Basics

Question 1

WHEN IS AN INSTRUMENT RATING REQUIRED?
(§61.3) (§61.133) (§91.135) (§91.157)

Answer 1

(§61.3) When acting as PIC under IFR.

(§61.133) Carrying passengers for compensation on cross-country flights > 50 NM or at night.

(§91.135) For flight in Class A airspace

(§91.157) For Special VFR at night.

Question 2

AIRPLANE-INSTRUMENT RATING MINIMUM AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE (§61.65)

Answer 2

50 hours X-Country PIC time, Of which, 10 hours in airplanes.
40 hours actual or simulated instrument time, Of which, 15 hours with CFII.
-Including one X-Country flight of:
250 NM along airways or by directed ATC routing
An instrument approach at each airport.
3 different kinds of approaches using navigation systems.
With a filed IFR flight plan.
3 Hours instrument flight training in last 2 Calendar months prior to practical test

Question 3

RECENCY OF EXPERIENCE

Answer 3

To act as PIC (§61.56)
- A Flight review (within 24 months)
or
- A proficiency check or practical pilot test for a pilot
certificate, rating or operating privilege.
- A practical test (checkride)
- Completion of one or more phases of the FAA sponsored pilot proficiency award program (WINGS).-

Question 4

LOGGING INSTRUMENT TIME (§61.51)

Answer 4

1. When the person operates the aircraft solely by reference to instruments under actual or simulated instrument flight conditions.
2. An authorized instructor may log instrument time when conducting instrument flight instruction in actual instrument

Question 5

To carry passengers as PIC:

Answer 5

Day: 3 takeoffs & landings in category, class and type in last 90 days.
Night: 1 hour after sunset to 1 hour, 3 TOLS to full stop.

Question 6

To act as PIC under IFR or in weather conditions
less than the minimums for VFR- “6 HITS” – (61.57)

Answer 6

Within 6 calendar months;
- 6 instrument approaches.
- Holding procedures & tasks.
- Intercepting
- Tracking
- Systems (GPS, VOR, etc)

Question 7

LOGGING INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURES – REQUIREMENTS

Answer 7

1. The Initial, Intermediate and Final approach segments are required for logging the approach, unless: vectored to final by ATC. (In simulated IMC, vectors from the safety pilot are also accepted).
2. Must continue down to MDA or DA.

Note:
If conditions change from actual IMC to VMC during the final approach segment, you can still log the approach.

Question 8

PREFLIGHT SELF-ASSESSMENT – “IM SAFE”

Answer 8

Illness - Do I have any symptoms?
Medication - Have I taken prescription or over-the-counter drugs?
Stress - Am I under psychological pressure, worried about finances, health or family discord?
Alcohol - No drinking within 8 hours. (“8 hours bottle to throttle”). No more than .04% of alcohol in blood.
Fatigue - Am I tired / adequately rested?
Emotion - Am I emotionally upset?
(§91.17, AIM 8-1-1)

Question 9

RISK MANAGEMENT & PERSONAL MINIMUMS – “PAVE”

Answer 9

Pilot (general health, physical / mental / emotional state, proficiency, currency)
Aircraft (airworthiness, equipment, performance)
EnVironment (weather hazards, terrain, airports / runways to be used & other conditions)
External pressure (meetings, people waiting at destination, etc.)

Question 10

DECISION MAKING – “DECIDE”

Answer 10

■ D - Detect that a change has occurred.
■ E - Estimate the need to counter the change.
■ C - Choose a desirable outcome.
■ I - Identify solutions.
■ D - Do the necessary actions.
■ E - Evaluate the effects of the actions
(Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge)

Question 11

PERSONAL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR FLIGHT

Answer 11

1. Pilot Certificate
2. Medical certificate (or US Driver’s license as permitted by
   §61.113 & §61.23)
3. Authorized photo ID (passport, driver’s license, etc)

Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit (For flights
outside the US)

Question 12

AIRCRAFT DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR FLIGHT –
“SPARROWED”

Answer 12

Supplements
Placards
Airworthiness Certificate
Registration Certificate
Radio license
Operators Handbook (POH)
Weight and Balance
External Data plate
Deviation compass card

Question 13

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE INSPECTIONS REQUIRED
FOR IFR – “AAVIATES”

Answer 13

AD’s (airworthiness directives)
Annual
VOR
100 hr.
Altimeter/static/encoder
Transponder
ELT (emergency locator transmitter) battery
Supplemental Type Certificate

Question 14

PREFLIGHT INFO REQUIRED FOR IFR:
NWKRAFT (91.103)

Answer 14

“NW KRAFT” – (§91.103)
N - NOTAMs.
W - Weather reports and forecasts.
K - Known traffic delays as advised by ATC.
R - Runway length
A - Alternatives available
F - Fuel requirements
T - Takeoff and landing performance data

Question 15

IFR FLIGHT PLAN §91.173

Answer 15

Must:
1. File an IFR flight plan; and
2. Received an appropriate ATC clearance.

