Archives: IFR Mastery Scenarios

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181. That Slow Sinking Sensation

Instructors
Catherine Cavagnaro

Statistics say a partial power failure is three to five times more likely than a complete power failure. But that might mean three times as many options and a paralysis of indecision. How will you weigh your options to take the best prompt action without simply making a snap judgment?

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180. Straight to Nirvana

Instructors
Bruce Williams

Departure procedures range from “fly runway heading” to convoluted turns amidst precipitous terrain. Yet even the most mundane departures can be misunderstood. Now you’re in the clouds and wondering: Is this departure more about keeping you clear from the terrain below or the traffic above?

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179. Block Island Bind

Instructors
Doug Stewart

The conventional wisdom for many pilots flying ILS approaches was to simply convert to a localizer-only approach if the glideslope didn’t behave as expected. Is there an equivalent for an RNAV LPV? And if so, how much time is enough to change the plan on an approach in actual conditions?

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178. Mason City Mashup

Instructors
John Krug

Sometimes non-towered operations feel like the Wild West. That can be tough enough on a sunny day with the flexibility of VFR. When you’re departing IFR in visual conditions, it’s even tougher. The question is: How much flexibility do you have before you’re tucked safely into ATC’s warm embrace?

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177. Fortuna Fire Drill

Instructors
Dave Hirschman

The immediate emergency is over … or is it? There’s nothing to indicate the problem persists and it would be far more convenient—even arguably safer—to keep going. However, a recurrence of the fire later could be much worse than dealing with options than you have right now.

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176. Lee Landing Limbo

Instructors
Catherine Cavagnaro

Low clouds, small runway, slick airplane … this sounds like an NTSB report waiting to happen. Then again, you have the skill, the fuel, and the time to make a well-executed attempt with no pressure to make it work out. And you have several backup choices. Stick with the plan or bail out now?

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175. What a Headache

Instructors
Doug Stewart

You can have a perfectly functioning airplane in perfectly flyable conditions and still have a potential problem with the pilot. How much worry is a headache that could be attributable to the recent head-banging turbulence—or could be the first signs of something more consequential?

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174. A Panel Discussion

Instructors
Bruce Williams

Avionics decisions used to be simple. The options were few and the prices modest. New tech has brought great advances in safety and capability—but at the expense of, well, the expense. Decisions are even harder when the airplane is owned by a group with widely divergent priorities.

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173. Mammoth Winds West of Macon

Instructors
Catherine Cavagnaro

A last-minute switch to a slower airplane is unfortunate, but flight planning shows strong tailwinds will almost make up the difference. The time and range should still work—until you level off in cruise and see an ETA an hour further out than you anticipated. Surely that can’t be right. But what is right?

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172. Late Hold at Herlong

Instructors
Frank Bowlin

Pilots in the digital age will tell you that avionics proficiency can erode even faster than an instrument scan. How will you handle a canceled clearance with a last-minute hold when you know at least three different ways to accomplish the task? Can you make the magic box behave in time?

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171. Unknown Icing in Minnesota

Instructors
John Zimmerman

Winter IFR presents unique hazards with little margin for error. How much confirmation of benign conditions is enough for a well-equipped, high-performance single that’s not certified for flight into known icing? And is icing the most important risk factor to consider on this cold-weather flight?

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170. Colorado Clearance Confusion

Instructors
Kevin Plante

There’s nothing ambiguous about an approach clearance—or is there? Can a wily instructor you employed for an Instrument Proficiency Check trip you into self-doubt with one, well-timed question? Then again, maybe the CFII is just as unsure as you are—and both of you are flying blind.

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