Plan instrument lessons around procedure understanding, aircraft configuration, minimums and specific feedback for the next lesson.
Published by Aloft360, an aircraft management software provider. Editorial standards and corrections
When an instrument student misses an altitude or becomes late configuring the aircraft, start by finding out why. The cause may be workload, a misunderstood procedure, an avionics setup error or an incomplete scan. Repeating the same approach without diagnosing the problem can repeat the same result.
This guide covers lesson planning and debriefing. The actual procedure, aircraft configuration and operating decisions must follow the current chart, aircraft information, applicable rules and qualified instruction.
Ask the student to explain the approach from the expected clearance through the missed approach. Have them identify the relevant altitudes, navigation sources, limitations and decision points on the chart.
Then ask what would change with a different clearance or equipment failure. If the explanation is uncertain on the ground, address that before adding radio calls, configuration changes and simulated weather. A workload exercise is more useful when the underlying procedure is understood.
The FAA’s Instrument Flying Handbook and Instrument Procedures Handbook provide the reference material for those discussions.
Choose configuration checkpoints with the student using the aircraft procedures and the approach being flown. State what should be complete at each point and how the crew will respond if the approach is not stable.
Do not apply a universal “gear at this fix, flaps at that fix” sequence across different aircraft. Speeds, operating limits, approach geometry and equipment change the workload. The point of a plan is to make the next action understood, not force every approach into one template.
Use callouts that are brief enough to support the scan. Agree on their meaning before the exercise so they do not become another task competing for attention.
Decision altitude and minimum descent altitude do not have the same operational meaning. Teach their use with the applicable approach, including the missed approach point and the conditions for continuing below minimums.
14 CFR 91.175 addresses descent below DA/DH or MDA. The decision involves the required visual reference, flight visibility and a position from which a normal descent and landing can be made, subject to the applicable conditions. Seeing a light alone is not a complete analysis.
Have the student explain what they would do in several examples before practicing them with an instructor. Avoid teaching that MDA is merely a decision point rather than a minimum altitude, or that every visual reference has the same conditions attached to it.
A lesson might begin with a familiar approach and a settled avionics setup, then add a change in clearance or a limited equipment scenario. Observe whether the student keeps track of the active navigation source, altitude and next action.
When an error appears, identify its starting point. A missed altitude later in the approach may have begun with a rushed setup several minutes earlier. Correcting the earlier habit may be more effective than adding another callout near minimums.
Use an appropriate training device where it helps isolate the issue. In flight, maintain the instructor’s safety limits and discontinue an exercise when required. Training pressure should never depend on allowing an unsafe situation to develop.
Compare the briefing with what happened. Ask the student to identify where workload rose, what they noticed and what they would change. Keep the discussion specific enough to test next time.
An illustrative note could read:
Student identified the correct minimums during the briefing but became occupied with a late avionics change. Next session: complete setup earlier, verify the active source and repeat the approach before adding another clearance change.
That records an observation and a plan without assuming every altitude error has the same cause. Keep separate notes for procedure knowledge, aircraft handling and workload where useful.
Aloft360’s training records can keep those notes available to the next instructor. Review progress against the current Instrument Rating ACS, not just the number of approaches flown.