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micronesia
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How to Fly Through the Clouds

Blogs > micronesia
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micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24665 Posts
Last Edited: 2019-10-26 23:32:26
October 26 2019 23:30 GMT
#1
In my most "recent" blogs I talked about my journey towards becoming a certificated private pilot of single engine airplanes. I didn't make any announcements, but I passed my checkride back in ~March. Since then, I've been working on my instrument rating. What is an instrument rating, you may ask. Why do I want it?

When you first you get your private pilot certificate, you are allowed to fly only when visibility is good. The specific requirements depend a bit on what type of airspace you are in, but generally you are required to avoid clouds by a safe margin and can't fly in fog. You can fly at night, so long as you follow the same rules for clouds and fog.

Why are private pilots not allowed to fly through clouds? In case it's not obvious, there's no way to avoid other aircraft (or tall obstacles) if you can't see them. In addition, when you can't see the horizon it's easy to get disoriented while flying and you can quickly lose control of the plane. In essence, you need two things in order to safely fly through clouds:

  1. Special training on how to maintain control of the plane even in turbulent low-visibility conditions
  2. An eye in the sky selecting your route for you to de-conflict it with other aircraft and also keep you away from hazards like mountains, embedded (hidden) thunderstorms, etc.


That second item also requires special training. In order to obtain your instruments rating, you need roughly the same number of flight hours of training as you did to originally obtain your private pilot certificate. That is what I've been doing for most of this year.

In order to earn my instruments rating, I still need to complete the following:

  1. One cross country flight of at least 250 nautical miles in total length, with stops at two airports (plus the home airport I return to), one leg of the flight being greater than 100 nautical miles straight line distance, and a different instrument approach at each of the three airports
  2. End of course check (administered by a senior instructor at my school)
  3. Instrument written exam (computer based test administered by the FAA)
  4. Oral Exam and Practical Exam (with a designated pilot examiner)


I've met all of the other flight hour requirements at this point. In case you were wondering, an instrument approach is a procedure used to line yourself up with the runway and safely descend while visibility is zero. A large part of instrument training is learning how to use radio beacons and/or GPS to approach runways when visibility is poor.

So let's say I have my instrument rating... how do I fly through the clouds? In order to enter low-visibility conditions while flying, you need to meet the following criteria:

  1. Have an instruments rating
  2. Be "current," meaning you've practiced instrument techniques within the past 6 months in accordance with the minimums set by the Federal Aviation Administration
  3. File an instruments flight plan and obtain a clearance from Air Traffic Control
  4. Follow Air Traffic Control's instructions...you can't just fly wherever you want whenever you want if you are entering low-visibility conditions


So what has most of my training entailed? Basically, for most flights, we take off, I put on a view limiting device ("hood" or "foggles"), and my instructor acts as my safety pilot. This means he is looking around for other aircraft and tells me if we need to deviate. The view limiting device simulates that we are flying in clouds or fog. Occasionally, we actually do fly through the clouds, and my instructor advises me to take off my hood/foggles whenever we are actually in low-visibility conditions... no need for the view limiting device then!

When you fly on an airline flight, usually (if not always) the pilots are flying on an instrument flight plan. They indicate the destination in their flight plan, and Air Traffic Control routes them accordingly. As a private pilot, even with an instrument rating, I can choose whether or not to file an instruments flight plan when the weather is clear. However, when the weather is marginal (cloudy, but not too cloudy, or foggy, but not too foggy), most private pilots will be stuck on the ground, and I'll be flying through the clouds.

*****
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
opisska
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
Poland8852 Posts
October 27 2019 13:47 GMT
#2
Does entering a cloud still feel like a huge leap of faith, or do you get used to it?
"Jeez, that's far from ideal." - Serral, the king of mild trashtalk
TL+ Member
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24665 Posts
October 27 2019 14:08 GMT
#3
I don't have much time in clouds yet so it's still of a bit of a leap of faith, but I definitely expect I'll get used to it as I go.
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
Tubesock
Profile Joined April 2011
United States2726 Posts
October 27 2019 20:09 GMT
#4
Congras! The instrument ticket was probably my most fun rating. It really makes you a more precise pilot.

Will you continue on? Get your COM or CFI even?
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24665 Posts
October 27 2019 20:26 GMT
#5
On October 28 2019 05:09 Tubesock wrote:
Congras! The instrument ticket was probably my most fun rating. It really makes you a more precise pilot.

Will you continue on? Get your COM or CFI even?

I'm seriously considering doing commercial next, with the goal of becoming a part time CFI. I need to decide if I have the time and energy or if I need a break.
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
Tubesock
Profile Joined April 2011
United States2726 Posts
October 29 2019 06:30 GMT
#6
Very cool. It’s incredible how much you learn when you start teaching. And it’s very rewarding watching students learn.

It’s a great time to be a pilot, the shortage they’ve been talking about since the mid 90’s is finally here, so much opportunity. Being a CFI is pretty fun, I hope you go for it.
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24665 Posts
November 02 2019 21:40 GMT
#7
And on this note, I passed my Instrument Rating Airplane Airplane knowledge exam today. Man, the FAA writes some bad questions.

Tubesock, thanks, and that's definitely been my experience in other fields, so I'm sure flying is the same. I might make a very good CFII some day, but we'll see.
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
Archeon
Profile Joined May 2011
3253 Posts
Last Edited: 2019-11-06 20:39:06
November 06 2019 20:38 GMT
#8
Would you say that flying is worth it? In my idealized imagination there's a feeling of being unbound and free, is that a thing or are you too occupied with all the things you have to take care of? Would you say that it's a lot of fun?

Flying a plane myself is a bit of a dream for me, but I fear that reality will just be a letdown, so I'm scared to pursue it.
low gravity, yes-yes!
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24665 Posts
November 07 2019 11:32 GMT
#9
On November 07 2019 05:38 Archeon wrote:
Would you say that flying is worth it? In my idealized imagination there's a feeling of being unbound and free, is that a thing or are you too occupied with all the things you have to take care of? Would you say that it's a lot of fun?

Flying a plane myself is a bit of a dream for me, but I fear that reality will just be a letdown, so I'm scared to pursue it.

At first when you are learning your are too busy with new things to feel free or relax much. It's exciting, but not particularly unbound. As you progress, things slowly get better in that regard. By the time I got to my cross country phase I did find it a lot of fun. Looking down at the highway 5,500 ft below me as I approached Richmond on a ~75 nautical mile flight (each way), I was thinking "holy crap, how am I doing this by myself" too.

I'd say if you have any interest go for a demo flight... most flight schools offer them and they are a good way to see how much you like being in the air for a little while with no obligation to continue.
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
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