Airworthy PrepArea IV of 8
Flight by Reference to Instruments
11% of the Instrument Rating test, about 7 of the 60 questions. The FAA's test standard lists 2 tasks and 7 knowledge elements and 12 risk management elements for this area. Here is every one, plus sample questions to try.
What the FAA tests
From the Instrument Rating Airplane test standard, FAA-S-ACS-8C.
Task A. Instrument Flight
Knowledge: what you must know
- IR.IV.A.K1Elements related to attitude instrument flying during straight-and-level flight, climbs, turns, and descents while conducting various instrument flight procedures.
- IR.IV.A.K2Interpretation, operation, and limitations of pitch, bank, and power instruments.
- IR.IV.A.K3Normal and abnormal instrument indications and operations.
Risk management: hazards you must be able to spot and manage
- IR.IV.A.R1Situations that can affect physiology and degrade instrument cross-check.
- IR.IV.A.R2Spatial disorientation and optical illusions.
- IR.IV.A.R3Flying unfamiliar aircraft or operating with unfamiliar flight display systems and avionics.
Task B. Recovery from Unusual Flight Attitudes
Knowledge: what you must know
- IR.IV.B.K1Procedures for recovery from unusual attitudes in flight.
- IR.IV.B.K2Prevention of unusual attitudes, including flight causal, physiological, and environmental factors, and system and equipment failures.
- IR.IV.B.K3Procedures available to safely regain visual meteorological conditions (VMC) after flight into inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions or unintended instrument meteorological conditions (IIMC)/(UIMC).
- IR.IV.B.K4Appropriate use of automation, if applicable.
Risk management: hazards you must be able to spot and manage
- IR.IV.B.R1Situations that could lead to loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) or unusual attitudes in-flight (e.g., stress, task saturation, inadequate instrument scan distractions, and spatial disorientation).
- IR.IV.B.R2[Archived]
- IR.IV.B.R3Operating envelope considerations.
- IR.IV.B.R4Interpreting flight instruments.
- IR.IV.B.R5Assessment of the unusual attitude.
- IR.IV.B.R6Control input errors, inducing undesired aircraft attitudes.
- IR.IV.B.R7Control application solely by reference to instruments.
- IR.IV.B.R8Collision hazards.
- IR.IV.B.R9Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
Try a sample question
Flight by Reference to Instruments ยท IR.IV.A.K1
You are flying straight and level at a true airspeed of 120 knots and want to roll into a standard rate turn. Using the handbook rule of thumb (divide the airspeed by 10, then add half of that result), about what angle of bank is needed?
Practice all of flight by reference to instruments
The full course has questions on every element listed here, with an explanation and FAA source for each.