IMC Rating Revalidation

After many delays for weather and instructor availablity I finally completed my IMC Rating revalidation in early July. Because my rating had exprired in the 1990's I had to study for and re-sit the ground examination (which I passed with a 92% score) and complete refresher training in the aeroplane. This consisted of book work in revising all the rules and regulations and practice at flying the excersises in preparation for the flying test.

To fly on instruments you are not allowed to look out to see where you are and establish the aeroplane's attitude: you have to use only the instruments. This involves navigating with radio aids and completing instrument approach procedures to land at suitably equiped airfields. After completion the pilot can then fly out of site of the surface, i.e. in and above clouds and in much reduced visibilty.

Here is the basic panel of instruments in my training aircraft and from left to right starting at the top left they are the airspeed indicator, attitude indicator, altimeter, turn co-ordinator, horizontal situation indicator and verticle speed indicator.

The refresher training involved flight on a full and reduced panel of instruments, recovery from unusual attitudes on full and partial panel, turns by reference to only the magnetic compass, intercepting tracks from VOR and NDB radio navigation aids and instrument approaches using the instrument landing system (ILS) and non directional beacons (NDB).

When you have been only a visual pilot it is very demanding and tiring to switch to non visual flight and like many things in life, the licence is a licence to learn. I am in no doubt that you need lots of practice in order to maintain skills to stay safe in the instrument environment.

I have taken another training flight since I passed my flight test and hope to complete further trips with a flying buddy to build experience. The training was challenging but also rewarding and now I have the IMC Rating back I hope to also revalidate my multi engine rating soon in the Diamond DA42 Twin Star.