For pilots, why is flying on IFR (“Instrument Flight Rating”) so difficult? Can’t a pilot just focus on their instruments and stay oriented and on course?

Question

(Edit: “Rules,” not “Rating.” Sorry.)

Obviously I don’t know beans about flying, but I see many stories about inexperienced pilots who get disoriented flying through clouds, sometimes even to the point of flying upside-down. Aren’t there instruments on your control panel which tell you your speed, altitude, and orientation? How can you be plummeting towards the ground and not notice?

I hope this question isn’t so ignorant as to be insulting. I know flying is difficult and complicated and it’s easy to criticize from here on the ground. I wish I was skilled enough to know how to fly a plane. I just see many stories about accidents where inexperienced pilots seem to be making apparently ridiculous mistakes.

In: Other

Answer 1

Have you ever been sitting in a parking lot and both cars next to you start to back up at the same time? You instinctively go for the brake because your body is wholly convinced that you’re moving forward…even though your speedometer (ie instrument) tells you in no uncertain terms that you are stationary.

It’s one thing to say “just focus on the instruments”, but actually consciously forcing yourself to reject the immensely strong sensations in your body are another thing entirely. Plus, while doing all this sensory rejection and instrument processing, the pilot also has to read approach plates, communicate with air traffic control, brief passengers and crew members, etc etc. Hand-flying IFR is very very hard, which is why it requires a specialized rating and many hours of training and practice.

There is also a currency requirement (in the US, anyway): a pilot must fly at least 6 instrument approaches and must practice holding patterns, intercepting courses, and tracking courses (aka “6 HITs”), in actual or simulated instrument conditions, every 6 months. If they fail to keep up with this recurring practice, they can’t fly IFR until they accomplish 6 HITs again. If they still don’t get the practice in for another 6 months, they must do an instrument proficiency check with a flight instructor before flying IFR again.

None of these requirements apply to VFR (visual flight rules) flying, because it’s much easier, more intuitive, and you don’t lose the muscle memory nearly as easily.