By Sarah Fritts
For the new or occasional instrument pilot, IFR flying can cause an enormous amount of anxiety.
It doesn’t have to be stressful, though. You can feel in control even as an inexperienced instrument pilot.
Instrument flying isn’t rocket science because it’s extremely predictable. Each phase of flight has the same set of radio calls, maneuvers, and requirements. The pros sound so good because they do the exact same thing all the time.
The pattern hardly ever varies.
If you learn and embrace the predictable patterns of instrument flying, you will lose that anxiety and begin to enjoy it.
The Instrument Pilot’s Survival Guide will walk you through the flow of a real instrument flight so you can anticipate ATC’s next move.