Once you've mastered basic instrument flying,
the training goes into the next phase:
Holdings.
A hold is basically a parking lot in the sky, and can be considered a place to wait for the weather to improve if an airport is saturated with instrument arrivals.
Certainly, an airplane cannot just "pull over" to wait. Instead one flies a "Hold". an airplane cannot just "pull over" to wait. Instead one flies a "Hold" at a certain Waypoint, VOR, NDB or otherwise defined point. One flies circles, until it's time to "leave the hold" and proceed on course.
Actually these are not circles per se, rather ovals, which are specifically defined. The difficult thing about a hold is that they must be flown exactly as defined.
That means a lot of practice until you can fly correctly into a Hold and stay there. Merely staying in the exact range of airspace is not enough; you must also fly at the correct speed, at the correct altitude, and fly individual sections of the hold in a precise time-frame.
A hold is basically a parking lot in the sky, and can be considered a place to wait for the weather to improve if an airport is saturated with instrument arrivals.
Certainly, an airplane cannot just "pull over" to wait. Instead one flies a "Hold". an airplane cannot just "pull over" to wait. Instead one flies a "Hold" at a certain Waypoint, VOR, NDB or otherwise defined point. One flies circles, until it's time to "leave the hold" and proceed on course.
Actually these are not circles per se, rather ovals, which are specifically defined. The difficult thing about a hold is that they must be flown exactly as defined.
That means a lot of practice until you can fly correctly into a Hold and stay there. Merely staying in the exact range of airspace is not enough; you must also fly at the correct speed, at the correct altitude, and fly individual sections of the hold in a precise time-frame.
Once you master holding, and holding entries
are second nature, your training enters a
crucial phase: flying instrument approaches.
Here you learn one learns to fly from a defined
point following a certain path, in order to
break out of the clouds, exactly over the
runway and land.
You will utilize different types of NAVAIDS, such as the VOR, NDB, localizer and the modern satellite based GPS System.
If vertical glide path information is added to the horizontal flight path information, then it is called a precision approach: the ILS.
You will utilize different types of NAVAIDS, such as the VOR, NDB, localizer and the modern satellite based GPS System.
If vertical glide path information is added to the horizontal flight path information, then it is called a precision approach: the ILS.
All approach path information is contained on
an approach plate, and it us up to the pilot to
identify the course accordingly, and navigate
using the radio equipment installed in the
airplane. During the training all possible
approaches are flown. All approaches are
conveniently available in the vicinity of
Naples.
After the cross-country flight last refinements
to the instrument flight skills are made. Once
this checkride prep is complete, the student
goes again before the strict eyes of the
Examiner. After the oral examination the
checkride culminates with the actual flight
check.
If everything goes well, you are then an instrument pilot!
If everything goes well, you are then an instrument pilot!
Towards the end, all your training comes
together through an IFR cross-country flight
with the flight instructor. This cross country
flight is prescribed in the FAA training
guidelines, and must consist of a flight at
least 250 nautical miles total distance, and at
least three different types of approaches.
The fascinating thing here is that you fly for hours around Florida, navigating exclusively by instruments, and suddenly find yourself lined up on a runway (hopefully the correct one ...). An unforgettable experience!
The fascinating thing here is that you fly for hours around Florida, navigating exclusively by instruments, and suddenly find yourself lined up on a runway (hopefully the correct one ...). An unforgettable experience!
Like the private pilot, instrument training is
divided into two parts. On one hand, the
theoretical (ground school) part ends with a
written examination. On the other hand, the
practical training ends with the flight test
(Checkride).
The "Written Exam" is a multiple-choice exam of
60 of about 900 possible questions. All
questions and answers are published, and can be
studied with a "Written Exam Study Guide".
Study Guides are offered by Gleim , ASA or
Jeppesen.
The "Written Exam" can be taken next door at the Naples Pilot Shop. After passing this first obstacle, you can fully concentrate on the practical flight training.
The "Written Exam" can be taken next door at the Naples Pilot Shop. After passing this first obstacle, you can fully concentrate on the practical flight training.