🔄 Key Processes

• Four-step attitude-change process
  1. Establish: Change pitch, bank, and power to achieve the desired performance.
  2. Trim: Relieve continuous control pressure.
  3. Cross-check: Scan instruments to verify performance and identify deviations.
  4. Adjust: Make small corrections using attitude and power references.

• IFR departure planning
  1. Review the airport sketch and departure procedures.
  2. Identify whether an ODP or SID applies.
  3. Check obstacle and climb-gradient requirements.
  4. Determine whether the procedure requires ATC clearance.
  5. Confirm frequencies, clearance instructions, and chart notes.

• Weather avoidance
  1. Acknowledge the weather advisory.
  2. Request a deviation, altitude change, or routing assistance.
  3. State the direction and degrees or miles when requesting a deviation.
  4. Tell ATC when normal navigation can resume.
  5. Exercise emergency authority to deviate without clearance when weather threatens safety.

• Instrument cross-check
  1. Begin at the attitude indicator or PFD attitude display.
  2. Check coordination with the slip/skid indicator.
  3. Verify bank using the roll pointer and scale.
  4. Check airspeed.
  5. Check altitude and altitude trend.
  6. Check heading.
  7. Return to the central attitude reference.

• Trim procedure
  1. Apply control pressure to establish the desired attitude.
  2. Adjust rudder trim to center the ball.
  3. Adjust aileron trim to maintain wings level.
  4. Release control pressure gradually.
  5. Re-trim after changes in speed, power, configuration, or attitude.

• Pitot-static blockage recognition
  1. Identify whether the pitot tube, drain hole, static port, or both are blocked.
  2. Compare airspeed, altimeter, and VSI behavior.
  3. Use the alternate static source if the primary static system is blocked.
  4. Expect slight altitude and airspeed errors when using the alternate source.

• Cold-temperature correction
  1. Obtain the temperature at the reporting station.
  2. Determine the height above the reporting station.
  3. Use the ICAO cold temperature error table.
  4. Apply the correction to charted IFR altitudes.
  5. Advise ATC of the correction.
  6. Do not correct an altitude specifically assigned by ATC; reject it if cold temperatures create a terrain-clearance risk.

• Magnetic compass heading correction
  1. Convert true course to magnetic course using variation.
  2. Convert magnetic course to compass course using deviation.
  3. Account for turning error.
  4. Account for acceleration/deceleration error on easterly and westerly headings.
  5. Use the average indication when the compass oscillates.