Tips and Advice for Earning Your Instrument Rating
Key Takeaways
- Instrument flying increases cockpit workload, especially during approaches and air traffic control communications.
- Regular practice, chair flying, and early approach briefings can help you stay ahead of the airplane.
- Listening to live air traffic control outside the cockpit can build familiarity with instrument procedures and calls.
- Completing ground school and the written test early lets you focus more fully on flight training and checkride preparation.
- A clear, noise-canceling headset can make communications easier to hear during high-workload phases of training.
You’ve decided to get your instrument rating, to expand your piloting skills, flying options, and overall safety in the air. Now you’re getting ready to start training or have already begun. To help you prepare for and complete that training, we’ve spoken to pilots who can answer some of the biggest questions about the process.
What are the Biggest Challenges of Getting an Instrument Rating?
Lucas Thomas is currently training for his instrument rating and flies out of Grove Field (1W1) near Camas, Washington. When asked what he had found most challenging about his instrument training so far, Thomas told us, “It’s the workload. When flying approaches and talking to ATC, your workload is a lot more saturated, which makes it challenging.” Though he hadn’t yet done any partial panel scenarios, Thomas anticipated that would be a significant challenge as well and had heard the same from other students.
Joeseph Beckmann, a Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument (CFII) and Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI), flies from a few different locations in the Fort Worth, Texas area. He most often flies in a Piper PA-28-140 or Cessna 172. Beckmann said two items stuck out to him as the biggest challenges for students: “The first one is communications. That seems to be a huge roadblock for students, especially when shooting an approach.”
The second big challenge Beckmann sees is staying ahead of the airplane. He said, “There’s so much going on…and when you’re thinking about all this instrument stuff, the basic VFR items, running checklists, flying the airplane, it kind of gets lost and put on the back burner.”
How Can I Meet the Challenges of Instrument Training?
Beckmann says spending time building familiarity was a big help with the communications challenge. He tells students that instead of trying to learn those calls in the plane, find ways to listen to live ATC and get familiar with those procedures outside of the cockpit. He also recommends that students have a noise cancelling headset, “There’s certain things you could do to set yourself up for success, and having a good headset is one of those things.”
Thomas said that, for himself, making time to fly regularly and stay current with his training has been one of the biggest helps. He suggested flying at least once, but preferably two instrument flights a week to keep new knowledge and skills fresh. Better familiarity with your airplane and its instruments will make you better prepared for more difficult scenarios as your training progresses.
Beckmann cited chair flying as one of the best ways to overcome the feeling of being behind the airplane. Beckmann said that if a student puts in the time mentally practicing approaches and running through communications, it makes those same tasks in the cockpit much easier. Students who focus on this kind of practice are much more likely to get their rating on time.
Thomas also recommends that new instrument pilots complete their ground school and written test as quickly as possible. Beckmann concurs: getting the written test done as soon as possible should be priority one. The difference in studying for the written component and studying for the checkride is large enough that trying to do both together can increase the overall challenge for many students.
Are There Other Tips for Getting an Instrument Rating?
Beckmann and Thomas shared the following additional tips for new and current students:
- Make sure you’re able to get regular flight time.
- Brief your approach plate early.
- Take notes, recreate charts, and make your own legends.
- Make sure you can hear ATC communications.
- When shooting an approach don’t fight the airplane.
- Give yourself a little bit of grace while learning.
- Think of the checkride as a big scenario.
On Your Way to an Instrument Rating
With the insights and advice offered by Thomas and Beckmann, you should be better equipped to face the challenges of getting an instrument rating. Completing instrument training is manageable and achievable, and it will build skills that make you a better, safer pilot. In our next article, we’ll hear from some pilots about the new opportunities and experiences the IFR rating has provided for them.
Be sure to Subscribe to the Lightspeed Aviation Newsletter for updates, resources, and future programs!
