Level V—Instrument Flying
| GROUNDSCHOOL INSTRUCTION |
FLIGHT TRAINING |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day |
Period I |
Period II |
Air Exercise |
Description |
1 |
Orientation and Review of Safety around Aircraft.
Pitot/Static Flight Instruments—design and operation.
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Preparatory Ground Instruction
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Instrument Flying |
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. |
2 |
Gyro Instruments—design and operation.
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Preparatory Ground Instruction
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3 |
Radio Navigation Instruments—VOR design and operation.
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Preparatory Ground Instruction
Unusual Attitudes
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4 |
Radio Navigation Instruments—ILS and NDB design and operations.
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5 |
Field Trip to Langley Tower (Radar Facilities).3
Quiz.4
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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.
