home. It may be helpful to read chapters 1-4 in the FAA’s Instrument Procedures Handbook. This covers departure procedures, en route operations, arrivals, and approaches. Then pick up an approach plate to an airport you wish to study and note the number, location, and names of the initial approach fixes.

Make sure to review the elements of a clearance using the CRAFT acronym: Cleared to, Route, Altitude, Frequency, and Transponder code. With your CFII, you may find it helpful to have a table-top review of a flight—talk through radio calls, procedures, and aircraft configuration such as power settings for descent at specific points.

Don’t forget to review aircraft weight and balance and performance so you know what to expect in terms of fuel consumption, time to climb, cruise flight, and endurance.

T-Party and the UPs

When you are being vectored by ATC, recall the phrase “T-Party,” because everything you do begins with the LETTER T.

• TIMER (start it)
• TURN (the airplane)
• TWIST (the new course into the heading bug)
• THROTTLE (add or subtract power)
• TRIM (for the flight attitude)
• TRACK (the course)
• THE TIRES (gear down for landing if appropriate)
• THE FLAPS (configure for landing)
• TALK (report to ATC)

Often the response to these “T” items will be “deferred”—such as you probably wouldn’t change power when assigned a vector unless there is an altitude change or you have been instructed to adjust your speed.

When executing a missed approach, use the “UPs” mnemonic to make sure you follow the procedures.

Pitch UP, power UP, clean UP (flaps and gear if appropriate), heat UP (cowl flaps closed if appropriate), and fess UP (report executing the missed approach).

Review the FARs

What instruments have to be in the panel and in good working order for the aircraft to be legal? From FAR 91.205, recall the list using the acronyms “TOMATO FLAMES” and “GRAB CARDD.”

For VFR flight(for each engine):

• TACHOMETER
• OILPressure Gauge
• MANIFOLD pressure gauge
• AIRSPEED indicator
• [Exhaust Gas] TEMPERATURE gauge
• OIL temperature gauge…then…

• FUEL quantity gauge
• LANDING gear position indicator
• ANTI-COLLISION beacon
• MAGNETIC compass
• ELT
• SEATBELTS

For IFR flight:

• GENERATOR (or alternator) as a source for electrical energy
• RADIOS appropriate to flight
• ATTITUDE indicator
• BALL of turn coordinator

• CLOCK hardwired into aircraft
• ADJUSTABLE (sensitive) altimeter
• RATE of turn indicator (the little airplane or stick)
• DIRECTIONAL gyro
• DME, if above 24,000 feet msl

If any of those things are missing, you cannot legally fly on an IFR flight plan in the IFR system

MARRTHA

You may use acronyms to recall instrument procedures, and back them up with a checklist. I learned IFR flying from a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate (removes cap respectfully)—so some of you may recognize these. First, brief approaches with MARRTHA.

• Missed approach procedure: Memorize the first two steps; for example, climb to 2,000 feet then turn to heading 250 degrees
• Approach type (equipment and weather required)
• Radio frequencies to be used—weather, approach, tower, Unicom—noted and dialed in
• Radials (from a VOR) that define the route
• Time (if appropriate)
• Heading when on final approach
• Altitude—how low can you go—at the missed approach point

Always file to an initial approach fix, because if you experience lost comms, you know where to go and ATC knows where to look for you—that airspace will be protected for you. It is also helpful to “weasel” (a technical term, according to my flight-academy-trained CFII) by five minutes on the estimated arrival time to the fix, because if you are lost comms in IFR, you want to shoot that approach and get on the ground ASAP—no waiting in a hold for time to elapse.

Be ready for ATC to make alterations to your flight plan, such as alternate instructions for the missed approach. Memorize the procedure for lost comms: Get into VFR conditions immediately—and if that is not an option, follow the procedures for routing and altitude. For routing, use the acronym AVE F: Fly what you were assigned, vectored to, told to expect or filed—in that order. For altitude, use the acronym MEA: Fly the highest of these: the minimum enroute altitude, the altitude you were told to expect, or what was assigned. Altitude is your friend.

Failure Is an Option

I am a big believer in failing an instrument (read that: covering it up) during the flight, to practice when the vacuum system fails and the attitude indicator and heading indicator become unreliable. Throw in some partial-panel during basic attitude practice, or if in an AATD, program the failure so it sneaks up on you. Be sure to practice unusual attitude recovery under partial-panel as well, and when in an FTD/AATD, practice loss of engine power or electrical failure.

Develop a plan to fix soft spots—go out on a MVFR day and while on an IFR flight plan, fly in and out of the clouds. If you cannot fly IFR regularly, challenge yourself in other ways. Find online IFR tech talks or seminars. When new approach procedures are released, compare them to old ones. Pull up an IFR departure or approach you have never used before. And while Microsoft Flight Simulator does not count toward currency, it can help keep your scan skills sharp.

