What are your IFR flows in flight?

T

tport

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Similar to the other thread on your preflighting workflow for an IFR flight - what are your flows when you're actually flying IFR?

The flows I've come to use:
- Panel Check: go across the comm/nav selector item by item to confirm things are set right: Com 1, Com 2, Nav 1, Nav 2, ADF, DME, MKR. Use it on departure and, once I've briefed the approach, I keep repeating at each major phase to make sure I'm tuning things right as I progress through the approach.
- 3Ms: Missed, Minutes (or how to ID the MAP if not timing), Minimums. Use it once i intercept the final approach course
- 2NM from FAF: GUMPS
- 6Ts: Pretty standard for PTs and Holds
- Most importantly and how I try to stay ahead of the plane is constantly asking myself both What am I doing? and What's Next? I probably ask myself this 25 times on the average approach.

Curious what everyone else does.
 
Using the Cirrus

If I'm taking pax: Clearance and ATIS before they get in the plane.
Com 1 set for Tower and Departure
Com 2 set for ATIS and Ground

Make sure HSI, TC, Attitude, Altimeter, and VS are doing what they are supposed to be doing while taxiing.

Enroute if I'm in the Cirrus I can pull up the METAR and weather and get an idea of what approach/runway is in use. Depending on which altitude I'm at I'll start briefing the approach 20-60 miles out.

10 miles from FAF slow down to 120kts (Cirrus)

One dot deflection, flaps 50%, 100kts

Hold 100kts until DA/MDA

DA/MDA: Flaps 100% pitch for 85kts

See the runway hopefully!

I fly single pilot IFR when I'm not instructing so I always try to stay ahead of the plane and think ahead.
 
tport said:
Most importantly and how I try to stay ahead of the plane is constantly asking myself both What am I doing? and What's Next? I probably ask myself this 25 times on the average approach..
Click to expand...
Asking yourself, "what's next?" is key for staying ahead of the airplane - especially for a casual/recreational flyer on all phases of flight.

Asking yourself 25 times on the approach is excessive, unless you're 80 years old and have the memory of a goldfish.

I'm big on keeping my head up and using common sense when configuring and verifying the cockpit for an IFR departure. I run through my flows, checklists, and then verify by crosschecking. I hardly ever stop crosschecking.

I'll mentally fly a departure procedure in my head as if I was in a 3rd person view a half mile in trail. This usually consists of a path starting at rotation and ending a few thousand feet in the air. At that point, I have time and options to make any decisions I need and can handle what gets thrown my way. Any actual deviation from this predetermined flight path immediately throws a red flag and needs a verification.

Big things for me are the approach brief and cockpit configuration for that particular approach. I don't have 1 method of flying approach. I adjust for the conditions. In other words, no two approaches are ever the same.

On precision approach, I configure during the descent because I have vertical navigation.
On a non-precision approach, I'm configured before the FAF.
 
I fly in an SP that has an electrically driven HSI. There are three ways to check the status of the battery, and I routinely check each one of them during my scan. (especially since I have had an actual alternator failure / battery drain 25 nm after departure, fortunately it was CAVU).
 
Cock Pit Prep
Batteries, checked on, external power connect, fire panel test, APU start, light panel set, brake accumulator check, flaps check 0, spoilers retract, radar off, thrust lever auto, gear down, elec power transfer, bleeds set, ventilation check.

Walk around

Cockpit Set Up
ADIRs Align, ATIS, Clearance, FMS set/program, oxygen check, window locked, PFD / ND set, QNH set, FD on, FCU set, stby set, RMP set, ACP set, NW STG / Anti Skid set, Door Closed

Taxi
PWS Auto, Spoilers arm, Flaps set, APU off, Anti Ice off, Auto Brakes Max, takeoff brief.

Before Takeoff
TA/RA on, PA announcement, brakes check, Packs off.
 
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Cpt_Kirk said:
Asking yourself, "what's next?" is key for staying ahead of the airplane - especially for a casual/recreational flyer on all phases of flight.
Click to expand...
If you do that consistently, VFR or IFR, there's very little else you need other that.

I don't recall who said it, but I recently heard a version of this that came down to:

There's a need to know three things at all times:

  • Know where you are now;
  • Know what is next;
  • Know how to get from now to next.
 