Note:
AIM recommends filing a preferred route if one is available. (AIM 5-1-8)

Question 16

IFR MINIMUM FUEL REQUIREMENTS §91.167

Answer 16

Fuel from departure to destination airport
+
Fuel from destination to most distant alternate
(if alternate required)
+
45 Minutes at normal cruise

Question 17

NEED A DESTINATION ALTERNATE?
“1-2-3” RULE –

Answer 17

1 hour before/after
2,000 ft cieling
3 sm visibility
Need alternate?
- Precision approach: 600 ft ceiling and 2 SM visibility.
- Non-precision approach: 800 ft ceiling and 2 SM visibility.
No instrument approach available at the alternate:
Ceiling & visibility must allow descent from MEA, approach and landing under VFR.
§91.169

Question 18

IFR TAKEOFF MINIMUMS (§91.175)

Answer 18

No T/O minimums mandated for part 91 operations.

Part 121, 125, 129, 135:
Prescribed T/O minimums for the runway, or, if none:
- 1-2 engines airplanes: 1 SM visibility
- More than 2 engines: ½ SM visibility

Question 19

DEPARTURE PROCEDURES (DP)
AIM 5-2-9

Answer 19

■ Ensures obstacle clearance, provided:
1. the airplane crossed the departure end of the
runway at least 35 ft AGL,
2. reaches 400 ft AGL before turning, AND
3. climbs at least 200 Feet per NM (FPNM), or as published otherwise on the chart.
■ Pilots are encouraged to file a DP at night, during
marginal VMC or IMC.
■ Two types of DP
1. Obstacle Departure Procedure (ODP)
- Provides only obstacle clearance.
- Printed either textually or graphically.
- Graphic ODPs are titled “(OBSTACLE).”
2. Standard Instrument Departure (SID)
- In addition to obstacle clearance it reduces pilot and controller workload by simplifying ATC clearances and minimizing radio communications.
- May depict special radio failure procedures.
- SIDs are always printed graphically.
■ DP are also categorized by equipment required
■ You are not required to accept a DP. To avoid it, state “NO SIDs” in the flight plan’s remarks section.

Question 20

DIVERSE DEPARTURE PROCEDURE

Answer 20

■ All US airports with a published IAP but with no published DP meet the Diverse Airport criteria
■ This criteria requires that an airport has been evaluated for no obstacles within 200 ft altitude/NM up to a minimum IFR altitude.
■ Diverse Airport Departures provide obstacle clearance when a DP is not published.
■ Turns are allowed only after reaching 400 ft AGL.
■ A Diverse Vector Area (DVA) allows ATC to provide radar vectors instead of an ODP

Question 21

VISUAL CLIMB OVER AIRPORT (VCOA)

Answer 21

■ A departure option for IFR aircraft in VMC.
■ The pilot visually conducts climbing turns over the
airport up to the published “climb to” altitude, from
which he proceeds to the instrument portion of the
departure.
■ Designed to avoid obstacles beyond 3 SM from the
departure end of the runway (DER), as an alternative to
complying with climb gradients greater than the
standard 200 ft/NM.
■ Advise ATC as early as possible prior to departure of
the intent to fly a VCOA.
■ Published in the “Take-Of Minimums and (Obstacle)
Departure Procedures” section of the TP.
■ May appear as an option on graphic ODPs

Question 22

IFR DEPARTURE CLEARANCE –“CRAFT”

Answer 22

■ C - Clearance limit.
■ R - Route.
■ A - Altitude.
■ F - Frequency (for departure).
■ T - Transponder code.
Clearance void time – The time at which your clearance
is void and after which you may not takeoff. You must
notify ATC within 30 min after the void time if you did not
depart.
“Hold for release” – You may not takeoff until being
released for IFR departure.
Release time – The earliest time the aircraft may depart
under IFR.
Expect Departure Clearance Time (EDCT) – A runway
release time given under traffic management programs in
busy airports. Aircraft are expected to depart no earlier
and no later than 5 minutes from the EDCT.
Abbreviated departure clearance – “Cleared (…) as filed
(…)”
(AIM 5-2-6)