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Over the past 16 years, Redbird has delivered on that overarching concept with increasingly sophisticated advanced aviation training devices (AATDs), including its latest versions, the FMX series. 

The U.S. military has long found value in flight simulation in both screening and the initial training of its applicants, including a test program developed by the U.S. Navy in 2000. At EAA AirVenture 2022, Redbird has announced that the U.S. Air Force is the latest service branch to utilize civilian flight simulation products to train its budding pilots.

Redbird AATDs to Replace T-1As

The Air Force took delivery of its first Redbird prototype in March, and it plans to adopt the AATDs as a core part of its initial training plan. In fact, over the next 16 months, the service will replace its T-1A Jayhawks (based on the Cessna 172) with the AATDs for jet transition training.

It’s a bold move, but it makes sense, according to Redbird’s CEO Todd Willinger. “When we founded Redbird in 2006, we saw an opportunity to create and promote a training device that would offer a superior learning environment to that of an airplane,” said Willinger. “The Air Force’s recognition, adoption, and advancement of that vision speak to the immense technological innovation in our industry and the capability of flight simulation to provide an effective means to train some of the top pilots in the world.”

While the AATDs run on Redbird’s Prepar3D simulation engine, Lockheed Martin also contributed to the design with flight modeling and avionics, and SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) participated with a mixed-reality component for added realism. Use of the AATDs is expected to drive down the cost of training while increasing the consistency in scheduling training events. The Air Force will have all of the devices on board by August 2023, according to the current plan.

Redbird Pro Updates

In February, Redbird made a significant foray into tackling the core problem in pilot proficiency: How do you encourage pilots to up their proficiency plan, and stay on track between flight reviews? It launched Redbird Pro, an app that tailors training to an individual’s needs through the use of scenarios, gamification, and resources like articles and quizzes.

Each month, Redbird adds new scenarios to the app, along with skill flights, tests, and articles pulled from around the aviation community—including scenarios crafted by FLYING’s expert instructor Meg Godlewski, and installments from FLYING’s “I Learned About Flying From That” or “I.L.A.F.F.T.” series.

In July, Redbird added two IFR scenarios, covering weather and aeronautical decision-making plus radio communications and emergency operations, along with a VFR scenario that prepares pilots for the Fisk Arrival at Oshkosh’s Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH). Pilots can fly the scenarios in a Redbird device or chair-fly them with a CFI. 

Redbird also added an external event logging function to the app, through which pilots can track training events completed outside of Redbird Pro.

“Each feature and piece of training content added to Redbird Pro gives general aviation pilots a clearer picture of their proficiency and helps our algorithm provide better training recommendations,” said Redbird’s vice president of marketing, Josh Harnagel. “As we progress through our roadmap for Redbird Pro, we are confident it will become a one-stop shop for a pilot’s proficiency training and the single source of truth for their progress.”

An IFR subscription is $19.99 per month, while a VFR-only plan is $14.99 per month.

POC Version of Mixed-Reality TD

At the show, Redbird alsso unveiled its proof-of-concept device for mixed-reality training. Built on the same platform as the company’s basic aviation training device, the device adds in a mixed-reality headset to immerse the trainee in the environment, amplifying the visual cues to the learner.

Powered by Quantum 3D—a developer of visual simulation systems—the device allows pilots to move seamlessly between the simulated world and the real flight controls in front of them.

• MORE: FLYING’s Complete Coverage of Oshkosh ’22

“The new proof-of-concept device is a promising step forward in enhancing the human-computer interface of simulated flight,” said Willinger. “In our years of research and development of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality systems, we had found that creating a more immersive visual environment came at the expense of impeding a pilot’s ability to interact accurately with the physical elements required in certified training devices. 

“This device allows pilots to see and adjust to everything inside and out of the flight deck—both virtual and physical—demonstrating that it could become an effective solution for professional flight training,” said Willinger. It’s intended for STEM education as well as advanced pilot training applications.

Haines to Board of Directors

Finally, upon his recent retirement from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Tom Haines has joined the board of directors for Redbird Flight. Haines is the former editor-in-chief of AOPA’s publications, and was an executive vice president for the association.

“I’ve long been an advocate for modernizing flight training,” Haines said. “I look forward to working with Redbird to help bring new technologies to flight schools and individual pilots to make general aviation safer, more efficient, and more fun.”

“Tom has long been a thoughtful leader in general aviation, keeping his finger on the pulse of the industry and applying his insight and experience to help pave the way forward,” said Willinger. “His voice and vision will help Redbird continue to make a positive impact on the many students, pilots, and flight training organizations that utilize our technology.”

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