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viii Rod Machado’s Instrument Pilot’s Handbook

INTRODUCTION

What the instrument rating is to a pilot, the black belt is to a martial artist. Let me elaborate.
Both the martial artist and instrument pilot are trained to handle challenging situations with
skill and poise. It's their defensive skills that allow them to do the right thing if and when their
environment turns bad. When the martial artist is asked whether or not he's ever had to use his
training, he will often reply, "I use it every day." His training teaches him discipline and confi-
dence, which is something he uses in all aspects of his life, not just in self-defense situations.
The instrument rating does something very similar in the life of a pilot, even when he's not fly-
ing instruments. How? His instrument training teaches him to fly precisely and to make maxi-
mum and optimal use of the ATC system. For this, and many other reasons, he's a far more capa-
ble pilot even when he's not flying in actual IFR conditions.
There's another parallel to consider, too. Both the instrument pilot and the martial artist learn
to avoid whenever possible those situations where their defensive skills (avoiding blows from a
fist or from a thunderstorm) might actually be needed. That's why I consider the instrument rat-
ing to be the martial arts equivalent of a first-degree black belt. I'm not pulling any punches
when I tell you that to get the most out of your airplane, to fly it safely, to fly it confidently, you'll
want to earn your instrument rating. Period.
I'm guessing you're already sold on that concept. If so, then this book provides the information
you need to take the first step, which is passing the FAA instrument knowledge exam. But the
goal is not just “minimally competent to pass the test.” The goal is “maximally competent to fly
the airplane,” which is why you will find far more than the minimum information presented in
these pages. You will emerge from the final page with not just answers to test questions, but the
knowledge behind each answer.
For instance, good instrument pilots know how to gauge the thunderstorm potential of a
cumulus cloud by estimating its rainfall rate. They understand how to scan their instruments in
a way that provides maximum performance with minimum effort. They know that keeping the
needle centered during an ILS or an approach to LPV minimums is best done by using the sky
pointer on the attitude indicator instead of staring at the heading indicator.

Whether you’re an IFR-rating-seeker in training, or already rated and looking for a review of
those instrument concepts you might have forgotten over the years, this book is for you.
Ultimately, by reading this book, you'll know what I know about instrument flying.

That's what I want for you. So have fun, learn and fly.
Rod Machado