5 “must-have” products for IFR training

Learning how to fly without looking out the window can be hard. For me, it was harder than originally learning how to fly. Luckily, there are some products out there that can help make learning the art of instrument flying easier. Here are five products that you should have in your stable when you step into Instrument Rating training.   

#1 Sporty’s Instrument Rating Course

Knowledge is everything when it comes to IFR. There’s a lot to know and the left seat of an airplane isn’t always the best place to learn it. Sporty’s comprehensive training course will help you ace your FAA written test, but it will also save you money during flight training and help you become a better pilot. Over 12 hours of HD video and animations focus on real world instrument flying, not just test question memorization, so you’ll feel confident in the clouds. Combine that with powerful test prep tools, a comprehensive document library, and convenient app options, and you have aviation’s most complete training course.

A home-study course is a complete flight training companion.

#2 iPad

Embrace technology. The iPad has changed the way we fly, and for the better. Flipping through a massive book of paper to find the right approach plate is a thing of the past. The iPad makes flying with current charts easy and at a fraction of the price that it used to be. The most common iPads among Sporty’s flight crew are iPad Mini 6 and iPad Pro 11”.

The iPad offers a complete electronic flight bag solution.

#3 ADS-B Receiver

Flying into actual IFR means dealing with weather. An ADS-B receiver is your key to real time weather, traffic, GPS, ARHS… and more. Subscription-free ADS-B data greatly improves situational awareness. Before ADS-B, we spent thousands of dollars on in-flight weather. Now it’s in the palm of our hands, along with a real-time traffic map. 

And ADS-B receiver on the flight deck will keep you weather aware.

#4 Kneeboard

A good kneeboard is worth its weight in gold. My lap is where charts once resided, so it makes sense for the chart replacement to occupy that same space. In addition to the ipad, I like to keep my phone nearby as a backup. Pro tip: choose a kneeboard that can hold all the gear you need, and don’t be afraid to get creative with velcro if needed. 

A good kneeboard will keep you organized in flight.

#5 IFR Training Glasses

IFR training glasses simulate flying in IFR conditions by blocking your vision outside the cockpit. Your instructor will probably have a pair, but you’ll want to get your own. They are relatively inexpensive, and your instructor will appreciate not having to dig theirs out of the bottom of their bag. 

IFR training glasses allow you to fly IMC in any conditions.