Learning to maneuver an airplane safely in the clouds requires consummate piloting technique, superb judgment, and effective decision-making, risk management skills.

To achieve this level of proficiency, we divide the instrument curriculum into three stages as follows:

1. Aircraft Control:  Proficient instrument flight requires the ability to control the airplane's heading (+/- 5 deg), altitude (+/- 50'), and airspeed ((+/- 5 knots)  in precise fashion.  Effective trim, rudder control, and power settings to achieve the desired heading, altitude, and airspeed must be mastered before IFR procedures are introduced.

2. IFR Procedures:  Learning to position the airplane in accordance with published instrument clearances, charts, and  procedures is the second stage of training.  Here, the student masters the various instrument approach, departure, and enroute procedures prescribed in the published instrument approach procedures (IAPs) and low altitude enroute charts.

3. Weather Flying:  Instrument flight is, by definition, weather flying.  Instrument training without comprehensive understanding of weather factors is nothing more than a video game that can be mastered on a desktop flight simulator.  Effective instrument training immerses the instrument student in the actual weather conditions that he or she will likely encounter as an instrument pilot operating in the national airspace system.