This is another in Bill Stack's "Flight-Sim Pilots" series. This review supplements my previous review of his Pilot's Information Manual 2001, the basic "primer" book in that series. This book expands on those chapters on air traffic control and instrument flight rules included there; I decided to add this review of Instrument Flying as IFR is becoming increasingly popular so I wanted to bring this additional information to those who seek to fly more realistically with SquawkBox and with the highly popular ATC add-ons ProFlight 2000 and Radar Contact, as well as with other ATC-based adventure programs.
As with the "Pilot Information Manual," this book is based on the premise that the real pleasure to be found in flight simulation stems from the desire to achieve realism—to understand and apply the same thought processes and procedures as do real pilots. I should mention that as Bill last updated his "Instrument Flying" in 1999, the context is decidedly that of General Aviation; while IFR principles are the same with business and air transport flying, if you're more interested in these you'll just have to put up to his many references to "the limitations of simulators regarding ATC." In fact, Fly!, Flight Unlimited, and ProPilot (if you're still enjoying that, though its further development has only recently been resumed) all include robust ATC features—and FS2000's ATC add-ons are now very robust indeed! But keep in mind that you'll need to learn and to practice with smaller airplanes to truly gain proficiency before moving on to higher speed business jets, and particularly the faster air transports as things will happen very rapidly indeed with those.
The 122-page text has, in my view, essentially two parts. Beginning with "What Is Instrument Flight," the initial 46 pages essentially revisit the material presented in the "Pilot's Information Manual," including "Understanding Requirements and Restrictions." A comprehensive chapter on "Using Your Aviation Instruments" is presented here, from an instrument flying perspective.
The four chapters—some 75 pages—in the second part get to the meat of instrument flying. So let's get on to these chapters:
Using Charts and Flight Plans
You'll find ample coverage of the chart types you'll need for IFR flying here:
Charts (and weather forecasts) are the backbone of flight planning as well as providing reference and procedural information for specific routes and airports while airborne. You'll need an appreciation for the wealth of information these charts provide you to more effectively use the many flight planning add-ons now available. Sure, often you can simply "plug these in" from the planner's database, but you'll need to inspect these diagrams to properly select appropriate departure, enroute and arrival routes and their transitions, and to select authorized cruise altitudes and respond correctly to ATC-ordered "holds." And you'll want to know when to observe designated altitude and speed restrictions as published for certain waypoints and fixes during your approach. You'll probably want to see the provided airport layouts too!
And another thing: you might think you'll make every approach with no problems, but if you're flying with on-line METAR-based weather, those "minimums" really mean something! If you encounter low clouds, precipitation or fog approaching the assigned runway, it might not be visible when you reach the designated altitude/distance. You'll have to go around—and you'd best have the correct 'missed approach' heading, altitude and fix dialed into your flight and nav instruments; you'll be too busy to look these up then!
There's no doubt you'll need (and want) to complete your flight plan before departure—it's required whenever you fly by instrument flight rules. Though some ATC-based simulators and add-ons produce and "file" these for you, it nevertheless is important that you understand their content and follow the prescribed format, notably when flying online with SquawkBox. This chapter fills you in on all that and offers helpful suggestions concerning ancillary information (particularly regarding obstacles and minimum altitudes, and noting intermediate airports suitable for enroute refueling if adverse weather slows your progress or unexpected ATC route changes are imposed).
Planning, Taking Off and Departing
This chapter describes the various means available to file your flight plan, preflight checklists, and standard takeoff and climbout procedures. Of particular interest is information on handling aborted takeoffs, and climb angle considerations under varying conditions—Bill notes that further information on the subject is available in his companion book, Flight-Sim Maneuvers. There is a brief discussion of the proper use of SIDs. This chapter concludes with the admonition fundamental to IFR flights: Trust your instruments!
Flying En Route and Holding
Here he covers the ground rules for flying airways properly and executing holds. There's a discussion of best practices in intersecting and aligning your flight path with waypoints using radio navigation and/or GPS-based procedures. He then goes on to discuss standard practices for flying holds. Bill explains that holding patterns "are common maneuvers for maintaining separation among aircraft during flight" and may be encountered either during your flight's enroute stage or during your approach—or both. In fact you'll encounter these regularly when flying online with SquawkBox (as I'm sure everyone who's done so knows by now) and the MSFS add-ons ProFlight and Radar Contact spice things up with holds as well. While it takes practice to execute holds with any precision, thankfully some add-on FMS modules – notably PSS' B-747-400 package – include a feature that flies holds automatically under autopilot control. In any event, Bill provides numerous illustrations of holding situations and alternative means of entering holding patterns. And once you have that down pat, throw in some winds and see what happens!
Approaching and Landing
As Bill notes here, "Approaches can be visual or instrument, but all general-aviation landings are visual." He describes the two types of instrument approaches: nonprecision and – no surprise here – precision approaches. While the elements of either are similar, precision approaches are those offering electronic glideslopes. Also note that instrument landings can be flown under Category I or Category II rules; and with proper flight crew certification and aircraft equipment, air transport landings can be made under Category III rules. The fundamental differences are in the decision heights and visibility required. With recently-available air transport panel packages' autoland features, you can really enjoy realistic Category III landings—just like the experience I once had as a passenger arriving in Dusseldorf watching for the runway (as we simmers always do) in pervasive fog conditions. I'll never forget the sensation of hearing the wheels screech on the runway, and I still couldn't see it! Well, Bill tells how it's done with good explanations of localizers, glideslope, marker beacons, approach lights, runway end lights, and visual approach slope indicators (as noted in my earlier review, the later topics are covered in depth in his Pilots Information Manual 2001).
In addition to many useful definitions of terms such as the Initial Approach Fix (IAP), Final Approach Fix (FAF), Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA), Missed Approach Point (MAP), Decision Height and so forth, this chapter provides extensive coverage of the various forms of nonprecision approaches: NDB and VOR Approaches, GPS Approaches, and Localizer (LDA) Approaches. Alternative procedure turn and DME Arc techniques are explained with helpful illustrations. The chapter concludes with everything you need to know to fly missed approach procedures while interacting with ATC correctly.
Instrument exercises
Appendix A contains a comprehensive set of instrument flight exercises designed to put the information provided into practice. All based at the Igor Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Bridgeport, Connecticut – the airport diagram, needed local and destination Approach Charts, and an En Route Chart are provided – these six exercises are offered in three series of progressively more difficult weather conditions, from a 1,500 MSL ceiling, 10,000 ft cloud tops, and 2 nautical mile visibility – to a 500 ft. ceiling and 1 mile visibility.
And more...
Appendix B lists sources of aviation charts; what you won't see here are currently-available URLs for web-based sources, such as Clearance Unlimited. But if you want to acquire bound charts or CDs, a number of sources are identified here.
As are all books in this series, this book is produced in a convenient spiral bound format, is amply illustrated and indexed, and is replete with definitions. As I noted before, Bill Stack is an avid flight simmer, and is also is a professional writer and trainer, which is reflected in this book's excellent readability. Nels Anderson, a general-aviation pilot (and FlightSim.Com's publisher) assisted as a technical consultant. The information provided is based on many sources, as noted in the included bibliography. The price is $14.95 USD and can be ordered at his TopSkills web site.
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