IFR Checkride – Core Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing essential IFR regulations, procedures, instruments, navigation, and weather terms for check-ride preparation.

Instrument Rating – 50 hr XC PIC

Minimum cross-country pilot-in-command time required under §61.65 for an instrument rating (10 hr must be in airplanes).

Instrument Rating – 40 hr Instrument

Total actual or simulated instrument time required for the rating, including simulator time if allowed.

Long IFR Cross-Country

One 250 NM IFR flight with 3 different kinds of approaches at 3 airports, required during the 15 hr of CFII instruction.

Six-HITS Currency

To act as IFR PIC you must log, within 6 calendar months: 6 approaches, holding procedures, and intercepting & tracking ("H I T S").

Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC)

An evaluation by a CFII needed if IFR currency lapses beyond 6 + 6 months; tasks come from Appendix 5 of the IFR ACS.

Flight Review (§61.56)

1 hr flight + 1 hr ground every 24 cal mo (or a new rating, WINGS, or CFI renewal) to act as PIC VFR or IFR.

Passenger Currency (Day)

3 takeoffs & landings in preceding 90 days in same category, class & type (full-stop if tailwheel).

Passenger Currency (Night)

Between 1 hr after sunset and 1 hr before sunrise, 3 full-stop night landings within 90 days.

ARROW

Required aircraft documents: Airworthiness, Registration, Radio license (if international), Operating limitations/AFM, Weight & balance.

A-V1ATE

Mnemonic for required inspections: Annual, ADs, 100-hour, Altimeter/static, Transponder, ELT.

FLAPS (Night VFR)

Fuses, Landing light (for hire), Anti-collision lights, Position lights, Source of power.

GRABCARD

Additional instruments for IFR: Generator/alternator, Radios/nav, Attitude indicator, Ball, Clock (sweep sec), Altimeter (sensitive), Rate-of-turn, Directional gyro.

VOR 30-Day Check

Log date, place, bearing error & signature; tolerances ±4° VOT/repair station/ground checkpoint, ±6° airborne/landmark.

Inoperative Equipment – §91.213

If item required by 91.205, AD, or POH is inoperative, the aircraft is unairworthy unless a ferry permit or MEL/placard procedure is used.

Basic VFR Weather Minimums – Class B

3 SM visibility, clear of clouds.

1-2-3 Rule

File an alternate if ±1 hr of ETA the ceiling <2000 ft or visibility <3 SM at destination with an IAP.

IFR Fuel Reserve (§91.167)

Fuel to destination + to alternate (if required) + 45 min at normal cruise.

IFR Takeoff Minimums (Part 91)

None required, but §91.175(f) minimums apply to Part 121/135: 1 SM for one- or two-engine, ½ SM for >2 engines.

CRAFT

Elements of an IFR clearance: Clearance limit, Route, Altitude, Frequency, Transponder code.

“Climb via”

ATC instruction to follow altitude constraints published on a SID.

Obstacle Departure Procedure (ODP)

Textual/graphical procedure ensuring obstacle clearance; may be flown without ATC assignment but should be advised.

Standard Instrument Departure (SID)

Charted procedure providing obstacle clearance and ATC efficiency; assigned by ATC and may include transitions.

Diverse Vector Area (DVA)

Area where ATC may vector departures below published IFR altitudes; responsibility for terrain remains with controller once vectored.

Visual Climb Over Airport (VCOA)

Departure procedure allowing circling climb in visual conditions to a specified altitude before proceeding IFR.

MEA – Minimum En-route Altitude

Assures nav signal and 1000 ft (2000 ft mountainous) obstacle clearance along airway.

MOCA – Minimum Obstruction Clearance Alt.

Provides obstacle clearance on airway and nav signal within 22 NM of station.

OROCA

Off-Route Obstruction Clearance Altitude shown on IFR low charts; 1000 ft (2000 ft mountainous) buffer within 1°×1° quadrants.

MCA – Minimum Crossing Altitude

Lowest altitude to cross a fix when proceeding to a higher MEA.

Changeover Point (COP)

Location along airway where nav should switch from preceding to succeeding NAVAID if not midpoint.

MON Airport

Minimum Operational Network airport—guaranteed VOR approach available for navigation backup.

AVEF (Lost-Com Route)

Assigned, Vectored, Expected, Filed—order to choose route under §91.185.

MEA (Altitude lost-com)

Fly highest of Minimum, Expected, or Assigned altitudes ("MEA") when communications fail.

Mode C Veil

30 NM ring around Class B primary airport requiring Mode C transponder and ADS-B Out.

ADS-B Out

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast transmitter; required where Mode C is, plus Class E above Gulf ≥3000 MSL within 12 NM coast.

DME Requirement ≥FL240

Aircraft at or above FL240 must have DME or IFR-approved GPS per §91.205(e).

Supplemental Oxygen – 12.5/14/15

Crew O₂ after 30 min above 12,500 MSL; continuously above 14,000 MSL; all occupants above 15,000 MSL.

Pitot Tube

Captures ram air pressure for the airspeed indicator.

Static Port

Provides ambient pressure to ASI, altimeter, and VSI.

Airspeed Indicator (ASI)

Displays difference between pitot (total) and static pressure; reads zero if both holes blocked.

Altimeter

Aneroid barometer comparing cockpit static pressure with set reference; subject to "high-to-low" error.

Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)

Measures rate of pressure change (calibrated leak) to show climb or descent; lags 6–9 seconds.

Rigidity in Space

Gyro property allowing attitude indicator and DG to remain fixed in plane while aircraft moves.

Precession

Gyro tendency to tilt 90° later in direction of applied force; causes DG drift.

Attitude Indicator (AI)

Vacuum or electrically driven gyro showing pitch and bank; may indicate false climb on accel.

