Solo ATD

I believe earning an instrument rating makes one a safer pilot—even if you exclusively fly VFR—because you’ll gain situational awareness helpful in avoiding inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and learn skills that will increase your likelihood of exiting IMC safely if you do unexpectedly encounter it.

But these skills erode quickly. As soon as we earn an instrument rating or complete an instrument proficiency check, the clock is counting down for us to remain instrument current and legal to fly in IMC. FAR 61.57(c) lists the six approaches, holding procedures, and intercepting and tracking courses we need to accomplish within the preceding six calendar months. While averaging one approach per month seems simple enough, it’s commonly estimated that more than half of GA pilots with an instrument rating are not current.

I recently failed to fly the required number of approaches and lapsed into non-current status for a few days, even though I have access to an instrument-capable airplane and safety pilots. I committed to using a simulator in the future to ensure I remain current.

I looked for an aviation training device (ATD) with instrumentation similar to the aircraft I regularly fly. A huge benefit of using an ATD to maintain instrument currency is that you can fly practice approaches and holds solo—no instructor needed. A key requirement is that the ATD has been issued an FAA letter of authorization (LOA), which allows the pilot to legally log simulator time (so your PC running Microsoft Flight Simulator or X-Plane can’t be used for logging simulated instrument approaches). You can find a list of FAA-approved ATDs and their approved aircraft configurations at faa.gov by typing ATD in the search bar.

I found a one-G Simulation Foundation ATD configured as a Cessna 172 with round gauges that suits my needs. It has complete flight controls, a well-equipped instrument panel that includes a Garmin GTN 650 emulator, and three screens to simulate the view outside the cockpit. As required by the FAA, the ATD closely represents the flight dynamics and aircraft performance parameters of the aircraft being simulated. I’ve used ATDs in the past for instrument training and currency, but only with an instructor making all the magic happen. And there’s the rub: All simulators require some degree of training to use properly. When flying a simulator solo, you are required to perform the instructor functions: starting the simulator, using the interface (usually a laptop computer) to place your aircraft at a specific starting point (this could be the ramp at your home airport or a location 10 miles from the initial approach fix for any approach you want to fly), and selecting the appropriate weather, winds and turbulence level for your flight. The setup is not difficult, but it is important to make the simulated flight realistic.

One-G requires solo users read its Instructor Operator Station Guide, take a short quiz, and have a simulator session with an instructor before gaining solo access to the simulator—about a one-hour time commitment. Other ATDs, or the flight schools at which they are located, may have different requirements for solo authorization. Expect another hour spent making mistakes setting up flight parameters and programming navigational equipment and autopilots as you learn to use the ATD solo.

Try to replicate as closely as possible the checklists, flows, approach briefings, airspeeds, approach procedures, and aircraft configuration you use in the airplane you normally fly. When flying IFR, I use an EFB on my iPad synced with the GPS navigator in the panel. I overlay approach plates on the moving map and use the scratch pad to write down clearances and notes. It was important for me to find an ATD that could sync my iPad with the simulator—and many do. For added realism, many ATDs include an option to incorporate air traffic control through a service called PilotEdge, providing an opportunity to sharpen our radio skills. Once I was confident in my ability to properly set up and fly the simulator, it was straightforward to hand-fly approaches and holds—and even easier to do so using the autopilot, just as it is in a real airplane. After each sim session, you’ll note the training device, time, and approaches and holds flown in your logbook to satisfy instrument recency experience requirements as outlined in FAR 61.51(g)(5).

There is no replacing the experience gained when flying in actual instrument conditions, but ATDs do a great job of keeping us instrument current at a fraction of the cost, and in a lot less time, than when accomplished in an airplane.

Kollin Stagnito, AOPA senior vice president of media and marketing, is a commercial pilot and an advanced and instrument ground instructor.