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Level 5—Instrument Flying
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Day 1
GROUNDSCHOOL INSTRUCTION (Morning)
Period I
Orientation and Review of Safety around Aircraft.
Pitot/Static Flight Instruments—design and operation.
Period 2
Preparatory Ground Instruction Instrument Flying: Attitudes and Movements
FLIGHT TRAINING (Afternoon)
Air Exercise: Instrument Flying--Attitudes and Movements
Instrument flying is defined as flying with sole reference to the flight instruments1—something that would be required flying in cloud or flying at night where sometimes there is little or no visual reference to the natural horizon. Instrument flying (referred to as Instrument Flight Rules) is quite different to visual flying (referred to as Visual Flight Rules)—interestingly, an aircraft cannot be controlled by “feel” (i.e., physical sensation) because flying an aircraft in a properly controlled and balanced turn, for example, in fact “feels” like straight and level flight. To become a properly rated Instrument Pilot takes many hours of training and continual practice2—in contrast, this exercise teaches Students how to conduct climbs and descents in IFR conditions, and teaches students how to control the aircraft with sole reference to the instrument panel, and, in particular, how to quickly recognise and recover from an unusual aircraft attitude such as a spiral dive or impending stall.
Day 2
GROUNDSCHOOL INSTRUCTION (Morning)
Period I
Gyro Instruments—design and operation.
Period 2
Preparatory Ground Instruction: Vectored Approaches
FLIGHT TRAINING (Afternoon)
Air Exercise: Instrument Flying (Vectored Approaches)
The “vectored approach” is the most commonly flown instrument approach at larger airports. The requirement for a vectored approach is that the controller be equipped with radar and that the instrument approach has a published “straight-in” procedure. During a vectored approach, the controller effectively tells the pilot where to point the aircraft—i.e., the heading to fly—and what altitude to maintain (the only occasion where this responsibility for terrain avoidance is technically shared between pilot and controller).
Day 3
GROUNDSCHOOL INSTRUCTION (Morning)
Period I
Radio Navigation Instruments—VOR design and operation.
Period 2
Preparatory Ground Instruction: Unusual Attitudes
FLIGHT TRAINING (Afternoon)
Air Exercise: Unusual Attitudes
The student is introduced to the two variations in unusual attitudes recovery--nose-up, and nose-down. The goal is for the student to quickly detect the type of unusual attitudes, and immediately affect the proper control inputs for recovery such that a minimum loss of altitude is achieved.
Day 4
GROUNDSCHOOL INSTRUCTION (Morning)
Period I
Radio Navigation Instruments—ILS and NDB design and operations.
Period 2
FLIGHT TRAINING (Afternoon)
Air Exercise: Instrument Flying
Instrument Flying continues (see Day 1 for a description)
Day 5
GROUNDSCHOOL INSTRUCTION (Morning)
Period I
Field Trip to Langley Tower (Radar Facilities).3
Period 2
Quiz.4
FLIGHT TRAINING (Afternoon)
Air Exercise: Instrument Flying
Instrument Flying continues (see Day 1 for a description)
References Notes
1 The flight instruments are positioned directly in front of the pilot’s seat and provide all necessary information need to fly the aircraft without looking out of the cockpit. The trick is to conduct a proper “scan” whereby the pilot continually examines all of the flight instruments without fixating on any one instrument.
2 Private Pilot student receive a minimum of 5 hours instrument flying, and to obtain a night rating must complete an additional 5 hours of instrument work; to obtain an Instrument Rating (which permits pilots to conduct takeoffs and landings in cloudy conditions) requires a total of 40 hours instrument flying. All airline operations, incidentally, are conducted using instrument flying.
3 Langley Tower is equipped with elaborate radar systems and this tour introduces students to how radar is worked by the controllers.
4This is a ten-question, multiple-choice quiz that is administered on the last day of Camp. The questions revolve around items learned in both Groundschool and in the air. Successful completion of the quiz leads to the issue of a Certificate of Completion by Langley Flying School.
