Any pilots who practice GA IFR flight?

[brucek 38]

If you're more into honing IFR skills in a GA aircraft that you also actually fly, do you plan practice flights from start-to-finish, or spend more time shooting approaches, holds, etc.? If you use an entire flight scenario, do you fly in your own "back-yard" most of the time (practice for those Saturday morning $200+ hamburgers), or try routes that you most likely will never try in real flight (other side of the country/world, etc.).For me, I like practicing a mock check-ride in different areas of my "back-yard" (northern Denver area).Thanks, Bruce.

[Cessnaflyer 56]

I usually do a full flight from DP to the IAP. I haven't done any real IFR flights in awhile and am probably not current. I have an insurance checkride thursday so hopefully I can get my approaches in then.

[brucek 38]

Thanks Chris. Good luck on your insurance ride.Bruce.

[PittsS2B 33]

I've been using MSFS to practice for IFR comp checks since FS98, and it's proven to be terrifically useful in this role. I'm up to four instructors and counting who can't believe that I stay reasonably current using only a PC "game" as a practice aid. I usually fly the exact approaches I'll be doing on the actual ride, and try to recreate the equipment failures that my instructor has thrown my way in the past. Using FS in conjunction with repeated studying of the FAR's, AIM, and charts helps keep the rust away, although I'd likely get some additional practice / dual in the real airplane before I attempted an actual IFR cross-country, just to be on the safe side.John G.

[TopGun 0]

Good evening, I also use MSFS to keep my IFR skills sharp. Actually, I try to replicate as closely as possible the proper flight planning and procedures that I use in the real world to my virtual flights. This includes checking the weather, notams(I will even go so far as to modify the airport afcads to reflect certain notams where possible e.g. rwy closures,etc), flight planning using preferred routes,performance calculations, and weight and balance calculations. I normally do an IPC every 6 months as a means of maintaining my IR currency, and I find that MSFS has helped me a lot in this regard. BTW, I'm looking for a time building partner in the Miami/ Ft Lauderdale area since I'm working towards my commercial. If any one is interested, please send me a PM. Thanks.J.C. (MYNN)PPL ASEL/AMEL Instrument Airplane

[brucek 38]

Thanks for some great replies, it's great to see others that use FS as a tool for real life flying.I have yet to have an IPC (great way to retain currency, especially if it's scenario based I would think). I keep flying my IR check-ride (and variations), and try to create scenarios as much as I can. Bruce.

[january 19]

Bruce- I have a saved flight set up for an IFR circuit at my home airport-(CYYJ) with the Dreamfleet Baron. When I get bored, I just enter 1/2 or 1/4 mile visib and time of day, then go for a 15 minute exercise in instrument conditions! Keeps my virtual IFR endorsement current. Always a great relief to see those threshold lights loom up!!I'm running triple monitors with triple views- 180

[brucek 38]

Yes, I do this too. Actually, I have 5-6 files for ASX which all have varying amounts of instrument conditions, some even below minimums and several that call for a circling approach. I get my wife to secretly select one and load up ASX, then I step in and unpause my saved flight. While flying on a LOC intercept I get ATIS, find the correct approach, set up etc., then fly it. One is very marginally above minimums, and so I never know if there's a missed or not :).Bruce.

[brucek 38]

Would anyone be interested in sharing their local IFR scenarios, whether it be just an approach or an entire flight / IPC / checkride that you use?One thing that I use is the randomization feature in Excel. I randomize the following, based on a preset probability:"Left turns""VOR radial" (01 through 36) (for VOR holds)"North/South" for holding on the 36 radial, also randomized DME on that radial.Good thread. Bruce.

[PittsS2B 33]

Sounds like you've got some pretty innovative procedures there, Bruce. As for me, I usually just crank the FS9 weather down to minimums at my home 'drome (Ryan Field in Tucson, KRYN) and fly a typical comp check scenario using the ILS 6R approach, from takeoff to shutdown. The ILS 6R at Ryan includes a holding pattern at the IAF, so you can kill two birds with one stone. I often do this at night, to heighten the general sense of disorientation.I know Jeffco Airport well, as I learned to fly at KAPA, and the VOR approach into BJC was one we used for training. Guess it's grown quite a bit lately....John G.

[brucek 38]

Yes John, Jeffco (Rocky Mountain Metro as it's now called) is a reliever for KDEN, so lots of business traffic, and GA of course. While I was doing my required 40 hours of cross-country for my IR (all VFR flying of course), I would usually approach Jeffco from the north/north-east, and often found when calling Tower 10+ miles out that they were overloaded and requesting people to hold outside Delta airspace. Now I just contact approach if VFR and get vectored for a practice ILS to 29R, which sets me up to contact tower several miles outside of the FAF (Denver Bravo airspace), which garentees me pretty much a straight in and gives Tower lots of time to manage the downwind/base traffic to let me in nicely.The old VOR approach from BIZEN. That was my first approach that was not aligned with a runway (had done LOC/ILS approaches up until then), albeit only 10 degrees or so off. I can still recall that disbelief when I removed the foggles at the MDA/MAP.I often do just what you do too- just a downwind from 29R until I see the GS max out above, then turn to an intercept heading and reduce to 90 KIAS.I wish I knew more about FSX missions, I would create some real check-ride scenarios and upload them here. Guess I could always learn to do a mission..... :)Thanks, Bruce.