Practicing Approaches

3 Answers

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   Kris Kortokrax on Dec 11, 2014

   You only need a safety pilot when simulating instrument conditions.

   However, while flying an instrument approach without the foggles and no safety pilot, your attention will (should be) focused on the localizer/glideslope indications as well as your other instruments. Otherwise, what would be the purpose for such practice? Who will be focusing on looking outside to avoid other aircraft while you are thus distracted?

   While it may be legal, that does not mean it is advisable.

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   Russ Roslewski on Dec 11, 2014

   You absolutely can do this, and I recommend doing it a few times. However, past that, it’s not particularly good practice for the reasons Kris mentions (you can’t stay “on the gauges” and look for traffic at the same time).

   I do recommend it a few times, though, purely for the visualization of what’s going on with the approach.

   Fly an ILS, see how the localizer and glideslope needles deflect, and how much (or little) movement of the airplane is needed to cause that deflection.

   Fly a VOR approach and see the difference with needle movement, especially how it gets tighter and eventually “crazy” as you get closer to the VOR. Watch the TO-FROM needle flip as you see yourself crossing the VOR, and notice how it occurs “crisply” if you’re right over the VOR and more lazily if you’re off to the side.

   Same with a GPS approach.

   Fly a holding pattern over a VOR and see how close you really do stay to the VOR the whole time. This really stood out to me on one flight – under the hood, a 1-minute holding pattern seems like you’re droning along for miles and miles. When in reality at normal trainer speeds it’s only maybe 1.5 miles, which means that VOR station is still really close and just out your window.

   All of this helped me develop a good sense of spatial relationship with the procedure, the airport, and the expected ground track that is sometimes difficult to get with just “follow this needle until …” Also, on final, it shows the effect of wind correction very clearly.

   So, yes, I recommend doing just that a few times. But please make sure you’re looking out the window too. Don’t worry about nailing the course down precisely during this, let it wander some and see how the indicators react. Actually, nailing the course down will probably be a lot easier since (on an ILS for example) you’re going to see the runway in front of you!

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   Mark Kolber on Dec 11, 2014

   I don’t have quite as many concerns as the others about doing it, depending on the goal involved.Yes, if you focus in on the gauges and try to turn off the outside world, better put on the foggles and get a safety pilot. But, depending on where you are in your instrument training, that type of intense focus should not be necessary. And I think it has two very big benefits.

   1. It can help relax your scan. On real instrument flights and especially on the approach, a single pilot must ultimately divide attention between the gauges and the outside world. The typical real instrument approach is going vert often going to in marginal VFR conditions where you are required to “see and avoid.” Flying approaches eyes-wide-open helos develop a skill that is rarely if ever a significant part of instrument training.

   2. The No 1 bad habit instrument pilots have is over-correcting. The situational awareness developed by making a visual approach using the needles is one of the two best ways I can think of to learn how little corrections need to be (the other is to act as safety pilot and watch someone else over-correct as you sit there and wonder “why is he turning so far?”).

   But I personally think this (and practice with a safety pilot) is best done with CFII input. Not in the sense of the CFII being there but in the sense of the CFII integrating practice sessions into the syllabus as is done with solo students in primary training.

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