Archives: IFR Mastery Scenarios

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130. Dataless Over the Dakotas

Instructors
Tom Haines

It was a sound plan: Use your onboard datalink to avoid the widely scattered thunderstorms embedded in the clouds. But now that a dead FIS-B receiver has torpedoed that idea and stopping could mean a day on the ground. Do you struggle on top, scud run down low, or put all your faith in ATC?

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129. Baffling Options at Bend

Instructors
Bruce Williams

What will you prioritize: Chart notes that seem pointless (and are perhaps even wrong), or your personal preference for an approach procedure? Does it matter that the legal answer might be more personally hazardous? Does it matter that doing it the “right” way means an even longer flight to finish the day?

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128. A Handheld Approach

Instructors
Wally Moran

You understand that single-engine flight in the clouds requires some tolerance of risk. You only have one engine, one vacuum pump, and one alternator. That last liability is why you have some handheld navigation. So after a complete electrical failure in IMC, what combination of the iPad GPS and handheld NAV/COM will get you on […]

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127. The Walls Around Berlin

Instructors
Doug Stewart

We trust our lives to the instrument procedures created by the experts in Oklahoma City. Life is better with technology that automatically downloads new procedures as they’re published. But what do you do when an updated procedure doesn’t look quite right—and you need it to safely navigate around the rocks you can’t see?

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126. VNAV Goes AWOL

Instructors
Ryan Koch

You’re loving the upgraded avionics you use every day for work as a cargo pilot—until the GPS throws an error message you’ve never seen before. Suddenly, a successful approach is in doubt. With no time to troubleshoot and ceilings just above minimums, can you find a solution or must you give up on the mission?

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125. Wrong Way Out of Ramona

Instructors
Doug Stewart

They say the short flights can be the toughest, so this 28-mile flight across a Class B could be a headache. Doing it IFR seemed like the way to simplify the flight—until your clearance comes back with a route that’s 40 miles in the wrong direction. Will you play along, or figure out a way […]

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124. Zero Vis at Driggs

Instructors
Wally Moran

You’ve got a capable airplane and an important mission, but one small problem will make this landing a challenging one. If you can just get on the ground, you can get the problem fixed and everyone on their way. But how will you do that when you can’t see straight ahead? 

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123. Agile in Montgomery

Instructors
Tom Haines

The flight was planned in a narrow zone above the MEAs but below the icing. That zone dwindles to zero just as the destination comes in reach, but you aren’t ATC’s priority. Then a controller offers you exactly what you want. Now you must ask yourself: Is it what you need? 

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122. The Day ATC Went Zero

Instructors
John Krug

Instrument pilots train for all sorts of failures: communication, navigation, instrumentation, and even propulsion. But what about a failure of the entire ATC system for your sector? It doesn’t matter how cutting edge your navigation equipment might be if air traffic rules from 1951 keep you flying in circles unable to reach your destination.

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121. No VORs Today

Instructors
Bruce Williams

You have somewhere to be, and one lousy antenna just broke on your airplane. What’s even more annoying is that you never use that system anyway. Is it reasonable to make this flight IFR? What about a shorter IFR or VFR flight to fix the problem? Or, is there perhaps another solution?

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120. Rapid Return in Portland

Instructors
Ryan Koch

Whenever you depart into low IMC, you load the approach coming back in case you need a hasty return. Is a partial engine failure the time to execute that plan? Or is it so urgent, you need to reverse course and land against traffic? The plane has a parachute as well, but that presents its […]

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119. Boston Bait and Switch

Instructors
Kevin Plante

You’re keeping your speed up until final at a busy Class B airport. Then ATC throws you a curveball: a visual approach to a crossing runway. You swing a tight downwind, base and final—only to go back in the clouds. But there’s no missed approach from a visual, so what will you do?

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