Questions Assessing Aviation Knowledge: Discover Your Proficiency in Flight Instruments Through 6 Challenging Queries
Prepare for your instrument rating with confidence as Boldmethod announces the upcoming release of their Instrument Procedures course on September 18, 2025. This comprehensive course is designed to equip aspiring and experienced pilots alike with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flying.
The course covers essential topics such as true airspeed (TAS), equivalent airspeed (EAS), and calibrated airspeed. TAS takes into account non-standard pressure and temperature, while EAS factors in compressibility, an issue that arises only for high-speed aircraft. Calibrated airspeed, on the other hand, corrects for position and installation errors in indicated airspeed.
One of the key aspects of the course is understanding the turn coordinator, which uses the principle of precession to sense rate-of-turn and roll. Another important concept is the behaviour of instruments in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). For instance, if your airspeed, altimeter, and Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI) are constant, but the turn coordinator and attitude indicator show a turn to the right while the heading indicator is stationary, the inoperative instrument is likely the heading indicator.
The course is suitable for those starting instrument training or brushing up for their next flight. It offers practical, real-world flying tips and information, making it a valuable resource for becoming a better instrument pilot.
In addition to the course, Boldmethod also offers an email subscription service providing valuable insights and information about IFR flying.
Remember, safety is paramount in aviation. A small oversight, such as forgetting to reset your altimeter to the current barometric pressure setting, can lead to significant errors. For example, if you're descending through Flight Level 180 (FL180) and forget to reset your altimeter to the current barometric pressure setting of 29.34, your actual Mean Sea Level (MSL) altitude will be 284' lower than your indicated altitude of 864'.
Precession on a gyro-driven attitude indicator can cause it to pitch up a few degrees when rapidly accelerating, but the change is short-lived due to quick compensation by the erecting system. When your static port is blocked while in a constant rate, 500 FPM climb, the VSI will show an indication of 0.
Join Boldmethod in September 2025 and take the first step towards mastering IFR flying and earning your instrument rating. With the Instrument Procedures course, you'll gain the knowledge, confidence, and flexibility to be a great instrument pilot.
