Today I finished reading the FAA’s Instrument Flying Handbook. It is available from the FAA’s web site in PDF format, but I read the hard copy. The handbook describes the physiology of sensory illusions, details the inner workings of the flight instruments, and covers the techniques for attitude instrument flying. The book’s home stretch covers navigation systems, procedures, and air traffic control’s role in IFR arrivals, approaches, and departures, followed by a short chapter on in-flight emergencies.
It’s a detailed book, and from it I gained an appreciation of the sheer size of the body of knowledge required for IFR flight. The handbook is a tough read at times, and in hindsight it may not have been the most appropriate book for introducing me to instrument flying. However, the material is concise and well organized, so I am certain I’ll consult it throughout my instrument training, very much the same way I consulted the Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge throughout my private pilot training.
One minor quibble I had with the book was that it makes heavy use of computer-generated graphics of flight instruments instead of real photos. While this may have reduced the book’s production costs, many of the images look blurry and pixelated, but worse some are inaccurate representations of the actual instruments.
For example, the chapter on attitude instrument flying contains several images of Attitude Indicators in impossible configurations, with the “ball” of the miniature airplane well above or below the wings. On an actual Attitude Indicator the wings and the ball are connected and aligned, and both remain stationary as the artificial horizon moves around the miniature airplane.
While I’m sure this book is a valid tool for covering the concepts of instrument flight, I’m also sure it is not the most approachable or interesting material available. It is clear that the Instrument Flying Handbook is not intended to serve as a gentle introduction to IFR operations, but rather it is intended to provide comprehensive coverage of the material required for the instrument rating when used in conjunction with the Instrument Procedures Handbook.
