Of Sound Mind and Body
‘IFR Flying’ Magazine Issue
By Larry Fields, FAA Flight Standards Service Executive Director
When it comes to flying by instrument flight rules (IFR), pilots need to learn, practice, and understand a great deal to operate safely in this visually restricted environment. That includes everything from expanding your aeronautical know-how, to executing the necessary procedures and maneuvers with precision, to being a subject matter expert with the avionics to which you are entrusting your life. It’s a significant step up from learning how to fly with a real horizon always in sight. But there’s one common, and sometimes overlooked element in having what it takes to be a successful and safe instrument pilot — the human element.
There’s one common, and sometimes overlooked element in having what it takes to be a successful and safe instrument pilot — the human element.
Human factors loom large in the world of instrument flying and it is something that needs to be both acknowledged and thoroughly reviewed to understand its impact. And it’s not just human factors in the physiological sense, but also in the behavioral sense. We can see the latter more with how we’re able to effectively interpret and understand technology, maintain composure during an emergency, and/or rationalize the limits of our skills and abilities when external pressures are present.
You’ll find human factors covered extensively in many FAA resources, including being front and center in the Instrument Flying Handbook (Chapter 3). It’s also at the core of nine new FAA Safety Team online courses that cover human performance, safety culture, teamwork, and decision-making, among several other areas. Go to bit.ly/HFcourses to check it out.
This issue of FAA Safety Briefing makes for another good resource to help better your understanding of IFR flying and recognize its intersection with human factors. You’ll find tips and perspectives that can help you not only navigate the Victor airways, but also steer clear of the many aeronautical pitfalls an IFR environment presents.
For starters, IFR flying is a highly perishable skill requiring a specific set of flight experience requirements to act as pilot in command. But there are myriad ways in which to practice and gain that experience, including some you can employ from the comfort of home. For more on this, proceed direct to, “Into the Future.” The article presents several good options to keep your flying skills sharp and shows how varying degrees of fidelity can impact your choices toward gaining and maintaining proficiency.
It’s well known that the accident category that has traditionally had one of the highest fatality rates is VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The article “Maybe Not Today” dives into many of the reasons why this phenomenon continues to plague pilots of all skill levels and provides some sound strategies to keep this killer at bay. It’s relevant reading for pilots with or without an instrument rating.
Flying with no visual reference or horizon can cause us humans to do some odd things, many of which are completely contradictory to basic safety if unprepared. For a closer look at spatial disorientation (an all-too-common term used in NTSB accident reports), see “It’s a Confusing World Up There.” The article provides a comprehensive overview of “spatial D” and explains how the three-dimensional environment of flight creates sensory conflicts and illusions that make it difficult or even impossible to stay oriented.
On that same note, we also hear from the FAA’s Federal Air Surgeon, Dr. Susan Northrup, on ways certain medications can sometimes exacerbate those disorienting conditions in the Aeromedical Advisory department.
We hope the information within these pages will help provide a pathway for being a more well-rounded aviator with regard to IFR flight. Remember — having an instrument rating does not necessarily make you a competent all-weather pilot. It is issued on the assumption that you have the good judgment to avoid situations beyond your capabilities. Any instrument training that you undertake should help you learn the essential physical flying skills, but just as important is the ability to cultivate, maintain, and constantly refine the proper mental skills that guide us to safely conduct an IFR flight.
Safe Flying!
