| Today I am going to write about an aspect of IFR | | | | flight, an airspeed. Trim skills will be the most valuable |
| training, and one of the most vital aspects of | | | | weapon in your IFR arsenal. Once you have that skill |
| Instrument rating there is. This concerns both CFII's and | | | | mastered, it will make the rest of your IFR training |
| pilots alike. The need to be able to fly the aircraft | | | | much easier. If you decide to take short cuts and rush |
| precisely. That means training to what I like to call, zero, | | | | it, consequently you will be fighting the course all the |
| zero tolerance. That means dead on an altitude, dead | | | | way through, your confidence will suffer and you will |
| on a heading. Pressure from pilots to rush into flying | | | | become despondent and disillusioned. |
| approaches, holds, etc. will end up being completely | | | | A fair amount of time will be spent with your hands off |
| detrimental to them in the long run, and as yet, are | | | | the yolk to perform other duties, you will be unable to |
| unable to comprehend the negative impact this will | | | | do this if you are having to make corrections to |
| have. Pilots new to IFR training must be made to | | | | maintain the desired headings and altitudes. In smooth |
| understand the need to master precision flying skills | | | | air your plane will be trimmed up exactly to maintain an |
| before learning to fly holds, holding entries and such. | | | | altitude, and your able to maintain an exact heading |
| I get inquiries from pilots all the time, such as, "why do I | | | | with your feet on the rudder pedals. A demonstration |
| have to spend all this time doing this? When can we | | | | of these skills consistently, and competently will be the |
| move on to the good stuff?" and similar questions. | | | | indication for your instrument instructor to advance you |
| These questions, are indicative of a pilot who has no | | | | into the next phase of your training, whilst never |
| concept or understanding of the absolute necessity to | | | | permitting your newly acquired skill to regress. If you |
| master this skill prior to advancing further into the | | | | have not realized thus far, you have now mastered a |
| syllabus. As CFII's, it is our responsibility to convince | | | | great skill, and are already head and shoulders above |
| new IFR students that without this skill, probably, the | | | | your VFR peers. Further into your rating and |
| most important skill in IFR, they will never make safe, | | | | undertaking actual IFR flights, it should have dawned |
| good, IFR pilots. The acquisition of this skill will enable | | | | upon you by now, how essential this skill is. In busy |
| them to fly safely, it will enable them to manage their | | | | airspace, typically Class B, "Air Traffic Control" take |
| instrument flight workload effectively and efficiently. | | | | deviations in altitude very seriously, a deviation in |
| IFR student pilots, embrace this phase of your training, | | | | altitude could get you violated. At the very least, a call |
| learn to fly the plane precisely in any configuration, | | | | to the control tower. |
| learn to trim the aircraft for a climb, a decent, level | | | | |