Question 23

STANDARD TERMINAL ARRIVAL (STAR)

Answer 23

■ Serves as a transition between the enroute structure
and a point from which an approach to landing can
be made.
■ Transition routes connect enroute fixes to the basic
STAR procedure.
■ Usually named according to the fix at which the
basic procedure begins.
■ As with a SID, you can state “NO STARs” in the
remarks section of the flight plan, to avoid getting a
clearance containing a STAR.
■ RNAV STARs require RNAV 1 performance

Question 24

MIN IFR ALTITUDES (§91.177)

Answer 24

■ Except for takeoff or landing, or otherwise authorized by the FAA, no person may operate an aircraft
under IFR below -
▷ Minimum altitudes prescribed for the flown segment, or if none:
▷ Mountainous areas: 2,000 ft above the highest obstacle within a horizontal distance of 4 NM from
the course.
▷ Non-mountainous areas: 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle within 4 NM from the course.

Question 25

IFR ALTITUDES – DEFINITIONS (§91.177, Pilot/Controller Glossary)

Answer 25

■ DA / H - Decision Altitude / Height: the Altitude (MSL) / Height (above runway threshold), on an instrument approach procedure at which the pilot must decide whether to continue the approach or go around. ■ MAA - Maximum Authorized Altitude. Annotated “MAA-17000” (17,000ft as an example) on IFR charts. ■ MCA - Minimum Crossing Altitude. The lowest altitude at certain fixes that an airplane must cross when flying in the direction of a higher MEA. ■ MDA / H - Minimum Descent Altitude / Height: The lowest Altitude (MSL) / Height (above runway threshold) to which descent is authorized on a non-precision approach until the pilot sees the visual references required for landing. ■ MEA - Minimum Enroute Altitude: The lowest published altitude between radio fixes which assures acceptable navigational signal coverage and meets obstacle clearance requirements. An MEA gap establishes an area of loss in navigational coverage and annotated “MEA GAP” on IFR charts. ■ MOCA - Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude: Provides obstacle clearance and navigation coverage only up to 22 NM of the VOR. ▷ If both an MEA and a MOCA are prescribed for a particular route segment, a person may operate an aircraft lower than the MEA down to, but not below the MOCA, provided the applicable navigation signals are available. For aircraft using VOR for navigation, this applies only when the aircraft is within 22 NM of the VOR. (§91.177) ■ MORA - Minimum Off Route Altitude (Jeppesen): ▷ Route MORA provides obstruction clearance within 10NM to either side of airway centerlines and within a 10NM radius at the ends of airways. ▷ Grid MORA provide obstruction clearance within a latitude / longitude grid block. ■ MRA - Minimum Reception Altitude. The lowest altitude on an airway segment where intersection can be determined using radio navigational aids. ■ MTA - Minimum Turning Altitude: Provides vertical and lateral obstacle clearance in turns over certain fixes. Annotated with the MCA X icon and a note describing the restriction. ■ MVA - Minimum Vectoring Altitude: The lowest altitude at which an IFR aircraft will be vectored by a radar controller, except as otherwise authorized for radar approaches, departures, and missed approaches. MVAs may be lower than the minimum altitudes depicted on aeronautical charts, such as MEAs or MOCAs. ■ OROCA - Off Route Obstruction Clearance Altitude: Provides obstruction clearance with a 1,000 ft buffer in non-mountainous terrain areas and 2,000 ft in mountainous areas. OROCA may not provide navigation or communication signal coverage

Question 26

GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS

Answer 26

■ Two principles of a gyroscope: ▷ Rigidity in space, and ▷ precession. Attitude Indicator (AI) Operates on the principle of rigidity in space. Shows bank and pitch information. Older AIs may have a tumble limit. Should show correct attitude within 5 minutes of starting the engine. Normally vacuum-driven in GA aircraft, may be electrical in others. May have small acceleration/deceleration errors (accelerate-slight pitch up, decelerate- pitch down) and roll-out errors (following a 180 turn shows a slight turn to the opposite direction). Heading indicator (HI) Operates on the principle of rigidity in space. It only reflects changes in heading, but cannot measure the heading directly. You have to calibrate it with a magnetic compass in order for it to indicate correctly. HIs may be slaved to a magnetic heading source, such as a flux gate, and sync automatically to the present heading. Normally powered by the vacuum system in on GA aircraft. Turn Indicators Operates on the principle of precession. ▷ Turn coordinators show rate-of-turn and rate of roll. ▷ Turn-and-slip indicators show rate-of-turn only.