Currency question

fiveoboy01

fiveoboy01

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Dirty B
The other thread about "my currency is about to run out" got me thinking.

You have a rolling 6 month period in which to do 6 approaches and a hold.

Do pilots, once they obtain the instrument rating, just stop practicing except for the times they get into actual IMC, and then the alarm bells sound 6 months down the road and they grab a safety pilot and some foggles? Given lack of IMC conditions, don't you guys shoot an approach every few weeks, regardless of your currency status?

As in instrument student I'm curious to know what would be a good plan for me once I'm done as far as staying sharp. I don't fly for business, just pleasure, but there will likely be some longer/farther trips where I will utilize that instrument ticket. But if I want to just grab breakfast one morning and the weather is bad, I probably will stay on the ground.

Do you guys do the bare minimum, or more? I know the more I fly VFR, the more comfortable I get. I would assume practicing instrument procedures on a semi-regular basis and in excess of the requirements, would have the same result.
 
If you're looking to be legal, do the minimum number of approaches and holds.

But if you expect more from yourself fly to your personal minimums and practice to lower your personal minimums to what the plate says.

There is a difference.
 
Right. Currency doesn't equal proficiency. I'm curious what the experienced guys think it takes to get from one to the other.
 
fiveoboy01 said:
Do you guys do the bare minimum, or more? I know the more I fly VFR, the more comfortable I get. I would assume practicing instrument procedures on a semi-regular basis and in excess of the requirements, would have the same result.
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You'd be right. Do as much or as little as you want. I do more than the minimum. I try to shoot an approach each time I fly. Even if it is in VMC.
 
I look forward to going out early in the mornings,and flying with low clouds to keep sharp,always have an alternate if things go bad. Nothing like actual.
 
After you get your ticket, keep filing even on the clearest days and request approaches instead of a taking a visual.
 
This is what I plan on doing:

Find a buddy to fly an out and back IFR hop once a month. This ensures you each get the minimum. Fly 1 leg out, shoot an approach to full-stop, land and swap seats. Then, fly back, with an approach to land. Split the cost 50/50. All actual instrument time you get is a bonus; don't just fly on VFR days.
 
fiveoboy01 said:
The other thread about "my currency is about to run out" got me thinking.

You have a rolling 6 month period in which to do 6 approaches and a hold.

Do pilots, once they obtain the instrument rating, just stop practicing except for the times they get into actual IMC, and then the alarm bells sound 6 months down the road and they grab a safety pilot and some foggles? Given lack of IMC conditions, don't you guys shoot an approach every few weeks, regardless of your currency status?

As in instrument student I'm curious to know what would be a good plan for me once I'm done as far as staying sharp. I don't fly for business, just pleasure, but there will likely be some longer/farther trips where I will utilize that instrument ticket. But if I want to just grab breakfast one morning and the weather is bad, I probably will stay on the ground.

Do you guys do the bare minimum, or more? I know the more I fly VFR, the more comfortable I get. I would assume practicing instrument procedures on a semi-regular basis and in excess of the requirements, would have the same result.
Click to expand...

Kinda. It's difficult to maintain currency through regular flying when you flying typically is sole pilot VFR, however there are occasions, typically night at an unfamiliar airport, where I ask for a 'practice approach' and fly the instruments down. I don't log it as an approach but it helps maintain scan and procedural skills. Normally I stay legally current by going flying with a CFII buddy every 6 months and doing an IPC.
 
Concur wiith filing IFR most of the time, and getting an approach in, even alone, and in VFR. Keep your head out. The 6 month rule is a rule, just a number, for the Feds. Getting enough work in to feel confident is more important.
 
Sundancer said:
Concur wiith filing IFR most of the time, and getting an approach in, even alone, and in VFR. Keep your head out. The 6 month rule is a rule, just a number, for the Feds. Getting enough work in to feel confident is more important.
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This is the best answer.

As others have pointed out, flying an approach under VFR, to keep yourself sharp procedurally, has a lot of value even if you can't log it. Whether you can stay current AND proficient by flying approaches yourself in actual depends on your schedule, aircraft availability, the time of year, and where you live. In Michigan I was able to do it since I have my own airplane and had 24/7 access to my hangar, the hardest IFR weather in the winter tends to be above freezing, and the Lakes are great cloud makers. Here in VT, with no IMC-generating machine nearby, icing conditions in whatever clouds are there 8 months out of the year, and only 9-5 access to my airplane, it's proving impossible.
 
fiveoboy01 said:
Right. Currency doesn't equal proficiency. I'm curious what the experienced guys think it takes to get from one to the other.
Click to expand...

I always enjoyed being a CFII. Didn't take me long to learn that when pilots came to me for ICC's they could usually fly the approach but when I went beyond that, their weaknesses showed up. Too bad instrument rated pilots think being current is enough. It's not. 6, 12, 25, 50 approaches in 6 months isn't enough. Competency is a whole different aspect of instrument flying. Sure, 6 approaches in 6 months keep you legal. Add some holding and tracking and the feds are happy. What I don't see posted are the other things you need to do to remain instrument proficient/competent. How many of you go out in actual (preferable) or simulated conditions and do partial panel, unusual attitudes, full stall recovery? That's where the proficiency/competency comes in. Unless you add these items to your "legal" requirements, you, too, may end up as an NTSB statistic. Just read the accident reports. Just being legal isn't enough.
 
One great way to stay on top is if there is good level 6 FTD that is certified to do it in. That way you can practice failures and other things you can not practice in the airplane. Plus do some more that is not necessarily required. When I was instructing I used to do just the IPC even if it has only been 6 months (its faster than 6 approaches when doing it the actual plane) Or if I could find a buddy and the sim time I would do the 6 approaches etc in the sim. However due to me instructing several instrument students I stayed very proficient in the knowledge of it and how to fly it even if my legal currency was about to expire, just because doing all of it in actual is rare, especially instructing in a Cessna. Now that I am in the airlines my currency is very easy to upkeep as I do far more than the required approaches and holding in the time frame in actual. When I fly my 182 however I typically file IFR if its a cross country somewhere anyway so I generally try to upkeep my knowledge on IFR flying, and approaches whether in the job at the airline or at home flying my bird
 
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