Cool spinoff!

I'm pretty new to this but staying ahead of the airplane as much as possible has helped me a lot. I'll take any down time(AKA straight and level, IMC or not) to get set up for the next phase of flight, whether it be tuning and identifying the next navaid I'll use, briefing the approach and the miss(including setting up the #2 Nav and OBS for the miss if applicable), loading the approach into the GPS if it's an RNAV(GPS) approach... checking over engine instruments, fuel use status, setting timers, etc....

Basically I want to be doing as little as possible from the IAF to the landing, except for the things that absolutely need to be done like a pre landing checklist(mile or two from the FAF), configuring for landing, or switching to tower/CTAF.
 
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I use a taxi instrument check for IFR to make sure things are working and my takeoff, cruise and approach checklists.
 
Cpt_Kirk said:
Asking yourself, "what's next?" is key for staying ahead of the airplane - especially for a casual/recreational flyer on all phases of flight.

Asking yourself 25 times on the approach is excessive, unless you're 80 years old and have the memory of a goldfish.
Click to expand...

Haha. Fair enough, I'm probably not quite hitting 25 times per approach, but every other minute or so from 30NM in. Single biggest thing that keeps me ahead of the plane. It's also fun to guess what ATC is going to give you next, which isn't too hard, but helps.
 
I think that instrument flying requires thinking like a chess player at least several steps ahead.
 
Check every instrument and every switch once established in cruise. Double check fuel.
 
From about a week before the flight all the way to parking after I return: continuously thinking about what to expect ahead of me and how I can prepare now.

Checklists on the ground and then CCGUMPS at each change in phase of flight and just every so often. Check and adjust, check and adjust...

The scan patterns they talk about in training are bull**** IMHO. "I do an inverted Q scan with a lemon twist." **** that. Just look at your dials a lot and understand what is going on and forecast what you expect to happen so that you will catch deviations immediately.

As someone said... if you're bored, think of something to do. Scanning inside, scanning outside, checking WX ahead, making PIREPs, doing TAS calcs, fuel estimations, top of descent calcs, briefing arrivals, IAPs, etc.
 
I have my KLN90B set up to fly Track Up and I can look at that line and keep the plane not only on course (like a VOR), but wings level also. I put it on .1 sensitity, the most sensitive. So I include that in my scan. All 6 plus the IFR GPS. Scan away.

Listen to the radio. Learn from other pilots and ATC.

Dont forget to check the ATIS.

Always have an "out" to better weather and less turbulence. Carry plenty of fuel.

If you get to the missed and dont see the runway, you have to go missed! No compromises here. This is crunch time. You will likely be mad, displeased and in a bad mood. Forget that and fly the published missed. Tell ATC youre going missed. They should give you a vector. Dont get involved in pushing buttons on the IFR GPS on the missed. Just fly the DG and whatever you have set up previously. (This is why two GPSs are a good idea). No button pushing until you are near the missed approach holding point. Relax. Fly the airplane. Remember to breath normally.
 
petrolero said:
As someone said... if you're bored, think of something to do. Scanning inside, scanning outside, checking WX ahead, making PIREPs, doing TAS calcs, fuel estimations, top of descent calcs, briefing arrivals, IAPs, etc.
Click to expand...

My wife is convinced that I like flying because I like pushing buttons and twisting knobs. I'm an engineer, what do you expect? But, there is a method to my madness and Petrolero hits it right on the head. Stay on top of everything, plan your next move (or moves) in advance and don't fall asleep.
 
If I'm in real light IMC, or just filed and flying in VMC, I don't think ahead much at all, just sorta go with the flow. Maybe check the weather ahead for changes, or see if the VOR still works, or play with the Garmin and/or iPad.

More serious IMC, then I have more notes on my kneeboard, A couple hard copies of approaches I anticipate I might need. AP engaged, and watching the AI, look at the altimeter, watch the AI, look at the DG, glance at the VVI, watch the AI, rinse, repeat. Try to remember where the switch is for the standby vacuum pump. Maybe hand fly for a while, until the approach phase. . .
 
- WIRE - wx, instruments, radios, elevation/altitudes on plate
- Brief the approach and missed
- GUMPS on start of approach and at FAF
 
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