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2 Answers

IFR flight plan practice

Asked by: 4643 views Instrument Rating, Student Pilot

Is it possible to file and fly an IFR plan solo on a VFR day? I know I can't fly IFR in IMC without a CFI, but could I do it if the actual conditions were clear and cloud free? I'd like to practice both some solo XC time and the IFR process of filing the plan, using victor airways, and one or two IFR approaches.  Sorry to have to ask here but my school is in "flux" and my CFI changes ever other week so I don't have a reliable local source to ask!

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2 Answers



  1. John D Collins on Dec 18, 2014

    Assuming you are not instrument rated, you may not file and fly an IFR flightplan, regardless of the actual conditions. However, you may fly a practice flight under VFR and get flight following services from ATC. You may also fly practice instrument approaches while remaining VFR. If you are using a view limiting device, then you must also have an appropriately rated safety pilot. If the safety pilot is IFR rated, they may act as PIC for an actual IFR flight and may file accordingly.

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  2. Mark Kolber on Dec 19, 2014

    I don’t have a reliable local source to ask!

    Yes you do. Consider: Only 20% of instrument training is about flying the airplane. The rest is about learning and understanding the rules and procedures of a system – one in which your errors can affect air traffic in a fairly large area. Far more than private pilot training, instrument training requires you to get into the rules and regulations.

    So, regardless of what John or I or anyone else might say, what does\Part 61 (the FAR Part that deals with pilot certificate, rating and currency requirements) rules say about who may fly under IFR? (Hint: it’s in a reg with the somewhat appropriate title, “Requirement for certificates, ratings, and authorizations.”)

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