COMMON IFR APPROACH MISTAKES to Avoid. Most Instrument Pilots make these mistakes when we fly

Don’t let simple mistakes ruin your flight. In this video we go over three of the most common errors pilots make when flying instrument approaches.

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— — — — — — — — — —
📝 Contents
0:00 - Intro
0:45 - Overview
0:55 - Glidepath Intercept with Autopilot
2:47 - Incorrect CDI Source
4:41 - Chasing Needles
6:39 - Wrap up
— — — — — — — — — —

[Micg]

Never used an A/P much in pistons for approaches, but in a jet the approach mode thing rings true. Many times ATC will leave you high on a visual and just clear you way above the G/S, so you either have to basically have your hand on the alt selector ready to twist down the second they clear for the visual, or be ready to disconnect and just fly the old fashioned way. Also can’t tell you how many times I had to remind my students to get that cdi source to green. My tip is when on vectors, the pink cdi line isn’t doing anything for you, switch it to green right then to not forget.

[psjasker]

This is the kind of instructor we should all have! Knowledgeable, enthusiastic and confident

[FlightChops]

I’m currently dialling in my usage of automation with IFR, and found this one really useful.

[fivestringslinger]

A tip my instructor gave me. Once you're established on final, get your track and direct track lined up on your GPS and set your heading bug. Then fly the bug, avoid making corrections of more than 1/2 bug width and don't fixate on the CDI. Keep your scan moving.

And an anecdote: Know your autopilot before using it in IMC. One of the scariest moments I've ever had in an airplane. I was acting as safety pilot for a friend to shoot some approaches at night in a 172 with a gorgeous avionics package. G3X Touch, GTN750, GFC500 and then some. We had just completed an ILS down to a low approach and went missed, and then were returning home. On the go, ATC instructed us to proceed via our own nav, altitude our discretion as we were operating VFR. We were at around 2, 000 MSL, and my friend used Direct To to snap us back toward home. He armed Nav mode, set the altitude bug to 5, 500 MSL and set us to V/S at 2, 000 fpm. I did not notice right away that he had done this. He became confused when the airplane continued its left turn past the direct course and began fixating on the GPS. He had forgotten to change the nav source from LOC back to GPS, so the autopilot was still tracking the ILS. Meanwhile, our airspeed was decaying rapidly. I was outside the airplane watching for traffic as there were other aircraft in the area, and took a look over at the PFD to notice our airspeed had dropped below 70 kt and still decaying. I called out "Airspeed." And he remained focused on the GPS, trying to figure out why it wasn't behaving as expected. I called out "Airspeed" a second time, and then a third. As it decayed below 55 kt, I called "My controls." disconnected the autopilot and dropped the nose. Turns out he had no idea what the difference was between V/S and IAS modes.

Know your avionics, and never stop flying the airplane.

[frankamodeo]

Only for an ILS or LOC must the pilot NAVIGATE the final portion with that NAVAID as course guidance. From AIM 1.2.3: “5. Use of a suitable RNAV system as a means to NAVIGATE on the final approach segment of an instrument approach procedure based on a VOR, TACAN or NDB signal, is allowable. The underlying NAVAID must be operational and the NAVAID monitored for final segment course alignment.”

[lancairdriver]

Currently working on my CFI-I, this is the best explanation of “chasing the needles” and how to correct I’ve heard. Thank you.

[crimson]

Jason, as others have pointed out, some autopilots do capture the glideslope from above. In my SR22 with the DFC90, I have done this. And the autopilot manual says this:

“In the event the pilot is attempting to capture the glide slope from
above, glide slope will be captured as the aircraft passes through
the glide slope signal, if GS mode was previously armed. If GS
hadn’t been armed, glide slope will be captured by manually
pressing the “GS” button on the autopilot control panel when
within 1 dot of glide slope centerline.”

[fishhisy]

I fly the Fedex Caravans, and that was my first time solo IFR out of Oakland. Midway through my instrument training, I learned about default nav page on the 430 and I could put DTK and TK so I can match the track to the DTK and easily fly any approach even localizer part of ILS to perfection.

[GeezerGeekPilot]

Jason, 01:03 Just FYI, the G1000/GFC700 in my DA40 does indeed capture "from above" a Glideslope, Glidepath, or VNAV profile... as I've verified dozens of times when "left high" by ATC. I've also seen this work just fine with the GFC500 autopilot. Wayne (DA40 KSBA)

[scottfranco]

On a GFC 500, you can arm with approach mode, end up above the glidepath, and descend to capture it. I don't know if this is specific to the GFC 500. You don't have to get below it, then arm with approach mode and fly into it. Its bad practice, of course, but that is another story.

[John]

I have my first IFR journey tommorow as a new flight instructor and it feels like this video is here for me

[AwSOMEKGAMES]

Had my first instrument flight yesterday, perfect timing!!

[jimcear]

I’ve seen it all as well . Especially not waiting for the missed approach waypoint so the GPS will cycle and ask if you want to activate the missed .

[badgerfishinski]

you nailed it when suggesting picking a target heading to turn to for LOC chase those needles. Pick a target heading, , , wait to see if it trends towards the needle centering...then fly that heading until LOC intercept. If your target heading shows no effect, then pick another target heading and turn to it.... fly it.... and so on... dont just start "wishfully" turning chasing the needle. Good video

[vincentremazeilles]

That's great !
Runway does not move.
True.
Thanks for your involment in security.

[PghGameFix]

I know this is an older vid... but to the point of the runway isn't moving.... in my initial IFR training, my CFII was laughing because, when I was close (2 mi) he said I was pointing at least 15 degrees off the runway before I corrected. So, he had me fly one without foggles, and said watch the DME and make smaller corrections as I got close. But to your point, I needed to make that visual connection to improve my training.

[chucklemasters]

jason you should try flying ground track since you are using gps nav. so much simpler because you can forget about wind. say the final approach course is 310 and the needle is right of center. if you fly any course higher than 310 you are heading back to the runway centerline. the best way to stop students from chasing the needle is tell them to correct no more than 5 degrees from final approach course. so say the needle is to the right no more than 315 degrees and if it is left no lower than 305 degrees. once on centerline if you fly a ground track of 310 the needle will never move. now the additional task of guessing what the wind is doing is eliminated and as you know seconds are like minutes for single pilot IFR particularly with no auto pilot!

[cvkline]

Your first bullet point, that the autopilot won't intercept a glidepath from above, really hits home for me. Once I was at the end of a long solid IMC flight and looking forward to an A/P coupled RNAV approach into my fuel stop. I don't remember if Center gave me a "slam dunk" approach or if I just wasn't aggressive enough in descending to the published intercept altitude, but I wound up in this exact situation. I thought everything was great, the approach was active, all the modes were armed, I reached the FAF and reduced power to start down, and after a few seconds I got the stern "Airspeed!" warning in my headset... the A/P had not started following the glidepath!

I knew this was going to be an approach to nearly minimums; with hindsight perhaps I should have immediately gone missed and set things up again, but what I did was kick off the autopilot, dive for the needles, and then hand-fly an RNAV LPV approach all the way to minimums and then a sweaty, exhausted landing. Phew.

Not something I'll let myself get into again.

[SB-]

Great video! ... BTW, I see another common mistake: when flying an ILS approach, some people forget to switch back the CDI source on SID departure and wonder why the plane isn't flying the waypoints!

[zhaohan_dong]

Great video! There's a good reason why AP doesn't and shouldn't capture glideslope from above. The false glideslopes are a real thing.