September 23, 2022 | By Mercer Clark​

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There goes a saying “use all of the tools in your toolbox”. And I believe it applies to flying, especially instrument flying. Through practice and experience, all pilots can develop their taste for techniques that help them fly with precision. As a Bonanza owner, “precision flying” and flying “by the numbers” are terms I enjoy and fly by. Nonetheless, all airplanes are designed with multiple different, redundant, flight instruments intended to give the pilot a full picture – when used in conjunction and support with each other. An understanding of primary and supporting flight instruments is necessary to get the full picture and pursue precision flying.

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At a rudimentary level, instrument flying can be defined by flying two things: headings and altitudes. Yes, that may be an oversimplification, but true in many ways. In a combination of gyroscopic and pitot-static instruments, the standard six pack instrument platform contains your airspeed, attitude indicator, altimeter, turn coordinator, Heading Indicator (HI), and Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI). Each is intended for a certain purpose. The attitude indicator gives you primary indication of bank and pitch, while the heading indicator gives you indication of your heading. These two instruments make up your main instrument scan as you are flying. Maintaining positive control of the airplane with these two instruments alone might be possible in perfect conditions, but seldom in adverse conditions. Instrument flying, especially that which involves weather, low ceilings, advanced departure and arrival procedures, and busy airspace, requires the pilot to multitask and maintain control of the airplane all together. This requires the need and use of other instruments to back-check and support the orientation that the pilot receives from the main instrument scan. Airspeed Indicator, Turn Coordinator, Altimeter, and VSI help a pilot get there. Using these and putting them to work to support the primary scan – in all phases of flight – is a game changer.

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So, what’s the best way to use them? For starters, hand fly the plane when practicing. Save the autopilot for later. Learn to use the airspeed indicator as an attitude indicator AND a vertical speed indicator. Learn to use the VSI as a pitch instrument. Set, back-check, correct, and repeat. Disconnecting your brain’s highway to your equilibrium sensory feelings, and mentally establishing the connection between your brain’s interpretation of all flight instruments – primary and supportive, to your left hand will help achieve precise flying. One tool alone isn’t very sharp, but the right group of tools together creates a fine edge.