Directional Gyro (DG)

Gyro stabilized heading indicator; must be set to magnetic compass periodically.

Turn Coordinator (TC)

Electrically driven instrument showing rate of turn/roll; standard rate = 3°/sec (360° in 2 min).

Compass – Variation

Angular difference between true north and magnetic north; "East is least, west is best."

Compass – Deviation

Compass error caused by aircraft magnetic fields, corrected by compass card.

Magnetic Dip Errors

UNOS (undershoot north, overshoot south) on turns and ANDS (accelerate north, decelerate south) on speed changes.

IFR Taxi Instrument Check

Verify: clock operating, ASI zero, AI erect, altimeter ±75 ft, VSI noted, DG & TC turn correctly, compass swings freely.

AHRS

Attitude Heading Reference System replacing AI/DG/TC with solid-state sensors.

Air Data Computer (ADC)

Processes pitot-static data to drive ASI, altimeter, and VSI on glass cockpits.

Primary Flight Display (PFD)

Glass-cockpit screen combining attitude, airspeed, altitude, heading, and trend info.

Multi-Function Display (MFD)

Glass screen for maps, weather, traffic, systems; can revert to PFD if needed.

IFR Release

Authorization to depart IFR, including release time, void time, and notify time if at non-towered field.

Pop-Up IFR

IFR clearance requested in flight while VFR, workload permitting.

VFR-On-Top

IFR clearance to operate in VMC at VFR altitudes while still receiving IFR services; cloud clearance per Part 91 VFR mins.

Cruise Clearance

ATC authorizes block from minimum IFR altitude up to assigned altitude and approach at destination.

STAR – Standard Terminal Arrival Route

Charted procedure transitioning from enroute to approach; "descend via" allows pilot-discretion descent.

Holding Pattern – Direct Entry

Turn directly to follow published inbound course upon crossing fix.

Holding Pattern – Parallel Entry

Fly outbound parallel, then 210° turn to capture inbound course.

Holding Pattern – Teardrop Entry

Fly 30° into protected side, then 210° turn to intercept inbound.

Max Holding Speeds

200 KIAS ≤6000 ft, 230 ≤14,000 ft, 265 above 14,000 ft unless charted otherwise.

Procedure Turn Barb

Barbed-arrow symbol requiring course reversal on depicted side within charted distance.

Hold-in-Lieu of PT (HILPT)

Racetrack hold serving as course reversal; mandatory unless NoPT or radar vectors given.

TAA – Terminal Arrival Area

RNAV "T" design providing minimum altitudes and sequencing to the IF/IAF; replaces MSA circle.

Visual Approach

ATC-cleared IFR procedure to land visually with airport or traffic in sight; ceiling ≥1000 ft and 3 SM required.

Contact Approach

Pilot-requested IFR procedure requiring 1 SM and clear of clouds; destination must have an IAP.

ILS Localizer

VHF lateral beam (4× VOR sensitivity) providing ±350 ft full-scale at runway threshold, usable 18 NM within 10°.

ILS Glideslope

UHF vertical beam, usually 3°, intercepted from below; full-scale deflection ±0.7°.

Marker Beacons

Outer, Middle, Inner beacons giving range info on ILS; now often simulated with GPS audio/annunciators.

Decision Altitude (DA)

Altitude on precision or APV approach where a missed approach must begin if required visual cues absent.

Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA)

Lowest altitude on non-precision approach before MAP, requiring level-off until visual reference obtained.

Visual Descent Point (VDP)

Point from which normal descent from MDA to runway can begin, shown by black triangle.

RAIM

Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring; fifth satellite cross-checks GPS position integrity.

WAAS

Wide Area Augmentation System providing corrected GPS signals for precision-like accuracy and eliminating RAIM need.

TSO-C129/C196 GPS

Older non-WAAS IFR GPS requiring RAIM and alternate non-GPS IAP when filing IFR.

TSO-C145/C146 GPS

WAAS-enabled GPS approved for LNAV/VNAV, LPV, and use as sole-means nav including alternate planning.

LPV

Localizer Performance w/ Vertical guidance; WAAS approach with DA similar to ILS but not precision by regulation.

LNAV/VNAV

GPS approach with lateral & baro- or WAAS-derived vertical guidance to a DA.

LP

Localizer Performance; WAAS-narrowed lateral guidance only, requires MDA.

LNAV

Basic non-precision GPS approach providing lateral guidance only to an MDA.

LNAV+V

Advisory glidepath added to LNAV minimums; vertical path not authorized for DA—descend to MDA.

APV

Approach with Vertical Guidance category covering LPV and LNAV/VNAV—precision-like yet non-precision legally.

RNP APCH

Required Navigation Performance standard; WAAS GPS typically meets 1.0 NM terminal/0.3 NM final accuracy.

IAS – Indicated Airspeed

Speed read directly from ASI, uncorrected for errors.

CAS – Calibrated Airspeed

IAS corrected for position and instrument error.

TAS – True Airspeed

CAS corrected for non-standard temp/pressure; increases with altitude/temp.

Groundspeed

TAS adjusted for wind; actual speed over ground.

Mach Number

Ratio of TAS to local speed of sound.

Vso

Stall speed in landing configuration—bottom of white arc.

Vs1

Stall speed in clean or specified configuration—bottom of green arc.

Vfe

Maximum flap-extended speed—top of white arc.

Vno

Maximum structural cruising speed—top of green arc (start of yellow arc).

Vne

Never-exceed speed—red radial line.

Va

Maneuvering speed—max speed for full, abrupt control deflection without structural damage.

Vx

Best angle of climb—greatest altitude per distance.

Vy

Best rate of climb—greatest altitude per time.

True Altitude

Height above mean sea level (MSL).

Absolute Altitude

Height above ground level (AGL).